News

NWWineAnthem.com "Where There's Smoke, There's Wine: Wine & Barbecue"

Featured wine: 2009 Tempranillo

WinesNorthwest.com by Chuck Hill

Wine of the Week, 2011 Muscat

2013 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

Gold Medal, 2011 Albariño
Gold Medal, 2009 Reserve Syrah

Wine Press Northwest's Platinum Judging

Platinum Medal, 2011 Albariño
Platinum Medal, 2011 Grenache Rosé
Platinum Medal, 2009 Estate Port

Wine Enthusiast

91 points & Cellar Selection, 2008 Estate Syrah
90 points & Best Buy, Vintner's Blend #12
89 points & Editors' Choice, 2011 Albariño
89 points, 2009 Dolcetto
89 points, 2009 Syrah

2012 Sunset International Wine Competition

Gold Medal, 2011 Albariño

Oregon Wine Press

Value Pick, 2009 Malbec & 2009 Merlot

Snooth People’s Choice Awards

Finalist, 2007 Reserve Tempranillo & 2011 Albariño

San Francisco Chronicle

Great press on SFGate.com:  An American ode to an Iberian favorite

"Oregon's Best 50", Portland Monthly

94 points, 2011 Grenache Rosé

2012 World of Wine Festival Wine Competition

Double Gold Medal, 2009 Estate Port
Gold Medal, 2011 Grenache Rosé
Gold Medal, 2009 Malbec

Abacela at Bon Appétit's Feast Portland

Abacela is pleased to be recognized as an Oregon Wine Pioneer. Abacela's Earl Jones spoke on Friday, September 21st during the Oregon Wine Pioneers panel discussion. More

"These Oregon wine pioneers forged a tight bond while breaking ground for their vineyards and wineries and helped define Oregon as a world-class wine region. Come hear their stories, taste their wines and hear how the wine west was won. Director Park Teacher's Fountain."

Abacela's Earl Jones with David Adelsheim, Susan Sokol-Blosser and Dick Erath at Bon Appétit's Feast Portland.

2012 San Francisco International Wine Competition

Gold Medal, 2009 Port

Wine Press Northwest - Fresh Press, June 14,2012

Outstanding!, 2011 Albariño "No one was producing Albariño commercially in the Pacific Northwest when Earl Jones released his first vintage in 2000. Eleven years later, no has yet to match Abacela’s skill or scale with this Galician variety. The nose screams of citrus with lemon and quince, backed by pineapple, star fruit, grassiness and some slate. Its hallmark is delicious tartness, akin to some Sauvignon Blanc, joined by flavors of gooseberry, Granny Smith apple, lime peel and slightly unripe passion fruit. It’s truly amazing how the fruit fights through all the acidity. Enjoy with fresh oysters, a wide variety of tapas, or a plate of sliced Manchego, quince paste and Graber olives."

Outstanding! 2009 Estate Port "Perhaps no one in the Pacific Northwest
is as serious about Port-style wine as Abacela’s founding winemaker Earl Jones. He grows the five primary varieties — Tempranillo (46%), Tinta Amarela (19%), Bastardo (18%), Tinta Cão (11%) and Touriga Naçional — on his Fault Line Vineyard project. The grapes are pressed, and winemaker Andrew Wenzl stops fermentation at 9% residual sugar by using spirits distilled from Abacela grapes. The result is a classic Port nose of homemade caramel, black cherry, stewed plums, orange slices and cedar. Black cherry and blueberry flavors mix with notes of milk chocolate, and the sweetness is balanced by acidity. Its tannin structure is akin to fine-grain sandpaper and makes for a smooth delivery that will get even better in a couple of years."

Excellent. 2011 Viognier "It can be difficult to find a Viognier to pair with food, but here’s a candidate. Subdued aromas of Golden Delicious apple, orange and fresh pineapple are followed by candy corn and butterscotch. The entry to the palate is filled with yellow grapefruit and popcorn, backed by lovely minerality and Rangpur lime tartness to clean the palate. Enjoy this with scallops served alongside an orange sauce."

Excellent. 2009 Dolcetto "In Italian, “Dolcetto” translates to “sweet little one,” and while this wine is loaded with purple fruit, there’s plenty of acidity to steer it clear from any sign of sweetness. Aromas of plums, dried strawberry, cola, licorice, red clay and pink peppercorns play out in various forms on the flavors, joined by ripe blueberry and pomegranate."

Read full Fresh Press

Wine Press Northwest - Fresh Press, May 15, 2012

Outstanding! & Best Buy, 2011 Grenache Rosé "Almost every winemaker will tell you their current vintage of a particular wine is the best they've produced. In this case, the folks at Abacela could be right, which is saying quite a bit considering this wine perennially earns a spot in our year-end Platinum Judging. The inviting brilliant pink color is followed by a nose of strawberry, apricot and marshmallow, followed by bright cherries, more strawberries and a big bite of fresh peach. Its texture is akin to peach skin, and the cranberry acidity, combined with its blank residual sugar, gives it almost endless food-pairing possibilities."

2012 NorthWest Wine Summit

Gold Medal & Jerry Mead Award, 2011 Grenache Rosé

WinesNorthwest.com by Chuck Hill

Wines of the Week: 2011 Grenache Rosé & 2009 Tempranillo

2012 Pacific Rim Wine Competition

Best of Class & Gold Medal, 2011 Albariño

2012 Riverside Wine Competition

Silver Medal, 2009 Tempranillo

Chicago Tribune: "favorite USA Albariño"

Bill St. John: 2010 Abacela Albariño "My favorite USA albarino 'cause you wouldn't know it wasn't Galician; gobs of scents and tastes of ripe Bosc pear, citrus, green apple and mineral; the new vintage, the 2011 Albariño, is equal in savor, just fresher" Now that's press!

Bud Break in the Vineyard!

See pictures on Facebook or Flickr.

Abacela is mentioned on Forbes.com

Read it here: Forbes.com

2012 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition

Silver Medal, 2011 Grenache Rosé

2012 Greatest of the Grape

2007 Reserve Tempranillo won top honors with the "Greatest of the Grape", Best Red Wine, and a Gold Medal from Oregon's oldest wine festival.

2012 Dallas Morning News & TexSom Competition

Gold Medal, 2010 Albarino

Oregon's Best Baguette

by Cila Warncke on Examiner.com

Abacela tops a Southern Oregon wines Reader Survey

Read the blog

Oregon Wine Geeks reviews:

93 points, 2007 Reserve Tempranillo
93 points, 2007 Cabernet franc
92 points, 2009 Garnacha

Paul Gregutt: introducing abacela’s gran reserva – paramour

Read Paul Gregutt blog about our new 2005 Paramour. (Oct 2011)

Wine Press Northwest - Wine of the Week: 

Our 2010 Grenache Rose was rated "Outstanding!" and chosen as wine of the week.

Abacela featured on NW Vine Time radio!

Earl Jones and Abacela were featured on Brian Bushlach's radio show, NW Vine Time on Newsradio 101 FM-KXL. Listen to the first audio segment here:

Winston winery benefits from recent trip to Spanish vineyards

By Ryan Imondi, The News Review. Read the full article.

2011 Verjus Released!

Verjus is a non-alcoholic juice, made from Abacela’s estate vitis vinifera grapes. Uses include salad dressing, marinades, deglazing, and drinks. It is a good replacement when a recipe calls for vinegar or lemon juice because Verjus doesn't compete with the wine you are serving. Our Verjus is available at the winery, through our webstore, or at select Oregon retailers. Press Release

Harvest 2011 has started!

Check out our Flickr photostream.

Oregon Wine Press

New article "Tracking Tempranillo"

Gold Discovered at Abacela Winery

Great blog by the WineCatz

2011 Northwest Wine Summit

Gold Medal, 2008 Tempranillo

2011 Riverside International Wine Competition

Gold Medal, 2010 Albarino

2011 Los Angeles International Wine Competition

Midwest Wine Guy Reviews

Earl Jones only US panelist at Tempranillo Event

May 7, 2011; After 500 years the Spanish are again invading the Americas! Well at least San Francisco and New York; their mission being, to promote Tempranillo wines from the... More

Abacela’s Stunning New Vine & Wine Center offers a Novel Wine Tasting Experience

Abacela's 'under construction' Vine & Wine Center...

Wine Enthusiast

90 points & Cellar Selection, 2007 Tempranillo Estate

Northwest Palate

Highly Recommended, 2007 Malbec

Abacela is now certified Salmon Safe and a member of LIVE

LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology) uses international standards of sustainable viticultural and enological practices in both wine-grape and wine production. These practices are based on an independent 3rd-party-verified checklist system consisting of required and prohibited elements, as well as numerous ecological options. SALMON-SAFE and LIVE are partners dedicated to restoring and maintaining healthy watersheds. See certificate

Wine Press Northwest's Platinum Judging

Platinum Medal, 2009 Albariño

2010 San Francisco International Wine Competition

Gold Medal, 2007 Tempranillo Estate
Silver Medal, 2009 Albariño

Wine Enthusiast

94 points & Editors' Choice, 2009 Blanco Dulce
91 points, 2009 Viognier - 91 points
90 points, 2009 Albariño - 90 points

Abacela Winery - Putting tempranillo on the map

By Paul Gregutt, Vineyard & Winery Management, September-October 2010 View the full article as a PDF.

Abacela featured on Sustainable Seattle Blog

by Tysan Dutta

2010 World of Wine Festival

Gold Medal, 2008 Garnacha
Silver Medal, 2009 Albariño
Silver Medal, 2008 Dolcetto

A wine fiesta: The West's hot new grapes are Spanish and just right for sipping now

By Sara Schneider, Sunset Magazine, August 2010
Top Pick, 2009 Albarino "Ripe, golden apple and peach rounded out with a touch of almond and orchard blossoms." PDF

Wine Press Northwest

Summer 2010
Outstanding!, 2007 Malbec
Outstanding!, 2007 Port
Outstanding!, 2009 Albariño
Excellent, 2008 Dolcetto
Excellent, 2009 Grenache Rosé
Excellent, 2009 Viognier
Recommended, 2007 Cabernet Franc
Recommended, 2009 Blanco Dulce

Abacela completes the Carbon Neutral Challenge

Fourteen Oregon wineries and vineyards have completed the carbon neutral program for 2009 and invested in a regional, verifiable offset. Abacela is proud to be one of the first! Read more on our blog.

Oregon’s finest vinos de España

By Paul Omundson, The Register Guard, May 26, 2010
"At Abacela Winery, in a Rioja-like climate, Earl and Hilda Jones coax lauded Oregon wines from traditional Spanish varietals." Full article

Oregon winery thrives on focused approach

by Paul Gregutt, The Spokesman-Review, May 26, 2010
"Abacela, located in southern Oregon, is a fine example of a winery that started with a specific focus, built on it and now offers a breathtakingly large lineup of estate-grown blends and varietals, including some never before seen in the Northwest." Full article

2010 Spring Wine Guide: Fine pours for picnics

By The Oregonian, May 24, 2010
2009 Albarino "Cured meat... begs for a refreshing, bracing white wine, and this albariño is just the thing." - Kimberly Paley, Paley's Place

Cellar Dweller: A summery choice

by Matt Meador, The Vancouver Voice, May 19, 2010
2009 Viognier "a grand example of just what Viognier is all about" Full review

wine in the spotlight: abacela 2009 albariño

by Paul Gregutt, www.paulgregutt.com, May 18, 2010
2009 Albarino "Kudos to Abacela for all their pioneering work with Iberian varietals." Full blog

It's spring, and the rosés are in bloom

by Matt Kramer, The Oregonian, May 15, 2010
2009 Grenache Rose "...a superb example of just what grenache can do in a rosé style" Full review

2010 Riverside International Wine Competition

Gold Medal, 2009 Albarino

Northwest Palate

May/June 2010
Highly Recommended, 2005 Reserve Tempranillo
Recommended, 2006 Estate Tempranillo
Recommended, 2007 Tempranillo Delfino Vineyard

Wine Press Northwest

Spring 2010
Outstanding, 2007 Tempranillo Cuvee
Excellent, 2006 Claret

The Name Game

Paul Gregutt, www.paulgregutt.com
2007 Port "a wine that any Port lover should experience, for I have not had a finer American version." Full blog

Get out of that taste rut with these originals.

 Matt Kramer, The Oregonian, 4/11/2010
Vintner's Blend #10 "...this is an outstanding deal in flat-out good red wine of real character with not a shred of pretension."

Northwest Palate

March/April 2010
Exceptional, 2006 Port

Wine Business Monthly

February 2010
Abacela named one of the ten Hot Small Brands of 2009!
Check out the full article:  PDF

Wine Press Northwest

Winter 2009/2010
Platinum Medal and Best Buy, 2008 Rosado
Outstanding!, 2006 Syrah Estate
Excellent, 2007 Garnacha
Excellent, Vintner's Blend #10
Recommended, 2007 Dolcetto
Recommended, 2007 Tempranillo Delfino Vineyard
Recommended, 2007 Tempranillo McCorquodale Vineyard

Wine Enthusiast

Top 100 Wines of 2009
#54 2005 Reserve Syrah (95 points)

2009 Tri-Cities Wine Festival

Double Gold Medal, 2006 Tempranillo Estate
Silver Medal, 2008 Albarino
Silver Medal, 2006 Port

Chuck Hill, WinesNW.com

Wine of the Week, October 31, 2009
2008 Albarino
Another top pick by our tasters, the winery acknowledges the legendary oyster affinity of the wine by encouraging consumers to give it a try with other sea foods – not limiting it to bivalves. While it is a near-perfect wine for half shell oysters, it does go well with many other foods. White peach, citrus, mineral, floral notes… it is all there. But DO be courteous and serve some sautéed scallops, halibut with lemon/herb butter or chicken picata with this beauty. Full article

Wine Enthusiast

91 points, 2008 Viognier

Seattle Metropolitan Magazine

September 2009, Lucas St. Clair Wine Director, Wild Ginger Bellevue

The Umpqua Valley always reminded Earl Jones of the vineyards he’d seen in Spain, so he decided the Spanish variety Albarino would work very well here. He was right. The wine has great acid, low alcohol, and matches well with all sorts of Northwest seafood.

Cooking Light Magazine

September 2009, "What we love right now"
Pucker Up - With its tangy acidity and vibrant fruit flavors, an Albarino hits the spot this time of year. Pair 2008 Abacela Estate Grown Albarino with tapas, garlicky pastam or cioppino. -Julianna Grimes

World of Wine Festival 2009

Gold Medal, 2008 Albarino

Portland Monthly Magazine

"Top 20 wines under $20", 2008 Albarino

Wine Press Northwest

Summer 2009
Outstanding! and Best Buy!, 2008 Rosado
Outstanding!, 2006 Port
Recommended and Best Buy!, Vintner's Blend #9

Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition

June 19, 2009
Gold Medal, 2006 Tempranillo Estate

Oregon's Spanish influence

June 15, 2009
By Ken Robertson, Wine Press Northwest
"...Much of the credit goes to Earl Jones of Abacela Vineyards & Winery..." Full article...

2009 Tempranillos al Mundo, Spain

June 3, 2009
Gold Medal, 2005 Reserve Tempranillo

2009 International Eastern Wine Competition

May 27, 2009
Gold Medal, 2006 Tempranillo Estate
Silver Medal, 2008 Albarino

2009 NorthWest Wine Summit

May 6, 2009
Gold Medal, 2006 Tempranillo Umpqua Cuvee
Silver Medal, 2008 Albarino
Silver Medal, 2006 Port

2009 Pacific Rim Wine Competition

April 24, 2009
Gold Medal, 2008 Albarino

2009 Pacific Coast Oyster Wine Competition

April 2, 2009
Finalist, 2008 Albarino

Wine Enthusiast

April 2009 Issue
95 Points & Editor's Choice, 2005 South Face Reserve Syrah
92 Points, 2005 Syrah Estate
91 Points, 2006 Tempranillo Estate

Earl Jones, recipient of the 2009 ORVI Award!

March 6, 2009 - Portland, OR
The Oregon Vintner of the year award (ORVI), is presented to individuals who have demonstrated significant achievements in building the Oregon wine industry and establishing its worldwide reputation. Full press release: PDF

Matt Kramer, The Oregonian

Sunday, March 1, 2009
Roseburg's Abacela '06 tempranillo has originality in spades
"Abacela Tempranillo "Estate" Southern Oregon 2006: Few wines in Oregon... are more original than the exceptional tempranillo wines from Abacela winery in Roseburg."

Wine Press Northwest, Platinum Judging

Double Gold Medal, 2007 Albarino
Double Gold Medal, 2006 Dolcetto
Gold Medal, 2005 Tempranillo Reserve
Complete Results

2009 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

Silver Medal, 2007 Albariño