Recognition Includes White Wine of the Year and Wine of the Year by Country at the 2024 Sommeliers Choice Awards.
Walla Walla, WA – June 21, 2024 — Long Shadows’ 2022 Poet’s Leap Riesling has been awarded top honors at the 2024 Sommeliers Choice Awards, a competition renowned for its rigorous evaluation of over 1,500 wines from more than 30 countries around the globe. Poet’s Leap Riesling was celebrated as the “White Wine of the Year” and “Wine of the Year by Country (U.S.)” at this year’s competition in Chicago in May. The results were announced last week.
In addition to these distinguished accolades, the 2022 Poet’s Leap Riesling also received “Wine of the Year by Varietal” and “Wine of the Year by Glass Pour.” Dane Narbaitz, Long Shadows president, underscored the importance of the award. “This comprehensive recognition highlights the wine’s exceptional quality and versatility, which have made it a favorite among sommeliers and wine enthusiasts since it debuted with the 2003 vintage,” he said. “It is a credit to our winemaker Gilles Nicault and our growers.” The 2022 Poet’s Leap Riesling retails for $20.
The Sommeliers Choice Awards are judged by an esteemed panel of wine directors, sommeliers, and master sommeliers, ensuring that each winner represents the pinnacle of excellence in the industry. Mark Guillaudeu, MS, who was named Best USA Sommelier in 2022 and served as a judge at the 2024 Sommelier Choice Awards, praised the 2022 Poet’s Leap for its “complexity, plurality, fruit, minerality, sense of place, and value,” adding, “I have no doubt it will age gracefully for years to come but will also be delicious right now.”
About Long Shadows Vintners
When Washington wine visionary Allen Shoup founded Long Shadows in 2002, his idea for the winery was as simple as it was complex. Recruit seven internationally acclaimed winemakers, give each access to Washington State’s best grapes, and outfit a winery to the vintners’ exacting cellar specifications. From the beginning, Long Shadows’ winemaking and viticulture director, Gilles Nicault, collaborated with the winemakers to realize their unique vision. Today, each Long Shadows wine reflects the variety and style of the iconic winemaker who inspired it.
The wines are made in Walla Walla, Washington. More information about Long Shadows is available on its website at longshadows.com.
About the Competition
The Sommeliers Choice Awards has built an international reputation as one of the industry’s most prestigious competitions by benchmarking wines for restaurants. Now in its sixth year, more than 50 judges blind-tasted and scored wines for food pairing, typicity, quality, and value.
