A Wapato winery has won a Platinum Medal in “Wine Press Northwest” magazine’s 10th annual judging of “The Best of the Best” of Northwest wines.  
Windy Point Vineyards received the award for its 2005 Cabernet Franc.
Only wines from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia that have won a Gold Medal in the past calendar year were eligible for the competition.
The Windy Point Cab Franc previously won gold in June at the Washington State Wine Competition.  
In the announcement of the award, the magazine said the Cab Franc “opens with aromas of pomegranates, pie cherries, raspberries and hints of shaved dark chocolate, followed by flavors of cola, ripe plums, red currants and hints of cedar. It’s all backed with bright acidity.”
Mike and Liz Stepniewski are the husband-wife team at Windy Point.
Their tasting room provides views of the Yakima Valley and their 15-acre estate vineyard, which provided the grapes for the award-winning wine which was crafted by Liz.
In addition, Windy Point’s 2006 Exclamation Point and 2006 Pointless Red earned Double-Gold medals at the judging.  
Exclamation Point, the winery’s Cheval-Blanc style red blend, won Best of Show at the Washington State Wine Competition and a Gold Medal at the Tri-Cities Wine festival.  
Pointless Red has won three Gold Medals this year, including The Seattle Wine Awards.  
According to information about the winery provided on its Web site, the Windy Point Fruit Ranch was purchased by Stanislaw Stepniewski in 1972.
The fruit ranch has further expanded into a packing company and a winery, but the family ownership has not changed.
Mike, Stanislaw’s son, who is now in charge, has brought his father’s dream of growing grapes and producing wine to life.
He brings more than 35 years of farming experience to the vineyard, along with a hard-earned reputation for producing fruit of the very highest standard.
As the winemaker, Liz has worked hard to produce the best quality wine, which has been represented by the awards she has earned on her 2004 Syrah, 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon and her Cabernet Franc/Merlot blend, Exclamation Point
The Windy Point Vineyards tasting room reflects the same style as Frank Lloyd Wright, and was designed and built to showcase Windy Point’s views of the Yakima Valley.
Mike and Liz’s also designed a professional kitchen as the centerpiece of the tasting room.
They say they want to share their kitchen and love for food and wine, and welcome all to come and join in on cooking classes and dinner parties.
Windy Point Vineyards produces all wine from estate-grown grapes. Growing only 15 acres of grapes helps them remain a boutique winery, focusing on the quality of their wines.
Currently in the vineyards are two white grapes, Riesling and Gewurztraminer; and nine red grapes, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Pinot Nior, Zinfandel, Nebbiolo, Barbera, and Malbec.
With the large variety of grapes, the winery is able to produce multiple varietals, a few different blends and a port.
Anyone interested in more information about the winery can contact Michael W. Libbee at (509) 910-3347.