Recognition for Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon
Includes USA Wine of the Year and Cabernet Sauvignon of the Year
June 23, 2026 (Walla Walla, WA) — Long Shadows’ 2022 Feather Cabernet Sauvignon has been awarded top honors at the 2026 Sommeliers’ Choice Awards, earning recognition as “USA Wine of the Year” and “Cabernet Sauvignon Wine of the Year.”
with Feather Cabernet Sauvignon. Photo Credit: Long Shadows Vintners
The competition is renowned for its rigorous evaluation of wines through the lens of the restaurant and hospitality industry, with judges considering quality, typicity, value, and food-pairing potential.
The recognition for Feather marks the second time in recent years that Walla Walla’s Long Shadows winery has received top honors from the competition. In 2024, the winery’s 2022 Poet’s Leap Riesling was named “USA Wine of the Year” and “White Wine of the Year,” underscoring Long Shadows’ continued excellence across both red and white wines.
“Feather has always been about the power and precision Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon can achieve,” said Gilles Nicault, Long Shadows’ founding winemaker. “The 2022 vintage brings together depth, structure, and remarkable balance, making it a 2022 Feather Cabernet Sauvignon compelling wine at the table as well as in the glass. This recognition from the country’s top sommeliers and hospitality professionals is especially meaningful because they evaluate wines not only for quality, but for how they enhance the dining experience.”
The Sommeliers Choice Awards are judged by an esteemed panel of master sommeliers, sommeliers, and restaurant wine directors, ensuring that each winner represents the pinnacle of excellence in the industry. “Restaurant buyers and sommeliers are looking for wines that overdeliver on quality, provide strong value, pair naturally with food, and fit seamlessly into hospitality programs,” said Sid Patel, CEO of Beverage Trade Network and Founder of the Sommeliers Choice Awards. “The 2026 winners represent wines that sommeliers genuinely believe deserve a place on wine lists and dining tables across the U.S.”
About Long Shadows Vintners
Long Shadows Vintners is a renowned Walla Walla winery founded in 2002 to showcase the viticultural excellence of Washington’s Columbia Valley. Established by Washington wine visionary Allen Shoup, Long Shadows brought together eight internationally celebrated vintners to collaborate with founding winemaker Gilles Nicault, blending global production techniques with Nicault’s winemaking expertise and knowledge of Columbia Valley vineyards. Together, they crafted seven distinct wines, each shaped by the acclaimed vintners’ signature styles. Since the beginning, Gilles has led winemaking and the portfolio’s evolution, expanding the collection to include two additional white wines and limited-production reds. Tastings are offered at the Chihuly Tasting Room in Walla Walla and at a modern suburban tasting room in Woodinville, 25 minutes east of downtown Seattle.
The 2022 Feather Cabernet Sauvignon retails for $85 and is available for purchase on the winery’s 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 eighth year, the program evaluates wines for quality, value, food-pairing potential, packaging, and commercial suitability.
