Our take
Columbia Crest Grand Estates Syrah Washington Red Wine
- Style
- Red wine
- Size
- 750 ml
- Grape
- Syrah
- Region
- Washington State
- Shelf barcode
- 0088586000850
Our take
What we make of this bottle
Syrah is the grape here, and grape guides describe it as a dark, thick-skinned red that tends toward full body and firm tannin, with black pepper, smoked meat and dark fruit as common references; the same guides note that warmer growing regions, including much of Washington, can push the grape toward riper, softer fruit than the more savory, peppery style long associated with France's Rhone Valley. The label names Washington State only, one of 21 recognized growing areas the state holds rather than a single district.
Columbia Crest's own product page for this bottle is thin: it gives one tasting note, describing “elegant smoky tones” leading to “concentrated berries, dried herbs and hints of pepper,” with a “supple texture” and flavors of “cedar and dark fruits,” the producer's words. No alcohol percentage, aging detail, vintage, awards or food pairing is published for the wine. At the brand level, Columbia Crest says it was founded in 1982 as the first winery in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA in Paterson, Washington, under parent company Ste. Michelle Wine Estates. Guy Barnes, head winemaker since March 2024, joined the winery in 1999 as a harvest lab technician and worked through its white-wine program for nearly two decades before taking the role; the winery says its 2,500 acres of estate vineyards run on drip irrigation in a region that receives only six to eight inches of rain annually.
We do not have a shopper rating for this wine. In our September 2026 checks it ranged from $12.99 to $17.99 across two stores.
Our call: this suits a shopper who wants a producer-described smoky, peppery Syrah style and a winery with a stated four-decade Washington history behind it. Pass if you want more than one tasting-note paragraph to go on; Columbia Crest has not published this Syrah's alcohol percentage, aging, vintage or blend detail, and no shopper rating is on our record yet.
The Grocery Store Wine Desk · written Sep 16, 2026 from our research file for this wine. Numbers reflect our latest checks.
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Read our take →The prices we checked
Dated store checks, not a promise about your store.
- Fred Meyer, Portland, OR$17.99
- QFC, Tacoma, WA$12.99
The regular price can vary by store and date.
From the producer
Founding and Horse Heaven Hills
Columbia Crest says it was founded in 1982 as the very first winery in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA in Paterson, Washington, and parent company Ste. Michelle Wine Estates lists Columbia Crest among its Pacific Northwest estates.
Research status
What we are still checking
Our overview above draws on the dated store feed, shopper ratings, our region and grape research, and any sourced producer facts. We are still working to confirm the current release, the full producer record, and the bottle itself, and we update this page as we learn more.
Getting to know Washington State.
A Washington label can point to a large state blend or to a narrower AVA. Most vineyards are east of the Cascade Range, but the exact AVA still matters because elevation, wind, rain and frost exposure change across the state.
What the name means
Washington is a state origin, not one American Viticultural Area. Its wine regions include 21 federally recognized AVAs, some shared with Oregon.
How grapes grow here
The Cascade Range blocks much of the Pacific rain from eastern Washington. That creates generally dry growing conditions with warm summer days, cool nights and winter frost risk, while western sites have stronger marine influence.
What lies under the vines
Flood deposits, windblown silt, sand, gravel and volcanic material occur across Washington wine country. A state name alone does not identify one soil or vineyard setting.
How large the region is
- Recognized AVAs
- 21 wine-growing areas are listed by the Washington State Wine Commission.
- Label resolution
- Washington State is broader than an AVA, so the bottle or producer must establish a more specific place.
Places within the region
- Columbia Valley
- A very large AVA that contains many of Washington's smaller wine regions and crosses into Oregon.
- Yakima Valley and Walla Walla Valley
- Two established AVAs within the broader eastern Washington landscape, each with its own boundaries and local conditions.
Getting to know Syrah.
Syrah is a red grape also called Shiraz on many labels. It can make a varietal wine or join blends, and the chosen name sometimes signals the producer's intended style.
Category guide
What to expect in the glass
Regional guides describe dark berry, plum, pepper and savory notes, with medium to full body and firm structure. Cooler growing conditions can emphasize pepper and freshness, while warmer sites can bring riper fruit and more weight.
Sources: New Zealand Winegrowers. Checked Aug 10, 2026. See all 5 Syrah wines we cover →
Where this information comes from
- Store listing
- Price, package, product identifier. Checked Aug 14, 2026.
- Barcode
- The shelf barcode shown here is computed from the store product identifier. It has not been checked against a bottle.
- Method
- Every price, rating and fact here is a dated observation. How we check.