2026 FESTIVAL WINE COMPETITION
Our annual Astoria Warrenton Crab & Wine Festival wine competition showcases Oregon’s finest wines from our festival wineries.
The annual festival, held the last full weekend in April, features 45 booths operated by Oregon wineries. Participating wineries are invited to submit entries to the official wine competition ahead of the event. The 2026 competition included more than two dozen varietals, with red wines representing approximately two-thirds of the entries. Both the festival and competition are organized by the Astoria-Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce.
A panel of five judges with diverse wine industry backgrounds evaluated the entries: Cyndi Gierok, wine buyer for Fred Meyer Newberg; Jeff Martin, retired chef and former owner of the Silver Salmon Grille in downtown Astoria; Kerri McDaniel Boenisch, author of several books including Dirt+Wine=Wine; Christopher Hayes, a Portland-based wine professional; and Nicole Barto, a Certified Specialist of Wine. The Chamber values this range of expertise to ensure wines are judged from multiple perspectives. (More on our judges below.)
Judges used a 20-point scale to evaluate each wine’s appearance, aroma, taste, texture, aftertaste, and overall impression. All tastings were conducted blind. Following initial scoring, the top red and white wines were reevaluated to determine Best of Show.
Selecting the Best of Show winners proved challenging, as the gold medal wines demonstrated exceptional quality across categories. In addition to traditional awards, the competition again included a Best of Show for Pinot Noir, reflecting the varietal’s enduring popularity and its significant presence—approximately 20% of entries each year—in Oregon winemaking.
Best of Show WHITE: 3 Goats Winery, Scheurebe, 2024, Yamhill-Carlton
Best of Show RED: Stone Griffon Vineyard, Mourvedre, 2022, Columbia Valley
Best of Show PINOT NOIR: River’s Edge Winery, Barrel Select Pinot Noir, 2021, Elkton
For a full list of award-winning wines, click here: 2026 WINE COMPETITION RESULTS. The results will also be published in the festival program, and winning wineries will display their awards at the event.
The Astoria Warrenton Crab & Wine Fest will take place April 24-26, 2026 at the Clatsop County Fair & Expo in Astoria, Oregon.
2026: Meet our judges
Nicole Barto has always been intrigued by wine. She still remembers the first bottle of wine purchased while in college. It was a cabernet sauvignon from Chateau St. Michelle. “It opened my horizons to a new world. I realized a bottle of wine was not just another bottle of alcohol. It had flavors, it had power to stop me in my track and made me look in the glass while thinking about why it tasted so good.” In 2009, her husband’s job took them to smack dab in the middle of Russian River Valley, CA then to Paso Robles/Edna Valley Area. It was destiny. When they moved back to Washington state, Nicole came across a post online about certifications in wine with a comment about the Certified Wine Judging Program. The light bulb lit up like fire. Although, it is a 3-year program through the American Wine Society, she found it very attractive knowing she could study at her own pace. The program has led her to pursue the WSET 2 and 3 certifications. Nicole finished the Certified Specialist of Wine last year. She says, “I enjoy learning more about wine immensely. Besides hitting the books, I truly enjoy visiting wineries to learn in depth. I also found precious friendships while wine judging with people from all over the country with the common love for great art of wine.”
Christopher Hayes is a Portland-based wine professional with over 20 years of experience in the international wine trade. His career has focused on portfolio management, sales leadership, and management as well as market development across a diverse range of Old World and New World producers.
Known for his analytical palate and broad category knowledge, Christopher has extensive experience assessing wines across styles and appellations. He is particularly interested in wines that express regional character, balance, and a clear sense of place.
Cyndi Gierok (Wine Buyer, Fred Meyer Newberg) has been in the wine industry since 2006, starting by pouring wine for special events. She didn’t know much at that time, but when she tasted a delicious Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley, she knew her destiny. She has been involved in events such as Pinot Camp, IPNC, and have had the honor to judge in wine competitions showcasing Northwest Wines. She was deemed Pinot Princess from her friend David Adelsheim.
Jeff Martin is one of seven children that grew up on a farm in The Dalles Oregon. His mother taught the kids how to bake at an early age and that is what inspired him to begin his professional cooking career at the age of fourteen at the Tapadera Inn. By the age of twenty, Jeff was chef at The French House, a fine dining restaurant in an 1880s Victorian home., also in The Dalles.
In 1990, Jeff moved to the north coast and became the executive chef at the Astoria Golf & Country Club. During his seven years at the club, he became famous for his chowder and achieved many awards in chowder cook-offs in Seaside & Florence, Oregon. After his time at the club, he then became general manager at the Wayfarer restaurant in Cannon Beach, where he continued his achievements in cooking competitions.
In February of 2001, Jeff and his wife Laurie, who is a native Astorian, opened the Silver Salmon Grille in downtown Astoria. The Martins hosted many winemakers dinners at the restaurant throughout the years. Jeff also served as the chef for over winemakers dinners at The Cellar on 10th in Astoria. The opportunity to taste such a broad number of wines while planning the pairing of the courses helped educate his pallet.
Jeff is also an undefeated three time champion of the Iron Chef Goes Coastal cooking competition in Seaside, Oregon.
Kerry McDaniel Boenisch is an author, speaker, wine judge and “Wine Sisters Cheers to Change” Vlog co-host with Regina Jones Jackson. She relishes working in her barn selling vintage furniture @dirtvinewinevintage and is currently working on her fourth book, Fall Down, Stand Up, Learning From Loss Amidst the Vines— The Beginners Guide to Grieving, Empty-nesting and Finding Joy. Her three books are Vineyard Memoirs, Dirt+Vine=Wine and Intertwined— Grief, Gratitude and Growing a Vineyard.