Milton-Freewater vineyard takes home 8 medals in wine competition
Published 5:30 am Wednesday, July 24, 2024
- Roger Lemstrom, owner of Los Rocosos Vineyards, and his wife, Lucinda Borneman, share some of their favorite wine bottle labels April 25, 2024, at their tasting room in Milton-Freewater. Their winery won eight medals at the 2024 Pacific Northwest Wine Competition, June 24-26 in Walla Walla.
MILTON-FREEWATER — Los Rocosos Vineyards rocked the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater after winning eight medals at the annual Pacific Northwest Wine Competition.
The three-day competition, June 24-26, in its ninth year at Walla Walla Community College, received a record 717 wine entries. Out of all the wine competitors, Los Rocosos Vineyards, which grows its grapes on 80 feet of basalt cobble, won eight medals for its wines.
“What I’m excited about is the fact that the Rocks District is gaining international recognition,” Roger Lemstrom, founder of Los Rocosos Vineyard, said. “The qualities of wine that myself and my peers are making are starting to hit.”
The vineyard walked away with five gold medals, including two double gold each for its 2020 Arenas Suaves Grenache/Sangiovese Estate Blend and it Nine Moon 2018 Estate GSM (grenache, syrah, mourvèdre blend).
The winery also received three silver medals for the 2020 Bad Elk Estate Syrah, 2020 Cosecha de Luna Estate Mourvèdre and the 2019 Paco y Gustavo Estate Sangiovese.
Lemstrom attributed his success to his community. He described Milton-Freewater as a clutch of creative and committed producers who love to share their work.
He and his wife, Lucinda Borneman, run their boutique style winery on the Oregon side of the Walla Walla Valley. They welcome wine aficionados into their bohemian Spanish-style taste room tucked into their main vineyard behind their home. Many of the names of the wines, including the vineyard itself (Los Rocosos means “rocky” in Spanish), pays tribute to Lemstrom’s Mexican heritage.
In the past his grapes had success at the 2024 Savor Northwest Wine and Culinary Festival in Cannon Beach. He also garnered a platinum award for his 2021 Arenas Suaves Estate Field Blend in 2023 at the Great Northwest Wine Competition.
Some of the grapes for Los Rocosos wines are grown at the estate vineyard in the Rocks District of Milton Freewater with 8 acres under vine. Lemstrom and Borneman own two smaller vineyards near Walla Walla.
Los Rocosos Vineyards’ tasting room is open Monday through Sunday, noon to 5 p.m., at 84038 Eastside Road, Milton-Freewater. No reservation are needed.
