Tuesday, July 06, 2010
The BEST California Wines
One of the reasons I live here. We make some great wine in California!!
Tomorrow afternoon and into the evening, The California State Fair will honor the best winemakers, vineyards and wineries in the state at the 15th Annual California’s Grape & Gourmet, the state’s premier California wine event.
The California’s Grape & Gourmet was created to celebrate and acknowledge excellence in the California wine industry, as determined by the 2010 State Fair Commercial Wine Competition, the oldest and most prestigiously judged wine competition in North America.
A VIP awards ceremony will be held at the Grape & Gourmet event to honor top winners from the Wine Competition, including more than 300 wineries and industry leaders. Specialty awards include the Wine Lifetime Achievement Awards, the Winery of the Year, the California Vineyard of the Year and the Best of Show Wines.
The Grape & Gourmet is scheduled for Wednesday, July 7 from 2:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Sacramento Convention Center. You can buy your tickets here!
Starting at 5:00 p.m. the public will have the opportunity to taste from more than 700 award-winning wines and 80 restaurants & caterers, more than 35 award-winning California micro-breweries and cheeses. Admission to California’s Grape & Gourmet includes unlimited wine and food tasting, as well as a free commemorative wineglass, wine tote, plate and general admission into the California State Fair. Select wines will also be available for purchase by the case or bottle with all proceeds from those sales benefiting the Friends of the California State Fair Scholarship Fund.
Wine Competition Results
At this year’s Wine Competition, 2,786 wine entries were received from more than 600 participating wineries. Seventy-two professional wine judges awarded 1,915 medals, including 37 Double Gold, 195 Gold, 1,073 Silver and 610 Bronze awards. Award winners include:
BEST OF REGION AWARDS
BEST OF NORTH COAST RED
GOLD 94
Michael-David: 2007 Mendocino County Sloth Zinfandel
BEST OF NORTH COAST WHITE
DOUBLE GOLD 98
V. Sattui Winery: 2009 Anderson Valley White Riesling
BEST OF SONOMA RED
GOLD 94
Buena Vista: 2006 Carneros Syrah Vinyard Series
BEST OF SONOMA WHITE
GOLD 94
Valley of the Moon Winery: 2009 Sonoma County Rosato di Sangi Sangiovese
BEST OF NAPA RED
GOLD 95
Napa Cellars: 2007 Napa Valley Zinfandel
BEST OF NAPA WHITE
DOUBLE GOLD 98
V. Sattui Winery: 2008 Napa Valley Riesling Select Late Harvest
BEST OF GREATER BAY RED
DOUBLE GOLD 98
Mitchell Katz Winery: 2007 Clark’s Corner Livermore Valley At Ruby Hill
BEST OF GREATER BAY WHITE (tie)
GOLD 95
Martin Ranch Winery: 2009 Santa Clara Valley J.D. Hurley Sauvignon Blanc
BEST OF GREATER BAY WHITE (tie)
GOLD 95
Storrs Winery: 2008 Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay
BEST OF NORTH-CENTRAL COAST RED
GOLD 94
Pierce Ranch Vineyards: 2007 San Antonio Petite Sirah
BEST OF NORTH-CENTRAL COAST WHITE
GOLD 95
Cypress Vineyards: 2009 Central Coast Sauvignon Blanc
BEST OF SOUTH-CENTRAL COAST RED
GOLD 95
Justin Vineyards & Winery: 2007 Paso Robles Isosceles (unfiltered)
BEST OF SOUTH-CENTRAL COAST WHITE
GOLD 95
Vina Robles: 2009 Estate Bottled Huerhuero Paso Robles White4
BEST OF SOUTH COAST RED
GOLD 94
Vindemia Vineyard: 2008 Temecula Valley Vineyard Temecula Valley Cabernet Franc
BEST OF SOUTH COAST WHITE
GOLD 94
Callaway Vineyard and Winery: 2009 Temecula Valley Rosé of Sangiovese Special Selection
BEST OF SIERRA FOOTHILLS RED
GOLD 95
Deaver Vineyards: 2007 Amador County Zinfandel
BEST OF SIERRA FOOTHILLS WHITE
GOLD 94
Davis Family Vineyards: 2008 Sierra Foothills White Rhone Blend, Cuvee Luke
BEST OF LODI RED
DOUBLE GOLD 98
Ramos Torres Winery: 2007 Lodi Branches Cabernet Sauvignon
BEST OF LODI WHITE
GOLD 95
Vino Con Brio: 2009 Estate Bottled Amorosa Lodi Brillante
BEST OF OTHER CALIFORNIA RED
GOLD 94
Tierra Del Rio Vineyards: 2008 Clarksburg Merlot
BEST OF CALIFORNIA STATE RED
DOUBLE GOLD 98
Red Rock Winery: 2008 California Malbec Reserve
BEST OF CALIFORNIA STATE WHITE
DOUBLE GOLD 98
Barefoot Cellars: NV California Barefoot Bubbly Brut Sparkling California Champagne
BEST OF CALIFORNIA
BEST BARBERA
GOLD 94
Jeff Runquist Wines: 2008 Ambra Vineyard Amador County Barbera Reserve
BEST BORDEAUX VARIETAL BLEND
DOUBLE GOLD 98
Sterling: 2008 Central Coast Meritage Vintner’s Collection
BEST CABERNET FRANC
GOLD 95
Nevada City Winery: 2007 Sierra Foothills Cabernet Franc
BEST CABERNET SAUVIGNON
DOUBLE GOLD 98
Bell Wine Cellars: 2007 Napa Valley Claret Cabernet Sauvignon
BEST CHARDONNAY
DOUBLE GOLD 98
Buena Vista: 2007 Estate Bottled Ramal Vineyard Carneros Chardonnay Vineyard Series
BEST GEWURZTRAMINER
GOLD 94
Navarro Vineyards: 2008 Estate Bottled Anderson Valley Gewurztraminer
BEST MERLOT
DOUBLE GOLD 98
V. Sattui Winery: 2007 Estate Bottled Henry Ranch Carneros Merlot
BEST MUSCAT
GOLD 94
Eberle Winery: 2009 Estate Bottled Paso Robles Muscat Canelli
BEST OTHER RED VARIETAL BLEND
GOLD 94
Eagle Castle Winery: 2007 Paso Robles Royal Red
BEST PETITE SIRAH
GOLD 94
Pierce Ranch Vineyards: 2007 San Antonio Petite Sirah
BEST PINOT GRIGIO
DOUBLE GOLD 98
Windsor Vineyards: 2009 California Pinot Grigio Private Reserve Series
BEST PINOT NOIR
DOUBLE GOLD 98
Bargetto Winery: 2007 Estate Bottled Regan Estate Vineyards Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir Reserved
BEST RED GENERIC (tie)
GOLD 94
Fenestra Winery: NV California True Red, Lot 24
BEST RED GENERIC (tie)
GOLD 94
Karmère Winery & Vineyard: 2008 California Shenandoah Valley Empress Juana Primabera Mother of Manuelito
BEST RED RHONE BLEND
GOLD 95
Wyneland Estates: 2007 Lodi GMA Proprieter’s Reserve
BEST RIESLING
DOUBLE GOLD 98
Kendall-Jackson: 2008 Monterey County Riesling Vintner’s Reserve
BEST SANGIOVESE
GOLD 95
Nello Olivo: 2007 El Dorado County Sangiovese
BEST SAUVIGNON BLANC
GOLD 95
Cypress Vineyards: 2009 Central Coast Sauvignon Blanc
BEST SPARKLING WINE
DOUBLE GOLD 98
Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards: 2005 Carneros Blanc de Blancs Brut
BEST SYRAH
DOUBLE GOLD 98
Mitchel Katz Winery: 2007 Clark’s Corner Livermore Valley At Ruby Hill
BEST TEMPRANILLO
DOUBLE GOLD 98
Convergence Vineyards: 2008 El Dorado Tempranillo
BEST VIOGNIER
DOUBLE GOLD 98
McManis Family Vineyards: 2009 California Viognier
BEST WHITE ZINFANDEL
GOLD 94
Barefoot Cellars: NV California White Zinfandel
BEST ZINFANDEL
GOLD 95
Rock Wall Wine Co.: 2008 Sonoma County Zinfandel Reserve
The VIP awards ceremony honoring these wineries will take place at the Grape & Gourmet at 3:15 p.m. In addition to the Best of Region and Best of California awards, the State Fair, as determined by the California State Fair Commercial Wine Program, will also honor a Wine Lifetime Achievement, a California Vineyard of the Year and a Golden State Winery of the Year.
The 2010 Wine Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to the Wente Family. This award recognizes a person, family or industry as pioneers in the wine industry based on their lifetime contributions to the promotion, advancement and growth of the California wine industry. The “California Vineyard of the Year” award was designed to recognize a California vineyard which has consistently - over several growing seasons - produced grapes that have contributed directly to wine of superior quality and marketability within commercial sales systems and among fine wine judgings. Bien Nacido Vineyards® of Santa Maria has the distinct recognition of being awarded this title for 2010.
All award-winners and complete results of the 2010 California State Fair commercial Wine Competition are available online at www.thebestcaliforniawine.com. Results will also be available in the 2010 edition of California Wine, the State Fair’s annual wine publication. Copies of the magazine will be available at the California State Fair Wine Garden, or can be ordered from the State Fair’s Wine competition web site www.thebestcaliforniawine.com.
Labels:
California State Fair,
events,
food,
wine,
wine tasting
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