Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/230154
Scene at: Chardonnay from Stephen & Walker Trust Winery Limited wins top award he 23rd annual Grand Harvest Awards (GHA), hosted by Vineyard & Winery Management, was held Nov. 19 and 20 at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa, Calif. After evaluating hundreds of entries, competition judges bestowed 53 Best of Class awards, along with 139 double gold, 25 gold and 432 silver medals. GHA's top award went to Stephen & Walker Trust Winery Limited for its 2012 Late Harvest ChardonnayBotrytis from California's Mendocino Ridge AVA. Established in 1990, GHA seeks to uncover the distinctions of terroir by grouping wines for evaluation by appellation and variety. Wines are judged in the context of their viticultural regions in order to recognize the complexities and nuances of regional wines, and also to observe the influence of regional soil and climate characteristics on the taste and quality of individual wines. "With cross-regional competition removed, the inherent quality of wines can be seen without the influences that sometimes eclipse even a wine of very high quality," explained Robert Merletti, owner and chairman of Vineyard & Winery Management. Debra Del Fiorentino, Vineyard & Winery Management's director of wine competitions, added: "The caliber of judges this year was incredible, enhancing the level of knowledge and expertise needed to assess the wines' terroir. We had a strong set of sommeliers, buyers, winery owners, writers and winemakers." After the first day of the competition, GHA judges convened at St. Francis Winery & Vineyards in Santa Rosa for a reception and wine pairing dinner. Competition sponsors included Hilton Sonoma Wine Country, Penta Ultra-Purified Water, Graber Olives, Wine Country Shipping, Alsco, Costeaux French Bakery and Lagunitas Brewing Company. BEST OF SHOW + Best Overall: Stephen & Walker Trust Winery Limited 2012 Late Harvest Chardonnay-Botrytis, Mendocino Ridge ($65) + Best Red: Merriam Vineyards 2010 Glockner-Turner Cabernet Sauvignon, Rockpile ($50) + Best Rosé: Tedeschi Family Winery 2012 Rosé, Sonoma Coast ($22) + Best Sparkling Wine: Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards NV O Sonoma Brut, Sonoma County ($22) U O Full competition results are posted at www.winecompetitions.com. BY BR Y Y Y Y BR 146 IGP, France ($14) T O YO HT U G B U + Best White: Paul Mas Estate 2012 Picpoul de Pinet, Languedoc UG V I N EYA R D & WINE RY M ANAGEM ENT | HT TO YO Jan - Feb 2014 w w w. v wm m e d i a . c o m