For Immediate Release

 

June 5, 2013

 

Inquiries About Competition 
Contact: Debra Del Fiorentino
Vineyard & Winery Management
Phone: 707.577.7700 x109
Email: ddelfiorentino@vwmmedia.com

 

To Reach The Press Democrat
Contact: Cindy Butner, Marketing Director
The Press Democrat
Phone: 707.526.8577
Email: cindy.butner@pressdemocrat.com

 

 

Results are in for The Press Democrat North Coast Wine Challenge
Beaulieu Vineyard Tapestry Reserve Napa Valley 2009 Red Bordeaux Blend Gold takes Best of the Best

 

Santa Rosa, CA – From the heart of North Coast wine country, Vineyard & Winery Management magazine and The Press Democrat have concluded the first North Coast Wine Challenge, a new wine competition focused exclusively on wines produced in this prestigious region.  A total of 132 wines were awarded medals from a field of nearly 1000 entries.

In the good nature of competitive spirit and ultimate bragging rights, this challenge rated wines produced and bottled only in North Coast AVAs. The challenge was created to highlight the best of each county and ultimately, the entire region. The North Coast served as its own jury in the decision-making by including only the best North Coast sommeliers and winemakers to judge. 

The Wine Challenge introduced a new approach to award designations, according to Debra Del Fiorentino, Director of Wine Competitions for V&WM. “Wines were designated the ranking of Best of Class by Category, Best of County, and ultimately the Best of the Best as top award. The competition also introduced a new Luxury Class, for wines retailing at $75 or more.”

 

Top winners include: 

 

BEST OF THE BEST: Beaulieu Vineyard Tapestry Reserve Napa Valley 2009 Red Bordeaux Blend Gold 98 points, Pour This Over my Naked Body

 

 

BEST OF COUNTIES:

 

BEST OF NAPA COUNTY Beaulieu Vineyard Tapestry Reserve Napa Valley 2009 Red Bordeaux Blend Gold 98 points

 

BEST OF SONOMA COUNTY (3-way tie)

 

• Sivas-Sonoma Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley 2012 Sauvignon Blanc Gold 98 points

• Kokomo Grenache Rose Pauline’s Vineyard Estate Dry Creek Valley 2012 Gold 98 points

• Trombetta Family Wines Pinot Noir Gap’s Crown Vineyard Vineyard Selection California Sonoma County Sonoma Coast 2011 Gold 98 points

 

BEST OF MENDOCINO COUNTY Navarro Vineyards Gewurztraminer Late Harvest Cluster Anderson Valley 2012 Gold 97 points

 

BEST OF LAKE COUNTY Shed Horn Cellars Non Typical Red Blend Lake County 2010 Other Red Blends Gold 96 points

 

BEST OF MARIN COUNTY De Loach Vineyards Pinot Noir Marin County 2010 89 points

 

BEST OF SOLANO COUNTY Grape Heart Vineyards The Beat Proprietary Red Estate Grown 2010 89 points

 

 

BEST OF THE CLASS:

 

BEST SPARKLING WINE Breathless Wines Brut North Coast NV Gold 98 points

 

BEST WHITE WINE Sivas-Sonoma Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley 2012 Sauvignon Blanc Gold 98 points

 

BEST ROSÉ Kokomo Grenache Rose 2012 98 points

 

BEST RED Beaulieu Vineyard Tapestry Reserve Napa Valley 2009 Red Bordeaux Blend Gold 98 points

 

BEST DESSERT Navarro Late Harvest Gewurztraminer 97 points

 

Chief judge, Daryl Groom led the exclusive event for its inaugural year. Daryl’s expertise includes serving as wine judge in over 150 wine shows across the United States and has made many award-winning wines in California’s North Coast and his native Australia. He was named Winemaker of the Year by eight publications including the San Francisco Chronicle and Los Angeles Times.   Said Groom, “We had a fantastic first event and I could not be happier with the judging and the results. I felt the expertise of our judging panels was best any competition could possibly have. It was a grueling task to critique over 100 wines each per day but all the judges had big smiles all day long. Why?  Where else in the world do you get to taste that many absolutely top notch wines of such diversity but on the North Coast of California. It’s a credit to the winemaking talent and the great climate we have.  Picking the ultimate winners was tough but some really stunning wines shined through.” 

 

 “A key element to the success of this event was in joining forces with The Press Democrat as our media partner.  We shared a similar vision about the contest and were able to ensure consumer exposure for award-winning wines through local media,” says Robert Merletti, CEO and President of V&WM.

 

“We live and work in the heart of the leading quality wine region in the country and The Press Democrat is committed to bringing new focus and attention to our great wines,” said Steve Falk, CEO of Sonoma Media Investments, owners of The Press Democrat. "Together with our partners at Vineyard and Winery Management, we expect this new North Bay Wine Challenge will grow into one of the most important events in the North Bay region." In his former role as publisher at the San Francisco Chronicle, Falk transformed the Cloverdale Citrus Festival’s Wine Competition into the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

 

Winners were exclusively announced in the June 5th edition of the Food and Wine section of The Press Democrat.  The paper will host a public tasting on Sunday, July 14th featuring a selection of medal winning wines from this event.  For more details about the public tasting, contact Cindy Butner, Marketing Director for The Press Democrat (see contact information above).

Award winners are also posted at NorthCoastWineChallenge.com and EnofileOnline.com.

 

Event sponsors include Wine Industry Network, Penta Water, Wine Country Organics, Wine Country Shipping, Alsco, Graber Olives, Sonoma Wine Country Hilton, Costeaux French Bakery, Vino Chapeau, Corks Restaurant, Big River Coffee Company, Lagunitas Brewing Company, Sonoma Chocolatiers, Oliver’s, Clover Stornetta Farms, Spring Hill Jersey Cheese, Top Nest Designs, Screamin’ Mimi’s, Montgomery Village Shopping Center.

 

About Vineyard & Winery Management
Based in Santa Rosa, Calif., Vineyard & Winery Management is an independently owned and operated multimedia company that produces an international wine trade publication, conferences, trade shows and wine competitions. The family-owned company publishes Vineyard & Winery Management magazine, which has the highest circulation of any North American wine trade publication. V&WM’s conferences and trade shows include Wineries Unlimited and the Midwest Grape and Wine Conference. Its wine competitions include The Press Democrat North Coast Wine Challenge, Grand Harvest Awards, International Eastern Wine Competition, West Coast Wine Competition, International Women’s Wine Competition, International Wine Channel TV Awards, and U.S. National Wine Competition. See vwmmedia.com for more information.

 

About The Press Democrat
Based in Santa Rosa, Calif., The Press Democrat is the North Bay’s most-read provider of up-to-the-minute local news. It is a recognized leader in the development of highly effective integrated media solutions for its business clients. The Press Democrat is owned by the recently-formed Sonoma Media Investments, LLC a multimedia company that provides world-class local news, information and entertainment to audiences throughout San Francisco’s North Bay. See PDmediaSource.com and PressDemocrat.com for more information.