West Coast Wine Competition
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: JAG Public Relations (707.795.9400, joe@jagpublicrelations.com )
The 2009 West Coast Wine Competition
Santa Rosa, California (May 12, 2009) - The 27th West Coast Wine Competition was held April 22-24, 2009 at Sonoma Mountain Village, Rohnert Park, continuing its mission of recognizing exceptional wines from Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington as well as those from Australia, Baja California, British Columbia and New Zealand. Judges awarded a total of 46 Double Gold, 60 Gold, 390 Silver and 539 Bronze medals from a field of 1,500 entries.
After many successful years in Santa Rosa, this year's competition was held at the Event Center of Sonoma Mountain Village, a 200-acre, $1 billion, sustainable mixed-use community in Rohnert Park that was once an Agilent Technologies campus.
"Like our other professional wine judgings, we have always kept the bar high for the West Coast Wine Competition, thus maintaining its reputation as one of the best in the country," said Publisher Rob Merletti of Vineyard & Winery Management magazine, the event producer. "That bar continues to be raised by the ever-increasing quality of American wineries, so congratulations to the medal winners for making such superb wines."
Sweepstakes awards, the event's highest level of recognition, were given to the following producers and wines:
Sweepstakes Sparkling Wine
Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards, 01 Royal Cuvee, Los Carneros, $35.00
Sweepstakes White Table Wine
Ventana Vineyards, 08 Pinot Gris, Arroyo Seco, $18.00
Sweepstakes Red Table Wine
Paradise Ridge Winery, 07 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, $35.00
Sweepstakes Dessert Wine
Trecini Cellars, 07 Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc, Russian River Valley, $30.00
Sweepstakes Rose Wine
Fleur De California, 08 Fleur De California Vin Gris - Pinot Noir, North Coast, $13.00
A list of best-of-class wines follows this release while complete results with links to numerous winery web sites may be found here.
Entries were evaluated by an experienced pool of professional judges (seven three-judge panels) from the North American wine industry with backgrounds in enology, viticulture, wine education, hospitality, wine media, wine marketing and wine retail/restaurant.
"The judging was very successful on many levels," said Bill Traverso, the recently appointed chairman of the competition. "Judges favorably responded to our three-judge panels; the arrangement promoted a higher level of focus and discussion, increasing the unanimous gold votes needed to earn double gold medals. Most importantly, consumers will find excellent value in several categories, especially those between $10-20, and in some cases, below $10."
In addition to more than 35 years as wine buyer for Traverso's Gourmet Food and Wine, Santa Rosa, the chairman has notable experience as a professional wine judge and consultant. He was chairman of the Sonoma County Harvest Fair Wine Competition for 10 years and is currently a member of the Board of Visitors and Fellows at the Viticulture and Enology Department, University of California Davis. He is also an adjunct faculty member at Santa Rosa Junior College, teaching in the wine studies program.
About the producer
Vineyard & Winery Services Inc. publishes Vineyard & Winery Management magazine (www.vwm-online.com), the Wine Industry Index and Wineries of the Index on compact disc. Based in Santa Rosa, California, the multimedia corporation produces seminars, conferences and trade shows (Wineries Unlimited, Wine Club Summit, Wine Country Water Summit, Tasting Room Profitability, Managing the Winery Laboratory) as well as three wine competitions (Grand Harvest Awards, International Eastern Wine Competition, and West Coast Wine Competition).
BEST OF CLASS
Barbera
Muscardini Cellars, 07 Barbera, Pauli Ranch, Ukiah Valley, $49
Cabernet Franc
Nevada City Winery, 06 Cab Franc, Sierra Foothills, $23
Cabernet Sauvignon $10.01-$20.00
Bogle Vineyards, 06 Cabernet Sauvignon, California, $11
Cabernet Sauvignon $20.01 & over
Frank Family Vineyards, 05 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, $45
Miro Cellars, 06 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, $32
Cabernet Sauvignon <$10.01
Dog House, 06 Cabernet Sauvignon, California, $9.99
Chardonnay $20.01 & over
Three Coins, 07 Chardonnay, Oakville, $24
Chenin Blanc
Keyways, 08 Chenin Blanc, Temecula Valley, $18
Fruit wines
Sky River, Raspberry Honey Wine, $16
Gewurztraminer >3% rs
Fetzer Valley Oaks, 07 Gewurztraminer, California, $8.99
LH White Varietals
Trecini Cellars, 07 Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc, Russian River Valley, $30
Merlot $10.01-$20.00
San Juan Vineyards, 06 Merlot, Yakima Valley (WA), $19
Merlot $20.01 & over
V. Sattui Winery, 06 Merlot, Napa Valley, $25
Muscat Varieties <5% rs
Bonterra Vineyards, 08 Muscat, Bartolucci Vineyards, Made from organic grapes, Lake County, $15.99
Other Blush Varietals
Fleur De California , 08 Fleur De California Vin Gris - Pinot Noir, North Coast, $13
Other Italian Varietals
Harney Lane, Primitivo, Lodi, $18
Other Red Varietals
Frog's Tooth Vineyards, 06 Tempranillo, Sierra Foothills, $26
Other Rhone Varietals
McDowell , 06 Grenache Noir, McDowell, McDowell Valley, $20
Petite Sirah
True Vine, 06 Petite Sirah, Estate, El Dorado, $48
Pinot Gris/Grigio
Ventana Vineyards, 08 Pinot Gris, Ventana Vineyards, Estate Grown, Arroyo Seco, $18
Mahoney Vineyards, 06 Carneros Pinot Noir, Los Carneros, $20
Pinot Noir $20.01 & over
Nk'mip Cellars, 07 Winemaker's Pinot Noir, Inkameep Vineyard, Okanagan Valley, $22.98
Pinot Noir $30.00 & Over
Paradise Ridge Winery, 07 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, $35
Red Bordeaux Blends $10.01-$20.00
Robert Oatley , 07 Cabernet-Merlot, Australia - Mudgee, $20
Red Bordeaux Blends $20.01 & over
Calcareous , 06 Meritage, Paso Robles, $34
Reislings <3% rs
Wakefield, 07 Riesling, Estate, Australia - Clare Valley, $16.98
Rhone Red Blends
Calcareous , 06 Tres Violet, Paso Robles, $32
Sangiovese
Charles Creek , 07 Sangiovese, East Soda Rock Vineyard, Alexander Valley, $35
Sauvignon Blanc <$10.01
Bogle Vineyards, 07 Sauvignon Blanc, California, $9
Sauvignon Blanc =>$10.01
Peju Winery, 08 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley, $22
Sparkling White <2.5% rs
Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards, 01 Royal Cuvee, Los Carneros, $35
Syrah/Shiraz <$20
Cycles Gladiator, 07 Syrah, Central Coast, $10
Syrah/Shiraz =>$20
Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyards, 07 Syrah Reserve, Umpqua Valley, $38
Viognier
McDowell , 08 Viognier-Roussanne, McDowell, McDowell Valley, $22
White Blends
Keyways, 08 Santa Teresa, Temecula Valley, $15
Zinfandel <$20.00
Terra d'Oro Winery, 06 Zinfandel, Amador County, $18
Zinfandel =>$20.00
Royal Tee Ancient Vine, 05 Zinfandel, Lodi, $42
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jennifer Merletti (800.535.5670 x105, jmerletti@vwm-online.com)
Wine Educator William Traverso to Chair Grand Harvest Awards
and West Coast Wine Competition
Santa Rosa, California (December 16, 2008) -- The publisher of Vineyard & Winery Management magazine today announced the appointment of wine expert Bill Traverso as chairman of its Grand Harvest Awards and West Coast Wine Competition. 
"My mission is to deliver the quality competitions that wineries have come to expect from Vineyard & Winery Management," said Traverso.
In addition to more than 35 years as wine buyer for Traverso's Gourmet Food and Wine, Santa Rosa, the new chairman has notable experience as a professional wine judge and consultant. He was chairman of the Sonoma County Harvest Fair Wine Competition for 10 years and is currently a member of the Board of Visitors and Fellows at the Viticulture and Enology Department, University of California Davis. He is also an adjunct faculty member at Santa Rosa Junior College, teaching in the wine studies program.
"We are proud to have Bill Traverso chairing these wine competitions," said Robert Merletti, president and publisher of Vineyard & Winery Management. "His longstanding professionalism and expertise within the wine industry are the perfect complement to two of the oldest and most respected wine competitions in North America."
The 19th Grand Harvest Awards will be held February 18-20, 2009. Unlike other wine competitions, the Grand Harvest Awards present entries according to regional classification rather than by varietal name and price. Judges identify the signature elements of terroir and its link to regional typicity. The competition traditionally includes entries from numerous U.S. and Canadian wine regions plus a few from overseas.
Online registration for the Grand Harvest Awards is now available at www.vwm-online.com/gha. The entry deadline is January 16, 2009. Phone 800.535.5670 x100 for additional information.
The Grand Harvest Awards is the only North American wine competition that judges wine according to regional classifications. Wines of particular appellations are arranged in flights and tasted by judges selected for their knowledge of regional characteristics. In contrast, other competitions group wines by varietal name and suggested retail price.
Beyond the determination of medal-winning wines, the Grand Harvest Awards also identifies the finest examples from individual viticultural areas and acknowledges the influence of terroir on wine quality. After scoring, judges are permitted to discuss their respective flights and seek to identify the distinctive elements of terroir and its link to regional typicity (signature characteristics that are common to wines from particular growing regions).
While it is has no textbook definition, terroir is considered to be the combined expression of soil, topography and climate in the aroma and flavor of wine beyond grape variety, clone, rootstock, cultural practices and winemaking techniques.
The 27th West Coast Wine Competition is scheduled for April 22-24, 2009. The wine industry event recognizes outstanding wines produced in western states and around the Pacific Rim: California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Baja California, British Columbia, Australia and New Zealand. The deadline to enter is March 20, 2009. Online information will be available in January 2009.
Judges for both competitions are the best in the industry, and are members of the wine media, wine marketers and consultants, researchers, restaurateurs, sommeliers and winemakers.
About the producer
Vineyard & Winery Services Inc. publishes Vineyard & Winery Management magazine (www.vwm-online.com), the Wine Industry Index and Wineries of the Index on compact disc. Based in Santa Rosa, California, the multimedia corporation produces seminars, conferences and trade shows (Wineries Unlimited, Wine Club Summit, Tasting Room Profitability, Managing the Winery Laboratory) as well as three wine competitions (Grand Harvest Awards, International Eastern Wine Competition, and West Coast Wine Competition).