Results from the 2010 International Eastern Wine Competition and Riesling Championship

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Richard Leahy (rleahy@vwm-online.com)

Results from the 2010 International Eastern Wine Competition and Riesling Championship

Santa Rosa, California (May 28, 2010) — Final results, including Best of Category winners and the Riesling Champion, were announced today for the 34th International Eastern Wine Competition (IEWC). The judging was held May 19–21 in Watkins Glen, New York. The IEWC is produced by Vineyard & Winery Management magazine, and is one of the oldest and largest professional wine competitions in the United States. Complete results with links to many winery web sites may be found at www.vwm-online.com (via Wine Competitions > International Eastern Wine Competition > Results).

Judges awarded 1,144 medals (44 Double Gold, 151 Gold, 399 Silver and 558 Bronze) from a field of 1,600 entries that were submitted by wineries in 37 American states and three Canadian provinces (British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec) as well as the countries of Argentina, Australia, Chile, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa and Spain.

Entries were evaluated by an experienced group of professional wine judges with backgrounds in wine marketing, education and media, enology, viticulture, food and beverage, hospitality and tourism.

"We're very pleased to have a record 37 states entering the competition this year,” said Richard Leahy, chairman of the IEWC and East Coast editor of Vineyard & Winery Management. “The top medal results were very eclectic, from natives to hybrids to regular and non-mainstream vinifera grapes, showing outstanding quality across Northern America.”

The four Best of Category winners were selected from the 44 Double Gold medalists that advanced to the final round after earning unanimous gold votes from judging panels in the previous “medal round”.

INTERNATIONAL EASTERN WINE COMPETITION
Sweepstakes Winners

Best of Varietal
Bogle, 08 Chardonnay, California (State Appellation), $9.00
Ferrante Winery, 08 Gewurztraminer, Grand River Valley (AVA), $15
Dr. Konstantin Frank, 08 Riesling, Finger Lakes (AVA), Bunch Select Late Harvest, $69.99
Oliver Winery, 09 Pinot Grigio, America (Lodi and Columbia Gorge AVAs) $12.50
Domaine Laurier Winery, 07 Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County (County Appellation), Reserve, $9.99
Trecini Winery, 07 Merlot, Russian River Valley (AVA), $28.00
Cross Keys Vineyards, 08 Cabernet Franc, Shenandoah Valley (AVA), $21
Napa Ridge Winery, 07 Petite Sirah, Napa Valley (AVA), $12.99
Jeff Runquist Wines, 08 Primitivo, Amador County (County Appellation), Nostro Vino Vineyard, $26
Balistreri Vineyards, 08 Sangiovese, Grand Valley (AVA), Talbott Vineyard, $22.00
Lost Bars, 07 Icewine, Okanagan Valley (DVA), VQA, $38.00

Best of Category

Best White Wine
Chateau Ste Michelle and Dr. Loosen, 08 Eroica Riesling, Columbia Valley (AVA), $24.00

Best Red Wine
Napa Ridge Winery, 07 Petite Sirah, Napa Valley (AVA), $12.99

Best Dessert Wine
Dr. Konstantin Frank, 08 Riesling, Finger Lakes (AVA), Bunch Select Late Harvest, $69.99

Best Fruit Wine
Ackerman Winery, 09 Raspberry, Iowa (State Appellation), $9.95

The Riesling Championship is a subsidiary of the IEWC: all Rieslings entered in the IEWC are also judged in one of four sweetness grades from dry to sweet; Best of Class winners are determined in each sweetness grade; the four Best of Class winners compete for the Riesling Championship. There were 171 Rieslings entered in this year’s competition.

"Riesling Championship entries were up significantly this year,” said Leahy, “with finalists from Colorado, Michigan, New Mexico and Washington as well as the Finger Lakes of New York which won three of four Best of Class awards.

“Kudos to Dr. Frank Vineyards in the Finger Lakes for ‘triple crown’ victories with their bunch select late harvest riesling taking home Best of Class Sweet Riesling and overall champion in the Riesling Championship as well as Best Dessert Wine in the IEWC. This German trockenbeerenauslese style is more labor-intensive than the popular icewine style, and acknowledges Dr. Konstantin Frank's making of the first American riesling in this style in 1962."

RIESLING CHAMPIONSHIP

Riesling Champion
Dr. Konstantin Frank, 08 Riesling, Finger Lakes (AVA), Bunch Select Late Harvest, $69.99

Best of Class

Best Dry Riesling
Eagle Crest Vineyards, 09 Riesling - Dry, Finger Lakes (AVA), $12.99

Best Semi-Dry Riesling
Chateau Ste Michelle and Dr. Loosen, 08 Eroica Riesling, Columbia Valley (AVA), $24.00

Best Semi-Sweet Riesling
Chateau LaFayette Reneau, 09 Riesling Semi-Dry, Finger Lakes (AVA), Estate, $14.99

Best Sweet Riesling
Dr. Konstantin Frank, 08 Riesling, Finger Lakes (AVA), Bunch Select Late Harvest, $69.99

About the producer
Vineyard & Winery Services, Inc. publishes the leading independent wine trade publication Vineyard & Winery Management magazine (www.vwm-online.com) and Winedex (Wine Industry Index). Based in Santa Rosa, California, the multimedia corporation also produces seminars, conferences and trade shows (Wineries Unlimited, Midwest Grape and Wine Conference, Tasting Room Profitability, Wine Club Summit, and Managing the Winery Laboratory) as well as three wine competitions (Grand Harvest Awards, International Eastern Wine Competition, and West Coast Wine Competition).