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Here are some leading winners of gold medals (and selected higher awards) at the 2008 California State Fair Commercial Wine Competition — an important event because more than 90 percent of U.S. wines come from California.
In California State Fair parlance, “Double Gold” refers to a “best-of-class” wine awarded a unanimous gold medal by all (usually four or five) judges on a tasting panel. As usual, wines cited below have a “California” appellation if no other is listed.
Premium Mumm Napa Valley Blanc de Noirs won top honors as the “best sparkling wine.”
Other top-scoring, Double-Gold “Best of Region” winners included:
Korbel Brut
Jekel Vyds. 2007 Monterey Riesling
Mumm Napa Valley Blanc de Noirs
Korbel 2005 Russian River “Natural”
Concannon 2006 Livermore Chardonnay
Valley of the Moon Winery 2006 Sonoma Rosato di Sangiovese
South Coast Winery 2007 Temecula Valley Gewurztraminer
Other top-scoring, good-value “Double-Gold” white wines included:
3 Blind Moose 2007 Pinot Grigio-Pinot Gris
Quady 2007 Muscat
Other top-scoring, good-value “Double-Gold” red wines included:
Clos-du-Bois 2005 Alexander Valley Merlot
Geyser Peak 2005 Alexander Valley Merlot
Virgin Vines 2006 Sirah-Shiraz
Good-value “Best-of-Class” gold-medal white wines included:
HRM Rex Goliath 2006 Chardonnay
Dancing Bull 2006 Sauvignon Blanc
V. Sattui 2007 Riesling
Good-value “Best-of-Class” gold-medal red wines included:
Hahn Estates 2006 North Coast Syrah
Napa Ridge 2007 Napa Valley Syrah
J. Lohr 2006 Pinot Noir
Other good-value gold-medal white wines included:
Beringer 2006 Central Coast Chardonnay
Barefoot Cellars Pinot Grigio
Guenoc 2006 Pinot Grigio
Sutter Home 2007 Pinot Grigio
Other good-value gold-medal red wines included:
Redwood Creek 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
Rutherford Vintners 2004 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon
“Screw Cappa Napa” 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
Toasted Head North Coast Merlot
Trinchero 2005 Napa Merlot
South Coast Winery 2006 Temecula Grenache
Copolla 2006 Black Label Claret
Sheffield Cellars Very Dry Sherry
A decade of wine-judging at the New World International Wine Competition taught me that results from well-run wine contests (such as this one) are dependable guides to quality wines and wineries.
John Breitlow is a retired Winona State University speech professor who began learning about good wine in the 1950s while serving in Vienna, Austria, with U.S. armed forces.
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