San Francisco International Wine Competition Announces its 31st Annual Results

SAN FRANCISCO, June 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- A record number of judges were invited from across the United States to judge a record number of wines during the San Francisco International Wine Competition held at San Francisco's Hotel Nikko, June 17th, 18th and 19th.  Tasting 4,184 wines from over 1,200 wineries (including 392 new winery participants), 48 wine industry professionals convened for the 31st year of the San Francisco International Wine Competition to evaluate wines from 20 states and 29 countries. The medal count included 153 Double Gold awards (a wine is elevated to Double Gold status when all judges on a particular panel agree that a wine deserves a Gold medal), 290 Gold medals, 1,102 Silver medals and 1,549 Bronze medals.

"Best in Show" awards went to:  Raza 2011 Torrontes, Famatina Valley, $10 for Best in Show Sparkling; Turk 2009 Gruner Veltliner, Kremstal, $20 for Best in Show Dry White Wine; Lynmar Estate Winery 2009 Pinot Noir, Quail Hill Vineyard, Russian River Valley, $60 for Best in Show Red Wine; V. Sattui Winery 2009 Late Harvest Riesling, Napa Valley, $31 for Best in Show Sweet White Wine; and Pocas Junior 1976 Colheita Port, Douro Valley, $80 for Best in Show Fortified Wine.

Constellation Wines U.S. was recognized with "Portfolio of the Year" for excellence across a spectrum of brands. Winemaker Bob Iantosca, Gloria Ferrer Winery, Sonoma, California, won the coveted Andre Tchelistcheff "Winemaker of the Year" award. The Tasting Panel Magazine "Winery of the Year" award went to The Hogue Cellars of Prosser, Washington.

Director Anthony Dias Blue, renowned food and wine authority, coordinated one of the most important and comprehensive wine competitions in the world, both for the quality of wines entered and for the high level of expertise among its judges. Blue noted that "The growth of this competition highlights the strength of the wine industry, its diversity and global impact with 29 countries submitting; we saw a 21 percent increase in Down Under wines alone over last year. The judges also recognized the terrific caliber of wines overall, and especially noted the quality in the Chardonnay category.  It's exciting to feel the pulse of the wine industry through the views of our judges and the entries from our wineries."  

"Best of Varietal" winners were awarded in 22 different categories in 2011:  Gruet Winery NV Extra Dry, Methode Champenoise, Rio Grande Valley, $14, won Best Dry Sparkling; Castello Banfi 2010 Brachetto di Acqui, Rosa Regale, DOCG, Piedmont, $23, won Best Sparkling Rose; Vinarstvi Libal 2010 Sauvignon Blanc, Moravia, $12, won Best Sauvignon Blanc; Fritz Winery 2009 Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, $25, won Best Chardonnay; Quails' Gate Estate Winery 2010 Pinot Gris, Okanagan Valley, $23, won Best Pinot Gris; Alta Vista 2010 Classic Torrontes, Mendoza, $11, won Best Torrontes; Tabor Hill Winery 2010 Dry Traminette, Lake Michigan Shore, $14, won Best Other White; The Hogue Cellars 2009 Riesling, Columbia Valley, $11, won Best Riesling; Yellow Tail 2011 Moscato, South Eastern, $8, won Best Muscat; Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Estates 2009 Riesling Ice Wine, Gold Series, Okanagan Valley, $62, won Best Icewine; Justino 1998 Colheita Madeira, Estreito de Camara de Lobos, $20, won Best Madeira; Zonte's Footstep 2009 Shiraz, Lake Doctor Vineyard, Langhorne Creek, $16, won Best Syrah / Shiraz; Hughes Wellman 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, $50, won Best Cabernet Sauvignon; Cakebread Cellars 2008 Merlot, Napa Valley, $54, won Best Merlot; Martin Ranch Winery 2009 Malbec, Dos Ninas Vineyards, Santa Clara Valley, $29, won Best Malbec; Grey Wolf Cellars 2008 Premium Bordeaux Blend, Booker Vineyard, Lineage, Paso Robles, $36, won Best Premium Bordeaux; Helwig Vineyards 2009 Barbera, Shenandoah Valley, $25, won Best Barbera; Almquist Family Vintners 2008 Grenache, Northridge Vineyard, Wahluke Slope, $25, won Best Grenache; Hearst Ranch Winery 2009 Tempranillo "Chileano", Paso Robles, $30, won Best Tempranillo; Sobon Estate 2008 Zinfandel, Lubenko Vineyard, Fiddletown, $22, won Best Zinfandel; Troublemaker NV Blend 2, Paso Robles, $18, won Best Rhone Blend; and Momokawa Pearl Junmai Ginjo Nigori Genshu Sake, Oregon, $12, won Best Sake.

"Best of Nation" awards were presented to 18 wineries, showcasing the international scope of entries.  "Best of Nation" awards went to:  Alta Vista, Argentina, importer Buena Cepa Wines; Taylors /  Wakefield  Wines, Australia, importer American Wine Distributors; Turk, Austria, importer Niche Import Co.; Panizzon, Brazil; Katarzyna Estate, Bulgaria, importer Imperial Brands; Inniskillin, Canada, importer Constellation Wines U.S.; Hacienda Araucano, Chile, importer Winesellers, Ltd.; Ilocki Podrumi, Croatia; Vinarstvi Libal, Czech Republic; Perrier-Jouet Champagne, France, importer Pernod Ricard USA; Castello Banfi, Italy, importer Banfi Vintners; Okunomatsu, Japan, importer Pacific International Liquor; Santo Tomas, Mexico, importer Torrey Wine; Saint Clair Family Estate, New Zealand; Pocas Junior, Portugal, importer HGC Imports; Waka Waka, South Africa; Torre de Gazate, Spain; and Terra, Turkey.

The 2011 San Francisco International Wine Competition sponsors included The Tasting Panel Magazine, Ferrarelle Water, Geoffrey Nelson Photos and Elements Design Group. Blue also thanked Hotel Nikko in San Francisco for hosting the event.

For a complete list of winners and judges, visit the San Francisco International Wine Competition's website: www.sfwinecomp.com.  Photos can be viewed online at http://j412.smugmug.com/Clients/SFIWC-2011/17750967_GRqZp6/

SOURCE San Francisco International Wine Competition