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Indy Wine Competition awards ‘best of show’ to Oregon riesling; Ohio wineries win 3 double-golds
The “Back Room” of the Indy Wine Competition and some of the 2,500 entries
WEST LAFAYETTE, Indiana — Wine grapes can do some pretty magical things sometimes.
Just after the judging panel I served on for the Indy International Wine Competition had completed our evaluation of a half-dozen blueberry- and blackberry-based fruit wines, we were brought a new flight of cabernet franc-based wines to swirl, sniff, taste and rate. And I’m tellin’ you, two of those dry red wines made from cabernet franc grapes — grapes, mind you — smelled more like blueberries and blackberries than any of the wines that were made from blueberries and blackberries did.
In fact, a cabernet franc — 2008 Kokomo Winery Pedroni Vineyard Cabernet Franc from Dry Creek Valley in California — captured a “Red Wine of the Year” trophy at the competition, which attracted about 2,500 entries from 38 states and 15 countries for judging that was held Aug. 3-5 on the campus of Purdue University.
That cab franc was edged in voting for overall “Wine of the Year” by the 2009 Willamette Valley Vineyards Riesling from Oregon.
And by coincidence (or serendipity), Willamette Valley Vineyards’ winemaker Don Crank attended the event and served as one of the 49 judges for the competition. That doesn’t mean the fix was in: all wines are tasted “blind” — judges do not know the identity of the producer of any of the wines being evaluated until the awarding of medals and voting for wines of the year is entirely complete. And there were 49 judges voting for “wine of the year.”
Ohio wineries showed well, earning three double-gold medals and three best-of-class awards:
— Raven’s Glenn Winery 2007 Winemaker’s Reserve Petite Sirah earned both a double-gold medal and best of class.
— The Winery at Wolf Creek 2009 Chardonnay won both a double-gold medal and best of class.
— Breitenbach Wine Cellars won a double-gold medal for its 4-Barrel Tawny Port.
— Raven’s Glenn White Raven, a Niagara-based wine, won best of class in the “White American Blend” category.
Indiana wineries won awards for Best Rose and Best Fruit Wine, and a Minnesota winery won Best Dessert Wine. A winery in British Columbia won for Best White Wine of the Year, elevated to that position after the Oregon riesling won the best-of-show designation.
Click here for a list of trophy winners and click here for a full listing of medal award winners.
This was my second year judging at this competition, and it was again an incredibly eye-opening experience. This competition attracts a large number of entries from the Midwest and Great Lakes regions, and judges with preconceived notions of wines from those regions learn to discard them quickly.
There are beautifully balanced fruit wines being made throughout the country, some of them in a dry, very food-friendly style. Fabulous dry red wines are coming out of the cellars of several Midwestern states. Look for dry reds made from a relatively new grape varietal called Marquette, which was developed at the University of Minnesota for use in chilly climates and which can produce ripe, robust, delicious dry reds without a hint of “foxiness” we associate with native American grapes.
The U.S. wine industry is an amazingly dynamic one — and not just in California, Oregon and Washington. This competition offered ample proof of that. If we consumers are able to open our minds — and our palates — we’ll be richly rewarded.
Photos by Mark Fisher, Dayton Daily NewsTweet
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