Owner/Winemaker, Stephen M. Reustle from Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyards, the 2017 Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year, continues to demonstrate his mastery of wine-making skills across the spectrum of wine, this time with his DOUBLE GOLD Medal winning 2015 Malbec at this year’s Oregon Wine Experience.
Stephen M. Reustle (Center) with staff pouring wine at Oregon Wine Experience.
The week long 2017 Oregon Wine Experience, held in Jacksonville, Oregon, showcases the best wines Oregon has to offer in its annual competition. This year’s Wine Judging Panel included professional wine judges and authors, Certified Wine Educators, James Beard Award Winners, and Master of Wine recipients. This esteemed panel of judges bench-marked 2017’s wine entries against what they knew to be varietally correct for each grape represented rather than comparing them to the other entries in a particular classification. Any wine that received a medal was a perfect representation of its grape,with Gold Medals being awarded to wines that exhibited exceptional character. Only if the panel all voted for a Gold Medal was a Double Gold Medal awarded.
When asked about how this year’s competition was conducted Double Gold Medal Winner, Stephen M. Reustle stated, “By using this format, a wine had to be a great wine to win a medal. This panel really knew their stuff and in order for a wine to receive a high medal, the wine had to show them something very special.”
Along side Reustle’s Double Gold Medal for his 2015 Malbec, he was awarded Silver Medals for his 2015 Syrah Reserve and his 2015 Tempranillo Reserve – both technically perfect representations of their varietal.
Performances in prestigious wine competitions such as this, earning over 90 medals in major wine competitions (30 Gold or higher) so far this year, demonstrate why Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyards continues to be the winery to watch.
Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyards, Winepress NW’s 2017 Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year, 2015 Six Nations Wine Challenge Top Syrah producer, 2015 Terroir Award Recipient & Riverside Int’l Wine Competition’s 2010 Small Winery of the Year, is 100% estate grown and produced from 40 acres of steep, hillside vineyards in Southern Oregon’s Umpqua Valley. Family owned and operated since 2001, Reustle – Prayer Rock Vineyards produces approximately 8,000 cases annually.
