Prestigious Winemaker Challenge Competition chooses St. Helena winery Third Year in a Row
(March 2019, St. Helena, CA) – V. Sattui was named 2019 “Winery of the Year” after scoring 36 medals on its 40 wines entered at the tenth annual Winemaker Challenge. The Napa Valley winery claimed four Best-of-Class Directors awards with 2017 Collina d’Oro Chardonnay ($48), 2016 Grenache ($39), 2016 Malbec ($46) and 2016 Gilsson Vineyard Zinfandel ($44). Among V. Sattui’s 36 medals, three were awarded Platinum and 14 Gold.
This is the third year in a row that the popular Napa Valley winery has taken the top title competing with over 1000 entries from 11 different countries. V. Sattui Winery also took a Platinum award with its 2017 Dry Gewurztraminer ($30).
The Winemaker Challenge competition is unique in that all 19 judges are well-known and highly respected California winemakers. This year, judges included past and current winemakers from many of the Napa Valley’s most famous wineries including Heitz, Flora Springs, Joseph Phelps, Beringer, Charles Krug, Peju Province and Spring Mountain Winery. Judging at Winemaker Challenge was conducted over two days, and all of the wines were tasted blind, (wines were not known to the judges before evaluated, thereby eliminating any bias for or against specific producers or by price.)
“V. Sattui has achieved an enviable record of excellence on the wine competition circuit with an array of wines. And V. Sattui is nothing if not consistent. For the third consecutive year it has been named domestic Winery of the Year at the Winemaker Challenge, staged January 19-20 in San Diego,” stated Robert Whitley, wine writer and director of the competition. Speaking to one of their Best-of-Class winners, “V. Sattui is so famous for its vineyard-specific Cabernet Sauvignons that it would be easy to overlook the Sattui Zinfandels. That would be a mistake. The Napa Valley winery takes great pride in its Zins, and with good reason. The Gilsson Vineyard in the Russian River Valley is one of V. Sattui’s Zinfandel treasures” he added.
“We are thrilled to be recognized by our peers in the industry as Winery of the Year at the Winemaker’s Challenge. To be voted as the top winery in the United States in a blind tasting by a group of the best winemakers in the state is a huge honor,” says Winery President, Tom Davies
About V. Sattui Winery:
V. Sattui Winery is a family-owned winery located in the heart of Napa Valley, that was founded in 1885 and makes more than 60 different wines with dozens of 90+ point rated wines among its current vintages. V. Sattui wines are only sold direct to consumer and the winery features three beautiful tasting rooms where customers can find and purchase their favorites. It is a stunning, must-see Napa Valley destination for an authentic wine country experience offerings tastings, wine and food pairings, picnics, weddings and events, and an impressively robust Cheese Shop with more than 200 selections and house-made artisan foods prepared daily. V. Sattui also makes house-cured meats from its own Salumeria, and gelato and sorbetto from its own Gelateria. The sprawling estate includes two-dozen picnic tables nestled beneath ancient Valley Oak trees and tri-level terraces that overlook lush manicured gardens and estate vineyards.
V. Sattui Director of Winemaking, Brooks Painter, has been recognized as “Winemaker of the Year” in 2015 by the American Fine Wine Competition. He was previously awarded “Winemaker of the Year” at the San Francisco International Wine Competition in June of 2013. In 2018 the winery was twice named “Winery of the Year” at the 2018 Winemaker’s Challenge and the 2018 Critics Challenge.
V. Sattui wines are sustainably farmed and sourced mostly from their own vineyard estates, yielding a wide range of terroir and varietals that produce a long portfolio of award-winning wines. V. Sattui wines are sold exclusively from the winery, direct to consumer. V. Sattui Winery is located on a 38-acre vineyard in the center of the Napa Valley, along Highway 29 (at White Lane) in St. Helena. The winery welcomes visitors daily for wine tastings between 9 a.m.- 6 p.m. daily (9 a.m.-5 p.m. during the winter months), as well as barbeque on weekends in the warmer months of the year. Information for V. Sattui Winery is available on the website www.vsattui.com or 707-963-7774.
