Plymouth, CA (January 2020) – Amador wineries, once again, thrilled judges at the 2020 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, bringing home 177 medals from this year’s judging.
Twenty-five members of the Amador Vintners Association brought home four (4) Best of Class awards, seventeen (17) Double Gold awards, thirty-one (31) Gold awards, ninety-seven Silver awards, and twenty-eight (28) Bronze awards.
Two wineries were complete stand outs, each winning two Best of Class awards: Cooper Vineyards for their 2017 Barbera and 2016 Zinfandel, and Jeff Runquist Wines for their 2017 Charbono and 2017 Sangiovese.
The San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition is the nation’s largest competition of North American wine. In the 2020 Competition, over sixty-five professional judges, representing various North American wine regions, evaluated 6,700 wines from more than 1,000 wineries.
“We are, once again, thrilled by the results from this year’s competition. This is yet another example the industry acknowledging the high-quality wines being produced here in Amador Wine Country. We are truly California’s not-so-hidden gem of wine destinations.” said Jack Gorman, Executive Director of the Amador Vintners Association.
Amador Vintners member wineries that placed in the competition include: Amador Cellars, Bella Grace Vineyards, Borjon Winery, Bray Vineyards, Cooper Vineyards, Deaver Vineyards, Di Arie Vineyards and Winery, Di Stasio Vineyards, Distant Cellars, Dobra Zemlja Winery, Drytown Cellars, Feist Wines Helwig Winery, Iron Hub Winery and Vineyards, Jeff Runquist Wines, Le Mulet Rouge Vineyards and Winery, Vino Noceto, Prospect Cellars, Rancho Victoria Vineyard, Scott Harvey Wines, Sobon Estate, Terra D’Oro Winery, and Wilderotter Vineyard.
Many of these award-winning wines will be available for tasting at Amador Vintners’ upcoming “Behind the Cellar Door weekend. March 7-8, 2020 all 43 Amador Vintners member wineries will open their cellar doors for a weekend of fun, education, food and, of course, award-winning wine. For details visit BCDAmador.com.
About the Amador Wine Region
The historic Amador wine region traces its roots back to the Gold Rush of the 1850s as settlers came looking for gold in the California foothills. Many of the prospectors were immigrants from Europe and brought with them their love of wine. Vineyards were planted and wineries opened up to supply the thirst of the miners. Some plantings from the Gold Rush continue to thrive in Amador County today. The region is home to over 50 wineries and over 3700 acres of vineyards planted in rolling hillsides. Long a home of amazing Zinfandels, growers have planted, and winemakers are now making wines from a diverse array of grapes including Barbera, Sangiovese, and Syrah in the reds, and Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio and Viognier in the whites, just to name a few.
The region has garnered acclaim for full bodies, rich fruit flavors in its wines with balance and harmony that pair well with numerous foods and cuisines. Award-winning restaurateurs and sommeliers are seeking wines from the Amador region to complement their menus and enhance their wine lists.
About Amador Vintners
The Amador Vintners Association is a voluntary membership-based organization working with more than 40 extraordinary member wineries and tasting rooms in Amador County to showcase the region’s award-winning Zinfandels, Barberas, and Rhone varietals. Rich in wine history and heritage, Amador holds a special distinction to be one of the only wine-producing regions to be home to all family-owned wineries. The Vintners host events and tastings throughout the year to invite guests to explore the region and learn more about Amador’s wine community and its history. To learn more, visit www.amadorwine.com.
