January 16th – Santa Rosa, Calif. – For the seventh time in the last eight years, Jeff Runquist Wines of Plymouth, Calif., has won the trophy as Winery of the Year at the 42nd annual Dan Berger’s International Wine Competition.
Runquist, who has long made numerous excellent wines, won four gold or triple gold medals and 16 silver medals in 28 entries. (www.jeffrunquistwines.com)
There was a tie for the Small Winery of the Year trophy. The award was shared by Carol Shelton Wines of Windsor in Sonoma County and Reustle Prayer Rock Winery of Umpqua Valley, Oregon. Both wineries have won multiple trophies in the past.
Shelton earned four gold or triple gold medals and her 2019 Carignane, Alexander Valley ($29.99) earned a triple gold medal and was the best red wine of the competition. (www.carolshelton.com). Stephen Reustle earned three gold medals and his 2021 Estate Syrah ($39) was awarded a triple gold medal.(https://www.reustlevineyards.com)
The award for Terroir Winery of the Year went to Taylor’s Wines of Clare Valley, Australia, which earned medals for all nine wines it entered in the competition, a triple gold, a gold, and six silvers! Included was its best of class 2022 Shiraz ($25) that earned a triple gold medal. (https://www.taylorswines.com.au)
The Terroir award is given each year to a winery that displays excellence among different grape varieties from unique regions.
Best sparkling wine of the competition was 2019 Sonoma-Cutrer Brut Rosé, Russian River Valley ($55). (https://www.sonomacutrer.com)
The best white wine of the competition was 2022 Fox Run Semi-Dry Riesling ($15). Fox Run, based in Penn Yan, N.Y., headed a strong list of Riesling entrants from New York’s Finger Lakes. (https://foxrunvineyards.com)
The best rosé was the strawberry-scented 2022 The Dreaming Tree Rosé, California ($16.99).
The best dessert wine and IRF trophy for best sweet Riesling went to Navarro Riesling for its 2022 Cluster Select Late Harvest, Anderson Valley ($39/375).(https://www.navarrowine.com/main.php)
The International Riesling Foundation (IRF) trophy for best dry Riesling was a dramatic Dry Riesling from Fox Run, its 2021 “Silvan” ($20). (https://foxrunvineyards.com)
The IRF trophy for best medium dry Riesling also went to Fox Run Vineyardsfor its 2022 Semi-Dry Riesling, Seneca Lake, New York ($15). (foxrunvineyards.com)
Hazlitt 1952 Vineyards of Finger Lakes, N.Y., won the IRF Trophy for best medium-sweet Riesling for its 2021 Riesling ($13.99). (https://hazlitt1852.com)
Value Winery of the Year was Barefoot Cellars, which won a triple gold, three golds, and six silvers for wines that all sell for about $10 per bottle. The competition does not judge in price categories.
Cidery of the Year was Two K Farms Cidery and Winery of Suttons Bay, Michigan, which won the award for best cider of the competition for its Lemon Radler ($2.83) and took home medals for all seven of its entrants. (www.twokfarms.com)
All 20 judges for this year’s competition staged in December were winemakers, industry professionals, or wine journalists.
Wine columnist Dan Berger has staged this competition since 1982 when it was called the Riverside International. The event now is coordinated by Debra del Fiorentino using an expert crew of back-room professionals.
To see complete results, go on the DBI site, https://www.dbiwc.com. Questions? Call Dan at 707-479-9463.
