December 11, 2024 / Temecula, CA – South Coast Winery has been recognized with four coveted gold awards at the Sunset International Wine Competition, often referred to as the “hottest wine competition in the West.” Sponsored by Sunset magazine since 2012, the competition took place in Santa Rosa, California, and featured a judging panel of esteemed winemakers, media professionals, educators, researchers, sommeliers and retail buyers.
The winning wines from South Coast Winery:
- NV Brut Sparkling: Double Gold Award
- 2022 Gewürztraminer: Best of Class and Gold Award
- NV Pinot Grigio Sparkling: Gold Award
- 2019 Sangiovese: Gold Award
“Sunset is a prestigious media brand representing the Western lifestyle, and this annual competition serves as a platform for wineries seeking to connect with sophisticated wine lovers in our region and beyond,” said Jeff Carter, president of Carter Hospitality, which owns South Coast Winery. “We are grateful for Sunset’s ongoing support of the wine industry and honored to add these four gold awards to our extensive collection of accolades.”
About the Award-Winning Wines:
NV Brut Sparkling
This Double Gold winner is a vibrant and lively sparkling wine crafted from a blend of 78% pinot noir, 14% pinot blanc and 8% chardonnay, all grown in the Temecula Valley. It is a full-bodied, refreshingly crisp and dry sparkler.
2022 Gewürztraminer
This Best of Class winner is lightly sweet with solid acidity, exotic floral aromas of rose and lychee and a bright, stainless steel-fermented profile.
NV Pinot Grigio Sparkling
This Gold Award winner is an “extra dry” brut sparkling wine with subtle pear and apple notes, a hint of tropical fruit and crisp acidity. Like other South Coast sparkling wines, it is made using the Charmat or tank method, where the secondary fermentation occurs in stainless steel tanks.
2019 Sangiovese
Produced from South Coast’s Wild Horse Peak vineyards, this Gold Award-winning wine marries French oak with red licorice and black cherry cola aromas. It features supple tannins and the racy acidity characteristic of sangiovese.
About the Sunset International Wine Competition
With Westerners consuming more than 60 million glasses of wine each week, Sunset magazine has established itself as a key voice for wine enthusiasts. The competition’s winners, including South Coast Winery, will be featured in Sunset’s October digital Wine Special Edition, which includes a microsite, promotional features on sunset.com, eNewsletters and social media channels. The Wine Special Edition will remain accessible for 12 months or until the announcement of the 2025 competition winners.
For the full list of medal-winning wines, visit sunsetcompetitions.com/sunset-international-wine-competition.
About South Coast Winery
The only state winery to claim the title of California Winery of the Year five times at the California State Fair Wine Competition, South Coast Winery sets the gold standard for excellence amongst California wineries, earning more than 4,000 awards since its inception in 2003. Situated on 63 lush acres, South Coast Winery Resort & Spa offers a breathtaking retreat for wine tours, romantic getaways and group events with 132 rooms and villas, a working winery and tasting room, gift shop, full-service spa and restaurant.
South Coast Winery is family-owned and offers a broad portfolio of 45 wine labels, the majority of which are available for sampling in its main tasting room – from robust reds such as Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Petit Syrah, Merlot and Pinot Noir to whites including Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay and Riesling. Also available are sparkling wines, dessert wines and other specialty offerings. The winery employs a staff of skilled winemakers, including master winemaker Jon McPherson and winemaker Javier Flores, both with decades of experience in the wine industry.
For more information, visit www.southcoastwinery.com.
