AlaWine.com: Super Award Winning Wines

Platinum Wines from the Monterey Wine Competition

Thirty-nine wines earned Platinum Medal awards at the recently completed 2010 Monterey Wine Competition. Ventana led all wineries with three Platinum winning wines and eight wineries -- Concannon Vineyard, Grgich Hills Estate, Little Black Dress, Mount Aukum Winery, Navarro Vineyards, Nello Olivo, Nicolson Ranch, Vina Robles -- won two Platinum awards.

Bianchi Winery
2006 Syrah, 'Heritage Selection' Paso Robles $24

Camelot
2007 Chardonnay California $9

Concannon Vineyard
2007 Petite Sirah, 'Conservancy' Livermore Valley $38
2008 Chardonnay, 'Conservancy' Livermore Valley $14

De Tierra
2007 Chardonnay, Estate Monterey $28

Domaine Ste. Michelle
NV Brut Columbia Valley $13

EOS Estate Winery
2007 French Connection Paso Robles $18

Fish Eye Winery
2009 Pinot Noir South Eastern Australia $7

Fortino Winery
2007 Charbono Santa Clara Valley $29

Gloria Ferrer
2006 Brut Rose Carneros $32

Grgich Hills Estate
2007 Chardonnay, Estate Grown Napa Valley $42
2008 Sauvignon Blanc, Estate Grown Napa Valley $30

Hagafen Cellars
2008 Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc Sonoma Coast $30

J. Lohr
2006 Cuvée St. E Paso Robles $50

Kendall-Jackson
2008 Chardonnay, Vintner's Reserve California $15

Lange Twins
2008 Viognier Clarksburg $16

Little Black Dress
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon California $10.99
2008 Chardonnay California $10.99

Mount Aukum Winery
2006 BDX El Dorado $26
2006 Vertigo Fair Play $26

Navarro Vineyards
2007 Zinfandel, 'Old Vine Cuvée' Mendocino $25

Nello Olivo
2007 Toscanello El Dorado $37.50
2006 Barbera El Dorado $30

Nicolson Ranch
2007 Pinot Noir 'Cactus Hill' Sonoma Valley $50
2007 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast $42

Quady Winery
2008 Essensia, California Orange Muscat California $16.99

Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyard
2009 Gruner Veltiner, Estate Umpqua Valley $24

Santa Barbara Winery
2007 Chardonnay, Reserve Sta. Rita Hills $22

Scheid Vineyards
2007 Pinot Noir, Estate Monterey $30

South Coast Winery
NV Black Jack Port Temecula Valley $38

St James Winery
2008 Cynthiana Ozark Highlands $6.99

Sutter Home Winery
2009 Moscato California $6

Tapena
2008 Tapena Verdejo Tierra de Castilla, Spain $10

Ventana
2007 Rubystone, Estate Grown Arroyo Seco $18
2008 Orange Muscat, Estate Grown Arroyo Seco $18
2008 Gewürztraminer, Estate Grown Arroyo Seco $16

Villa San-Juliette
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles $15

Vina Robles
2007 Signature, Estate Cuvée Paso Robles $39
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Huerhuero Paso Robles $22

For more information click here.

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Napa County and Carneros Gold, 2010 Grand Harvest Awards

More top-honor Gold Medal wines, this time Napa and Carneros, from the Grand Harvest Awards wine competition, held recently in Sonoma County, California.(For more information click here.) Seven Napa AVA wines and seven Carneros (Napa and Sonoma counties) wines earned Grand Harvest Awards gold medals:

Napa Valley (AVA)
Bell, Spanos Berberian Winery, 07 Cabernet Sauvignon, $40
Cleavage Creek, Budge Brown Family Wineries, 07 Reserve Petite Sirah, Pope Valley, $45
Quail Ridge Winery, 07 Chardonnay, $16.99
Three Coins, Lawer Family Wines, 07 Cabernet Sauvignon, $30
V. Sattui Winery, 07 Cabernet Sauvignon, Preston Vineyard, $45
V. Sattui Winery, 07 Pinot Noir, $55

Oakville ~ Napa Valley (AVA)
Tudal Family Winery, Tudal Winery, 07 Zinfandel, $25

Carneros ~ Los Carneros (AVA)
Cakebread Cellars, 07 Syrah, $51
Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards, NV Blanc de Noirs, $20
Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards, 07 Carneros Chardonnay, $18
Mahoney Vineyards, Carneros Wine Company, 08 Albarino, Las Brisas Vineyard, $18
Nicholson Ranch, 08 Pinot Noir, $26
Tudal Family Winery, Tudal Winery, 08 Chardonnay, $28
V. Sattui Winery, 08 Pinot Noir, $29

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Sonoma County Gold, 2010 Grand Harvest Awards

The 20th annual Grand Harvest Awards wine competition was held the last week in February in Sonoma County, California. Twenty-three judges evaluated more 1,500 entries and awarded a total of 141 gold medals, 426 silver and 457 bronze medals. According to competition organizers, the Grand Harvest Awards "is the only wine-judging event in North America that is based on terroir - a group of vineyards (or even vines) from the same region, belonging to a specific appellation, and sharing the same type of soil, weather conditions, grapes and wine making savoir-faire, which contribute to give its specific personality to the wine." (For more information click here.) Nine Sonoma County wines earned top-honor gold medals:

Sonoma County (County Appellation)
Rock Wall Wine Company, 07 Zinfandel, $25

Sonoma Coast (AVA)
Tudal Family Winery, Tudal Winery, 08 Pinot Noir, $32

Sonoma Valley (AVA)
Nicholson Ranch, 07 Pinot Noir, Reserve Cactus Hill, $50
Nicholson Ranch, 07 Syrah, $35

Dry Creek Valley (AVA)
Pezzi King Vineyards, 06 Zinfandel, Pezzi King Estate, $40

Russian River Valley (AVA)
Acorn Winery, 08 Zinfandel, Alegria Vineyards, $35
Athair Wines, 08 Chardonnay, $28
Graton Ridge Cellars, 07 Zinfandel, Bacigalupi, $30
Mossback, Crew Wine Company, 08 Pinot Noir, $25

Newport Seafood & Wine Festival Gold

The results are in from the 2010 Newport Seafood & Wine Festival, the longest continuous wine competition in the Northwest. And, the top-honor Gold Medal winners are:

* Abiqua Wind Vineyard Willamette Valley NV Gewurztraminer Gloria Anne
* Agate Ridge Vineyard Rogue Valley 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon
* Capitello Wines Willamette Valley 2008 Pinot Gris
* Capitello Wines Oregon NV Sparkling Brut Methode Champenoise
* Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley 2005 Merlot
* Coleman Vineyards Willamette Valley 2008 Pinot Noir Est.
* Covey Run Winery Yakima Valley 2006 Dessert 16.5% R.S. Semillon Ice Wine
* Domaine Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley NV Sparkling Brut, Methode Champenoise
* Domaine Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley NV Sparkling Extra Dry, Methode Champenoise
* Domaine Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley NV Sparkling Blanc De Blanc, Methode Champenoise
* Melrose Vineyards Umpqua Valley 2007 Pinot Noir Vintage Select
* Milbrandt Vineyards Columbia Valley 2007 Riesling Traditional
* Oak Knoll Winery Columbia Valley 2007 Open Red Barbera, Lonesome Creek Ranch
* Palotai Winery Umpqua Valley 2007 Open Red Dolcetto
* Pheasant Valley Winery Columbia Gorge 2006 Pinot Noir Reserve
* Red Diamond Winery Washington 2006 Syrah Shiraz
* Terra Vina Wines Columbia Valley 2007 Cabernet Franc
* Territorial Vineyards & Wine Co. Willamette Valley 2006 Pinot Noir Stone's Throw
* Valley View Winery Applegate Valley 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon "Anna Maria"
* Zerba Cellars WallaWalla Valley 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
For more information click here.

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Virginia Governor's Cup Gold

Of 200 red wines entered in the the recently completed Virginia Governor's Cup wine competition, 15 earned top-honor gold medals. The Best of Show winner is the 2007 King Valley Vineyards Meritage, a blend of 56% Merlot, 20% Petit Verdot, 16% Cabernet Franc, and 8% Malbec. The Virginia white wine competition will be held next Fall. Meanwhile, the Gold-medal red wine winners include:

* King Family Vineyards 2007 Meritage $25.95
* Potomac Point Winery 2008 Cabernet Franc $22.99
* Sweely Estate Winery 2007 Cabernet Franc $21.95
* North Mountain Vineyards 2007 Cabernet Franc Reserve $22
* Cooper Vineyards NV Noche $16
* Fox Meadow Winery 2007 Le Renard Rouge $29
* Tarara Winery 2007 Meritage $40
* James River Cellars 2007 Petite Verdot $18
* North Gate Vineyard 2008 Petit Verdot $24
* Sugarleaf Vineyards 2008 Petit Verdot $28
* Gadino Cellars 2007 Petit Verdot $27
* Ingleside Vineyards 2005 Petit Perdot Reserve $24.95
* Rosemont of Virginia 2007 Kilravock $24.95
* Chrysalis Vineyards 2005 Norton Locksley Reserve $35
* Paradise Springs Winery 2008 Norton $24
For more information click here.

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