Sonoma
County Harvest Fair Medalists Announced
SANTA ROSA, CA, October 4, 2006
-- The 2004 Tori Vineyard Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel
from Wilson Winery & Vineyards and 2005 Russian
River Valley Sauvignon Blanc from Ledson Winery
& Vineyards took top honors at the Sonoma
County Harvest Fair, earning the coveted Sweepstakes
Award in the red and white wine categories. Eligible
wines must be made with grapes strictly from Sonoma
County.
944 wines entered in the 31 different classes
of judging for professional winemaking. Some 21
wines earned the prestigious "double gold"
medal, awarded when all of the judges who tasted
that wine agreed unanimously on its gold-medal
status.
Judging took place at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds
over three days, September 27-29, with five teams
of five judges each. Judges are all widely known
wine experts representing various aspects of the
industry, including wine writers, retailers, educators,
and restaurateurs. The food and wine media were
represented by Sonoma County-based nationally
syndicated wine columnist Dan Berger, Fred Tasker
of the Miami Herald and Jerry Shriver, food editor
of USA Today.
"There were so many wonderful wines entered
into the 2006 Harvest Fair competition that I
do not envy the experts who had to judge them
and select the best of the best," said Corey
Oakley, the Sonoma County Fairgrounds manager.
"This event carries huge significance, not
only for the individual wineries and winemakers,
but as a world class showcase for Sonoma County's
most visible product. Consumers, retailers and
the entire wine world pay close attention to this
competition."
The medals were presented at the nearly sold-out
awards gala September 30 in Grace Pavilion at
the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. The Harvest Fair
Gala has been a must-attend event among Sonoma
County's wine cognoscenti for over 30 years, where
guests can taste contenders, chat with winemakers
and sample award-winning foods from the region's
most popular restaurants. This year's gala was
emceed by local radio personalities Tom Simoneau
("The Wine Guy") and Marcy Smothers.
The public is invited to sample and purchase the
medal-winning wines, representing all of the growing
regions and wine varietals of Sonoma County, during
the three-day Harvest Fair, October 6-8 at the
Sonoma County Fairgrounds. Ticket and event information
is available online at www.harvestfarir.org, or
by calling the Fairgrounds at (707) 545-4203.
"Best of Class" medals were awarded
to those wines judged superior in each category.
Best of class wines include:
"Autumn's Palette"
Sonoma County Harvest Fair
October 6-8, 2006
Santa Rosa, CA
www.harvestfair.org
Fair Contact:
Sheila Quince
(707) 545-4203
sheila@sonomacountyfair.com
