Tuesday, February 19, 2013

VWA Announces Gold Medalists in the 2013 Governor’s Cup®

We've been slow to publish this press release courtesy of the Virginia Wine Marketing Office.  One of the Gold medal winners is Potomac Point Winery and their Richland Reserve Heritage which we featured in a video last year in Pairing Wine and Food with Potomac Point Winery. (See entire video below.)  Congratulations to all the winners.
Richmond, Va. (Feb. 14, 2013) - Twenty Virginia wines have been awarded gold medals in the Virginia Wineries Association’s 2013 Governor’s Cup® Virginia Wine competition, which was held over a four week period.  2013 marks the 31st year of the competition, though it was revamped in 2012 to become one of the most stringent and thorough wine competitions in the country.

The gold medalists from this year’s Governor’s Cup were selected from 377 entries of both red and white wines, from 93 wineries.  The top 12 scoring wines, which comprise the Governor’s Cup Case, showcases the state’s top wines. The top scoring wine of the competition is awarded the Governor’s Cup.

The Governor’s Cup Case boosts the visibility of the state’s highest-scoring wines by inviting judges with national and even international stature. This year’s esteemed panel of judges had the difficult task of ranking each wine based on a unified scoring system. Of the 20 gold medals, 18 were awarded to red wines and one was awarded to a white wine and one to a sparkling wine.

There are several theories as to why the red wines dominated the competition. One theory is because of the timing of the competition, when few whites are available. Red blends dominated the field with ten gold medals, followed by eight Meritages, five Cabernet Francs, two Petit Verdots, and one Cabernet Sauvignon.  The remaining two gold medals were awarded to a Chardonnay and a sparkling wine. See the table below for complete details.

Any wine made from 100% Virginia fruit is eligible for the Governor’s Cup Competition. (Ciders and fruit wines have their own category and medals.) Entries must include an affidavit with a certification of 100% Virginia fruit and vineyard particulars, including grower names and location, as well as information on alcohol, acidity or basicity (pH), and residual sugar.

The rapid growth of Virginia’s vibrant wine industry has made it one of the fastest growing agricultural sectors in the state.  In 1979, there were only six wineries in Virginia. Today, there are over 230 wineries in Virginia, and 380 vineyards that cultivate over 3,000 acres of grapes. The state’s wine industry’s growth is escalating as fast as the state’s advancements in wine quality and reputation.

The winner of the 2013 Virginia Governor’s Cup will be announced in a week at the start of the Virginia Wine Expo on Thursday, 2/21. For more information and a complete list of awards, visit the Virginia Wine Marketing Office’s website at http://www.virginiawine.org or call 1‐804‐344‐8200.

2013 Virginia Governor’s Cup Gold Medal Winners
Posted by Todd M. Godbout at 7:46 AM
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