Organizers today announced that Francis Ford Coppola Winery’s winemaker, Corey Beck, has been awarded the André Tchelistcheff “Winemaker of the Year” Award by the San Francisco International Wine Competition.
The competition evaluated 4,556 wines from over 1,300 wineries.
“Best of Varietal” winners were awarded in 28 different categories in 2012 (see complete list below).
Because Coppola wines showed best overall across all varietals, Beck was bestowed with the prestigious title.
The medal count included 202 Double Gold awards (a wine is elevated to Double Gold status when all judges on a particular panel agree that a wine deserves a Gold medal), 363 Gold medals, 1,358 Silver medals and 1,613 Bronze medals. The competition saw a 9% increase in wine entries from last year. Big gains were seen in the Cabernet Sauvignon submissions, as well as in Viognier, Rosé, and Sangiovese Blend categories.
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Director Anthony Dias Blue said,”The growth of this competition highlights the strength of the wine industry, its diversity and global impact with 29 countries submitting. It’s exciting to feel the pulse of the wine industry through the views of our judges and the entries from our wineries.”
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The San Francisco International Wine Competition, the largest, most influential international wine competition in America, is judged by a panel of nationally recognized wine experts. Judging is based on a blind, consensual procedure, ensuring competitive integrity as it remains the nation’s most respected wine competition.
San Francisco International Wine Competition 2012 Winners
BEST CHARDONNAY
Five Rivers 2010 Chardonnay, California, $11,
BEST SAUVIGNON BLANC
South Coast Winery 2011 Musque Clone Sauvignon Blanc, Temecula Valley, $14
BEST VIOGNIER
Honey Moon 2011 Viognier, California, $6
BEST PINOT GRIS
Kenwood Vineyards 2011 Pinot Gris, Russian River, $16
BEST RIESLING
Maryhill Winery 2011 Riesling, Columbia Valley, $10
BEST WHITE BLEND
San Antonio 2010 Heritage Blanc White Blend, Central Coast, $19
BEST GEWÜRZTRAMINER
Vinařstvi Libal 2011 Select Gewürztraminer, Czech Republic, $14
BEST MOSCATO
Cameron Hughes 2010 Lot 319Moscato, Sori, Italy, $14
BEST BRUT
Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte 2004 Vintage Brut, Champagne, $46
BEST CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Parallel 2008 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, $125
BEST MERLOT
Summers Estate Wines 2009 Summers Ranch Reserve Merlot, Calistoga, $30
BEST MALBEC
Alamos 2009 Seleccion Malbec, Mendoza, $20
BEST PETIT VERDOT
Ingleside Vineyards 2007 Petit Verdot, Virginia, $20
BEST CARMENÈRE
Locomotora 2010 Carmenère, Curico Sagrada Familia Vineyard, Lontue Valley, $10
BEST BORDEAUX BLEND
Kestrel Vintners 2008Raptor Red Premium Bordeaux Blend, Yakima Valley, $60
BEST NON-BORDEAUX BLEND
Crush 2010 Red Blend, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Canada, $13
BEST PINOT NOIR
Lawson’s Dry Hills Wines 2009 Pinot Noir, Marlborough, New Zealand, $23
BEST ZINFANDEL
DePaola Vineyards 2008 Zinfandel, Arroyo Grande Valley, $30
BEST RED RHÔNE BLEND
Hearst Ranch Winery 2009 Three Sisters Cuvée Red Rhône Blend, Paso Robles, $20
BEST SYRAH/SHIRAZ
Gatt 2010 Old Vine Shiraz, Barossa Valley, Australia, $103
BEST PETITE SIRAH
Stanton Vineyards 2009 Petite Sirah, St. Helena, Napa Valley, $4
BEST GRENACHE
Alexandria Nicole Cellars 2010 Grenache, Destiny Ridge Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills, $35
BEST TEMPRANILLO
Bumgarner Winery 2008 Tempranillo, El Dorado, $27
BEST ROSÉ
Pech Merle Winery 2011 Ivy Rose of Syrah, Dry Creek Valley, $17
BEST ICE WINE
Seifried Estate 2011 Riesling Ice Wine, Nelson, New Zealand, $25
BEST LATE HARVEST WINE
Navarro Vineyards 2011 Cluster Select Late Harvest Muscat Blanc, Anderson Valley, $50
BEST SHERRY
González Byass NV Palo Cortado Leonor Palomino Sherry, Jerez, Spain, $20
BEST SAKÉ
Okunomatsu NV Shizukuzake Juhachidai Ihei Daiginjo Saké, Fukushima, Japan, $60
BEST LABEL – SERIES DESIGN (DOUBLE GOLD)
Telish Winery 2010 Merlot, 2010 Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon Blend, and 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, Bulgaria, design by Philip Popoff
BEST LABEL – INDIVIDUAL DESIGN (DOUBLE GOLD)
Dearly Beloved 2009 Forever Red, design by Stranger & Stranger
VML 2010 Pinot Noir Limited Release, Russian River, design by Stranger & Stranger
Predator 2010 Old Vine Zinfandel, Lodi, design by Mark Dolin
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