Placer County Wineries Bring Home the Gold

Wineries celebrate wins at 2013 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

Auburn, Calif.- Placer County Wine Trail wineries brought their best to the esteemed San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition and earned 45 medals, including an outstanding 11 gold and double gold medals, proving these regional wines show well and finish strong.

Founded in 1983, the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition includes wines from around the nation and is judged by 60 prestigious wine experts within the media, trade, hospitality and education industries. This year there were over 5,500 vintages judged, cinching its title as the largest competition of American wines in the world.

Over all, nine Placer County wineries placed in the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. Lincoln’s Wise Villa Winery took home the most medals, adding another 15 awards to their repertoire including two double gold medals for their estate grown, produced and bottled Sirah and Pinot Noir Rose, three gold, six silver and four bronze medals.

“It’s exciting to be a part of the success of the Placer County wineries,” states Grover Lee, winemaker, owner and general manager of Wise Villa.  “We planted the first vines on Wise Villa Estates in 2006 and are proud of our growth, the wines we produce and of the many wonderful wines coming out of our region.”

The showing continued to be strong at the competition with Ciotti Cellars and Fawnridge Winery both claiming a silver medal and two bronze awards; Le Casque won a gold and bronze; Lone Buffalo Vineyards was recognized with a gold, two silvers and two bronzes; Mt. Vernon Winery took three gold and five bronze; PaZa and Popie Wines both brought home a silver and bronze; and Vina Castellano Winery was awarded a gold, silver and three bronze.

“Placer County wineries continue to produce even more award-winning wines each year,” said Placer County Agricultural Commissioner Josh Huntsinger. “We believe that an increasing number of wine lovers will discover Placer County as a hidden jewel with gorgeous terrain and wine well worth the visit.”

The Placer County Wine Trail is home to 19 wineries and counting, all of which are easily accessible from I-80 and Highway 49 along the Placer County Wine Trail running from Lincoln to Loomis to Newcastle and Auburn. A public tasting of award-winning wines from the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition also takes place at Fort Mason Center in San Francisco, Saturday, February 16, 2013.

ABOUT PLACER COUNTY VINTNERS ASSOCIATION

The Placer County Vintners Association is a nonprofit association formed to provide a forum for Placer County wineries to collaborate on events and programs that support the local communities, develop marketing programs to raise awareness of the Placer County wine region, and to share best practices to encourage all wineries to be the best they can and provide a high quality experience for winery visitors.  

ABOUT PLACERGROWN:

Supported by Placer County, PlacerGROWN is the information source dedicated to educating residents about the freshest agricultural products the region has to offer.  Through its website, social media channels, and other outreach programs, PlacerGROWN connects community members with the farmers’ markets, farms, orchards, ranches, wineries, nurseries, and specialty food stores in one of the most diverse growing areas in Northern California.