FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Shelly Zinda
Phone: (503) 472-4033
Fax: (503) 472-5201
szinda@verizon.net
“SIP” WINE COMPETITION ANNOUNCES WINNERS
Judges tasted 130 wines – awarded 5 Gold medals, 10 Silver, 17 Bronze
MCMINNVILLE,
Ore. – Feb. 16, 2008 – The 15th annual McMinnville Wine and Food Classic – Sip! – kicked off Saturday with the wine competition at Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum’s IMAX building. Rieslings and Syrahs were surprise winners.
A panel of 12 judges – accomplished winemakers and distributors -- tasted 130 wines from 37 Northwest wineries and awarded 5 gold medals, two of which went to Zerba Cellars in Milton-Freewater for their 2005 Merlot and 2005 Syrah. Henry Estate Winery in Umpqua and LaVelle Vineyards in Elmira each won gold medals for their 2006 Riesling. Dalla Vina Wines in Wilsonville earned a gold for their 2006 Syrah.
All medal winners will be represented at Sip, which takes place March 7th, 8th and 9th at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville. For additional information, visit www.macwfc.org.
Competition results as follows:
Gold Medals
Dalla Vina Wines (Wilsonville)
2006 Syrah
Henry Estate Winery (Umpqua)
2006 Henry Estate White Riesling “Select Harvest”
LaVelle Vineyards (Elmira)
2006 Estate Bottled Riesling
Zerba Cellars (Milton-Freewater)
2005 Columbia Valley Merlot
2005 Columbia Valley Syrah
Silver Medals
Dalla Vina Wines
2006 Pinot Noir – Chehalem Mountain
2006 Pinot Noir – Dundee Hills
Edgefield Winery (Troutdale)
2006 Syrah – Chukar Ridge Vineyard
Eola Hills Wine Cellars (Rickreall)
2006 Eola Hills Riesling
2001 Eola Hills Cabernet Sauvignon “Port Style” Wine
Trinity Vineyards (Salem)
2005 Trinity Vineyards Estate Pinot Noir
Viento (Hood River)
2005 Sangiovese Cuvee Tuition, Columbia Valley
2006 Riesling, Columbia Gorge Vineyard
2006 Viognier Lonesome Spring Ranch, Columbia Valley
Zerba Cellars
2006 Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Bronze Medals
August Cellars (Newberg)
2006 August Cellars Riesling
Barking Frog (Sherwood)
2006 Pinot Noir Blakeshee
2006 Sangiovese
Cathedral Ridge Winery (Hood River)
2006 Cathedral Ridge Merlot
Coelho Winery (Amity)
2006 Paciencia Pinot Noir
2006 Antecipacao Petite Sirah
Edgefield Winery
2006 Vintage Select Chardonnay – Del Rio Vineyard, OR
Honeywood Winery (Salem)
2006 White Riesling
LaVelle Vineyards
2006 Vintage Select Pinot Noir
Methven Family Vineyards (Dayton)
2005 Eola Hills Pinot Noir
Pheasant Valley Winery (Hood River)
2006 Pheasant Valley Zinfandel
Seufert Winery (Pacific City)
2006 Momtazi Vineyard
Spangler Vineyards (Roseburg)
2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
Viento
2006 Pinot Noir, Underwood Mountain Vineyard, Columbia Gorge
Syrah, Cuvee R, Lot #5, Columbia Valley
Vitis Ridge (Silverton)
2005 Vitis Ridge Pinot Noir Reserve
Zerba Cellars
2006 Columbia Valley Chardonnay
Judges:
Patrick McElligott -- Oregon Wine Tasting Room
Cole Danehower -- Oregon Wine Report/Northwest Palate Magazine
Corey Morris -- Wine By Joe
Remy Drabkin – Remy Wines
Jack Thorton – Noah’s Wine Bar
Solo Preidis – Divine Wine Distribution
Chris Burg – Laurel Ridge
Rob Folin – Folin Cellars
Carol Stevens – Independent Wine Consultant, Carlton
Drew Voight – Domaine Serene
Jay McDonald – The Tasting Room (Carlton, OR) and E-I-E-I-O Wines
Craig Kamp – President of Anne Amie
ABOUT SIP -- The McMinnville Wine and Food Classic – Sip -- is a showcase for some of the finest wine and food in the Northwest. Over 130 vendors representing wineries, award winning chefs and Northwest artisans, attend. The three-day event this year includes wine tasting, guest chef demonstrations and live musical entertainment featuring a Saturday evening performance by Aaron Meyer. Sip is held at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum -- home of the Spruce Goose and SR-71 Blackbird -- off of Highway 18 in McMinnville, Ore.
Cost for the event is $15 per day or $30 for a three-day pass.
Hours of the event are: Friday, 3-9:30 p.m.; Saturday, 12-9:30 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.