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2015 CT Specialty Food Association Wine Competition Results

April 2, 2015 By

IMG_3349-1On March 24, the CT Specialty Food Association held their annual CT Product Awards Competition, which included Connecticut wine. All wines were required to be made from 100% Connecticut grown fruit. I was pleased to put together an expert panel of wine judges, including several newcomers this year. We spent several hours in each other’s company contemplating 34 Connecticut wines, and engaging in a few lively debates. When the dust settled, some clear winners emerged. Sunset Meadow Vineyards in Goshen had a very strong showing, placing first in 4 categories, and competition newcomer Preston Ridge Vineyard in Preston secured a second place finish in the Dry White category.

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L to R: Roger Collinge, CSW, Doug Croll, CSW, Renée Allen, CSW, FWS, Ken Turcotte, CSW, WSET Adv. Brad Haywood, WSET Adv.

And the winners are…

2015 Wine Product of the Year

Sunset Meadow Vineyard, Goshen, CT   Blustery Blend, 2014

Wine – Blush

1st Place           Sunset Meadow Vineyards, Goshen, CT   Sunset Blush, 2013

Wine – Dessert

1st Place           Hopkins Vineyard, New Preston, CT   Ice Wine, 2013

*This wine received high enough marks from all of the judges to be placed in the Exceptional category, the highest category in which a wine could place.

2nd Place          Sunset Meadow Vineyards, Goshen, CT   Midnight Ice, 2013

3rd Place           Jones Winery, Shelton, CT   Seven Generations, NV

Wine – Dry Red

1st Place           Jones Winery, Shelton, CT   Cabernet Franc, 2012

2nd Place          Sunset Meadow Vineyards, Goshen, CT   New Dawn, 2012

3rd Place           Hopkins Vineyard, New Preston, CT   Lemberger, 2012

Wine – Dry White

1st Place           Sunset Meadow Vineyards, Goshen, CT   Cayuga White, 2013

2nd Place          Preston Ridge Vineyard, Preston, CT   Estate Vidal Blanc, 2013

3rd Place           Hopkins Vineyard, New Preston, CT   Vineyard Reserve, 2013

Wine – Fruit

1st Place           Bishop’s Orchards Winery, Guilford, CT   Celebration, NV

2nd Place          Jones Winery, Shelton, CT   Harvest Time, NV

3rd Place           TIE

Bishop’s Orchards Winery, Guilford, CT   Apple Raspberry Blush, NV

Sunset Meadow Vineyards, Goshen, CT   Enchanted Apple, 2013

Wine – Fruit/Sparkling

1st Place           Bishop’s Orchards Winery, Guilford, CT   Rubus Nightfall, NV

*This wine received high enough marks from all of the judges to be placed in the Exceptional category, the highest category in which a wine could place.

2nd Place          Holmberg Orchards & Winery, Gales Ferry, CT   Macintosh Hard Cider, 2013

Wine – Other White

1st Place           Sunset Meadow Vineyards, Goshen, CT   Blustery Blend, 2014

*This wine received high enough marks from all of the judges to be placed in the Exceptional category, the highest category in which a wine could place.

2nd Place          Sunset Meadow Vineyards, Goshen, CT   Vidal Blanc, 2013

3rd Place           Hopkins Vineyard, New Preston, CT   Westwind, 2013

Wine – Rosé

1st Place           Sunset Meadow Vineyards, Goshen, CT   Rosé, 2013

Wine – Sparkling

1st Place           Hopkins Vineyard, New Preston, CT   Gold Label Sparkling Wine, NV

2nd Place          Holmberg Orchards & Winery, Gales Ferry, CT   Bubbly Blanc, 2013

Filed Under: Connecticut Corkers, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , ,

Jones Winery

May 19, 2011 By

We are excited to showcase the Jones Winery as our first CT Corker of the month. Among its many other accolades, Jones Winery earned the honor of Best Wine in Connecticut in 2010 from Connecticut Magazine. In January 2011, Jones was awarded first place in the Connecticut Specialty Food Association Competition in the white and fruit wine categories. Philip Jamison Jones is the President of the Connecticut Vineyard and Winery Association, a non-profit association of farm wineries from around the state whose goals include educating consumers about wine in Connecticut, and promoting the business of wine through the Connecticut Wine Trail. WINE had the pleasure of spending a couple of hours at the Jones Family Farms last November.

Philip Jamison Jones emerges from the back of the Jones Winery tasting room. He is younger looking than I expected, but he does not appear apologetic for his age. Confident, not cocky. He is fitting me into what is clearly a busy day for the winery. I suggest we walk and talk to save time. Jamie, as this sixth generation farmer is known, readily agrees.
The tour begins outside, directly next to the tasting room. We are halfway up a hill lined with leafless vines (it is November), when Jamie suddenly stops and turns around. He looks out into the distance and raises his hands slightly, motioning to the rows of vines next to us. “These vines are planted here mostly for show; it’s nice to have vineyards directly next to the tasting room,” explains Jamie. “This hill actually faces due north, not an ideal site for grape growing. The hills you see in the distance? Those are the actual vineyards. They face southwest.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Connecticut Corkers Tagged With: ,

Introducing Connecticut Corkers

May 13, 2011 By

Welcome to Wine Institute of New England’s newest blog category, Connecticut Corkers. “Corkers” has a dual meaning: a person who puts corks into bottles; and a remarkable or astounding person or thing. Both of these definitions seem apt for a blog covering wine in Connecticut. Every month, this category will feature a Connecticut winery and its winemaker, or a Connecticut wine event. It is a very exciting time for winemakers in Connecticut right now. With more than 20 active wineries on the Connecticut Wine Trail, and new farm winery-friendly legislation passed or being considered, the wine industry shows no signs of slowing down. From providing farmers with a new source of revenue to aiding our state both in agriculture and tourism, farm wineries are doing their part for the Connecticut economy. There has never been a better time to become a “locabibe.”

Filed Under: Connecticut Corkers, The Grapevine Tagged With: , ,