Okanagan Spring Wine Festival Winners

HONK IF YOU FEEL LIKE A WINNER

As they so often do, little Wild Goose Vineyards Winery of Okanagan Falls, BC, came out the big winner at the recent Okanagan Spring Wine Festival. The winery which is well regarded for the excellence of its white wines, took the "Best of Class" awards in six varietal categories, including: Riesling, Gewurtztraminer, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Open Table Whites (2007 Autumn Gold) and Rose. Sumac Ridge Estate Winery of Summerland also scored well in the white wines division, earning the Chardonnay, White Meritage Blends and Sparkling Wine categories.

The following is a list of the finalists in all divisions of the 2008 Best of Varietal Judging Competition:






The Okanagan Wine Festivals Society announced the results of the annual “Best of Varietal” today at a special industry awards ceremony for the 2008 Best of Varietal Judging Competition. A record 300 wines were entered into this year’s competition. The Best of Class of this year’s 2008 Best of Varietal Competition plus the finalists are:




CHARDONNAY
Best of Class
Sumac Ridge Estate Winery 2006 Black Sage Vineyard Chardonnay
Finalists
See Ya Later Ranch 2006 Chardonnay
Nk’Mip Cellars 2006 Qwam Qwmt Chardonnay
Sandhill Wines 2006 Chardonnay
Mission Hill Family Estate 2006 Reserve Chardonnay


CHARDONNAY (UNOAKED)
Best of Class
Calona Vineyards 2007 Artist Series Unoaked Chardonnay
Finalists
Blasted Church Vineyards 2007 Chardonnay Musque
Ganton and Larsen Prospect Winery 2006 Townsend Jack Unoaked Chardonnay
Quinta Ferreira Estate Winery 2007 Chardonnay Unoaked


GEWURTZTRAMINER
Best of Class
Wild Goose Vineyards 2007 Gewurztraminer
Finalists
Wild Goose Vineyards 2007 Mystic River Gewurztraminer
See Ya Later Ranch 2007 Gewurztraminer
Desert Hills Estate Winery 2007 Gewurztraminer
Lake Breeze 2007 Gewurztraminer


OPEN TABLE WHITE
Best of Class
Wild Goose Vineyards 2007 Autumn Gold
Finalists
Calona Vineyards 2007 Artist Series Sovereign Opal
Gray Monk Estate Winery 2007 Ehrenfelser
Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery 2007 Schonburger Gewurztraminer
Blasted Church Vineyards 2007 Hatfield’s Fuse


PINOT BLANC
Best of Class
Wild Goose Vineyards 2007 Mystic River Pinot Blanc
Finalists
Wild Goose Vineyards 2006 Mystic River Pinot Blanc
Nk’Mip Cellars 2007 Pinot Blanc
Peller Estates Winery 2007 Heritage Series Pinot Blanc


PINOT GRIS
Best of Class
Wild Goose Vineyards 2007 Pinot Gris
Finalists
Ganton and Larsen Prospect Winery 2007 Ogopogo’s Lair Pinot Grigio
Therapy Vineyards 2007 Pinot Gris
See Ya Later Ranch 2006 Pinot Gris
Gray Monk Estate Winery 2006 Pinot Gris
Hester Creek Estate Winery 2007 Pinot Gris


RIESLING
Best of Class
Wild Goose Vineyards 2007 God’s Mountain Riesling
Finalists
See Ya Later Ranch 2007 Riesling
Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery 2007 Dry Riesling
Hillside Estate Winery 2007 Riesling


SAUVIGNON BLANC
Best of Class
Mission Hill Family Estate 2006 Reserve Sauvignon Blanc
Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery 2007 Dry Rock Sauvignon Blanc
Finalists
Stag’s Hollow Winery 2007 Sauvignon Blanc
Ganton and Larsen Prospect Winery 2006 Council’s Punch Bowl Sauvignon Blanc


WHITE MERITAGE BLENDS/VARIETALS
Best of Class
Sumac Ridge Estate Winery 2006 Black Sage Vineyard Meritage (white)
Finalists
Mission Hill Family Estate 2006 Select Lot Collection Sauvignon Blanc Semillon






CABERNET FRANC
Best of Class
Sumac Ridge Estate Winery 2005 Black Sage Vineyard Cabernet Franc
Finalists
Hester Creek Estate Winery 2004 Reserve Cabernet Franc


CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Best of Class
Jackson-Triggs Okanagan 2005 Sunrock Cabernet Sauvignon
Finalists
Jackson-Triggs Okanagan 2005 Proprietors’ Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon


OPEN TABLE RED
Best of Class
Jackson-Triggs Okanagan 2005 Proprietors’ Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz
Finalists
Golden Mile Cellars 2006 Zinfandel
Sandhill Wines 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Syrah
Inniskillin Okanagan Winery 2005 Discovery Zinfandel


PINOT NOIR
Best of Class
See Ya Later Ranch 2005 Pinot Noir
Finalists
Arrowleaf Cellars 2006 Pinot Noir
CedarCreek Estate Winery 2005 Platinum Reserve Pinot Noir
Mission Hill Family Estate 2006 Reserve Pinot Noir


RED MERITAGE BLENDS
Best of Class
Nk’Mip Cellars 2005 Qwam Qwmt Meritage
Finalists
Jackson-Triggs Okanagan 2005 Proprietors’ Grand Reserve Meritage
See Ya Later Ranch 2005 Ping
Golden Mile Cellars 2005 Black Arts 5th Element Red


SYRAH/SHIRAZ
Best of Class
Sandhill Wines 2006 Small Lots Syrah
Finalists
Jackson-Triggs Okanagan 2005 Proprietors’ Grand Reserve Shiraz
Sandhill Wines 2006 Syrah





BLUSH/ROSE
Best of Class
Wild Goose Vineyards 2007 Blanc de Noirs
Finalists
Sandhill Wines 2007 Rose
Jackson-Triggs Okanagan 2007 Proprietors’ Reserve Cabernet Franc Rose


SPARKLING
Best of Class
Sumac Ridge Estate Winery 2004 Stellar’s Jay Brut
Finalists
Sumac Ridge Estate Winery Sparkling Pinnacle


MERLOT
Best of Class
Jackson-Triggs Okanagan 2005 Proprietors’ Grand Reserve Merlot
Finalists
Nk’Mip Cellars 2005 Qwam Qwmt Merlot
Sandhill Wines 2006 Merlot
Hester Creek Estate Winery 2006 Merlot
Nk’Mip Cellars 2005 Merlot


LATE HARVEST AND DESSERTS
Best of Class
Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery 2006 Late Harvest Riesling
Finalists
Gray Monk Estate Winery 2007 Kerner Late Harvest


OTHER ICEWINE
Best of Class
See Ya Later Ranch 2006 Ehrenfelser Icewine
Finalists
Sumac Ridge Estate Winery 2006 Gewurztraminer Icewine


RIESLING ICEWINE
Best of Class
Inniskillin Okanagan Winery 2006 Riesling Icewine
Finalists
Mission Hill Family Estate 2006 Reserve Riesling Icewine


FRUIT WINE
Best of Class
Forbidden Fruit Winery 2007 Pomme Desiree Iced Apple
Finalists
Forbidden Fruit Winery 2007 Plumiscuous Plum Mistelle