Newport Seafood and Wine Festival Wine Competition Winners Announced

Four wineries from Oregon and one from Washington took home two gold medals apiece

2015 Newport Seafood and Wine Festival Photo: Event organizers

(NEWPORT, Ore.) - And the winner in a starring role as Best-Of-Show wine at the 2015 Newport Seafood and Wine Festival Commercial Wine Competition is... (hold the drum roll): Emerson Vineyards 2013 Willamette Valley Pinot noir.

From 167 wines (36 Pinot noir entries) in the just-concluded competition, this Pinot impressed the five-member judges’ panel as balanced, expressive of its fruit and a charming representative of Oregon’s signature wine varietal.

Winemaker Elliott Johns, wife Jenny, their two children and his parents make up the core of this small Monmouth family winery located 13 miles north of Corvallis, where Elliott was born and where he graduated from Oregon State University’s winemaking program. Four Oregon Pinot noirs won gold medals: Saginaw Vineyard 2011, Cardwell Hill Cellars Reserve 2012 and Coleman Vineyard Estate Reserve 2011, in addition to the Emerson.

Worth noting was the pricing of these wines at a time when quality Pinots, including several entered here, are selling for upwards of $50 to $70 a bottle. These four gold medal winners retail for $22 to $38 a bottle.

Four wineries from Oregon and one from Washington took home two gold medals apiece: Coleman Vineyard in McMinnville, Pinot noir and Pinot gris; David Hill Winery in Forest Grove, Chardonnay and Riesling; Eola Hills Wine Cellars in Rickreall, Sauvignon blanc and Zinfandel; Spindrift Cellars in Philomath, Gewurztraminer and Syrah; Domaine Ste. Michelle in Paterson, Washington, Brut Rosé and Extra Dry Sparkling Wine.

The Newport Seafood & Wine Festival’s Commercial Wine Competition is the longest continuously running contest of its kind in the Northwest. Its longstanding reputation makes winning a medal one that wineries covet.

An elite panel of judges who have worked together for two decades results in consistent, interconnected evaluations each year.

This year the Chamber of Commerce and the judges’ panel have chosen to honor the founder of the 29-year-old Commercial Wine Competition by naming the top prize the Joseph H. Swafford Best-Of-Show Award.

The medal count totaled 105 with 26 Gold, 39 Silver and 40 Bronze out of the 167 wines entered by 62 wineries.

All of the award-winning wines will be available for purchase at this year’s Seafood & Wine Festival February 19-22, 2015.

Additional information on the upcoming festival can be found online at www.seafoodandwine.com.

Source: Oregon Coast Beach Connection