Announcing the 2018 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Sweepstake Winners

The largest competition of American wines in the world names best American wines of 2018


After receiving 6,960 entries from 35 states across the country, the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition (SFCWC) has once again successfully narrowed thousands of wines down to an exclusive few. A complete listing of the 2018 results, sortable by price point and category, can be found at winejudging.com.

In the second week of January, 67 skilled judges from a variety of fields including trade, education, media, retail and hospitality traveled to the Cloverdale Citrus Fairgrounds in Sonoma County to determine the best wines in the USA. Utilizing an extensive process that divides the varietals into several categories and subcategories, the event gave the panels the chance to rate entries as Bronze, Silver, Gold or “Double Gold” (equivalent to a unanimous rating by all panel members).

Three full days of judging were followed by the Sweepstakes judging, which took place on Friday morning. 47 judges participated in this portion, and an astounding 3,478 glasses were used in the final tasting for the best of the best. Only 7 entries were honored with the prestigious Sweepstake Award in the categories of Label, Sparkling, White, Pink, Red, and Dessert/Specialty wines. For the first time, in 2018 the SFCWC has also added a Cider Sweepstake winner.

2018 SFCWC Sweepstake-Winning Wines
2018 SFCWC Sweepstake-Winning Wines (click to enlarge)

The 2018 Sweepstake Award Winners are:

Sparkling Sweepstake Winner

Rack & Riddle (CA) NV Sonoma County Blanc de Noirs $22.00

White Sweepstake Winner

Brick Barn Wine Estate (CA) 2016 Santa Ynez Valley Vermentino $40.00

Pink Sweepstake Winner

Barnard Griffin (WA) 2017 Columbia Valley Rose of Sangiovese $14.00

Red Sweepstake Winner

O’Shaughnessy Estate Winery (CA) 2014 Napa Valley Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon $100.00

Dessert Sweepstake Winner

Merritt Estate Winery (NY) 2015 Lake Erie Vidal Ice Wine $39.99

Cider Sweepstake Winner

Goose Watch Winery (NY) NV Finger Lakes Flying High Semi-Sweet Cider $14.99

Label Sweepstake Winner

Rodney Strong Vineyards (CA) 2015 Sonoma County Upshot $28.00

See the full list of Medal-Winning Wines

Some amazing American Viticultural Areas are bringing in wines of extraordinary quality, resulting in 173 Best of Class awards. In addition to California and Oregon, major regions which won numerous awards and Best of Class designations include New York, Washington, and Texas. Each of the Best of Class winners have been categorized to provide consumers with an easy reference guide to delicious and affordable wines based on insights from industry specialists. A complete listing of winners in each category can be found under the “Medal Winners” section at sfgate.com and winejudging.com.

The public will have a chance to taste many of these award winning wines at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition’s Public Tasting, happening February 17 from 1:30-5pm at the Fort Mason Center’s Festival Pavilion in San Francisco.

Follow the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition on Twitter and Facebook @Winejudging for details on the event, behind-the-scenes info, and for special contests leading up to the public tasting.

WHAT:
San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Public Tasting

WHEN:
Saturday, February 17, 2018

WHERE:
Festival Pavilion, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco

TIME:
1:30pm – 5pm

COST:
$70 Advance Purchase, $95 at the door (the event has sold out for the past eight years; advance ticket purchase is recommended.)

INFO:
For tickets and additional information, visit www.winejudging.com

MEDIA:
Contact The Larose Group, 650-548-6700 or amadsen@prmagic.com

 

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