Press Releases
Four wineries share elite honors in first Kentucky Commonwealth Competition
For Immediate Release
Monday, August 5, 2013
For more information contact:
Ted Sloan
(502) 564-1138
FRANKFORT, Ky. — Wineries from Paducah, Lexington, Versailles, and rural Warren County took the most coveted honors at the inaugural Kentucky Commonwealth Commercial Wine Competition in July in Louisville.
The Paducah Peach wine from Purple Toad of Paducah won the Commissioner’s Cup as the Best Sweet Wine and earned one of two double gold honors awarded in the competition. The 2009 Reserve Chambourcin submitted by Wildside Winery of Versailles was named Best Dry Red. The 2012 “Taste of the Sun” Vidal Blanc from Harkness Edwards Vineyards of Lexington took top honors in Best Dry White. The Black Raspberry wine from Reid’s Livery Winery of Alvaton took the Commissioner’s Cup for Best Boutique Wine. The Commissioner’s Cup awards were presented to the best of the gold medal-winning wines that were made of at least 75 percent Kentucky fruit.
“The first Kentucky Commonwealth Commercial Wine Competition was a great success,” Agriculture Commissioner James Comer said. “Dozens of Kentucky wineries participated, and a panel of nationally recognized judges assessed the wines based on their merits. The results of this competition will provide a useful benchmark for Kentucky’s wineries as well as consumers. I expect even greater participation in the years to come.”
Elk Creek Vineyards earned the only other double gold medal awarded in the competition for its Kentucky Blue Riesling. Gold medals went to Purple Toad (three), Wight-Meyer Vineyard & Winery of Shepherdsville (three), Wildside (three), Brooks Hill Winery of Brooks (two), Baker-Bird Winery of Augusta, Harkness Edwards Vineyards of Winchester, Old 502 Winery of Louisville, Reid’s Livery Winery, Rising Sons Home Farm Winery of Lawrenceburg, Springhill Winery of Bloomfield, and Talon Winery of Lexington.
Purple Toad led the parade to the medal stand with 19 medals, and Wight-Meyer followed with 14.
Kentucky was home to the first commercial vineyard in the United States and one of the leading grape- and wine-producing states in the nation until the industry was all but shuttered during Prohibition. Kentucky’s grape and wine industry has grown from no wineries in 1990 to more than 65 today along with some 600 acres of grape vines.
For a full list of medal-winning wines, go to http://competition.kentuckywine.com/. For more information about Kentucky wineries, go to www.kentuckywine.com or get the Kentucky Wine Trails app for iOS or Android smartphones.
