Medals maintain sound reputation for Leal Vineyards
While local vineyards are already done with the 2006 wine grape
harvest, Leal Vineyards is still reaping the benefits of several
wins at summer fair competitions for wines made from past
harvests.
The local vintner took home medals at two of the most
prestigious California wine competitions
– the Orange County Wine Competition and the California State
Fair.
Medals maintain sound reputation for Leal Vineyards
While local vineyards are already done with the 2006 wine grape harvest, Leal Vineyards is still reaping the benefits of several wins at summer fair competitions for wines made from past harvests.
The local vintner took home medals at two of the most prestigious California wine competitions – the Orange County Wine Competition and the California State Fair.
This year the winery took home a gold medal for their 2003 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon at the Orange County competition and a gold medal for their 2004 Estate Merlot at the California state judging.
In terms of marketing, gold medal wins increase sales if it is from competitions that are well known in wine circles.
“It means very little to very few people unless it’s a big competition like the California state level or the Orange county competition,” said Dan Payne, a distributor and spokesperson for the winery.
With so many wineries to choose from in the region and thousands from California, as well as international varieties, selling wine can be a cutthroat business. But the medals can help with local sales for small, relatively new vineyards such as Leal. Frank Leal established the vineyard in 1998.
“It generally affects local consumers,” Payne said. “It helps with direct sales and local restaurants sales in Northern California.”
By the time awards are handed out because the small winery keeps its yearly bottling to less than 14,000 cases for all varietals, many of the award-winning wines have already sold out. This year is a rare exception in that the winery still has a couple cases of the 2004 Estate Merlot that took home the gold from the state fair in Sacramento in September.
“When a wine receives an award or a review, there is a big sweep that comes through,” Payne said, of the increased sales they see in the tasting rooms. “There is more anticipation [for the next vintage.]”
But more than the gold medals, Payne was honored that the vineyard received two viticulture awards from the judges in Sacramento. The awards go to any estate-bottled wine that receives a medal at the state fair as a way to recognize the grape-grower and the vineyard manager.
“We’ve done it forever,” said Kem Pence, a spokesperson for the CA fair competition. “We give them to all bottles that are vineyard designated or estate bottled.”
In the wine business, some wines are made from a hodge-podge of grapes that are grown by different vineyards. This is especially true of bulk wines that are made from harvest leftovers that other vineyards have not used.
A bottle that is vineyard designated or estate bottled means the wine was made from start to finish at the vineyard – from grape planting to labeling. In wine circles, the wines are believed to be superior because the vineyard controls every step of the winemaking process, especially the quality of the grapes.
“The viticulture awards for single vineyard are by far the most important,” Payne said.
Leal Vineyards has just 38 acres of vineyards and plants only 10 varietals, which Payne said allows them to keep a higher quality of fruit for their wines.
“If you over crop it, it gets watery. You have less intense fruit,” Payne said. “It’s really hard to make tons of wine that is good and cheap to sell.”
The wines at Leal, which include the award-winning varieties as well as a Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and a Syrah, range from the mid-$20s to high $30s with some special releases selling as high as $75. Many brands sold in supermarkets, which have much higher production sell for under $10.
It all goes back to the quality of the grapes.
“If you bring in mediocre grapes, you will never make more than mediocre wine,” Payne said.
