Hollister
– Local winery Leal Vineyards brought home a gold medal from the
Orange County Fair Wine Competition – a contest that many in the
wine business consider one of the most important in the state.
Hollister – Local winery Leal Vineyards brought home a gold medal from the Orange County Fair Wine Competition – a contest that many in the wine business consider one of the most important in the state.
“This is really exciting for us,” said Dan Payne, spokesman for Leal Vineyards.
Leal received the gold for its 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, which was entered alongside 3,189 different wines from around the state this year.
“The Orange County competition really is a big one, because it’s specifically focused on California wine,” Payne said. “You have wine makers and winery personnel from all over the state participating.”
Nearly 100 judges representing a cross section of the California wine industry spent several days judging the wines based on a number of criteria, such as color, scent, texture, body and most importantly, taste.
“Generally, you want to submit ‘friendly’ wines,” Payne said. “If you have a wine that is super acidic or lean, it might be a great wine, but you really want to put your crowd favorites out there.”
Choosing which wines to submit for judging is something of a balancing act, according to Payne. A winery must take into account not only which wines will curry favor with the judges, but also varieties that will be available for sale after the competition.
“It doesn’t do you a lot of good if you win a medal for a wine that’s already sold out,” Payne said. “So we selected wines that were at the beginning or middle of their vintage, because we’re confident that they will only get better.”
Already the Cabernet is nearly gone, though some bottles remain at the Leal tasting room.
The gold medal win is good news not only for Leal Vineyards, Payne said, but for the San Benito County Wine Region as a whole, which has worked for the past several years to establish itself as a destination such as Napa or Paso Robles for wine tourism.
“When you see these medals popping up on San Benito County wines, it adds to the integrity of the area as a world-class wine growing region,” he said.
What separates San Benito County from other wine regions is atmosphere and recognition, rather than quality, says Payne.
“The operations here are much more family-central, but that doesn’t mean the quality isn’t there,” he said. “And you won’t have to stand in line or wait behind some limos when you come visit.”
Leal’s 2004 Chardonnay and Syrah wines also were honored with silver medals at the Orange County Competition. In past years, earlier vintages of all three varieties have earned gold medals and top honors at wine competitions throughout the state and country. Leal wines are available directly from the winery on Maratha Drive, the company Web site, www.lealvineyards.com, or at select local restaurants and stores.
Danielle Smith covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or [email protected].
