Monticello Wines win big at 2007 Governor's Cup Awards

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Monticello Region Wines Sweep Top Honors at 2007 Virginia Governor's Cup
November 15, 2007

At an awards ceremony in Richmond on November 15, 2007, 25 of the Commonwealth's best wines were bestowed gold medals in the 2007 Governor's Cup Award Competition. More than half of the Gold Medals awarded heralded from the distinguished Monticello appelation in Virginia.

Of the 25 gold medal wines, 3 are selected as the best in their respected category of white, red and dessert wines. All three of these top spots were captured by wines from the Monticello Region.

Dennis Horton, of Horton Vineyards, known for experimenting with unusual grape varietals in the vineyard to see how they adapt Virginia's growing conditions, took honors for the Best White with the 2006 Petit Manseng. A little known varietal, Petit Manseng is making a splash in the Virginia wine industry. Its loose grape clusters help limit its susceptibility to rot, a typical problem for Virginia due to its humid summers. Petit Manseng has long been a favorite of mine and I am delighted to see it taking root.

Oakencroft received acclaim for its 2005 Encore Late Harvest taking the prize for best dessert wine. Encore is an icewein style wine comprised predominantly of Vidal Blanc with a splash of Traminette that adds a lovely bit of spiciness to balance the sweet.

And finally, Barboursville stole the show taking the coveted Governor's Cup for its 1998 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, a silky smooth wine that has won a tremendous amount of praise since its bottling in 2000. 1998 was a great vintage for Virginia with early rains in the spring and a dry fall that allowed the grapes to ripen beautfilly on the vines. Amazingly, this wine is still available for purchase at the winery or on the winery's website. For a mere $79.99 you too can add a bottle of this wine to your wine library.