Who won the Golden State Winery of the Year? Modesto wine columnist on that, more
The Golden State Winery of the Year award at the California State Fair recognizes the California winery that consistently excels in producing high quality wines and displays a commitment to innovation and excellence in the winemaking process.
This is the third time Jeff Runquist Wines has received this prestigious award. “The State Fair is one of the competitions we enter every year. It is one of the most respected and we eagerly await the results with great anticipation,” Runquist, founder and winemaker, said in a press release. “We entered forty wines, earned thirty-nine medals, and two were best varietal awards.”
“We are deeply honored to be named the Golden State Winery of the Year. This recognition, particularly having won two of the last three times, is a strong testament to our team’s unwavering pursuit of crafting the finest California wines, each reflecting the distinct character of each respective vineyard. Our sincere thanks go to the California State Fair and the wine industry for acknowledging our efforts once again.”
Jeff Runquist Wines is a boutique winery in Amador County that has built a portfolio of outstanding single vineyards that create fruit forward, well balanced and deeply flavored wines. The vineyard, the region and the growers’ names are listed on each bottle. For example, the 2020 Teraldego was from the Creekside Ranch in the Jahant District of Lodi, grown by Jeff and Ernie Dosio, and finally the vintner, Jeff Runquist. Each wine embodies the unique richness and diversity of California’s wine growing regions. Well done, Jeff Runquist Wines.
Access Alexander Valley
This late summer evening affair is offering a Grand Tasting of 15-plus Alexander Valley wineries, a “Roots to Glass” wine education seminar plus special reserve Alexander Valley wines, barrel tastings, artisanal food and the Pitchforks, a country/honkey tonk band. This all takes place at the ACTA Winery on Sept. 1 from 5-8 p.m. This year, the Alexander Valley Growers selected The Housing Land and Trust of the North Bay as their beneficiary. For tickets and more information, go to alexandervally.org/access-alexander-valley/.
What’s on our table
I’ve been a SEAGLASS fan for several years. I like the pretty label, I love the screw cap, I dig grapes from coastal vineyards and best of all, the SRP is $12. SEAGLASS held its own in the 2023 Sunset International Wine Competition, with more than 3,000 wines entered. The 2021 Monterey SEAGLASS Rose was a Double Gold, Best of Class and the Best of Show Rose, score 98. The 2021 Santa Barbara Sauvignon Blanc was a Double Gold, Best of Class, score 98. The 2021 Santa Barbara Pinot Grigio was a Gold, score 93. The 2021 Monterey Riesling was a Gold, score 93. The 2021 Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon was a Gold, score 90. Cheers!
Questions? Comments? Find me on Facebook or at rgwinton@yahoo.com.