Bluestone Vineyard Wins Gold Medal at San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
America's Largest Wine Competition
Virginia wines are getting noticed and so is an up and coming winery located in the center of the Shenandoah Valley.
Bluestone Vineyard earned two gold medals in the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, the largest competition of American wines.
“We are excited to share that Virginia wines, especially our estate-grown wines, are making an impact on the wine industry,” said Marketing Coordinator Emily Eby.
Bluestone earned gold medals for both the 2018 Estate Grown Stainless Steel Chardonnay and the 2018 Petit Manseng.
Due to wet weather that hindered the crop, 2018 was not considered a great harvest year. But Bluestone’s Estate Stainless Steel Chardonnay still shined. The wine kept clean by cold fermentation and natural yeast sees no oak. Instead, it is aged in stainless steel tanks to give it a crisp, refreshing taste.
“Bluestone has hung its hat on our Chardonnay for many years, traditionally with our barrel fermented bottles, but I think the site we work with here in southern Rockingham makes great stuff in stainless steel too. Standing at the top of the block you can see the Allegheny and Blue Ridge Mountains, and it’s just perfect for Chardonnay,” said Winemaker Lee Hartman, about the results of the 2018 Chardonnay.
The gold for the Bluestone’s 2018 Petit Manseng was its second west coast win. Earlier this year, they scored 93 out of 100 points and were awarded gold at the San Francisco International Wine Competition. The 2018 vintage of the Petit Manseng was fermented dry in French oak barrels, creating a creamy and rich balance for the fruit and acid.
“We started working with Petit Manseng in 2015 and have been fortunate to work with some of the best growers around. Petit Manseng has built a reputation in the commonwealth for its distinct tropical aroma and richness and zippy acid,” said Hartman about the success of the Petit Manseng varietal.
Bluestone won an award for all wines entered. They won silver medals for their 2017 Estate Grown Steep Face and 2017 Estate Grown Chardonnay. Bronze medals were awarded for their 2015 Blue Ice, 2017 Cabernet Franc, 2013 Petit Verdot, and 2016 Viognier.
You can find out more about Bluestone Vineyards and see their calendar of winery events on their profile page. If you're interested in purchasing these award-wining wines visit the winery or see the wines listed on their profile.
The San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition evaluated nearly 6,700 wines from over 1,000 wineries in its 2020 competition. With 65 judges, representing various North American wine regions, it is considered the largest competition of American wines.