FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  
 
McMINNVILLE, Oregon - Tough judges awarded just two Gold medals and a total of 31 medals from a field of 75 fine wines judged at the 12th Annual McMinnville Wine & Food Classic Wine Competition.  
 
This year's Gold medallists are new to the competition's winner's ring, though both have been winning silvers and bronzes for several years.  
 
A Yamhill County winery, Hauer of the Dauen, was good for a Gold with their Gewurztraminer '02, a spicy white wine. From Hood River, Viento's Nocturne Muscat Canelli '99, Columbia Valley, a dessert wine also pleased the judges' palates enough to earn a Gold medal.  
 
Judges must have had a sweet tooth and a yen for white wines, since four out of the five Silver medal winners were dessert wines and almost three out of five of the white and dessert wines received medals, while only 29 percent of the reds entered in the competition won awards.  
 
Silver medal winners were Airlie Winery's late harvest Gewurztraminer '03; Eola Hills and Coyote Ridge's Vin d' Or '00; Henry Estate's White Riesling Ice Wine '02; and Harris Bridge's Pinot Noir Dessert. Also in the white wine category, McMenamin's Edgefield Winery's Viognier '04 was awarded a Silver medal. The lone red wine Silver medal winner was Airlie Winery's Marechal Foch Signature '02.  
 
From this point on, judges became generous, awarding Bronze medals to Coyote Ridge's Rose, White Zinfandel '04; Wild Rose Vineyards' Late Harvest Pinot Gris; Maysara Winery's dessert wine, Autees '03; Flerchinger Riesling; Hauer of the Dauen Dry Riesling '02; Abacela Winery Viognier '04; Maysara Winery Pinot Gris '03; Melrose Pinot Gris '02; Kathken Vineyards pinot Gris '03; Panther Creek Cellars Chardonnay Celilo Vineyard '02; Oak Knoll Winery Chardonnay '04 and Eola Hills and Coyote Ridge Eola Hills Mystery Block '02 in the white wine category.  
 
 
 
In the red wine group, Bronze medals went to Henry Estate's Henry 5th '01; Eola Hills and Coyote Ridge's "Eola Hills Sangiovese" '02; Abacela Winery's Tempranillo Umpqua Valley Cuvee '02; Youngberg Hill Vineyards Pinot Noir '02; McMenamin's Edgefield Winery's Vintage Select Pinot Noir '02; Cuneo Cellars Pinot Noir '02; Kramer Vineyards Rebecca's '01; Ankeny Vineyard Pinot Noir Reserve '02; Maysara Winery's Willamette Reserve Pinot Noir '03; Airlie Winery's Pinot Noir Dunn Forest '02 and Coyote Ridge's Cabernet Sauvignon Coyote Ridge '00.  
 
Judges for the competition were Harry Ryan, Jonathon Fost, Jacques Rolland, Patrick McElligot, Jill Crecraft, Tom Reinert, Edward Hixon and Jack Czarnecki.  
 
Ryan is a sommelier certified by the Court of Master Sommeliers, a member of the Sommelier Society of America, Society of Wine Educators and the Tasters Guild, and also teaches wine/spirit and food/wine pairings classes.  
 
Fost is the wine master at Nick’s Italian Café in McMinnville. Rolland, proprietor of A’Tuscan Estate Bed and Breakfast in McMinnville, is the third generation of a hotel and restaurant family and holds a degree in culinary art and is a certified sommelier.  
 
McElligot operates the Oregon Wine Tasting Room above Lawrence Gallery near Sheridan. Crecraft owns Sip d’Vine Wine Shop in Portland.  
 
Reinert is a chemistry professor and Linfield College and the assistant winemaker at La Bete Winery in McMinnville. Hixon owns and buys wine for his Six One Four Wine Shop in Newberg. Czarnecki is the owner and chef at The Joel Palmer House in Dayton, Oregon.  
 
For information: Call Wine Line at 503.472.4033  
 
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