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Valley cleans up at Harvest Fair competition

As the growers were busy in the fields, their wines from last year were being judged by a panel of internationally recognized wine experts for the annual Harvest Fair. Sonoma Valley wineries had a strong showing, picking up two of the three major awards bestowed at the event.

Kenwood Vineyards proudly took home the Sweepstakes Winning White Wine (also known as the James Guymon Memorial Award) for its 2010 pinot gris. Gloria Ferrer Caves and Vineyard earned the Sweepstakes Winning Specialty Wine (known as the Mike Lee Memorial Award) for its 2007 brut rosé.  

The Harvest Fair takes place Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 30 to Oct. 2, at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, 1350 Bennett Valley Road in Santa Rosa. Fairgoers will have ample opportunities to taste the award-winning wines throughout the weekend, including at the Grand Tasting, a new event slated for Friday from 5:30 to 8 p.m. For more information on activities and events at the fair, visit www.harvestfair.org.

Harvest Fair wine winners from the Sonoma Valley:

• Armida Winery (sourced from Durell Vineyards in Sonoma) took a gold medal for its 2009 pinot noir ($45) and a bronze medal for its 2009 pinot noir ($45).

• Ashton Vineyards earned a silver for its 2006 syrah ($49) and a bronze for its 2005 syrah ($49).

• B.R. Cohn Winery earned a double gold for its 2007 cabernet sauvignon ($55), a silver for its 2009 primitivo ($32), a silver for its 2009 pinot noir ($40) and a bronze for its 2009 zinfandel ($28).

• Beltane Ranch received a silver for its 2010 sauvignon blanc ($23).

• Benziger Family Winery got a gold for its 2010 Signaterra Sauvignon Blanc ($24), a silver for its 2009 chardonnay ($16), silver for its signaterra three blocks ($49), bronze for its 2007 cabernet sauvignon ($20), bronze for its 2010 sauvignon blanc ($15) and bronze for its 2009 Signaterra Pinot Noir ($49). 

• Chateau St. Jean earned a silver for its 2009 voignier ($30), a silver for its 2009 chardonnay ($28), a silver for its 2007 cabernet sauvignon ($27) and a bronze for its 2009 fume blanc ($20).

• Clarbec Wines got a gold for its 2009 pinot gris ($21), a silver for its 2006 cabernet sauvignon ($65), a silver for its 2005 cabernet sauvignon ($65) and a bronze for its 2007 cabernet sauvignon ($65).

• Cline Cellars earned a silver for its 2009 syrah ($11.99), a silver for its 2009 Sonoma zinfandel ($11.99), a bronze for its 2010 Marsanne Roussanne ($15.99) and a bronze for its 2009 Cool Climate Pinot Noir ($17.99).

• Deerfield Ranch Winery got a gold for its 2007 zinfandel ($35), a gold for its 2006 meritage ($75), a gold for its 2007 Old Vine Zinfandel Reserve ($60), a bronze for its 2005 DRX ($85) and a bronze for its 2010 chardonnay ($35).    

• Gloria Ferrer Caves and Vineyard earned, in addition to its Sweepstakes Award for its 2007 Brut Rose ($42), a gold for its Blanc d'Noir ($20), a silver for its 2006 Blanc de Blancs ($28), a silver for its 2000 Carneros Cuvee ($50), a silver for its 2006 Jose S Ferrer Pinot Noir ($35), a silver for its 2004 Royal Cuvee ($32), a silver for its Sonoma Brut ($20), a silver for its Va de Vi ($22) and a silver for its 2007 merlot ($19).

• Highway 12 Winery earned a silver medal for its 2006 reserve blend ($65), a bronze for its 2010 Carneros Highway Nueva Chardon ($18), a bronze for its 2009 cabernet sauvignon ($20), a bronze for its 2009 Highwayman ($38) and a bronze for its 2009 Bordeaux blend.

• Hughes Family Vineyards received a gold for its 2007 syrah ($40) and a silver for its 2007 zinfandel ($35).

• Imagery Estate Vineyards got a silver for its 2007 pallas ($60), a silver for its 2009 Wines Gone Wild Redhead ($19), a silver for its 2010 Wow Oui Sauvignon Blanc ($27), a silver for its 2007 barbera ($36), a silver for its 2008 zinfandel ($42), a bronze for its Aleatico Rose ($24), a bronze for its 2010 viognier ($28), a bronze for its 2009 sangiovese ($29) and a bronze for its 2008 cabernet sauvignon pallas ($60).

• Jus Soli Winery earned a best of class for its 2008 syrah ($24), a gold for its 2008 Roots Red ($20), a silver for its 2009 sauvignon blanc ($20), a silver for its 2008 zinfandel ($26), a bronze for its 2009 zinfandel ($26), a bronze for its 2008 zinfandel ($26) and a bronze for its 2008 syrah ($24).

• Keating Wines earned a gold for its 2008 merlot ($25), a gold for its 2009 zinfandel ($28), a silver for its 2008 petite syrah ($38), a silver for its 2008 cabernet sauvignon ($48), a bronze for its 2007 malbec ($42), a bronze for its 2009 petite sirah ($38) and a bronze for its 2009 zinfandel.

• Kenwood Vineyards earned top honors with a sweepstakes award for its 2010 pinot gris ($16), best of class for its 2010 sauvignon blanc ($10) and a best of class for its 2008 cabernet sauvignon ($20) as well as a silver for its 2009 merlot ($14), a silver for its 2008 cabernet sauvignon ($30), a silver for its 2008 merlot ($20), a bronze for its 2010 chardonnay ($14), a bronze for its 2008 zinfandel ($16) and a bronze for its 2009 zinfandel ($25).

• Kunde Family Estate earned a gold for its 2010 sauvignon blanc ($15), a gold for its 2008 Meritage 202 ($30), a gold for its 2010 viognier ($18), a silver for its 2008 cabernet sauvignon ($20) and a bronze for its 2008 Red Dirt Red ($28).

• Larson Family Winery earned a silver for its 2010 Late Harvest Gewurztraminer ($14.99), a silver for its 2007 Three Lab Cab ($19.99) and a bronze for its 2010 pinot grigio ($19.99).

• Ledson Winery and Vineyards got a silver for its 2010 sauvignon blanc ($28) and a bronze for its 2007 cabernet sauvignon ($70).

• Leveroni Vineyards a silver for its 2008 merlot ($16), a silver for its 2009 chardonnay ($16) and a bronze for its 2009 pinot noir ($19.50).

• Little Vineyards got a got a best of class for its Band Blend ($17), a silver for its 2010 zinfandel, a bronze for its 2009 syrah zinfandel ($28), a bronze for its 2009 petite sirah ($35) and a bronze for its 2009 cabernet sauvignon ($45).

• Loxton Cellars got a gold for its 2008 cabernet sauvignon ($30), a gold for its 2008 Grandfather's Cuvee Cabernet Sauvignon ($32), a silver for its 2009 chardonnay ($28), a silver for its 2009 pinot noir ($32), a bronze for its 2008 syrah ($30), a bronze for its 2008 syrah ($30), a bronze for its 2009 Late Harvest Zinfandel ($25) and a bronze for its 2009 port ($28).

• Macrae Family Winery got a gold for its 2008 pinot noir ($30).

• Mayo Family Winery got a Best of Class for its 2009 Late Harvest Gewurztraminer ($30), a gold for its 2009 grenache ($35), a gold for its 2008 cabernet sauvignon ($34.99), a gold for its 2008 zinfandel ($40), a gold for its 2008 zinfandel reserve ($50), a gold for its 2007 Alicante Bouchet ($30), a gold for its 2009 The Barnstormer Zinfandel ($34.99), a gold for its 2009 Zinfandel Reserve Old Vines ($50), a gold for its 2009 zinfandel port ($35), a silver for its 2008 Carignane ($30), a silver for its 2008 petite sirah ($35), a silver for its 2007 meritage ($50), a bronze for its 2007 merlot ($35), a bronze for its 2009 Gypsy ($35), a bronze for its 2008 chardonnay ($29.99), a bronze for its 2010 chardonnay ($25), a bronze for its 2008 pinot noir ($34.99), a bronze for its 2010 pinot gris ($25), a bronze for its 2008 zinfandel ($34.99) and a bronze for its 2008 barbera reserve ($50).

• Meadowcroft Wines received a gold for its 2009 zinfandel ($28) and a bronze for its 2008 cabernet sauvignon ($36).

• Muscardini Cellars got a bronze for its 2009 zinfandel ($48), a bronze for its 2010 Rosato di Sangiovese ($22), a bronze for its 2009 tesoro ($50) and a bronze for its 2009 sangiovese ($40).

• Paradise Ridge Winery got a gold for its 2010 chardonnay ($19.99), a silver for its 2007 Elevation Cabernet Sauvignon ($40), a silver for its 2007 Tribute to the Hermit ($28),  bronze for its 2010 sauvignon blanc ($20), a bronze for its 2009 pinot noir ($40), a bronze for its 2009 sauvignon blanc ($20) and a bronze for its 2008 syrah ($24).

• Roessler Cellars received a bronze for its 2009 La Brisa Pinot Noir ($32).

• Sebastiani Vineyards received a best of class for its 2008 zinfandel ($24), gold for its 2007 barbera ($26), a gold for its 2009 pinot noir ($18), a gold for its 2009 chardonnay ($13), a gold for its 2008 zinfandel ($15), a silver for its 2007 merlot ($17) a bronze for its 2008 chardonnay ($25), a bronze for its 2008 cabernet sauvignon ($34) and a bronze for its 2008 cabernet sauvignon ($90).

• St. Francis Winery earned a best of class for its 2010 chardonnay ($15), a gold for its 2009 Old Vine Zinfandel ($22), a gold for its 2009 zinfandel ($40), a silver for its 2009 Old Vine Zinfandel ($40), silver for its 2009 caro santo ($45), a silver for its 2009 viognier ($22), a silver for its 2008 petite sirah ($45), a silver for its 2008 cabernet sauvignon ($22) a bronze for its 2007 malbec ($35), a bronze for its 2008 merlot ($45), a bronze for its 2008 cabernet sauvignon ($35), a bronze for its 2008 Old Vines Zinfandel Tres Viejo ($40), a bronze for its 2008 cabernet sauvignon ($45) and bronze for its 2008 syrah ($40).

• Ty Caton Vineyards received a gold for its 2009 Ballfield Syrah ($42), a silver for its 2009 Ty's Red ($32), a silver for its 2009 cabernet sauvignon ($44), a silver for its 2009 Upper Bench Merlot ($38), a bronze for its 2009 dessert wine ($38) and a bronze for its 2009 petite sirah ($44).

• Valley of the Moon Winery got a gold for its 2010 chardonnay ($17), a gold for its 2010 Rosato di Sangiovese ($16), a silver for its 2009 syrah ($19), a silver for its 2008 sangiovese ($19), a silver for its 2010 pinot blanc ($16), a bronze for its 2008 barbera ($22), a bronze for its 2008 cabernet sauvignon ($23), a bronze for its 2010 unoaked chardonnay ($15) and a bronze for its 2008 zinfandel ($18).

• Victor Hill Wines earned a silver for its 2010 Belle de Blanc ($24.99), a silver for its 2010 sauvignon blanc ($16.99), a silver for its 2009 pinot noir ($24.99), a silver for its 2010 cinsaut ($19) and a bronze for its 2010 zinfandel ($28).

• Wellington Vineyards earned a silver for its 2007 syrah ($25), a silver for its 2010 marsanne ($22), a silver for its 2006 cabernet sauvignon ($30), a silver for its 2007 cabernet sauvignon ($20), a silver for its 2006 Victory Reserve ($50), a silver for its 2007 zinfandel ($25), a bronze for The Duke ($8), a bronze for its 2007 merlot ($20) and a bronze for its 2007 zinfandel ($18).