SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Debra Del Fiorentino, Founder of Wine Competitions Management & Productions, in conjunction with Craig Palmer and Allen Habel, co-founders of Experience Rosé (formerly Rosé Today), are pleased to announce the results from Experience Rosé: The 2018 Competition, held at Soda Rock Winery in Healdsburg, California on Wednesday, April 18. Directed by globally-renowned wine expert and educator Del Fiorentino, Experience Rosé: The 2018 Competition drew 317 entries of domestic and international rosé wines – a thirty-seven percent increase from the number of entrants in last year’s competition.
Glasses of with pink champagne decorated with lavender
The esteemed panel of top-tier judges selected by Del Fiorentino sought out the very best in dry, sparking and sweet categories – all of which represented a wide range of rosé winemaking styles. Judges included Dan Berger, Jacques Brix, Bernadette Byrne, Traci Dutton, Renata Franzia, Denise Gill, Erik Miller, David Sandri, Chris Sawyer and Cathy Vicini.
The Competition embodies the concept of rosé wines as an integral part of the wine drinking experience every day, all year long “because every day pairs better with Rosé,” the tagline for this and every Experience Rosé event.
“That’s the idea that attracted us so irresistibly to this lifestyle concept of Experience Rosé,” proclaims Founder and Producer Craig Palmer. “So many everyday opportunities become so much more colorful paired with this infinitely elegant and exuberant wine.”
Top honors and Best of Show went to Draxton Wines for its 2017 Pinot Meunier Rosé, Napa Valley, garnering an impressive 100-point score.
“That’s not easily achieved,” says Del Fiorentino. “Our judges are very savvy and very strict with their scores. To achieve a perfect score is a true feat of accomplishment for the winemaker and the wine.”
Advantage International was awarded Best International Dry, Double Gold and Best of Class for its 2017 Marquis de Goulaine Rosé d’anjou. Bronco Wine Company was awarded Best Domestic Sparkling, Double Gold and Best of Class for its NV Domaine Laurier Brut Rose while Natural Merchants, Inc. was awarded Best International Sparkling and Best of Class for its NV Tarantas Sparkling Rose. Penns Woods Winery took Best Domestic Sweet and Best of Class for its NV Penns Woods Winery Moscato Rose.
Other Best of Class winners include:
Castle Rock Winery, 2017 Castle Rock Rosé of Pinot Noir, category: Domestic Dry
Nichelini Family Winery, 2017 Nichelini Family Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé, category: Domestic Dry
Peju Province Winery, 2016 Peju Sparkling Rosé, category: Domestic Sparkling
Winery at Black Star Farms, NV Black Star Farms, Old Mission Delighted – Sweet Bubbly Rosé, category: Domestic Sparkling
E&J Gallo Winery, 2017 Fleur de Mer Rose, category: International Dry
Overall the judges awarded five Best of Show accolades, 10 Best of Class designations, 15 Double Gold and 79 Gold honors. A complete list of winners can be found by visiting http://rosewinetoday.com/competition-winners/.
Results were announced at an intimate gathering held at Soda Rock Winery on Thursday, April 19th, following the judging. About 15 wineries, all competition gold-medal winners, poured and convened with industry influencers and event sponsors and producers.
Experience Rosé is proud to thank its Presenting Sponsor, Bank of Marin, and Hosting Sponsors: Soda Rock Winery, Sonoma Magazine, Spirited Magazine, and Hangar 1® Vodka.
Experience Rosé is all about providing extraordinary experiences to anyone who revels in the passion for Rosé. The brand’s dedication to excellence continues with two new consumer events held in June and October. On Saturday, June 16, 2018, The Great Rosé Pairing for Summer will take place at The CIA at Copia in Napa, from 11AM to 4PM. Attendees will sip winning wines from the 2018 Competition paired with gourmet cuisine from six major rosé producing regions (France, Italy, Spain, Northern California, Central California and Southern California) prepared by teams of emerging star chef CIA students and led by Lars Kronmark, Professor of Culinary Arts at CIA California. A sampling of rosé cocktails and summer refreshers using Hangar 1®’s newly launched rosé infused vodka will be prepared by CIA’s wine and beverage students. This multifaceted event will also include special arts programming and Experience Talks – an educational series featuring presentations, panel discussions and pairings curated by John Cesano, Executive Director of the Anderson Valley Winegrowers Association. Jubilant, intoxicating music will be provided by Steel Jam.
Ticket costs for The Great Rosé Pairing for Summer:
VIP Patio: $125 in advance; $130 at the door
Regular admission: $85 in advance; $90 at the door
Designated driver: $40 in advance; $45 at the door
Later in the year, on Friday, October 19, Jaxon Keys Winery and Distillery in Hopland (Mendocino County) will host The Great Rosé Pairing for Thanksgiving. Nicholas Petti, Culinary Arts Instructor at Mendocino College, along with his talented students, will create a selection of seasonally-inspired bites to showcase perfect Rosé pairings for holiday dinners and celebrations. This event exclusively features Rosés produced in the Hopland and Redwood Valley regions of inland Mendocino County.
Ticket costs for The Great Rosé Pairing for Thanksgiving:
Regular admission: $95 in advance; $105 at the door
Tickets for both The Great Rosé Pairing for Summer and The Great Rosé Pairing for Thanksgiving can be purchased by visiting: www.experiencerose.com.
About Experience Rosé
“Because every day pairs better with Rosé” is our theme. With the burgeoning passion for the colorful array of Rosé wines, Experience Rosé showcases excellence in international winemaking, connecting wine lovers with singular adventures and curated resources that are spirited, expansive and revelatory. For more information on Experience Rosé please visit, www.experiencerose.com.
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About Soda Rock Winery
Nestled in Sonoma County’s scenic Alexander Valley, Soda Rock Winery offers visitors the opportunity to enjoy an eclectic mix of wine-country experiences. Sip a delicious array of wines with a focus on Bordeaux varietals. View the splendid surroundings and appreciate the historical buildings that have been beautifully restored using green building and recycling practices. Soda Rock is the original site of the Alexander Valley general store and post office, and was once the central hub of activity for the valley. Historic records provide evidence of the first bonded winery on this property in 1880. With a large line-up of Cabernet Sauvignons and Bordeaux varietals, Soda Rock wines are big and bold, just like its historic past.
About The CIA at Copia
The Culinary Institute of America’s newest location in downtown Napa, the CIA at Copia, offers food and wine experiences to the public, including hands-on cooking and beverage classes, culinary demonstrations, shopping, dining, community events, private events, and more. It is the first public-facing facility for the college.
About Jaxon Keys Winery & Distillery
Jaxon Keys, a 1,250-acre estate winery, continues a historic legacy in Mendocino County with their long-term commitment to fine wine and brandy. Formerly Jepson Winery, the estate’s new name, Jaxon Keys, is a tribute to family ancestors Jack Wilson and Cecil Key – honoring the past and heralding a new era. They offer many varietals grown on their ranch for tasting at their 1880s Farmhouse Tasting Room. Enjoy a leisurely wine tasting at the antique bar, spend some time out on the covered veranda, drink in the views, the flavors and the old-fashioned hospitality served up Mendocino style. Jaxon Keys makes a wine for every taste – Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, white and red blends, Grenache, Zinfandel, Primitivo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petite Sirah, a port-style wine and Alambic pot-still brandy.
“If you’re a drink aficionado, it can be tricky to know what the best mix options are,” says company Founder, Shelley Buchanan. “But for Bloody Mary lovers, the search for a guide to the best bloody mary mixes is over, thanks to The Drunken Tomato. We eat, sleep, and breathe all things Bloody Mary, and have compiled our handy blog to include relevant topics, recipes, and even merchandise. This year marks the first year that we are also tasting and awarding some of the best Bloody Mary mixes from around the world; the results of which can be found on our easy to use site.”
“We’ve watched Rosés grow and grow in popularity, and wanted to replace Champagne Lane with something new,” said Chan Cox, founder of the South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival and owner for 
AVV is one of an elite group of wineries recognized as a Bay Area Green Business. They became a member of the California Sustainable Winegrowing Program in 2006 and achieved vineyard certification in 2014. AVV bottled their first wine produced from organic certified grapes in 2008, today the family organically farms over 30 acres and offers two wines from 100% California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) grapes. A second family vineyard will receive CCOF certification in June 2018. Other AVV sustainable initiatives include solar arrays that supply about half of the winery’s power; cover crop plantings to minimize pesticide use and control erosion; drip irrigation for precise water management; 25,000 square feet of underground, naturally cooled caves that reduce the winery’s carbon footprint; and installation of variable speed drives on all winery equipment to decrease energy waste.
For the third year in a row, Les Dauphins has been named Rhône Winery of the Year, at the 7th Annual New York International Wine Competition. Les Dauphins’ wines were among the 1,300 submitted to the competition from over 23 countries around the world.
Whiskies are judged on a 100-point basis with a concentration on appearance, aromatics, flavor, mouthfeel and finish. Blind judging was performed by a panel of eighteen Texas tastemakers who are all influential figures in the state’s beverage industry. The panel included: David “Bart” Bartlett – Whisky Guru at Beverage World; Jeff Boley – Beverage Manager Townsend; Jeramy Campbell – Assistant Manager Seven Grand Whisky Bar; Carly Dunavant – Bartender; Aisling Gammill – Lead Bartender Whisler’s; Dennis Gobis – Co-Owner The Roosevelt Room and Eleanor; Mike Groener – CEO Genius Liquids; Jennifer Keyser – Beverage Director Holy Roller; Justin Lavenue – Co-owner The Roosevelt Room and Eleanor; Lana Lindsley – Bulleit Whiskey Ambassador; David Maguire – Co-owner The Austin Shaker; John McEntire – Spirits Consultant Twin Liquors; Florian Minier – Bartender Small Victory; Adrian Montanez – Manager Twin Liquors; Purav Patel – Owner Village Liquors; Mike Raymond – Owner Reserve 101; Ken Seeber – Spirits Consultant Twin Liquors; Kevin Stein – Regional Manager Twin Liquors
Not one to turn down a bottle, err, I mean an opportunity to try a new bottle of wine, I readily agreed to the tasting. (If you want to try them they have a tasting room open to the public Thursday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 6 p.m.: 3045 90th Street West, Rosamond, CA, 93560, 661-256-6203.)
The judging panel, comprising five Masters of Wine, also presented MARTINI Prosecco Vintage with one of six Master Medals, a testament to the exceptional quality of the wine.
Wines chosen for Judges’ Selections were nominated by judging panels for specific categories, then blind-tasted by special panels to determine the winner of each Selection. Judges’ Selections demonstrate quality and unique character that are exceptional even amongst their medal-winning peers.