This weekend I, along with 99 other judges, swirled, sniffed and tasted our way through more than 2,900 wines to help determine the winners of the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo’s international wine competition.
I hope to share the details of my first wine judging experience soon, as well as fill you in on more about the Rodeo. In the meantime, though, I’ve got to fill you in on the big news.
The big winners are:
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Grand Champion: Alexander Vally Vineyards CYRUS, Alexander Valley, 2008
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Reserve Grand Champion: Williams Selyem Westside Road Neighbors Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, 2010
- Top Italian Wine: Bolla Amarone, Veneto, 2007
- Top Red Wine: Silkwood Wines Alicante Bouche, California, NV
- Top White Wine: Consilience Wines Viognier, Santa Barbara County, 2011
- Top Sparkling Wine: Gosset Excellence Brut, Champagne, NV
- Top Sweet Wine: Yalumba Museum Reserve Antique Tawny, Barossa Valley, NV
- Top Value Wine: Cycles Gladiator Winery Pinot Noir, California, 2011
- Top Texas Wine: Pedrnales Cellars Voignier, Texas, 2012
Like I said, I hope to fill you in soon on all the details: just how purple my teeth really are, whom I had the honor to meet, how many wines I evaluated (more than 200!!) and what happens behind the scenes at the Rodeo wine competition.
Until then, check out these wines and let me know what YOU think of them.
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