JULY 29, 2011, PASO ROBLES, CALIFORNIA – The Central Coast Wine Competition announced Hearst Ranch Winery as the 2011 Winery of the Year at the California Mid-State Fair’s annual Cattlemen and Farmer’s Day. The Winery of the Year award is a new award which seeks to recognize the winery which presented the most exceptional selection of wines at the Central Coast Wine Competition.

Criteria for selection of the Winery of the Year award required a minimum number of five entries and a ratio based on number of medals earned and overall number of gold medals. Hearst Ranch Winery entered a total of six wines in the 2011 competition, earning three gold medals and two silver medals. This ratio of award winning wines to total wines entered attests to the superior quality of wines produced by Hearst Ranch Winery.

Hearst Ranch Winery’s award winning vintages include the 2010 Glacier Ridge Chardonnay and 2009 Three Sisters Cuvee, which wine writer and competition judge Dan Berger praised as exceptional, well crafted wines in his weekly wine commentary “Dan Berger’s Vintage Experiences”. The 2009 Sauvignon Blanc also won a gold medal at the competition and the 2009 vintages of Tempranillo and Malbec received silver medals.

The 2011 Central Coast Wine Competition featured a record number of entries with over 600 wines entered. Any wines produced from grapes grown in the Central Coast appellation of the American Viticulture Area (AVA), which stretches from San Francisco County to Santa Barbara County, and Ventura County were eligible to be entered. The Central Coast AVA produces 15% of the state’s total wine grape production and encompasses over 360 wineries.

The Central Coast Wine Competition is proud to feature the outstanding wines of Hearst Ranch Winery. A display of Hearst Ranch Winery’s award winning vintages can be seen at the 2011 California Mid-State Fair “Mountains of Fun” which runs July 20-31, 2011.

KRUSH Radio Interview with Traci Dutton Part #2

KRUSH Radio Interview with Traci Dutton Part #1

KRUSH Radio Interview with Daryl Groom

KRUSH Radio Interview with Doug Frost

KRUSH Radio Interview with Michael Cervin

KRUSH Radio Interview with Valery Uhl

KRUSH Radio Interview with Mike Stepanovich

The KRUSH is radio for the Central Coast’s wine country and can be found at FM 92.5.

Vintage Wine Experiences by Dan Berger

For more information regarding Vintage Wine Experiences, please see www.vintageexperiences.com.

CCWC judge and wine writer Dan Berger writes about Central Coast wines and the Central Coast Wine Competition in his publication Vintage Wine Experiences. For more information about Dan’s commentary, please visit his website at www.vintageexperiences.com.

June 16, 2011 Vintage Wine Experiences by Dan Berger

 The Central Coast Wine Competition has extended the deadline for competition entries to June 1, 2011. There are currently over 220 wineries entered in the competition, which is nearly double the number of wineries entered in the 201o competition. The competition staff and judges are very excited for the 2011 competition, which will take place June 15-16, and all of the new wineries and vintages entered.

The complete panel of 2011 judges include: Doug Frost – Master Sommelier and Master of Wine, Dan Berger – writer for Gourmet and Decanter magazines, Robert Whitley – syndicated columnist and wine radio personality, William Bloxsom-Carter – Executive Chef and Director of Food and Beverage at the Playboy Mansion, Laurie Daniel – journalist, Mike Dunne – food and wine columnist for The Sacramento Bee, Traci Dutton – Sommelier for Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant, Daryl Groom – Professional Winemaker, Joe Hart- winemaker, Hart Winery, Chris Hoel – Sommelier, The French Laundry, Ellen Landis – Wine Director and Sommelier at Landis Shores Oceanfront Inn, Ann Littlefield – international wine industry consultant, Mike Stepanovich – writer, Bakersfield Magazine, Dr. Valery Uhl – Chief Judge and Director of the “North of the Gate” Wine Competition, David Stevens- international winemaking consultant, Deborah Parker Wong- journalist, and Michael Cervin- writer for Santa Barbara News-Press. See the Judges page for complete biographis for each judge.

The ninth annual competition will feature several enhancements to the competition, including division of the blended wines classes and the creation of two Chardonnay classes to separate traditional oak and non oak Chardonnays. The competition has also expanded to include a display of wines at San Benito County Fair, allowing an increased quantity of Central Coast wines to be viewed by the public.

The 2011 entry book can be downloaded here. The entry book includes rules and guidelines as well as the official entry forms. Entries will be accepted online and by mail for both competitions through May 27, 2011.

1. The Central Coast Wine Competition staff is fun and provides excellent customer service.
2. The 2011 competition features a prestigious panel of internationally renowned judges, including Doug Frost, Dan Berger, and Robert Whitley.
3. Gold medal winners are showcased at not just one venue but five- the California Mid-State Fair, Monterey County Fair, San Benito County Fair, Santa Barbara County Fair, and the Ventura County Fair.
4. Medal winning wines are featured in promotions at participating Albertson’s stores, offering valued publicity and exposure.
5. Innovative changes, such as the division of the blended varietal and Chardonnay categories, create opportunities for more wines to receive acknowledgment.
6. Competition publicity, including results, are released to print and news publications throughout California and the United States.
7. Entries are accepted online and by mail for winery convenience.
8. The California Mid-State Fair hosts a tasting following the competition for industry professionals to sample all entries, including medal winners and best of class wines.
9. The Central Coast Wine Competition is the largest evaluation event for Central Coast wines, featuring over 600 wines.
10. Blind tasting allows for unknown or unrecognized wineries to receive recognition and publicity.

The 2011 Entry Book can be downloaded here.  Hard copies will be mailed to wineries that have entered in 2010.

The CCWC has grown into a major competition for Central Coast wines. The different divisions  and classes range from sparkling wine categories to a blended red wine category. All official rules and guidelines will be explained thoroughly in the entries booklet.

The Entry Book also has all the information for entering the Central Coast Olive Oil Competition.

MARCH 4, 2011, PASO ROBLES, CALIFORNIA

­ The Central Coast Wine Competition announced today that they are accepting entries for the 2011 event. The CCWC team strongly encourages wineries to take advantage of the on-line entry system. Wineries can fill out the official forms at the following website: http://cmsfw.fairmanager.com/. The last day to enter online will be Friday, May 27.  As in years past, entry forms can still be sent in the mail.  2011 Entry Book information can be found on the California Mid-State Fair webpage or the CCWC blog at http://centralcoastwinecompetition.wordpress.com/.  Last week, hard copies were mailed to wineries that had entered in 2010.

The CCWC has experienced many new changes this year.  From the expansion of the judging classes to the addition of the San Benito County Fair, the competition has grown into a major competition for Central Coast wines. The different classes range from sparkling wine categories to a varietal based blended red wine categories. All official rules and guidelines will be explained thoroughly in the entries booklet.

The Central Coast Wine Competition team is thrilled with the judges for the 2011 event.  The 15 member panel will be lead by Chief Judge Bob Foster and includes members of the wine industry, trade and media.  Mr. Foster is the Assistant Editor of the California Grapevine wine newsletter and has over 25 years of wine judging experience. “We have assembled a very experienced panel of judges. Collectively they have well over 100 years of wine judging experience,” noted Bob Foster, Chief Judge.  “I have been judging wine competitions for many years and have worked with many of these individuals.  They are top professionals in their fields.” The 2011 judges include: Dan Berger – journalist, William Bloxsom-Carter -  Executive Chef and Director of Food and Beverage at the Playboy Mansion, Laurie Daniel – journalist, Mike Dunne – journalist, Traci Dutton – Sommelier for Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant, Doug Frost – MS & MW, Daryl Groom – Professional Winemaker, Joe Hart, Hart Winery, Chris Hoel – Sommelier, The French Laundry, Ellen Landis – Wine Director and Sommelier at Landis Shores Oceanfront Inn, Ann Littlefield – international wine industry consultant, Mike Stepanovich – journalist, Bakersfield Magazine, Dr. Valery Uhl – Chief Judge and Director of the “North of the Gate” Wine Competition, and Robert Whitley – journalist. For a full biography on all our judges, please visit CCWC Facebook page or our wine blog at centralcoastwinecompetition.wordpress.com.

The CCWC judging will take place on June 15th and 16th at the Paso Robles Event Center.  For further information refer to our  wine blog at centralcoastwinecompetition.wordpress.com.

The Central Coast Wine Competition announced today that its panel of judges for 2011 would be  highlighted  by Doug Frost, Master of Wine (MW) and Master Sommelier (MS), and noted wine writers Dan Berger, Mike Dunne, Laurie Daniel,  and Robert Whitley.  Doug Frost is one of only three people in the world to be a MW and MS.  The 15 member panel will be lead by Chief Judge Bob Foster and includes members of the wine industry, trade and media.  Mr. Foster is the Assistant Editor of the California Grapevine wine newsletter and has over 25 years of wine judging experience. “We have assembled a very experienced panel of judges. Collectively they have well over 100 years of wine judging experience,” noted Foster.  “I have been judging wine competitions for many years and have worked with many of these individuals.  They are top professionals in their fields.”

The 2011 judges include: Dan Berger – journalist, William Bloxsom-Carter –  Executive Chef and Director of Food and Beverage at the Playboy Mansion, Laurie Daniel – journalist, Mike Dunne – journalist, Traci Dutton – Sommelier for Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant, Doug Frost – MS & MW, Daryl Groom – Professional Winemaker, Joe Hart, Hart Winery, Chris Hoel – Sommelier, The French Laundry, Ellen Landis – Wine Director and Sommelier at Landis Shores Oceanfront Inn, Ann Littlefield – international wine industry consultant, Mike Stepanovich – Bakersfield Magazine, Dr. Valery Uhl – Chief Judge and Director of the “North of the Gate” Wine Competition, and Robert Whitley – journalist. For a full biography on all our judges please visit CCWC Facebook page or our wine blog at centralcoastwinecompetition.wordpress.com.

The nine year old competition has continued to grow showcasing some of the finest wines produced on California’s Central Coast.  The 2011 competition will feature an expansion of the wine classes.  “We refined the classes so that blended wines would be able to compete against similar style blends”, stated Bob Foster, Chief Judges of the competition. “We have also spilt the Chardonnay classes into traditional oak and non oak to better represent the winemaking styles of the Central Coast.” Entry information will be available after the first of January with the competition taking place in mid June. For further information refer to our wine blog at centralcoastwinecompetition.wordpress.com. or become our fan on Facebook.