The competition included two price categories for Riesling: Up to $14.99, and $15 and above, and also assigns number scores to Gold medal wines. Of the 30 Gold medal wines, 18 were under $15, underscoring the excellent value that Riesling represents for consumers. In the first price category (under $15), the winning wines, starting with the highest score, are:

Girly Girl Wines 2011 Riesling, Columbia Valley, Washington (97, also Best of Class)
Dr. Konstantin Frank 2012 Dry Riesling, Finger Lakes, New York (96)
Silver Lake Winery 2011 Riesling, Rattlesnake Hills, Washington (96)
Wollersheim Winery 2012 Riesling, American (96)
BE 2011 Riesling, Radiant, California (95)
Bluefeld 2011 Riesling, Mosel, Germany (95)
G. Marquis 2011 Riesling, Red Line, Niagara Peninsula VQA, Canada (95)
Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery 2012 Dry Riesling, Okanagan Valley VQA, Canada (95)
Chateau Lafayette Reneau 2012 Semi-Dry Riesling, Estate, Finger Lakes, New York (94)
Dr. Konstantin Frank 2012 Semi-Dry Riesling, Finger Lakes, New York 2012 (94)
Keuka Spring Vineyards 2012 Riesling, Finger Lakes, New York (94)
Wagner Vineyards 2011 Semi-Dry Riesling, Estate Bottled, Finger Lakes, New York (94)
Chateau LaFayette Reneau 2012 Dry Riesling, Estate, Finger Lakes, New York (93)
Keuka Spring Vineyards 2012 Semi-Sweet Riesling, Finger Lakes, New York (93)
Jacob’s Creek 2012 Riesling Reserve, Barossa, Australia (92)
Wollersheim Winery 2012 Dry Riesling, American (92)
J. Lohr 2012 Riesling, Estates, Bay Mist, Monterey County, California (91)
Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery 2012 Private Reserve, Okanagan Valley VQA, Canada (90)

Gold medals in the $15 and above price category included:
Mudhouse 2012 Riesling, Waipara Valley, New Zealand (98, and Best of Class)
Brys Estate 2012 Dry Riesling Estate, Old Mission Peninsula, Michigan (96, and Best of Class)
Dr. Konstantin Frank 2012 Riesling Reserve, Finger Lakes, New York (95)
Belhurst Estate Winery 2012 Semi-Dry Riesling, Seneca Lake, New York (94)
Chateau Ste. Michelle 2011 Eroica Riesling, Columbia Valley, Washington (94)
Keuka Spring Vineyards 2012 Riesling, Humphrey’s Vineyard, Finger Lakes, New York (94)
Red Rooster Winery 2012 Riesling, Okanagan Valley VQA, British Columbia, Canada (94)
Red Tail Ridge Winery 2011 Semi-Dry Riesling, Finger Lakes, New York (94)
Belhurst Estate Winery 2012 Dry Riesling, Seneca Lake, New York (93)
Red Tail Ridge Winery 2012 Riesling, Estate, Finger Lakes, New York (92)
Fort Berens Estate Winery 2012 Riesling, VQA, British Columbia, Canada (91, and Best of Class)
Hagafen Cellars 2012 Riesling, Coombsville, Napa Valley, California (90)

The International Riesling Foundation (IRF) is a not-for-profit trade association created to promote Riesling as the world’s most noble white wine based on its versatility, quality, food-friendliness, and reflection of terroir. The IRF created a “Riesling Taste Profile” scale to help consumers predict the specific taste in a bottle of Riesling, from Dry to Sweet, and the Taste Profile is now on more than 30 million bottles of Riesling in the U.S. market.

For more information about Riesling, visit www.drinkriesling.com.

Media Contact: Jim Trezise, President, International Riesling Foundation, jimtrezise@nywgf.org

DRY: Dr. Konstantin Frank 2012 Dry Riesling, Finger Lakes

MEDIUM DRY: Bouchaine 2012 Riesling, Las Brisas Vineyard, Carneros

MEDIUM SWEET: Wagner Vineyards Riesling 2011 Semi-Dry Riesling, Estate Grown, Finger Lakes

SWEET: Kiona 2012 Riesling, Late Harvest, Columbia Valley

The IRF Riesling Taste Profile was created in 2008 to help consumers know what taste to expect from a bottle of Riesling by looking at the wine’s back label. It is now on more than 30 million bottles of Riesling in the U.S. market. Dan Berger, who runs the Riverside competition, spearheaded the development of the consumer-friendly taste profile, which is shown and explained on the IRF web site (www.drinkriesling.com).

The four trophy winners were all voted Best of Class, along with four other wines:

• Belhurst Estate Winery 2012 Riesling Finger Lakes
• LA FRENZ 2012 Andrew Vineyard Riesling Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley
• Cupcake 2012 Riesling, Mosel
• Taylors St. Andrews 2012 Riesling, Clare Valley.

There were also several additional “Chairman’s Awards” which require a unanimous vote of Gold among the judges. They included:

• Chateau LaFayette Reneau 2011 Dry Riesling, Finger Lakes
• Galen Glen 2012 Riesling, Pennsylvania
• Glenora Wine Cellars 2011 Select Harvest Riesling, Finger Lakes
• Kendall-Jackson 2011 Riesling, Vintner’s Reserve, California
• Chateau Ste. Michelle 2012 Riesling, Cold Creek Vineyard, Columbia Valley.

Gold medals were awarded to:

• Anyela’s 2011 Riesling, Finger Lakes
• Belhurst Estate Winery 2012 Dry Riesling, Finger Lakes
• Dr. Konstantin Frank 2012 Semi-dry Riesling, Finger Lakes and 2012 Riesling Reserve, Finger Lakes
• Barefoot Cellars Riesling, California
• Fox Run Vineyards 2010 Dry Riesling, Lake Dana Vineyard, Finger Lakes
• Galen Glen 2012 Dry Riesling, Pennsylvania
• Greenwood Ridge Vineyards 2012 Riesling, Mendocino Ridge
• J. Lohr 2012 Riesling, Monterey
• Keuka Spring Vineyards 2012 Riesling, Finger Lakes and 2012 Semi-sweet Riesling, Finger Lakes
• Sheldrake Point Winery 2011 Riesling, Finger Lakes
• St. Julian 2011 Dry Riesling, Lake Michigan Shore
• Swedish Hill Winery 2011 Riesling, Finger Lakes
• Thirsty Owl 2012 Dry Riesling, Finger Lakes
• Target Wine Cube 2011 Riesling, California
• Ventosa Vineyards 2011 Riesling, New Vineyard, Finger Lakes
• Taylors 2012 Jaraman Riesling, Clare Valley

Rieslings from New York’s Finger Lakes region won 16 of the 31 top awards, including two of the four trophies. Other top awards went to
California (6)
Australia (2)
Pennsylvania (2)
Washington (2)
British Columbia (1)
Germany (1)
Michigan (1).

Full results are available at www.RIWC.net.

Media Contact: Jim Trezise, President, International Riesling Foundation, jimtrezise@nywgf.org.

Each State received a total of 9 top awards (Best of Class, Double Gold and Gold), but Michigan’s CAB Cellars/Laurentide Winery 2011 Riesling from the Leelanau Peninsula not only won the Riesling Challenge but also Best of Show White Wine of the entire competition, which included many different types of wine from around the country. Michigan and New York each had one Best of Class winner; Michigan had 3 Double Golds to New York’s 2; and New York had 6 Golds to Michigan’s 5.

All New York winners were from the Finger Lakes region, while Michigan’s came from several different regions. There were also Gold medal Rieslings from North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin. The results are below.

Best of Show White

CAB Cellars/Laurentide Winery, Leelanau Peninsula, MI 2011 Riesling

Winner of the Riesling Challenge/Best Riesling

CAB Cellars/Laurentide Winery, Leelanau Peninsula, MI 2011 Riesling

Best of Class

Black Star Farms, Old Mission Peninsula, MI 2011 Arcturos Late Harvest Riesling
Glenora Wine Cellars, Finger Lakes, NY 2011 Riesling Select Harvest

Double Gold

Black Star Farms, Old Mission Peninsula, MI 2011 Arcturos dry Riesling
Bowers Harbor Vineyards, Old Mission Peninsula, MI 2011 Riesling
CAB Cellars/Laurentide Winery, Leelanau Peninsula, MI 2011 Riesling
Dr. Konstantin Frank, Finger Lakes, NY 2012 Riesling
Glenora Wine Cellars, Finger Lakes, NY 2011 Dry Riesling

Gold

Atwater Estate Vineyards, Finger Lakes, NY 2011 Dry Riesling
Black Star Farms, Old Mission Peninsula, MI 2011 Arcturos Riesling
Black Star Farms, Old Mission Peninsula, MI 2011 Arcturos Late Harvest Riesling
Burntshirt Vineyards, North Carolina 2011 Riesling
Forty-Five North Vineyard & Winery, Leelanau Peninsula 2011 Riesling
Knapp Winery, Finger Lakes, NY 2011 Dry Riesling
Glenora Wine Cellars, Finger Lakes, NY 2011 Riesling Select Harvest
Michael Stephen 2009 Riesling
Left Foot Charley Winery, Michigan 2011 Riesling
Lemon Creek Winery, Lake Michigan Shore, MI 2010 Riesling
Penns Woods Winery, Pennsylvania 2012 Riesling
Shenandoah, Shenandoah Valley, Virginia 2012 Riesling
Swedish Hill Winery, Finger Lakes, NY 2011 Dry Riesling
Villa Bellangelo, Finger Lakes, NY 2011 Dry Riesling
Wagner Vineyards, Finger Lakes, NY 2011 Riesling Select
Wollersheim Winery, Wisconsin (American label) NV Dry Riesling

Tierce 2010 Dry Riesling from New York’s Finger Lakes region will be enjoyed by 250 of the most powerful people in the world—President Obama and his Cabinet officials, leaders of Congress, Supreme Court justices, diplomats, and other luminaries. The Tierce Dry Riesling will accompany a presentation of lobster with clam chowder sauce.

“The fact that the white wine of the luncheon is a Riesling reflects the increasing awareness and appreciation of Riesling as the ultimate ‘food wine’”, said Jim Trezise, President of the International Riesling Foundation and President of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation. “To my knowledge, this is the first time in modern history that a Riesling has been featured.”

The 2010 Tierce, like its predecessors from earlier vintages, is a unique collaborative effort among three of New York’s top winemakers: Peter Bell of Fox Run Vineyards, Johannes Reinhardt of Anthony Road Winery, and David Whiting of Red Newt Cellars. All three wineries are on Seneca Lake but with different “terroir” in terms of their soil composition, climatic influence, and geographical features such as slope of the land and distance from the deep lake.

Several years ago, the three award-winning winemakers, who respect each others’ talents, wondered if they could make a better wine together than any of them individually. In other words, could the whole be greater than the sum of its parts? So each year they each make their own batch of dry Riesling and, when the wines are ready, get together on one day to taste dozens of different blends of the three wines until they arrive at the best. That wine is the Tierce of that year (Tierce means three: As the back label says, “Three vineyards, three winemakers, one wine.”)

Tierce is a limited production wine, with only about 300 cases made in a given year, and is sold exclusively through the three wineries. Over the years, different vintages of Tierce wines have won acclaim at international wine competitions, from major consumer wine magazines, and among wine writers. California wine writer and Riesling expert Dan Berger recently wrote in his newsletter, Vintage Experiences, that the 2008 Tierce “may be the best dry Riesling ever made in the United States.”

More information about Tierce and the wineries is available at their respective web sites: www.anthonyroadwine.com, www.foxrunvineyards.com, www.rednewt.com.

Media Contact: Jim Trezise, 585-394-3620, ext. 203, jimtrezise@nywgf.org

The second New Zealand Summer of Riesling happens from the 1^st December 2012 to 28^th February 2013.

Click here to learn more….

Celebrate Riesling with top Producers & Experts from around the World!

Woodinville, Wash. – Chateau Ste. Michelle of Washington state and Dr. Loosen estate of Germany will host the fourth Riesling Rendezvous July 14-16, 2013 at Chateau Ste. Michelle and Bell Harbor International Conference Center in Seattle. The event brings together leading experts and producers to explore the versatility of Rieslings from around the world, discuss issues and opportunities surrounding the advancement of Riesling, and forge alliances among producers and Riesling enthusiasts.

A member of the Riesling Coalition that brings events to North America, Australia and Germany on a rotating basis, Riesling Rendezvous is the largest event dedicated to Riesling in the United States. Registration will begin January, 2013 at rieslingrendezvous.com.

“At the last Riesling Rendezvous in 2010 we were honored to have 70 producers from Germany, Alsace, Austria, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Michigan, Washington, Oregon, California and New York participate in this unprecedented celebration of the diversity and attributes of Riesling,” says Ted Baseler, president, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates. “Riesling continues to be popular with trade and consumers and we look forwarded to having Riesling Rendezvous help build Riesling’s momentum in the future.”

Riesling Rendezvous 2013 Program

Sunday, July 14 at Chateau Ste. Michelle, Woodinville, Washington 4-8 pm VIP, 5-8 pm General Admission.
GRAND TASTING – Sample the finest Rieslings from around the globe, mingle with winemakers, nibble on Riesling friendly fare and enjoy live music on the picturesque grounds of Chateau Ste. Michelle.

Monday and Tuesday, July 15 & 16 at Bell Harbor International Conference Center, Seattle, Washington BLIND TASTINGS guided by distinguished producers to explore Riesling styles, from powerful dry wines of Austria, Alsace and Australia to the elegant German variations and flavorful, spicy interpretations from North America.

BREAKOUT SESSIONS will delve into topics including:

• Riesling’s Outer Limits: Stuart Pigott leads an entertaining exploration of daring and innovation, in search of the most individual expressions of Riesling from unexpected places.
• Proving That Terroir Matters: New research shows a clear connection between terroir and specific flavors and aromas in Riesling. Presented by Ulrich Fischer PhD, Professor of Enology, Center for Wine Research, Neustadt, Germany.
• Winemakers Only Roundtable: A candid exchange of ideas on the challenges of growing and making Riesling.
• The Electric Riesling Acid Test: The Effect of Sweetness & Acidity with Food. Presented by Emily Wines MS.
• Marketing Riesling: Preaching beyond the Choir.
•  Masters of Riesling –Grosses Gewachs: A tasting and in-depth discussion to examine recent changes in German wine regulations regarding vineyard classification, wine styles and nomenclature.
• Walk Around Tasting & Activities including Rieslings from featured regions, pairing Riesling with Smoked Salmon presented by German food writer, Ursula Heinzelmann, Riesling & cheese tasting presented by Oregon’s Rogue Creamery, Riesling Taste Test: How Dry/Sweet is it? presented by the International Riesling Foundation, Riesling friendly appetizers, and more….

“I’m really looking forward to getting everyone together again for another Riesling Rendezvous,” says Ernst Loosen, owner & winegrower of Dr. Loosen estate. “In all my international travel I see that Riesling is still growing well, especially with younger people, so I think that our overall theme of “reaching the consumer” is going to be very important. This will be a fantastic forum for growers and trade to keep the momentum going by exchanging experiences and ideas, and learning from each other how to bring more wine consumers to Riesling.”

Chateau Ste. Michelle has been a champion of Riesling for more than 40 years and was among the first to plant Riesling in the state of Washington. Ste. Michelle was catapulted into the national spotlight when its 1972 Johannisberg Riesling won the now famous blind tasting of nineteen White Rieslings sponsored by the Los Angeles Times. Chateau Ste. Michelle offers up to eight different Rieslings designed to showcase the versatility of Riesling and the regional styles within Washington’s Columbia Valley, which produces more Riesling than any other American wine region.

More than a decade ago, Chateau Ste. Michelle teamed up with Ernst Loosen to collaborate on Eroica Riesling, an ultra-premium Washington Riesling. Riesling Rendezvous was born out of this special partnership’s commitment to promote the extraordinary nature of Riesling.

Tickets for the 3-day event pass are $700 for producers, $800 for trade and consumers. Grand Tasting only tickets are $75 for General Admission and $100 for VIP. *Grand Tasting VIP tickets are limited and include one extra hour of tasting.

• View Riesling Rendezvous Program Schedule: http://www.ste-michelle.com/pdf/reisling-rendezvous-2013-program.pdf
• Get Riesling Rendezvous news on Twitter by following @stemichelle #Riesling2013 and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/RieslingRendezvous2013

About Chateau Ste. Michelle
Founded in 1934, Chateau Ste. Michelle pioneered vinifera grape growing in Washington state and has been producing classic European varietal wines under the Ste. Michelle label since 1967. The winery combines an ongoing dedication to research with a commitment to classic winemaking traditions. The winery owns 3,500 acres of vineyards in the Columbia Valley of eastern Washington, including Canoe Ridge Estate and Cold Creek, which are LIVE and Salmon Safe certified. Chateau Ste. Michelle enjoys winemaking partnerships with two of the world’s most distinguished vintners. Col Solare is an alliance with Tuscany’s Piero Antinori and Eroica Riesling is a partnership with the Mosel’s Ernst Loosen.

About Dr. Loosen Estate
The Dr. Loosen estate has a 200-year tradition of producing Riesling in Germany’s Mosel region. With his modern world view and his traditional approach to winemaking, Ernst Loosen strives to produce wines that unmistakably express the character of Riesling and of the vineyards where they are grown. Decanter magazine named Ernst Loosen 2005 “Man of the Year” for his perseverance in promoting and producing great Rieslings around the world.

Riesling Rendezvous is a registered trademark of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates Ltd.

Riesling wines from many parts of the world dominated the “100 Best Buys” list of the Wine Enthusiast’s November edition, with 14 selections—more than double those of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc which each had six.

Starting with the #2 top value, Chateau Ste. Michelle 2010 Dry Riesling from Columbia Valley in Washington, other Best Buy Rieslings came from the Mosel in Germany, South Australia, New York’s Finger Lakes, Canada’s Niagara Peninsula, California, Idaho, Oregon, and New Zealand. The wines are listed below with their rankings, numerical rating, and prices,
which range from $9 to $15.

“This impressive showing of Rieslings from around the world confirms both the quality and value of Riesling wines,” said Jim Trezise, President of the International Riesling Foundation (IRF). “The range in styles and reflection of ‘terroir’ also reflects Riesling’s versatility and its natural affinity with many foods, as well as a great aperitif wine.”

• Chateau Ste. Michelle 2010 Dry Riesling (Columbia Valley) #2, 91, $9
• Pacific Rim 2011 Dry Riesling (Columbia Valley) #10, 91, $11
• Loosen Bros. 2010 Dr. L Riesling (Mosel) #13, 90, $12
• Yalumba 2010 The Y Series Riesling (South Australia) #25, 89, $12
• Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards 2011 Riesling (Finger Lakes) #34, 89, $12
• Wakefield Estate 2011 Promised Land Riesling (South Australia) #38, 89, $12
• Dr. Heidermans-Bergweller 2011 Dry Riesling (Mosel) #40, 91, $15
• Cave Spring 2009 Riesling (Niagara Peninsula) #41, 89, $12
• Firestone 2010 Riesling (Santa Ynez Valley) #43, 90, $14
• Snap Dragon 2010 Riesling (California) #60, 88, $9
• Colter’s Creek 2010 Riesling (Idaho) #73, 90, $10
• Willamette Valley Vineyards 2010 Riesling (Willamette Valley) #84, 90, $12
• Firesteed 2008 Riesling (Oregon) #88, 90, $12
• Giesen 2010 Riesling (Marlborough) #98, 88, $12

The IRF was created to promote Riesling as the world’s most noble and versatile white wine grape and wine, and includes a Board of Directors representing many of the best Riesling producers throughout the world. The IRF also created a Riesling Taste Profile to help consumers predict the taste in a particular bottle, which now appears on more than 30,000,00 bottles of Riesling in the U.S. market.

Media contact: Jim Trezise jimtrezise@nywgf.org

Canada (Ontario) — by Magdalena Kaiser-Smit (Wine Council of Ontario) and Len Pennachetti (Cave Spring Vineyard)

For Ontario, 2012 saw a fantastic growing season resulting in what will likely be the earliest harvest on record. Almost all of the Pinot Noir was harvested by the first week of September. Excellent Pinot fruit with good levels of sugar, but just enough so that the wines will not be too alcoholic. Very good colour extraction during fermentation. Chardonnay is being harvested second week of September at full ripeness with potential alcohol of + 13%. Riesling is ripening quickly with most of it probably being harvested before the end of the third week of September, a good 2-3 weeks ahead of normal harvest. The Bordeaux red varieties could likely end up the best in the history of Niagara, making very ripe, full-bodied wines with high levels of alcohol.

Germany (Rheingau) — reported by Christian Witte, Schloss Johannisberg

We are time-wise just a bit ahead of the average for the last 10 years and expect the harvest to begin in the last week of September or first week of October. It will be for sure a long harvest, since the blossoming took longer than usual due to cold weather, so the ripening will differ from vineyard to vineyard. Quantity wise it will be a normal harvest if everything goes right, but if not it will be a small harvest. Due to the blossoming and Peronospora (Downey mildew) we lost a good amount of grapes but the damage varies from 5-15%. The damaged grapes are dried out and will not harm the quality, but it made the bunches more shattered and will so lower the risk of early Botrytis infection.

Conclusion: normal volume at good to very good quality but it is still some time to go.

Michigan — by Sean O’Keefe, Winemaker at Chateau Grand Traverse

Summer came early to Northern Michigan when we experienced a week of record breaking high temperatures in the upper 80’s in Mid-March. Fortunately there was very little rainfall during this period and the grapes remained dormant through April when night temperatures dipped below freezing. The region’s cherry and apple crops were not so lucky, and were pretty much wiped out by spring frosts. Riesling budbreak occurred two weeks ahead of normal on March 3-10 on the Old Mission Peninsula, followed by a sporadic, drawn out bloom in mid-June. The rest of the summer was very warm and extremely dry with many young, non-irrigated vineyards showing visible signs of drought stress in late August/early September. All in all, the season is an incredible 3-4 weeks ahead of average, and many wineries are planning on harvesting Riesling at the end of September/early October. Riesling flavors are developing very nicely, but the big question now is how long we can maintain good acidity levels before we must pick.

New York — by Jim Trezise, President, International Riesling Foundation and New York Wine
& Grape Foundation

Barring unforeseen rains or other bad weather, New York State’s Riesling crop, predominantly in the Finger Lakes region, is looking very promising this year. It has been a nerve-racking year, starting with an exceptionally warm winter (great for humans but not for vines), followed by a three-day cold snap in early May and a near-drought in July. Quite amazingly, the Riesling vines survived all this and are developing beautifully. The warm weather all year, especially in summer, has resulted in a harvest schedule that is two to three weeks ahead of a “normal” year, which will diminish the chances of a killing frost ending the harvest prematurely.

Finger Lakes — by Bob Madill, President of the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance, and Hans Walter-
Peterson of Cornell Cooperative Extension

The growing season of 2012 in the Finger Lakes has been the third in a row with higher than normal heat accumulation. As of August 30, the region had accumulated as many growing degree days as is normal for the end of October, and growers started to pick some varieties 2 – 3 weeks earlier. Thanks in large part to the dry weather, most vineyards have had little in the way of disease development (so far). Growers and wineries may be able to let fruit hang longer. The 2010 season was somewhat similar – one of the best the Finger Lakes has ever experienced.

2012 may be superior, in that there has been a bit more rain and less drought – promoting more even ripening throughout the region. Initial pre-harvest samples of Riesling from the Finger Lakes taken as part of Cornell’s Veraison to Harvest project which monitors fruit maturity showed that Brix accumulation was ahead of normal at that point in the season. Conditions can change abruptly, so nobody is making any final declarations about 2012 until the fruit is off the vines.

Washington and Oregon — by Nicolas Quille, Winemaker at Pacific Rim Winemakers

The harvest looks great in Washington and in Oregon. We have witnessed the best weather over the past three years with an average season in heat accumulation. The rainfall has been minimal this summer and the crop looks to be good to large. If all goes well (no cold snap and no rain in Oregon) we should start harvesting in early September the lightly cropped blocks and have a swift and beautiful harvest all the way to mid-October (last year we did not start before mid-October). There is no mildew anywhere and the fruit is healthy with good acids for this time of the year. I do not have statistics for Oregon but Washington is forecasting a record harvest year at 197,000 tons, Riesling should be either #1 or #2 varietal harvested again (tie with Chardonnay) with 39,000 tons or 2.5M cases planted on 7,900 acres.

Rieslings from seven countries and several states recently made a strong showing at the San Francisco International Wine Competition, one of the country’s largest with 4,450 entries in 2012 evaluated by over 50 judges from around the world.

Topping all the Rieslings—and all other white wines—was Maryhill Winery 2011 Riesling, Columbia Valley, Washington, which was rated Best White Wine of the competition ahead of more than 2,000 others. In the various Riesling categories, there were a total of 11 Double Gold awards (requiring unanimity among judges) and 30 Gold medals.

Awards went to wines from Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, NewZealand, and the United States (California, New York and Washington, with American labeled wines submitted from Missouri and Wisconsin).

“The geographical diversity of the winning wines reaffirms that great Rieslings are being made in many countries and regions around the world,” said Jim Trezise, President of the International Riesling Foundation who served as a judge in San Francisco. “We had the pleasure of tasting dozens of Rieslings in varying styles from dry to sweet, and there was a remarkable consistency of quality regardless of origin or taste profile.”

The International Riesling Foundation developed a Riesling Taste Profile—a simple scale on the back labels—to help consumers better predict the taste of the wine in a particular bottle (Dry, Medium Dry, Medium Sweet, or Sweet). The taste profile is now on more than 30 million bottles of Riesling in the U.S. market. To view the profile, visit www.drinkriesling.com.

The IRF is also sponsoring an international “Summer of Riesling” promotion created and orchestrated by Manhattan restaurateur Paul Grieco. During the 94 days of summer, roughly 500 top restaurants, wine bars and retailers in the United States, Canada, Germany, and the UnitedKingdom are featuring Riesling as the ultimate summer wine (www.summerofriesling.com).

The winning wines from the San Francisco competition are listed below by IRF taste profile categories

Double Gold

Dry

Nk’Mip Cellars 2010 Riesling, Okanagan Valley, Canada

Wakefield Wines 2011 Riesling, Promised Land Riesling, South Australia

Medium Sweet

Maryhill Winery 2011 Riesling, Columbia Valley, Washington

Forrest 2011 Riesling, The Doctors’, Wairau Valley, New Zealand

Louis Guntrum 2010 Riesling, Niersteiner Bergkirche Kabinett, Rheinhessen, Germany

Penguin Bay Winery 2011 Riesling, Finger Lakes, New York

Sea Glass 2011 Riesling, Monterey County, California

Wollersheim Winery White Riesling, American

Ice Wine

G. Marquis 2009 Riesling Ice Wine, Silver Line, VQA, Niagara Peninsula, Canada

Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Estates 2009 Riesling Ice Wine, Grand Reserve VQA, Okanagan Valley, Canada

Seifried Estate 2011 Riesling Ice Wine, Winemaker’s Collection, Nelson, New Zealand

Gold

Dry

Baron de Hoen 2010 Riesling, Alsace, France

Cave de Pfaffenheim 2011 Riesling, AOC Alsace, France

Chateau Tanunda 2010 Riesling, Barossa Valley, Australia

Thomas Fogarty Winery 2011 Riesling, Skyline, Monterey, California

Dr. Konstantin Frank 2011 Dry Riesling, Finger Lakes, New York

Jacob’s Creek Wines 2011 Riesling, Reserve, Barossa, Australia

Smith-Madrone 2010 Riesling, Estate Bottled, Spring Mountain District, California

Starling Castle 2010 Riesling, Mosel, Germany

Trefethen Family Vineyards 2011 Riesling, Estate, Oak Knoll, Napa Valley, California

Medium Dry

Black Tower 2010 Riesling, Rhein, Germany

Dopff & Irion 2009 Riesling, Grand Cru, Schoenenbourg, AOC Alsace, France

Inniskillin 2010 Riesling, Legacy Series, Niagara Peninsula, Canada

Vina stvi Kovacs 2011 Riesling, Czech Republic

Oh…Shist! 2011 Riesling, Mosel, Germany

Stone Fruit 2010 Riesling, Pfalz, Germany

Toi Toi Wines 2011 Riesling, Reserve, Single Vineyard, Marlborough, New Zealand

Medium Sweet

Belhurst Estate Winery 2011 Riesling, Seneca Lake, New York

Black Box Wines 2011 Riesling, California

Chateau Ste. Michelle 2011 Riesling, Cold Creek Vineyard, Columbia Valley, Washington

Fetzer Vineyards 2010 Riesling, Goosefoot Road, California

Kaimira Estate 2011 Riesling, Iti Selection, Nelson, New Zealand

Chateau Lednice 2011 Riesling, Mikulovska – Leonice, Moravia, Czech Republic

Little Black Dress 2010 White Riesling, California

Mellisoni Vineyards 2009 Riesling, Lake Chelan, Washington

Prejean Winery 2010 Riesling, Finger Lakes, New York

Red Tail Ridge Winery 2011 Semi-Sweet Riesling, Geneva Dresden Bench, Finger Lakes, New York

St. James Winery Riesling, American

Sutter Home Winery 2011 Riesling, California

Sweet and Ice Wines

Washington Hills 2011 Late Harvest Sweet Riesling, Washington

Inniskillin 2008 Riesling Ice Wine, Niagara Peninsula, Canada.

Media Contact: Jim Trezise, 585-394-3620, ext. 203, jimtrezise@nywgf.org (email is preferred)

Summer’s here: Break out the Riesling!

That’s what hundreds of the hottest wine bars and finest restaurants in the United States are doing by celebrating the “Summer of Riesling” from June 21 to September 22.

Some 300 wine bars and top restaurants in 32 states, joined by over 100 fine wine shops, are participating in the three-month celebration. The wine bars and restaurants are featuring at least three Rieslings by the glass along with their bottle offerings.

The International Riesling Foundation, created to promote Riesling as the world’s most noble and versatile white wine, sponsored the national promotion in 2011 and is doing so again in 2012. This year’s celebration has even gone international, with participation by restaurants in Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

The “Summer of Riesling” concept was created in 2008 by Manhattan restaurateur Paul Grieco, General AND Manager of Hearth Restaurant, Terroir Wine Bar East Village, Terroir Tribeca, Terroir Murray Hill, and Terroir Park Slope. That year, the ONLY white wine that Terroir customers could enjoy was Riesling—30 different wines by the glass and 100 by the bottle—a radical move that has paid off handsomely.

The following two years the program expanded in various ways, including by enlisting 14 other Manhattan wine bars as part of the celebration and adding a concert where the only alcoholic beverage available was Riesling—no beer, no liquor. The Summer of Riesling even attracted visits by the German Wine Queen.

Never content with the status quo, in 2011 Paul took Summer of Riesling national, with support from the International Riesling Foundation. Last year, more than 225 top restaurants participated in the 94-day celebration, while in 2012 the number increased to 300 (and counting) in 32 states ranging from Alaska to Florida, California to New York, and dozens in between.

This year Paul officially kicked off the fifth Summer of Riesling with a midnight pig roast (complete with strudel) at Hearth as well as wine dinners at all his other restaurants. The event happily coincided with a large tasting by famed Riesling importer Terry Theise and many of the world’s top Riesling producers.

Participating restaurants include some of the country’s most famous: Spago Beverly Hills, Restaurant Gary Danko and Slanted Door in San Francisco, The French Laundry in Napa Valley, Websters Wine Bar in Chicago, B & G Oysters in Boston, Wild Ginger in Seattle, and, in New York, Bar Boulud, Craft, and Daniel—along with all the Terroirs, of course. For the full list, click here.

The restaurants select the wines they wish to feature, which may remain the same or change during the three month period. To add some fun and color, they receive special Summer of Riesling T-shirts, Riesling tattoos, buttons, window stickers, and lots of information about Riesling.

For more information on Summer of Riesling, visit www.summerofriesling.com, or follow the fun on Facebook and twitter. Information is also available on the International Riesling Foundation’s web site, www.drinkriesling.com.

Media contacts:

Paul Grieco for Summer of Riesling information, PGrieco@restauranthearth.com, 646-602-1300

Jim Trezise for International Riesling Foundation, jimtrezise@nywgf.org, 585-394-3620