Winemakers Crown Gloria Ferrer's Royal Cuvee by Robert Whitley on Creators.com

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Winemakers Crown Gloria Ferrer's Royal Cuvee

The inaugural Winemaker Challenge, conducted Jan. 23-24 in San Diego, brought together 18 notable winemakers to evaluate 800 wines from around the globe in the first international wine competition of its kind.

Gloria Ferrer's 2002 Royal Cuvee Brut ($35) advanced to the finals and was the unanimous pick of the judges as Wine of the Year. The triumph capped a sparkling day (pun intended) for Gloria Ferrer, which also placed two other bubblies in the sweepstakes voting for best of show and wine of the year.

The Winemaker Challenge is the latest event in the "Challenge" series of wine competitions that also includes the upcoming seventh annual Critics Challenge and the recent Sommelier Challenge.

Judges for the debut Winemaker Challenge were drawn primarily from Napa and Sonoma, including the legendary Merry Edwards and Mike Richmond, two of California's earliest Pinot Noir pioneers.

While other competitions have used winemakers exclusively, it is believed the Winemaker Challenge is the only winemaker-centric competition that employs a team concept, with judges collaborating as members of three-person panels. All wines were scrutinized and debated before votes were tallied and medals awarded.

A full accounting of medals awarded can be found at www.winemakerchallenge.com. As director of the Winemaker Challenge, I enjoyed a unique perspective on the event and thought I would share a few of my observations.

The judges were ecumenical. By that I mean they came to the task with an open mind. That may surprise some who believe winemakers hew to a rigid philosophy and only find favor with wines produced in their preferred style.

That wasn't the case at the Winemaker Challenge. Wines of varying styles and price points from as far away as South Africa advanced to the sweepstakes round of voting for best of show, and a dessert wine from South Dakota, the 2008 Prairie Berry Lewis & Clark Vineyard Frontenac ($21.50), earned kudos from the winemakers, even though it lost the final vote for best of show dessert wine to the impressive 2007 Inniskillin Riesling Ice Wine ($80) from the Niagara Peninsula.

That said, Napa and Sonoma were well represented in the finals, with Sonoma's Gloria Ferrer taking Wine of the Year and Napa's 2007 Andretti Syrah ($41) winning best red. A $12 beauty from Washington's Chateau Ste. Michelle, the 2008 Dry Riesling, Columbia Valley, won best white and the 2008 Falkner Rosato, Temecula Valley ($15), won best rose.

All wines that advanced to the finals were elevated from gold to platinum, and while there were only 38 platinums, a few wineries scored multiple platinums.

B.R. Cohn won two platinums: 2006 Olive Hill Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Valley, $55; 2008 Sangiacomo Vineyard Chardonnay, Carneros, $29.

De Tierra won two platinums: 2005 Estate Merlot, Monterey, $35; 2008 Chardonnay, Monterey, $20.

Gloria Ferrer won three platinums: 2002 Royal Cuvee Brut, Carneros, $35; 1999 Carneros Cuvee, Carneros, $50; NV Blanc de Noirs, Carneros, $20.

Pianetta Winery won two platinums: 2007 Bilancio, Monterey, $36; 2007 Petite Sirah, Monterey, $30.

South Coast Winery won two platinums: 2008 GVR, Temecula Valley, $20; NV Brut, Temecula Valley, $18.

Trivento won two platinums: 2006 Malbec Reserve, Mendoza, Argentina, $11; 2008 Torrontes Select, Mendoza, Argentina, $11.

Sattui won two platinums: 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder, $40; 2008 Chardonnay, Napa Valley, $19.75.

The judges also didn't appear to be swayed by price. Of course, they were unaware of price in the "blind" tasting format, and they passed out medals liberally to inexpensive wines. The least expensive platinum winner was the Cape Peak Collection 2009 Chardonnay, Western Cape, South Africa, for $5. The same winery also won a gold medal with a 2009 Syrah Rose at $4.

Most expensive platinum winner was the 2007 Will Jarvis' Science Project, Napa Valley, at $105, although technically the Inniskillin Riesling Ice Wine could be seen as most expensive because its $80 price tag is on a 375ml bottle.

V. Sattui of the Napa Valley led the way in other impressive performances, taking 17 medals, including four gold medals to go with its two platinums. V. Sattui, it should be noted, can only be purchased online or at the winery tasting room on Highway 29 in the heart of the Napa Valley.

Italian producers fared very well at the Winemaker Challenge, making up in quality what they lacked in quantity. Anselmi, for example, entered one wine and won a gold medal with its 2007 Capitel Foscarino ($21). Verona's Sartori entered two wines — 2005 Amarone ($40) and 2005 Regolo Rosso ($21) — and won gold with both. Ruffino had one wine in the fray — the 2006 super tuscan Modus at $26 — and came away with a platinum.

Castello Banfi of Montalcino won six medals, including golds with a 2008 Chianti Classico ($15) and the 2007 Centine Rosso, a blended Tuscan red that retails for $12. Cecchi's 2006 Chianti Classico Riserva di Famiglia ($28) also took gold.

Chateau Ste. Michelle tacked on three gold medals — 2006 Artist Series Meritage, Columbia Valley ($50), 2006 Cold Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley ($30) and 2006 Ethos Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley ($38) — to go along with its Best of Show white wine.

Monterey County appears to have a rising star in De Tierra Vineyards, which added a gold — 2005 Estate Merlot, Monterey ($35) — and a silver to its two platinum awards.

Eberle Winery of Paso Robles hauled in nine medals, including gold for the 2008 Cotes-du-Robles ($21) and the 2007 Sangiovese ($23).

New York's Goose Watch Winery counted a platinum — NV Golden Spumante ($10) — and two gold medals — 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon ($16) and 2008 Traminette ($13) — among its six awards.

Washington's Hogue Cellars won eight medals, including platinum for its 2008 Pinot Grigio, Columbia Valley at $10 and gold for the 2008 Riesling, Columbia Valley at $10.

Monterey's Pianetta added a gold for its 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon ($28) to go along with its two platinums.

Finally, Southern California's South Coast Winery, winner of the trophy for winery of the year the past two years at the California State Fair, was awarded eight medals, including two golds — NV Ruby Cuvee Sparkling Syrah ($24) and 2009 Pinot Grigio ($16) — to go with its two platinums.

To find out more about Robert Whitley and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.