As I pore over the results of each wine competition I manage (there are four), I make every effort to spot emerging trends, particularly wineries that seem to be on the rise.

The recent 38th annual San Diego International Wine & Spirits Challenge did not disappoint, yielding a number of stellar performances by wineries that are either new or relatively unknown. No winery fit that profile better than Lightpost Winery, a newcomer to the California Central Coast located in Morgan Hill, south of San Jose.

Those who have followed the career of winemaker Christian Roguenant would hardly be surprised. Roguenant, born in France's Burgundy region, first came to prominence in the 1990s when he guided the sparkling wine house Maison Deutz. Although the Deutz bubblies were well received and attracted critical acclaim, the winery failed as a business venture largely because sparkling wine production is an expensive proposition.

The Deutz property near San Luis Obispo, California, became Laetitia, and Roguenant continued to make wines that won critical acclaim as he moved into the world of pinot noir and chardonnay. Eventually, Roguenant moved on to Niven Family Wines, the Nivens being prominent grape growers in the Edna Valley and beyond.

There, Roguenant produced award-winning wines under the Baileyana, Tangent, Zocker and True Myth labels. Amid his many honors and accolades, in 2017, Roguenant was recognized by wine industry colleagues in San Luis Obispo County as winemaker of the year.

Now winemaker at the 3-year-old Lightpost Winery, Roguenant is up to his old tricks. At the San Diego challenge, his wines (mostly pinot noir and chardonnay sourced from Central Coast vineyards he knows so very well) took 12 medals including three platinum (wines that score 94 points or better) and six gold (90 to 93 points). Lightpost Winery is the very definition of a winery to watch.

Other wineries to watch:

New Clairvaux Vineyard, off the beaten path in the Tehama Valley near Redding, California, is run by Trappist monks. As if that's not unusual enough, New Clairvaux specializes in unusual wines, especially for the region. At the San Diego challenge, two of the five New Clairvaux gold awards went to white wines produced from Greek grape varieties: moschofilero (93 points) and assyrtiko (92 points). New Clairvaux also took a platinum with a delicious petite sirah and scored eight medals total.

Reustle Prayer Rock Vineyards is a 200-acre estate located in the Umpqua Valley of Oregon, founded in 2004 by Stephen and Gloria Reustle. Lately, the winery, most famous for producing the first gruner veltliner in the United States, has been on a roll. In 2017, it was named Northwest winery of the year by Wine Press Northwest magazine. At the 2010 San Diego challenge, it took 12 medals including platinum awards for both of its estate-grown gruners and six gold medals.

Cougar Crest Estate Winery was founded in Walla Walla, Washington, in 2001. This is Washington's most recognized wine region, but that said, many of the first-rate wineries are relatively unknown outside the Pacific Northwest. Cougar Crest is doing its part to change that. It turned in another stellar performance at the San Diego challenge, with six medals total including a platinum for its impeccable Anniversary Cuvee (95 points), and golds for its cab franc (92 points), Determination red (90 points) and viognier (90 points).

Oak Farm Vineyards is a large, historic property in California's Lodi region, at one time considered suitable for little more than inexpensive jog wines. When the Mondavi family took an interest in Lodi more than 20 years ago, everyone took notice, and over time, perceptions have changed. Winemaker/owner Dan Panella undertook a mission to produce exceptional Lodi wines when he replanted 60 vineyard acres on the estate in 2012. The results have been stunning. He makes one of the finest examples of albarino (a Spanish white grape variety) in the U.S., and at the 2020 San Diego challenge, Oak Farm took four medals — all gold!

Peltier Winery & Vineyards is another winery exploiting the potential of Lodi. The family-run estate, now in its fourth generation, is making a name for itself (and Lodi) on the wine competition circuit. Like Oak Farm, Peltier claimed four medals at the San Diego challenge including three gold.

For complete results of the 2020 San Diego challenge, visit SanDiegoWineChallenge.com.

Follow Robert on Twitter at @wineguru. 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.