A Clarksville, Tennessee, vineyard beat out wineries from fourteen states and won the Best of Show title at UT’s eleventh annual Wines of the South competition.
Beachaven Vineyards and Winery took the main prize with its 2008 Syrah during the competition this month.
Fifty wineries from across the Southeast entered the contest and submitted 392 wines. Twenty-five professional out-of-state judges evaluated the wines through a blind tasting.
Judges awarded medals in several categories, including Best of Red, Best of White, Best Sparkler, Best of Blush, Best of Dessert/Fruit, and the William Beach Award for the Best of Tennessee Fruit, which is given to a wine made with 100 percent Tennessee-grown fruit. They also awarded the Concordance Gold to 21 wines—which meant all five judges at a table had to be in agreement before the wine was given a medal.
The competition was organized by Carol Costello, director of UT’s Beer and Wine Program and a professor in the Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management Program within the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences.
Other Wines of the South category winners were:
Best of Red: Narmada 2009 Cabernet Franc—Cabernet Franc Reserve, Amissville, Virginia.
Best of White: Sugarland Cellars 2011 Gewurtraminer—Baskin Creek Blanc, Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
Best of Sparkler: Stonehaus 2011 Seval Blanc, Crossville, Tennessee.
Best of Blush: Stonehaus 2011 Helena Blush, Crossville, Tennessee.
Best of Dessert/Fruit: Old Millington 2011 Blackberry, Millington, Tennessee.
Best of Tennessee Fruit—William O. Beach Award: Beachaven 2008 Catawba—Heavenly Peach, Clarksville, Tennessee.
The Concordance Gold winners that competed in the “best of” category were:
Beachaven 2008 Syrah, Clarksville, Tennessee
Beachaven 2008 Catawba—Heavenly Peach, Clarksville, Tennessee
Narmada 2009 Cabernet Franc—Cabernet Franc Reserve, Amissville, Virginia
Narmada 2011 Midnight, Amissville, Virginia
Sugarland Cellars 2011 Gewurtraminer—Baskin Creek Blanc, Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Sugarland Cellars 2011 Elkmont, Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Stonehaus 2011 Seval Blanc, Crossville, Tennessee
Stonehaus 2011 Helena Blush, Crossville, Tennessee
Stonehaus 2011 Tickled Pink, Crossville, Tennessee
Old Millington 2011 Blackberry, Millington, Tennessee
Reid’s Livery 2011 Norton Kentucky Table Wine, Alvaton, Kentucky
Eddy Grove 2011 Medicine Man Fireside Red, Princeton, Kentucky
Mountain Valley NV (no vintage) Mountain Blush, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Apple Barn NV (no vintage) Apple Cranberry, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Apple Barn NV (no vintage) Applewood White, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Fox Meadow 2011 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay, Linden, Virginia
Fox Meadow 2010 Owner’s Select Meritage, Linden, Virginia
Chateau Morrisette 2008 Merlot, Floyd, Virginia
Post Familie 2010 Ives Noir, Altus, Arkansas
Post Familie 2011 Blue Parachute, Altus, Arkansas
Iron Gate NV (no vintage) Sweet N’ Sassy Cherry, Mebane, North Carolina
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C O N T A C T S:
Carol Costello (865-974-6241, costello@utk.edu)
Lola Alapo (865-974-3993, lalapo@utk.edu)