Tasters Guild International Wine Judging Winners Announced

Tasters Guild International, a Wine and Food Appreciation Society based in Grand Rapids, Michigan with administrative offices in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Washington D.C., has announced the results of its Twenty-Second Annual International Wine Judging held at the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Forty experienced judges from around the country completed over 2,100 evaluations of wine from 36 states/provinces and 13 countries on April 29-May 2, 2009. The judging panels were comprised of a carefully selected mix of winemakers, retailers, wine writers, restaurateurs, and knowledgeable consumers. As part of the total wine evaluation process, nearly 40% of the wines entered were randomly chosen for reevaluation to verify the accuracy and fairness of medal consideration.

"By sponsoring this wine judging event, it is the objective of Tasters Guild to give the consumer a reference point in choosing good, quality wine values," explains Tasters Guild President, Joe Borrello. "Tasters Guild recommends any judging results or tasting evaluations be used only as an informational guide in establishing personal preferences. However, with our reevaluation procedure, we take extra precaution to appraise the wines as accurately as possible."

Of special interest again this year was the assortment of out-of-the-ordinary grape and fruit varieties used by wineries to make quality wines, which led Borrello to comment, "It is encouraging to see wineries working with grape varieties that excel in their particular growing regions. It’s fun to taste some well-made wines from non-traditional winemaking states such as Connecticut, Idaho, Vermont, Kansas, Kentucky, Montana, and many other developing wine areas.”

California provided the largest number of wine entries that included the 2009 Gold Medal Champion.  Napa Valley’s  V. Sattui Winery, whose wines garnered more Gold and Double Gold medal points than any other winery in the competition for the second straight year, was awarded the top prize trophy.

At its Annual Awards Banquet during the judging, Tasters Guild honored Pedroncelli Winery as its 2008 selection of “Winery of the Year” and Wine World of North Augusta, South Carolina as “Affiliate of the Year.” Both recipients were singled out for their “ongoing support of consumer education and promotion of wine and food appreciation.” Also recognized, as “Chapter of the Year,” was St. Mary’s, Georgia.

TASTERS GUILD is a society of wine and food lovers consisting of over forty chapters that provide active and ongoing wine and food events.  In support of these local chapters, there is an extensive network of retail wine/specialty food shops, restaurants, hotels, wineries, importers and distributors who provide easy access to quality wines and food for Tasters Guild members.

For printed copies of the medal results or specific breakout reports and for Guild information and/or interviews, contact:

Joe Borrello, President
TASTERS GUILD INTERNATIONAL
(616) 454-7815