Kind of a big deal... (Colorado wins fifth Jefferson Cup)

For the fifth year in a row, a Colorado wine earned a Jefferson Cup. The Jefferson Cup Invitational competition honors the best of the best among wineries from all of America’s wine regions. Each year Doug Frost, one of only four people on the planet to hold both the Master Sommelier and Master of Wine credentials, invites wines from across America to enter; the 2013 competition included wines from twenty-two states, whereas most other wine competitions are dominated by entries from California. Jefferson Cups were awarded to wines made from both Vitis vinifera grapes (a European species responsible for most famous wines such as Chardonnay and Cabernet) and non-vinifera varieties, which flourish in the more extreme climates in the center portion of the U.S. I am hopeful that the frontenac and vignoles (non-vinifera hybrids) vines in my backyard survive the record cold temperatures we're experiencing along the Front Range of Colorado!

This year, six Colorado wineries earned a total of 20 medals from the fourteenth annual competition. Bookcliff Vineyards took home their third Jefferson Cup for their 2011 Cabernet Franc Reserve and repeated the honor they earned the previous year with their 2010 Ensemble. Bookcliff’s 2012 Petit Verdot was also a Jefferson Cup Nominee. You can read my interview with Bookcliff owner and winemaker John Garlich from two years ago, here. Other Colorado wineries that were invited and garnered awards in 2013 were Anemoi Wines, Boulder Creek Winery, Canyon Wind Cellars, Grande River Vineyards and The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey. Colorado's past Jefferson Cup winning wines include Boulder Creek Winery's VIP Reserve (2010), Bookcliff Vineyard's 2009 Petite Sirah (2010), Canyon Wind Cellar's 2009 Petit Verdot (2011), and Bookcliff Vineyard's 2010 Ensemble (2012).

In total, twenty-five prestigious Jefferson Cups were awarded to seven white wines, ten red wines, one rosé, three sparklers and four dessert wines from eight different states. The competition had representation of the best of what every quality wine producing region in the country is offering right now, including representation from California, Michigan, New York, Oregon, Texas, Virginia and Washington. States that won Jefferson Cups included California, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, New York and Virginia.


The results of Colorado's winners are:


Anemoi Wines
Excellence, 2012 Apeliotes, Red Blend
Merit, 2012 Lips, Syrah

Bookcliff Vineyards
Jefferson Cup Winner, 2011 Reserve Cabernet Franc
Jefferson Cup Nominee, 2012 Petit Verdot
Merit, 2012 Malbec
Merit, 2011 Ensemble

Boulder Creek Winery
Merit, 2012 Viognier
Merit, 2010 Merlot

Canyon Wind Cellars
Excellence, 2012 Merlot
Merit, 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon


Grande River Vineyards
Merit, 2012 Meritage White
Merit, 2011 Syrah

The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey
Merit, 2012 Chardonnay
Merit, 2012 Sauvignon Blanc Reserve
Merit, 2011 Merlot Reserve
Merit, 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
Merit, 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon
Merit, 2010 Revelation, Red Blend
Merit, NV Vineyard Sunset, Rosé
Merit, NV Riesling