Winemakers vie for ‘daunting and challenging’ Sweepstake Award
When a winery participates in the largest competition of American wines in the world, it goes up against a formidable field. For this year’s San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition (SFCWC), entries totaled 6,960 wines from 35 states, all vying for coveted Bronze, Silver, Gold or Double Gold medals.
Then, there’s a winemaker’s most exalted honor: securing a prestigious Sweepstake Award. That trophy is given to only five wines, designating the “best of the best” in sparkling, white, rosé, red and dessert/specialty, plus a winner for label design. New this year, there was a cider category, too.
The numbers tell the impressive story, beginning with 67 independent judges gathering for three full days of evaluating thousands of wines. The Sweepstakes judging takes place on the fourth day, this year requiring an astonishing 3,478 glasses for the final tasting.
It’s fair to say that pressure runs high for participating wineries.
“The San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition is one of the most rigorous and challenging arenas a winery can face,” said Rack & Riddle Winery co-owner Bruce Lundquist, whose Healdsburg-based custom winemaking company won the 2018 Sparkling Sweepstake for its NV Sonoma County Blanc de Noirs.
But it’s worth any stress, he said, since over the past five years he has entered, the payoff has been significant.
“As a custom services business with more than 100 clients, it is vital to reinforce to our customers that we have the skills and expertise to assist them in their wine production,” he said. “Putting our wines in such a daunting and challenging competition, and then happily winning, is proof to our clients that we have the chops to be their winemaking partner.”
Just as importantly, winning a San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition award can generate greater winery revenues.
“Absolutely and without a doubt, we landed new accounts largely because of an award,” Lundquist said. “The confirmation of our expertise in winemaking is undeniable when we have meetings to establish new client relationships. Often, the potential client mentions the award before
“This competition is right at the top of the most recognized and respected in the USA, and now even in other parts of the world.” Tom O’Higgins, general manager of Brick Barn Wine Estate of Santa Barbara
we do. That’s proof positive of the value of winning such an award. There is no question that this year’s honor will help us write up a great deal of new business.”
Winemaker Rob Griffin of Washington’s Barnard Griffin Winery agrees. He took home the Pink (Rosé) Sweepstake trophy this year for his 2017 Columbia Valley Rosé of Sangiovese.
“For us, the SFCWC has the greatest impact out of the relatively small number of competitions we enter,” he said. “We feel that it’s a positive part of the story behind a given wine. We’ve received gold or better over multiple sweepstakes over the past 13 years with our Rosé, and that consistency helps the effort a lot, especially with consumers. It’s a very big deal when we can share the news one-on-one with customers.”
Indeed, after such a prestigious achievement, the winning winery marketing teams are quick to spread the word.
Griffin prints case cards and posters promoting his awards to distributors and merchants, while the plaque is displayed in his tasting room.
“It’s hard to know what goes on in the mind of a buyer, of course,” he said. “But the fact that our wine surpassed its competitors always is a good thing!”
Angwin-based O’Shaughnessy Estate Winery scooped up the Red Sweepstake for its 2014 Napa Valley Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, and its team is taking a victory lap, too.
“We are proudly displaying our award at the winery,” said the estate’s commercial director Luke Russ. “And I can also see bringing the award out — à la the Stanley Cup — at special consumer and trade tastings.”
Two 2018 Sweepstake finalists picked up their first awards this year and are also capitalizing on the momentum.
Brick Barn Wine Estate of Santa Barbara won the White Sweepstake for its 2016 Santa Ynez Valley Vermentino, and already general manager Tom O’Higgins said his winery secured two new accounts immediately after the awards were announced.
“Plus, I got three other accounts to re-order on two of the award-winning wines they already were selling,” he said. “This competition is right at the top of the most recognized and respected in the USA, and now even in other parts of the world. This was our very first competition, and we learned its awards do have clout.”
Goose Watch Winery, meanwhile, scored the Sweepstake for the brand new cider category, as only the second competition that the Romulus, N.Y.-based company has ever participated in with its just-released cider.
“We have participated as a winery in this competition for a number of years and have always respected it as a prestigious well run competition,” said president and co-owner David Peterson. “The high awards have helped us market and sell our wines in the past, so we feel that this will be helpful with our ciders. We will display the award in our tasting room.”
It seems clear: After the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition results are announced, the winery teams can finally relax and toast to more market success to come.
“The value to the winners of any wine competition is measured in the rigor and prestige of the competition itself,” Lundquist said. “SFCWC is unquestionably an exceptional event. Win such an elite competition, you get to walk among titans. And the wine world notices.”