Winemakers receive accolades in annual sweepstake

SPECIALTY SWEEPSTAKE

Ferrante Winery (Ohio) 2017 Grand River Valley Vidal Blanc Ice Wine

Nick Ferrante is a thirdgeneration winemaker and viticulturist of his familyowned Ferrante Winery & Ristorante.

He is a selfeducated winemaker who learned the basics from his father, Peter Sr. He has expanded his knowledge through reading trade magazines and attending many seminars in the U.S.

Ferrante continually experiments with new innovative technology and techniques to keep his wines cutting edge with the overall goal of striving to maintain 80 years of tradition. He specializes in cool climate viticulture, which includes growing grapes and producing wine from Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Gruner Veltliner, Vidal, Pinot Gris, Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir from his Grand River Valley Appellation vineyards in Harpersfield.

In 2015, Ferrante was named Winemaker of the Year by the Ohio Grape Industries Committee. The Ohio Wine Producers Association inducted Ferrante into its Hall of Fame, becoming the 19th winemaker inducted. Ferrante has served the Ohio Grape Industries Program (OGIP) as a committee member from 1999 to 2007. He was chairman of the OGIP Research Committee as well as the Quality Wine Committee, which was responsible for creating the Ohio Quality Wine Program.

Ferrante is a professional member of the American Society for Enology and Viticulture. Currently, he is the chairman of the Wine Growers of the Grand River Valley. Ferrante resides in Harpersfield Township with Valerie, his wife of 28 years.

WINE LABEL SWEEPSTAKE

VARA Wines (N.M.) New Mexico Viña Cardinal Rose Wine Label

For more than two decades, Rudi Backart has been creating awardwinning branding and marketing in a variety of media to connect with people and deliver results.

Backart’s client list is large and diverse with a broad range of corporate cultures, including Fortune 500 companies, financial organizations, international wineries and individual entrepreneurs — all of whom share an appreciation for a creative firm that’s small by design but large in scope.

Backart’s work has been recognized by Communication Arts, Graphis, Print, How, National ADDYs and dozens of other publications.

Additionally, her work is in the permanent collection of the Poster House in New York, the first museum in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to the art of posters.

of all the Best of Class, double gold, gold, silver and bronze awards, visit www.winejudging.com. To try the six American AgCredit Sweepstake Award winners, attend the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Public Tasting on Feb. 15 at Fort Mason Center’s Festival Pavilion.

MICHAEL SHORT