Media Advisory: U of M to host annual cold-climate wine judging

What: The International Cold Climate Wine Competition
When: 11:30 a.m. to noon, Tuesday, Aug. 18
Where: Continuing Education and Conference Center, 1890 Buford Ave., University of Minnesota St. Paul campus
Media note: Reporters and photographers are welcome to interview and film the judges between 11:30 and noon Tuesday; after that the judging area is closed to everyone but the judges.  To arrange interviews outside this time frame, please contact Gordon Rouse or Gary Gardner (the judging area will be set up Monday afternoon and both are available for pre-arranged interviews then). A list of winners will be available Tuesday evening after 6 p.m.

A panel of experts will taste and judge 309 wines from 62 commercial wineries in 10 states and Canada on Tuesday, Aug. 18, on the University of Minnesota’s St. Paul campus. The competition is the only such event for wines made primarily from grape varieties that can be grown in climates too cold for the classic European wine grapes.

The seventh annual competition is a partnership between the Minnesota Grape Growers Association and the University of Minnesota, which developed several of the cold-hardy grapes used to make the wines in the competition.  

The awards will be based on blind tastings by expert judges. Judges include prominent wine writers, restaurateurs, retailers and wine educators.  Seven three-judge panels will determine the initial medal awards, “Best of Show” awards will be given to the top red, white, rosé, and specialty wines, and all 21 judges will determine the Governor’s Cup award.

The "Minnesota Governor’s Cup" award will go to the Minnesota grape wine placing highest in the competition.  

Only professional wineries are eligible to compete. The Minnesota State Fair’s annual winemaking competition, with categories for amateur winemakers, continues as a separate entity. 

For further details on the event, see www.mngrapegrowers.com/ICCWC.