LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Winery Association has announced the 2013 Lake County Wine Competition will take place this July.
This highly anticipated competition exclusively showcases wines that identify Lake County on the label.
The competition will commence on Wednesday, July 10, at Brassfield Estate Winery where a prestigious panel of wine experts from across the country will blind-taste and judge more than 150 wines to select the top finalists in each category.
Ray Johnson, director of Sonoma State University’s Wine Business Institute, assistant director of the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition and author of numerous articles and his blog TasteWine, will preside as director for the professional judging.
The community at large will be able to taste the professional judge’s top finalists for each wine category in an exciting new venue this year.
On Aug. 31 the Lake County Winery Association is partnering with the Lake County Fair for the People’s Choice Wine Awards.
On the Saturday night of the fair from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. the people get to “blind taste” the judges top picks and select the “People’s Choice.”
The Lake County Winery Association is anticipating that the exposure for the winning wines will be the largest in this competition’s history.
Participating wineries are asked to submit their entries by the June 14 deadline.
Entry forms will be sent out late in the month of April – look to receive your competition packet soon.
All Lake County wines made in and outside the county using at least 75 percent Lake County grapes are encouraged to enter.
For more information on entry parameters, call event chair Jacquelyn St. Martin at 707-994-4068 or event co-chair Megan Hoberg at 707-279-4302.