Image Credit: Schram Vineyards Winery & Brewery
Last weekend Minnesota Monthly magazine held its 25th annual Food & Wine Experience, a two-day event featuring over 150 food and wine vendors.
As part of the event, Minnesota Monthly conducts a blind tasting and recognizes some of the best wines.
While the majority of the event’s wine vendors hail from California and the Pacific Northwest, Minnesota Vineyards competed against wines from across the nation, and were recognized as Best Value Fruity Wine, Next Chapter Winery’s 2017 Blackberry Delight ($14.99) and Best Value Sparkling, Schram Vineyards for their Raspberry Bumbley ($15).
Minnesota Monthly also included categories for Cool Climate wines, which allows all wines produced with cold-hardy, hybrid grapes (primarily Minnesota and Wisconsin wineries at this year’s event) to compete against one another. The full list of winners from this year’s event
Best of Show
Bordeaux Varietal 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, $21 (Opolo Wines)
Chardonnay 2016 Davis Bynum Chardonnay, $19.99 (Rodney Strong Vineyards)
*Cool Climate Red 2015 Marquette, $16.95 (Indian Island Winery)
*Cool Climate White 2017 Oaked Frontenac Blanc, $28 (Schram Vineyards)
Fruity 2016 Forte Zinfandel (Opolo Wines)
Pinot Grigio 2017 Pinot Gris (Coeur de Terre Vineyard)
Pinot Noir 2016 Davis Bynum Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, $28.99 (Rodney Strong Vineyards)
Rhone Ranger 2015 Syrah, $28 (Maryhill Winery)
Sauvignon Blanc 2017 Bonterra (Bonterra Wines)
Sparkling 2013 Blanc de Noir, $55 (Left Coast Estate)
Best Value ($15 or less)
Bordeaux Varietal 2015 Winemaker’s Red, $16 (Maryhill Winery)
Chardonnay 2017 Harken (O’Neill Vintners and Distillers)
*Cool Climate Red 2017 Maiden Blush (Indian Island Winery)
*Cool Climate White 2017 Brianna Breeze (Parley Lake Winery)
*Fruity 2017 Blackberry Delight (Next Chapter Winery)
Pinot Grigio 2017 Pinot Gris, $15 (Boomtown by Dusted Valley)
Pinot Noir 2016 Kendall-Jackson VR Pinot Noir, $14.99 (Jackson Family Fine Wines)
Sauvignon Blanc 2016 Murphy-Goode Fume Blanc, $12.99 (Jackson Family Fine Wines)
*Sparkling Raspberry Bumbley, $15 (Schram Vineyards)
