The Jefferson Cup Invitational is has celebrated its sixteenth year as the only competition that honors the best of the best among wineries from all of America’s wine regions. Each year they select great wines from across America; the 2015 competition included wines from 24 states. At the end of the second day of this year’s tasting, November 20, 2015 wines from NINE different states had captured top honors. Just as the event’s namesake would have it, democracy reigned at this year’s Jefferson Cup Wine Competition.
The two-day competition culminated with the awarding of 27 Jefferson Cup Awards. Jefferson Cups were awarded to wines made from both vinifera vines (a European species responsible for more famous wines such as Chardonnay and Cabernet) and non-vinifera vines, which flourish in the more extreme climates in the U.S.
“While many competitions insist upon selecting a pre-ordained number of sweepstakes winners, our judges are allowed to find the top wines, whether there are only one, two or three, or even NO winners in some categories, as has happened in previous years,” says Jefferson Cup Invitational founder Doug Frost. “This year, for the first time in several years, we had both rosé and sparkling winners, and there were once again great examples of wine, both from vinifera and non-vinifera grapes.” Together with 55 other wines nominated for (but not awarded) the Jefferson Cup, these 27 wines represent some of the most compelling wines made in America.
The awards given out are different from other wine competitions too. The Medals of American Merit is comparable to a Silver Medal at most competitions. The next highest award is the Medals of American Excellence, which is comparable to a Gold Medal. The Jefferson Cup nominees are then nominated by the judging committees to be considered for Jefferson Cups. A nominee is equivalent to a Double Gold Medal at any other competition and a Sweepstakes Nominee. Out of those nominees, the judges collectively pick the wines to be awarded the Jefferson Cup.
This year, only one Texas winery won a Jefferson Cup, Eden Hill Vineyard, for their 2014 Aglianico Winemakers Reserve from Oswald Vineyard. Congratulations to Eden Hill Vineyard!
These are all the results of the Texas wineries:
Winery | Wine | Category | Award |
---|---|---|---|
Driftwood Estate Winery | Longhorn Red 2012, Texas | Vinifera Red Blend | Medal of Merit |
Driftwood Estate Winery | Longhorn Red 2013, Texas | Vinifera Red Blend | Medal of Merit |
Eden Hill Vineyard | Aglianico Winemakers Reserve 2014, Oswald Vineyard, Texas | Vinifera Red Varietal | Jefferson Cup |
Eden Hill Vineyard | Divine Red 2014, Texas | Vinifera Red Blend | Medal of Merit |
Eden Hill Vineyard | Charmant, Smith Estate Vineyard 2014, Texas | Rose | Medal of Excellence |
Eden Hill Vineyard | Roussanne Winemakers Reserve 2014, Texas High Plains | Vinifera White Varietal | Medal of Excellence |
Eden Hill Vineyard | Divine White 2014, Texas | Vinifera/Hybrid/Native Ble | Medal of Excellence |
Fairhaven Vineyards | Nitodal NV | Hybrid Red Varietal | Medal of Excellence |
Fairhaven Vineyards | Delicatessen NV | Hybrid Red Varietal | Medal of Excellence |
Fairhaven Vineyards | Extra NV | Rose | Medal of Merit |
Fairhaven Vineyards | Brilliant NV | Hybrid White Varietal | Medal of Excellence |
Flat Creek Estate | Montepulciano Estate 2012, Texas Hill Country | Vinifera Red Varietal | Medal of Excellence |
Flat Creek Estate | Super Texan Reserve 2012, Texas High Plains | Vinifera Red Blend | Medal of Merit |
Flat Creek Estate | Blanc du Bois 2014, Texas | Hybrid White Varietal | Medal of Excellence |
Fredericksburg Winery | Cuvee II 2014, Texas | Vinifera Red Varietal | Medal of Excellence |
Fredericksburg Winery | Baron's Bach Burgundy NV, Texas | Vinifera Red Varietal | Medal of Merit |
Fredericksburg Winery | Cuvee I 2014, Texas | Vinifera Red Varietal | Medal of Merit |
Fredericksburg Winery | Cuvee IV 2014, Texas | Vinifera Red Blend | Medal of Excellence |
Fredericksburg Winery | Texitage 2014, Texas | Zinfandel | Medal of Merit |
Fredericksburg Winery | Enchanted Rock Red NV, Texas | Zinfandel | Medal of Merit |
Fredericksburg Winery | Muscat Canelli Come and Take It, Diamante Doble Vineyards | Vinifera White Blend | Medal of Merit |
Fredericksburg Winery | Gewurztraminer Indian Blanket NV, Texas | Gewurztraminer | Medal of Merit |
Fredericksburg Winery | Gewürztraminer Gayfeather, Diamante Doble Vineyards NV, Texas | Gewurztraminer | Medal of Merit |
McPherson Cellars | La Herencia 2013, Texas | Vinifera Red Blend | Medal of Excellence |
McPherson Cellars | Les Copains Red, Lost Draw Vineyard 2013, Texas | Vinifera Red Blend | Medal of Excellence |
McPherson Cellars | Les Copains White 2014, Texas | Vinifera White Blend | Medal of Merit |
McPherson Cellars | Albarino 2014, Castano Prado Vineyards, Texas | Vinifera White Varietal | Medal of Excellence |
Pedernales Cellars | Tempranillo Reserve 2013, Texas | Tempranillo | Medal of Excellence |
Pedernales Cellars | Texas GSM 2013, Texas | Vinifera Red Blend | Medal of Excellence |
Red Caboose Winery & Viney | Tempranillo The Cell Block 2012, American | Tempranillo | Medal of Merit |
Red Caboose Winery & Viney | Range Rider 2011, Texas | Tempranillo | Medal of Merit |
Red Caboose Winery & Viney | Touriga Nacional 2012, Texas | Touriga Nacional | Medal of Merit |
Red Caboose Winery & Viney | Malbec 2012, Texas | Malbec | Medal of Merit |
Red Caboose Winery & Viney | Lenoir 2012, Texas | Native Red Varietal | Medal of Excellence |
Red Caboose Winery & Viney | Lenoir/Tempranillo 2012, Texas | Vinifera/Hybrid/Native Ble | Nominee |
Red Caboose Winery & Viney | Some of That Red NV, Texas | Fortified | Medal of Excellence |
Texas Hills Vineyard | Kick Butt Cab Estate 2012, Texas Hill Country | Cabernet Sauvignon | Medal of Merit |
Texas Hills Vineyard | Chardonnay Estate 2014, Texas Hill Country | Chardonnay | Medal of Merit |
Vineyard at Florence (The) | Aurelia 2012, Hill Country | Hybrid White Varietal | Medal of Merit |
Jeff, you are short changing some of the winners in the Jefferson Cup invitational. Jeff Cup nominees are considered double gold winners!
Galen, thanks for the clarification. I have added a new sentence to describe that.