The Results of the 12th Annual American Fine Wine Competition

My fellow wine lover, it is with great pleasure that I reveal the results of the 12th Annual American Fine Wine Competition! As many of you know (especially if you're on Facebook or Instagram), the judging process took place last month at Florida International University’s Chaplin School of Hospitality.

And after two solid days of sipping, swishing and (mostly!) spitting we collectively judged over 700 wines from around country, thereby earning our indelibly purple-etched teeth. We tasted everything from Michigan Riesling to California Tempranillo hailing from both well established and up and coming wine regions. Given the exciting diversity of the entries, it’s always fascinating to learn the winners.

And in his third year as Chief Judge and Judging Coordinator of the AFWC, Greg Miseyko did a wonderful job presiding over the competition. Greg assumed the esteemed duties from competition Co-Founder Monty Preiser who still participates as a judge. And once again, Co-Founder and President, Shari Gherman executed the judges' tasting flawlessly. I continue to be amazed at how she choreographs the numerous flights of wines and their distribution to over 30 judges during the lengthy judging process - GO, Shari!

So without further ado, here are the results of the Best of Show and Best of Class categories for the 14th Annual American Fine Wine Competition. Please scroll all the way to the bottom for the link to the complete results:

BEST OF SHOW

Best of Show Red Wine: Chase Cellars Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California, 2016 ($125)

Best of Show White Wine: Black Star Farms Arcturos Semi-Dry Riesling, Leelanau Peninsula, Michigan, 2016 ($14)

Best of Show Sparkling: Glenora Wine Cellars Brut, Finger Lakes, New York, 2013 ($30)

Best of Show Port: St. Amant Winery Lot #11 Amador County, Lodi, California, NV ($35)

BEST OF CLASS

Best of Class Cabernet Franc: Ancient Oak Cellars Alcaeus Cabernet Franc Sonoma Mountain, Sonoma, California, 2014 ($75)

Best of Class Bordeaux Blend: B Cellars Vineyards and Winery Blend 27 Napa Valley, Napa, California, 2016 ($87)

Best of Class Merlot: Raymond Vineyards Reserve Napa Valley Merlot, Napa, California, 2016 ($30)

Best of Class Petite Sirah: Ballentine Vineyards Pocai Vineyard Petite Sirah Calistoga, Napa Valley, California, 2016 ($45)

Best of Class Pinot Noir: Bee Hunter Wine Oppenlander Vineyard Pinot Noir, Mendocino, California, 2014 ($48)

Best of Class Syrah: Klinker Brick Winery Farrah Syrah, Lodi, California, 2015 ($20)

Best of Class Zinfandel: Michael David Winery Lust Zinfandel, Lodi, California, 2015 ($59)

Best of Class Other Red: V. Sattui Winery Entanglement GSM Blend, Napa Valley, California, 2016 ($40)

Best of Class Other White: Acquiesce Winery Belle Blanc Lodi Mokelumne River, Lodi, California, 2017 ($32)

Best of Class Sauvignon Blanc: Reustle Prayer Rock Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc, Umpqua Valley, Oregon, 2017 ($23)

Best of Class Chardonnay: Husic Vineyards Dutton Ranch Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, Sonoma, California, 2016 ($50)

To view the complete list of results from the 12th Annual American Fine Wine Competition, please click here. Also, for more information on upcoming AFWC wine events, including the AFWC Gala, be sure to check out their calendar by clicking here.

Also, if you have any questions about any of the wines listed here or you'd like to share your thoughts, please feel free to message me in the comments sections below. To see results from previous years of the American Fine Wine Competition, simply click here.