Local Wineries Bring Home Gold from International Competition in France

Kelowna's local producers are in the news again this week. Sandhill Wines and Quails’ Gate Estate Winery won medals at the 20th annual Chardonnay du Monde competition in the Burgundy wine region of France. The competition, March 13-16 at Château des Ravatys, the wine estate of the Pasteur Institute at Saint Lager, boasted 43 countries submitting 872 wines to be sampled by 300 savvy judges from around the world. From these many wines, they awarded just 58 gold medals, two of which came home to the Okanagan.

Sandhill and Calona Vineyards won 3 medals total, including a gold for the 2011 Sandhill Small Lots Single Lot Chardonnay and silver for the 2011 Sandhill White Label Chardonnay and the 2011 Calona Vineyards Artist Series Unoaked Chardonnay repsectively. Quails’ Gate Estate Winery also took home a gold medal for their 2010 Stewart Family Reserve Chardonnay and a silver for their 2011 Quails’ Gate Chardonnay.

Putting the achievement into perspective, 2011 was the coldest grape-growing season in 16 years which creates much hardship at the vineyard level. This makes winning an extra source of pride as Sandhill winemaker Howard Soon noted that the best vineyards ripen grapes even in the difficult years.

Sandhill winemaker Howard Soon

"Winning two medals for Sandhill at the 2013 Chardonnay du Monde is a great honour", says Soon. "I think we continue to be successful in this prestigious competition because we remain true to the Sandhill single vineyard philosophy of trying to express terroir in our Chardonnays. For me, terroir driven wines are one of the highest forms of the winemakers art."

In the 2012 competition, Sandhill Chardonnay 2010 was the only Canadian gold medal winner and in the 2011 competition, Sandhill Chardonnay 2009 won a silver medal.