Niagara wine leads NY pack in California

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It was a surprise to many when a wine from the Niagara Escarpment took "Best Dessert Wine" honors at the recent Riverside (CA) International Wine Competition.

The honor went to Arrowhead Spring Vineyards' 2009 Late Harvest Vidal that, on the way to the title, also took "Best of Class" and a "Chairman's Award," the latter requiring unanimous agreement among judges, like a Double Gold in most other competitions.

Arrowhead is a small farm winery with just 65 rows of grapes under cultivation. The facility is located at 4746 Town Line Road (Route 93) in the Town of Cambria (14094) between Upper and Lower Mountain Roads on the Niagara Escarpment.

Other "Best of Class"/"Chairman's Award" winners from New York, which also were among the "Sweepstakes" round wines:

• 21 Brix Raspberry Chateau Frank 2006 Blanc de Noirs
• Keuka Spring Vineyards 2011 Riesling
• Liberty Vineyards & Winery Reds, Whites & Blues Rosé
• Thirsty Owl Wine Company 2011 Diamond
• Thousand Islands Winery 2010 Marquette

Other "Chairman's Awards"-only winners:

• Fox Run Vineyards 2009 Tierce Dry Riesling (in collaboration with Anthony Road Winery and Red Newt Cellars)
• Hazlitt 1952 Vineyards 2010 Dry Riesling Homestead Reserve
• Red Tail Ridge Winery 2010 Dry Riesling
• Swedish Hill Winery Blue Waters Riesling

"Gold" medals went to:

• Arrowhead Spring Vineyards 2008 Meritage Reserve
• Casa Larga Vineyards 2009 French Oak Reserve Chardonnay
• Casa Large Vineyards 2009 Fiori delle Stelle Riesling Ice Wine
• Chateau LaFayette Reneau Seyval-Chardonnay
• Dr. Frank 2010 Semi-Dry Riesling
• Fox Run Vineyards 2010 Riesling
• Glenora Wine Cellars 2010 Late Harvest Riesling
• Glenora Wine Cellars 2003 Brut
• Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards Vidal Blanc Ice Wine
• Keuka Spring Vineyards 2010 Vignoles Dessert Wine
• Lakewood Vineyards 2010 Riesling
• Leonard Oakes Estate Winery 2009 Vidal Ice Wine
• Red Tail Ridge Winery 2009 Blaufrankish
• Swedish Hill Winery Spumante Blush 2007 Optimus
• Swedish Hill Winery 2010 Chardonnay Reserve
• Swedish Hill Winery 2011 Riesling
• Swedish Hill Winery 2011 Cayuga White
• Thirsty Owl Wine Company 2011 Snow Owl
• Wagner Vineyards 2009 Estate Bottled Dry Riesling

Other New York wines received won 96 Silver and 39 Bronze awards, for a total of 164 medals.