Williamsburg Winery’s 2020 Virginia Viognier Brings Home Gold in San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
Williamsburg, Virginia — The Williamsburg Winery’s 2020 Virginia Viognier earned a Gold Medal at the largest competition for North American wines in the country.
More than 5,700 wines from approximately 1,100 wineries throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico entered the 2022 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition with aspirations of bringing home an award.
The Williamsburg Winery received nine medals overall.
“It’s an honor for our wines to be recognized as among the best in North America,” said Williamsburg Winery founder Patrick Duffeler. “These accolades also serve as a reminder that Virginia continues to thrive as a state where some of the nation’s best wine is produced.”
The 2020 Viognier exhibits upfront tropical notes of fresh pineapple, kiwi and mangoes with a hint of creamy vanilla reminiscent of cake batter along with fresh lemons and a touch of honey. A nice minerality lends balance. The finish is long and bright with the lemon and tropical notes shining the brightest.
The Williamsburg Winery only produced a small amount of 2020 Virginia Viognier, but in recognition of the distinction, a limited number of the award-winning wine will be made available online and in the retail Wine Shop at Wessex Hundred while supplies last.
“This is a very big competition and is regarded as one of the better ones,” said Matthew Meyer, Winemaker at the Williamsburg Winery. “The fact it was the Virginia Viognier that received a Gold Medal shows that Viognier expresses itself well in Virginia. There were others from Virginia that also received golds for their Viogniers. More people will start paying attention to what we are doing in Virginia, especially if we continue taking home so many top honors.”
Four additional Williamsburg Winery wines earned Silver Medals. They are:
- 2020 Wessex Hundred Albariño
- 2019 Wessex Hundred Petit Verdot
- 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, Limited Release
- 2020 Chardonnay-Viognier, Limited Release
Four more Williamsburg Winery wines received Bronze Medals. They are:
- 2019 Virginia Cabernet Franc
- 2019 Aglianico, Limited Release
- 2019 M.P.T., Limited Release
- 2019 Rkatisteli, Limited Release
Submissions to the San Francisco Wine Competitions were tasted and evaluated by 55 wine professionals representing media, trade, winemaking, education and restaurant/hospitality.
The Williamsburg Winery has received multiple honors over the years at the competition that celebrated its 22nd year in 2022.
Learn more about the Williamsburg Winery at williamsburgwinery.com.