Galena Cellars awarded at 2012 Illinois State Fair Wine Competition

GALENA?Galena Cellars Vineyard & Winery, at the hand of winemaker Christine (Chris) Lawlor-White, was honored with 19 awards, including the prestigious Governor's Cup for its Vineyard Rosé produced from Illinois-grown fruit, two Top Awards for Wines from any Appellation and seven "Best of Category" designations at the recently held 2012 Illinois State Fair Wine Competition.

Sponsored and coordinated by the Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association (IGGVA), the Illinois State Fair Wine Competition was held June 25-27, 2012 at Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield where nearly 400 local wines (266 commercial entries) were presented to the panel of twelve judges.

Galena Cellars had five varietals that received a double gold award (consensus gold when all judges award the wine a gold medal) and were also rated best in their category for their Blackberry, Vineyard Rosé, Eric the Red, Daffodil and Traminette wine.

In total, Galena Cellars earned one Governor's Cup, two top-awarded wines from any appellation designations, seven best of category awards, five double gold, one gold, eight silver and two bronze awards.

"We are excited and honored to receive these awards, and are especially proud of our Illinois-grown grapes and fruit," said winemaker Chris Lawlor-White.

According to IGGVA, in total, the commercial competition awarded 40 gold medals, 99 silver medals and 87 bronze medals. A ceremony and public tasting of the award-winning wines will be held Tuesday, August 14^th at the Illinois Wine Experience during the Illinois State Fair in Springfield, Illinois.

IGGVA, established in 1992, is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing the viticulture and enology interests of Illinois through information exchange and cooperation among Illinois grape producers and vintners.

The Illinois wine industry has exploded in recent years, growing from just 12 wineries in 1997 to nearly 100 today. During this time, the acreage devoted to grape production has grown at a tremendous rate, and today Illinois is consistently among the top 12 wine-producing states. Today the Illinois wine industry creates a direct economic impact of more than $319 million annually on the Illinois economy.

Galena Cellars Vineyard, established in 1990 in rural Galena, Illinois, is home to 22 different specialty grapes, many of which are hybrids developed by universities throughout the country in an effort to create a vine and grape with the hardiness needed to grow in this region. The vineyard is open to the public April through November for tours, tastings and special events. Galena Cellars also offers tasting rooms, wine patios and gift shops in downtown Galena and Geneva, Illinois.

#   #   #

2012 Illinois State Fair Wine Competition Results for Galena Cellars Vineyard & Winery