Field Stone Fruit Wines, Alberta’s first cottage winery, was awarded a record ten medals from two respected wine competitions this past week.
At the NorthWest Wine Summit, an international competition held annually at Hood River, Oregon, Field Stone was awarded a gold medal, three silver medals and four bronze medals to add to its previous honours.
This year’s Gold Medal went to the popular Raspberry Fruit Wine. In addition, the Cherry Fruit Wine, Strawberry-Rhubarb Fruit Wine and Strawberry Dessert Wine took home Silver Medals, and Bronze was awarded to the Bumbleberry Fruit Wine, Black Currant Fruit Wine, Wild Black Cherry Dessert Wine and Black Currant Dessert Wine.
At the NorthWest Wine Summit Competition, which includes wines produced in the Pacific Northwest region, more than 2000 wines were judged over a period of three days. Wineries from British Columbia, Alberta, Montana, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska were represented.
“We are very proud to have our Raspberry Fruit Wine awarded Gold,” says Marvin Gill, Partner at Field Stone Fruit Wines. “From our first harvested crop at Bumbleberry Orchards, we have always maintained that our “Chief” variety of raspberries are second to none.”
At the other end of the continent, Canada’s own “All-Canadian Wine Championships” announced a Silver Medal for Field Stone’s Strawberry Dessert Wine and a Bronze Medal for its Strawberry-Rhubarb Fruit Wine.
The All Canadian Wine Championships is Canada’s oldest and largest wine competition. Established in 1981, the competition has followed the progress of Canada’s wine industry from its infancy to where it stands today. This year’s judging marked thirty-two years of critiquing Canadian wines, by an esteemed panel of approximately fourteen wine writers, sommeliers and accredited wine judges, from coast to coast and beyond.
“It is great to see alternative wines growing in recognition,” says Gill. The increasing number of fruit wines participating at this level of competition is very exciting, and indicative of the public’s ever-growing interest in all things alternative.”
Field Stone’s medals come just as the Summer Farmers Markets around Alberta begin. Field Stone staff will be offering tastings of the medal winners and all other wines this summer at the Red Deer, Sylvan Lake, Airdrie, Bearspaw, Millarville, Grassroots Calgary, High River, Medicine Hat, Banff, Strathmore, Okotoks and Lethbridge Farmers Markets. Year-round shopping can be found at the Kingsland Farmers Market and Calgary Farmers Market in Calgary.
All wines are also available directly from Field Stone Winery at Strathmore from May to September, and all wines can be purchased on-line at www.fieldstonefruitwines.com.
Please visit the website for more information, recipes and newsletter sign-ups.
ABOUT FIELD STONE FRUIT WINES:
In 2005 Field Stone Fruit Wines was the first business to be granted a license under the Government of Alberta’s new cottage winery regulations, allowing fruit growers to manufacture and sell fruit wines. Since July 1st, 2005, Field Stone has been a popular destination drawing visitors and customers from around Alberta, Canada, and beyond.
All Field Stone fruit wines are vinified from 100% Alberta-grown fruit, 90% of which is grown on the family’s Bumbleberry Farm south of Strathmore. Field Stone’s winemaker is Dominic Rivard, a noted world expert in fruit wines. Since 2005, the winery has been awarded 35 medals across its 10 varieties of fruit and dessert wines.
FIELD STONE FRUIT WINES
Marvin Gill, Partner
(403) 934-2749
(403) 901-8241
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