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Home > Blogs > Uncorked > Archives > 2008 > November > 17 > Entry
Houston wine competition produces some surprise winners
HOUSTON, Texas — The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo International Wine Competition held over the weekend (Nov. 15-16, 2008) produced some very surprising results.
And these were pleasant surprises, if you like spending small amounts of money for good wine. (And no, the results were not a surprise just because I served as a judge for the third year.)
The overall “Grand Champion” best-of-show award went to Vina Robles 2006 Suendero, a $50 Bordeaux-style blend (or Meritage blend, if you prefer) from a Paso Robles winery. Vina Robles’ online fact sheet for the Suendero mentions only the previous vintage, the 2005, which was a blend of 80 percent cabernet sauvignon and 20 percent petite verdot.
Then came the pleasant surprises.
The “Reserve Grand Chamption” wine that essentially came in second only to the Vina Robles was the McManis Family Vineyards 2007 Petite Sirah, a wine that carries a suggested retail price of $11.99.
The $12 wine emerged as the runner-up favorite among more than 1,800 wines submitted for judges’ consideration from 14 countries and more than 13 states (and this is no Texas wines competition — less than 10 percent of the wines entered come from Texas wineries). The McManis Petite bested wines that won categories such as cabernet sauvignons costing $25 or more, pinot noirs over $25, Italian varietals in all price ranges, etc.
That would be accomplishment enough for McManis. But wait, there’s more.
The McManis Family Vineyards 2007 Zinfandel won the best-zin-under $18 category (it too retails for a paltry $11.99), then went on to win the competition’s “Best Value” award among all wines under $15.
To have one winery in that price range win both awards — again, among 1,800 wines entered — is a stunning accomplishment, and the competition’s organizers have not seen the likes of it.
If I had been a little more on the ball, the results should not have been such a surprise. That’s because I have encountered the McManis Pinot Noir at a couple of wine tastings around town here in Dayton, Ohio in recent weeks and have always been impressed with its quality-to-price ratio. There aren’t many pinots of any quality in that price range, let alone good ones, and the McManis pinot is a very good one.
But did I run out and check out the rest of the winery’s reds? Noooooo. Asleep at the wheel again.
Here’s another pleasant surprise: the Vendange Sauvignon Blanc that retails for all of $4.99 won its category of barrel-aged sauvignon blancs (all price ranges), where it was most certainly competing against many wines that cost much more.
The champion wines will be awarded their hardware — in this case, custom-made buckles, chaps and saddles — in February at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Roundup and Best Bites Competition. A Championship Wine Auction and Dinner will then be held in March. Proceeds go to college scholarships, and those proceeds are Texas-sized: Last year’s wine auction generated more than $1.1 million.
Folks in Houston are serious about their wines. And this year, they uncovered some hidden gems for the rest of the country to enjoy.
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Comments
By Arthur
November 18, 2008 1:37 PM | Link to this
Vina Robles is making a name for itself as a solid and reliable producer of quality wines in Paso Robles. The Suendero deserves the Best of Show Award.
By larry schaffer
November 18, 2008 1:04 AM | Link to this
McManis makes quite reliable, reasonably priced wines and has been doing so for the past 5 years. No pretense - just good solid wines. They have a first rate winemaker in Jeff Runquist and are committed to making their wines in an approachable manner, employing microoxygenation to soften wines and make them more supple at a younger age. Kudos to them! Cheers!
By chiefwino
November 17, 2008 1:07 PM | Link to this
McManis has been a consistently nice producer for the 5+ years I have been seeing it around Dayton. A couple of other wines in this same class of good quality for an excellent price are Campus Oaks and Castle Rock. Both do very nice California specific-appellation wines (red and white) in the ~$15 or less range.
By Jim Eastman
November 17, 2008 10:16 AM | Link to this
I tried the 2005 McManis PS and PN a year or so ago at a tasting in the Cleveland area. I was quite impressed. This is a good reminder that I should probably pick some more up.