Colorado wines take top honors in national competition

Seven Colorado wineries earned a total of 28 medals from the 15th annual Jefferson Cup Invitational, the only competition that honors the best of the best among wineries from all of America’s wine regions. Each year Doug Frost, M.S., M.W., selects great wines from across America.

“What we are doing is following Mr. Jefferson’s example and allowing every quality wine-producing region in America a place at our table,” said Frost. “Each year we select great wines from across America; the 2014 competition included wines from 25 states.”

The two-day competition, Nov. 20 and 21 in Kansas City, Mo., culminated with the awarding of 38 Jefferson Cup Awards to 11 white wines, 20 red wines and seven dessert wines. Jefferson Cups were awarded to wines made from both Vitis vinifera vines (a European species responsible for wines such as Chardonnay and Merlot) and non-vinifera vines, which flourish in the more extreme climates in the center portion of the U.S. Colorado was represented in this top category for the sixth year in a row.

This year, Bookcliff Vineyards took home its fourth Jefferson Cup for its 2013 Malbec and The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey earned its first Jefferson Cup for its 2012 Merlot Reserve. Both Bookcliff Vineyards and The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey were also represented in the 2014 Colorado Governor’s Cup Case for their Malbec and Merlot, respectively. Other Colorado wineries that were invited and garnered awards were Anemoi, Boulder Creek Winery, Canyon Wind Cellars, Grand River Vineyards, and Whitewater Hill Vineyards.

The Jefferson Cup Invitational is a 15-year-old competition founded by Frost, one of only four individuals in the world to have achieved the titles of Master Sommelier and Master of Wine. In many national competitions California represents a majority of the entries and as a result usually captures most of the honors. The Jefferson Cup is a different, in that it is an invitational in which wines are pre-selected which exemplify top viticulture and winemaking throughout all wine-producing regions throughout the United States of America.

“Colorado wines, with a total of 28 Jefferson Cup medals, take a prominent seat at the table of outstanding wines from all over the nation. Congratulations to Bookcliff Vineyards in Boulder and The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey in Cañon City for garnering the top accolade and to our other excellent Colorado wineries that won awards,” said Doug Caskey, the executive director of the Colorado Wine Industry Development Board.