Suveg Cellars Wins 7 Medals at San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
On January 16, the 2018 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition medal winners were officially announced. Arguably the most prestigious wine competition in the United States, this year’s competition featured over 6,900 wine entries submitted from wineries within our 50 states.
Suveg Cellars, Yucaipa California’s first bonded winery, once again captured the discerning palates of a panel of highly distinguished wine judges when medals were awarded to each and every wine they submitted.
Bronze Medals were awarded to their 2014 Table Dancer (Lodi) Syrah and their 2014 Problem Child (Lodi) Syrah dominant blend. These two wines, in particular, had already received both domestic and international acclaim winning medal distinctions in the 2017 Orange County Wine Society Winemaker’s Competition as well as the 2017 Los Angeles and San Francisco International Wine Competitions. Winemaker Craig Suveg said that he was proud to continue to produce wines of exceptional quality given the significant increase in the winery’s case production. “I promised the crew that despite our increase in production, we would not compromise the quality of our product. I think that the consistency of judging supports our continued commitment to quality.”
Silver Medals were awarded to three wines: 2014 Pinot Grigio (Monterey), 2014 Primitivo (Lodi) and the 2014 High Maintenance (Lodi) Cabernet Sauvignon. Suveg stated that “while our Primitivo earned several medals in 2017, this was the first time we had entered our Pinot Grigio and High Maintenance into competition and were very pleased with the results.”
Gold Medals were awarded to the 2014 Sangiovese (Lodi) and to the 2016 Viognier (Lodi). Suveg explained that his Sangiovese had consistently earned Silver Medals in every wine competition in 2017 including the Los Angeles and San Francisco International Wine Competitions so that winning gold at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition represented “a very pleasant surprise.” Suveg described the 2016 Viognier as “drippingly sensual with aromatic notes of stone orchard fruit, lush white peach, honeysuckle and floral hints of gardenias. Our Viognier is very popular in the tasting room and a favorite of our wine club members. We just can’t seem to produce enough of it!”
Having earned well over thirty national and international distinctions for his wines, Suveg said that the recognition received by Suveg Cellars is not only positive for Yucaipa on a local level but reaches our entire nation and even abroad. After his first successful international competition which featured wines submitted from 33 countries, Suveg said that he was on a mission to ensure that the entire world pronounced Yucaipa correctly! Once the medal winners were officially announced, Suveg shared that he received phone calls and e-mails from beverage distributors all over the country wanting to purchase his wine. “I always respectfully decline and explain that we are a very small winery and only produce select bottlings. With a second tasting room on the way, the availability of our wine is a genuine concern.”
It is with great honor that Suveg Cellars will accept the invitation to travel to San Francisco in February to pour their Gold Medal wines for winery principals, Sommeliers and the panel of judges who scored them. In contemplating the achievements of the winery over the past seven years, Suveg said: “Suveg Cellars has been an absolutely amazing journey inspired by passion, grounded in pride and driven by the relentless pursuit of perfection.”