New York dominate at Great Lakes wine competition

Michigan and New York led the medal winners at the recent Great Lakes Great Wine Competition at Oakland Community College in Farmington Hills, Mich.

Michigan came in first with 23 gold medals and New York was second with 21 in the contest that only rates wines from states and provinces that border the Great Lakes.

It was a strong finish for Michigan, which only has 40 wineries, while New York is pushing 200 and Ohio and Pennsylvania count more than 80 each.

In the race for gold, Ohio came in third with eight, and Ontario and Wisconsin tied with four. Illinois, with the fastest growing wine industry in the Midwest, won a double gold for Alto Vineyards Chambourcin 2001, which earlier this year won the Jefferson Cup in a national runoff of all of last year's most awarded wines.

Dr. Konstantin Frank in New York's Finger Lakes region won a record three double golds (two tables of judges vote unanimously to award a wine a gold medal) -- for Rkatsiteli, Riesling and Merlot. From Michigan, Fenn Valley got double golds for Vidal Blanc Ice Wine and Gewurztraminer and Leelanau Wine Cellars for Pinot Grigio. Altogether, 68 gold medals were awarded, including nine double golds.

Judges also handed out 144 silver medals and 116 bronze.

This year's contest had 457 entries from wineries in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Ontario. The only holdout was Minnesota, which has wineries, but none have ever entered the event.

"We had a few less entries this year because we held the judging earlier, before many wineries release their new wines," said Darlene Levinson, coordinator for the event and teacher of culinary management at the college. "But it seems we had much better wines," she added.

Listed below are entries winning double golds and golds.

Double gold Alto Vineyards Chambourcin 2001 (Ill.) Chalet Debonne Pinot Gris 2002 (Ohio) Dr. Konstantin Frank Merlot 2001 (N.Y.) Dr. Konstantin Frank Dry Riesling 2003 (N.Y.) Dr. Konstantin Frank Rkatsiteli 2003 (N.Y.) Fenn Valley Ice Wine-Vidal Blanc 2002 (Mich.) Fenn Valley Gewurztraminer 2003 (Mich.) Huber Winery Vignoles 2003 (Ind.) Leelanau Wine Cellars Pinot Grigio 2003 (Mich.)

Gold Indiana Huber Winery Heritage 2002 Huber Winery Lakeside White 2002 Huber Winery Vignoles 2003 Oliver Wine Co. Bean Blossom Hard Cider NV Oliver Winery Traminette 2003

Illinois Alto Vineyards Chambourcin 2001 Alto Vineyards Rosso Classico 2001

Michigan Bel Lago Vineyards Chardonnay 2000 2000 Bowers Harbor Chardonnay Reserve 2002 Chateau Chantal Cerise NV Ciccone Vineyards Dolcetto 2002 Ciccone Vineyards Gewurztraminer 2002 Domaine Berrien Cellars Lemburger 2002 Fenn Valley Ice Wine-Vidal Blanc 2002 Fenn Valley Gewurztraminer 2003 Leelanau Wine Cellars Pinot Grigio 2003 L. Mawby Vineyards Consort NV St. Julian Wine Co. Braganini Reserve Chancellor 2001 St. Julian Wine Co. Concord NV St. Julian Wine Co. Merlot 2000 St. Julian Wine Co. Passionate Peach NV St. Julian Wine Co. Pear Infusion NV St. Julian Wine Co. Raspberry Spumante St. Julian Wine Co. Solera Cream Sherry St. Julian Wine Co. St. J Pinot Gris 2002 St. Julian Wine Co. St. J Riesling 2002 Tabor Hill Cabernet Franc 2001 Tabor Hill Merlot 2002 Tabor Hill Red Heritage NV Winery at Black Star Farms Apple NV

New York Chateau Lafayette Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 Chateau Lafayette Johannisberg Riesling 2003 Dr. Konstantin Frank Dry Riesling 2003 Dr. Konstantin Frank Rkatsiteli 2003 Dr. Konstantin Frank Merlot 2001 Dr. Konstantin Frank Pinot Noir NV Fulkerson Winery Sunset Blush NV Goose Watch Bartlett Pear NV Goose Watch Chambourcin 2002 Goose Watch Renaissance Red NV Goose Watch Viognier 2002 Hosmer Winery Chardonnay 2002 Hosmer Winery Pinot Noir 2002 Hunt Country Late Harvest Vignoles 2002 Keuka Spring Vineyards Gewurztraminer 2002 Lamoreaux Landing Cabernet Franc 2001 Lamoreaux Landing Chardonnay Reserve 2001 Lucus Vineyards Cabernet Franc 2001 Lucas Vineyards Riesling Reserve 2002 Prejean Winery Chardonnay Reserve 2002 Wagner Vineyards Grace House Pinot Noir 2000 Wagner Vineyards Riesling Ice Wine

Ohio Breitenbach Blueberry NV Breitenbach Merlot 1999 Chalet Debonne Cabernet Franc 2002 Chalet Debonne Ice Wine-Vidal 2002 Chalet Debonne Pinot Gris 2002 Chalet Debonne River Rouge 2001 Ferrante Winery Cabernet Franc 2002 Ferrante Winery Ice Wine-Vidal Blanc 2002

Ontario Colio Estate Wines Merlot Reserve 2002 Colio Estate Wines Pinot Grigio 2002 Featherstone Winery Cabernet Frank 2002 Featherstone Winery Merlot 2002

Wisconsin Cedar Creek Winery Vidal Blanc 2003 Von Stiehl Winery Framboise 2002 Von Stiehl Winery Wisconsin Cranberry Wollersheim Winery Eagle White 2003