Printer FriendlyMissouri Wine Competitions Hundreds of Missouri wines are entered and blind-tasted by experts from across the country every year at the Missouri Wine Competition. The cream of the crop rises to the top. Consider this your Missouri wine wish list.The Illinois State Fair Wine Competition is held annually in June. Judging is based on color, balance, aroma, clarity, taste and finish. Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals are awarded based on the scores received by the judges. All Double Gold and Gold medal winners compete for the “Best of Show” designation as well as other top awards. Best of Show – Commercial Division: Willow Ridge Vineyards & Winery, Chambourcin 2014 Governor’s Cup for Illinois-Grown Fruit: Red Table Wine: Blue Sky Vineyard, Cabernet Franc 2014 White Table Wine:  Alto Vineyards, Vignoles 2015 Blush/Rosé Wine: Illinois Sparkling Co., Dollface Rosé Fruit Wine: Galena Cellars, Mead/Honey Wine 2015 Dessert Wine: Pomona Winery, Strawberry Dessert Wine 2015

Top Awards for Wines from any Appellation: Red Table Wine: Vigneto del Bino, Sweet Frontenac White Table Wine: Prairie State Winery, Kishwaukee Blue 2015 Fruit Wine:  Galena Cellars, Peach Wine 2015 Best of Show – Grape Wine:  Gerald Podraza, An Affair to Remember 2013 Best of Show – Non-Grape Wine: Ryan Zeigler, Sassafrass 2015 Illinois Sparkling Co., Franken’sbest wine to buy on amazon Red Table Wine: Blue Sky Vineyard, Cabernet Franc 2012where to buy wine italy White Table Wine: Acquaviva Winery, Bianco Bello 2013best italian wine 2016 Blush/Rosé Wine: August Hill Winery, White Chambourcin 2014best restaurants long island wine country

Fruit Wine: Spirit Knob Winery, Just Peachy 2014 Dessert Wine: Blue Sky Vineyard, Shawnee Cream 2013 Red Table Wine: Kite Hill Vineyards, Chambourcin 2011 White Table Wine: Illinois Sparkling Co., I.S.C. Brut Fruit Wine: August Hill Winery, Augie’s Blackberry 2014 Best of Show – Red Wine: Larry Jackson, Cabernet Franc 2010 Best of Show – White Wine: K. Weibel, S. Freeman, and E. Strenski; top wine vintage chart Best of Show of Show – Fruit Wine: Art Willman, Cherry 2014good wine to have with chocolate Update, 3/20/15: Wine industry groups have begun to contest the lawsuit's contentions and motive. best wine indexThe California wine trade group, the Wine Institute, released a statement saying, "While there are no established limits in the U.S., several countries, including the European Union, have established limits of 100 parts per billion or higher for wine. best wine name india

California wine exports are tested by these governments and are below the established limits." A representative of The Wine Group, one of the defendants, says that the plaintiffs "decided to file a complaint based on misleading and selective information in order to defame responsible California winemakers, create unnecessary fear, and distort and deceive the public for their own financial gain."where to buy old wooden wine boxes Before you go out drinking tonight, a quick note on cheap wine: Yesterday, a class-action lawsuit was filed against 28 California wineries—including the creators of Trader Joes' Charles Shaw (a.k.a. "Two-Buck Chuck"), Sutter Home's, and Franzia, Beringer, and Cupcake—alleging that some varietals of their wines contain dangerously high levels of arsenic. According to the complaint, three independent laboratories tested the wines and found that some contained levels of arsenic "up to 500% or more than what is what is considered the maximum acceptable safe daily intake limit.

Put differently, just a glass or two of these arsenic-contaminated wines a day over time could result in dangerous arsenic toxicity to the consumer." The origins of the lawsuit draw back to Kevin Hicks, a former wine distributor who started BeverageGrades, a Denver-based lab that analyzes wine. The lab tested 1,300 bottles of California wine, and found that about a quarter of them had higher levels of arsenic than the maximum limit that the Environmental Protection Agency allows in water. Hicks noticed a trend: As he told CBS, "The lower the price of wine on a per-liter basis, the higher the amount of arsenic." Trader Joe's Charles Shaw White Zinfandel came in at three times the EPA's level, while Franzia's White Grenache was five times higher. The lawsuit alleges that the contaminated wines are cheaper in part because their producers don't "implement the proper methods and processes to reduce inorganic arsenic." A spokesperson for The Wine Group, one of the defendants, says that it's not "accurate or responsible to use the water standard as the baseline," as people drink more water than wine.

But water is the only beverage with an arsenic baseline that is monitored by the US government, and the defendants stress that the chemical is toxic even in small doses, and is known to cause cancer and "contributes to a host of other debilitating/fatal diseases." Trader Joe's told CBS that "the concerns raised in your inquiry are serious and are being treated as such. We are investigating the matter with several of our wine producing suppliers." A spokesperson for Treasury Wine Estates, another defendant, said that its "brands are fully compliant with all relevant federal and state guidelines." Whether or not you should be worried about the allegations is up in the air, particularly as the lawsuit has yet to go before a judge or jury. But in the meantime, here's a list of wines that are included in the lawsuit. (Note: Any wines without a specific year listed mean that the grapes don't come from a single year.) Acronym GR8RW Red Blend 2011 Almaden Heritage White Zinfandel

Arrow Creek Coastal Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 Beringer White Merlot 2011 Beringer White Zinfandel 2011 Beringer Refreshingly Sweet Moscato Charles Shaw White Zinfandel 2012 Colores del Sol Malbec 2010 Glen Ellen by Concannon's Glen Ellen Reserve Pinot Grigio 2012 Concannon Selected Vineyards Pinot Noir 2011 Glen Ellen by Concannon's Glen Ellen Reserve Merlot 2010 Corbett Canyon Pinot Grigio Corbett Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon Fetzer Pinot Grigio 2011 Fisheye Pinot Grigio 2012 Flipflop Pinot Grigio 2012 Franzia Vintner Select White Grenache Franzia Vintner Select White Zinfandel Franzia Vintner Select White Merlot Franzia Vintner Select Burgundy Hawkstone Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 HRM Rex Goliath's Moscato Korbel Sweet Rose Sparkling Wine Korbel Extra Dry Sparkling Wine Menage a Trois Pinot Grigio 2011 Menage a Trois Moscato 2010 Menage a Trois White Blend 2011 Menage a Trois Chardonnay 2011

Menage a Trois Rose 2011 Menage a Trois Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 Menage a Trois California Red Wine 2011 Mogen David Blackberry Wine Oak Leaf White Zinfandel Pomelo Sauvignon Blanc 2011 R Collection by Raymond's Chardonnay 2012 Richards Wild Irish Rose Red Wine Seaglass Sauvignon Blanc 2012 Simply Naked Moscato 2011 Smoking Loon Viognier 2011 Sutter Home Sauvignon Blanc 2010 Sutter Home Gewurztraminer 2011 Sutter Home Pink Moscato Sutter Home Pinot Grigio 2011 Sutter Home Chenin Blanc 2011 Sutter Home Sweet Red 2010 Sutter Home Riesling 2011 Sutter Home White Merlot 2011 Sutter Home Merlot 2011 Sutter Home White Zinfandel 2011 Sutter Home White Zinfandel 2012 Sutter Home Zinfandel 2010 Wine Cube Pink Moscato 2011 Wine Cube Pinot Grigio 2011 Wine Cube Pinot Grigio Wine Cube Chardonnay 2011 Wine Cube Red Sangria Wine Cube Sauvignon Blanc 2011 Wine Cube Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz 2011