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Santa Cruz Mountain Winemakers Bring Home the Gold: 78 Medals and 19 Gold Medals in 2006 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

Including two Gold Best of Class, and 10 Golds for Pinot Noir,

(including Double Gold from Silver Mountain)

Public Tasting for These Award-Winning Wines February 25 at Fort Mason Center

Aptos , Calif. , February 13, 2006 – Santa Cruz Mountain wineries demonstrated the excellence of their wines by winning a total of 78 medals in the recently-announced results of the 2006 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. This includes 19 Gold Medals, including two Gold Best of Class, and 10 Gold Medals overall for Pinot Noir, including a Double Gold from Silver Mountain Vineyards for its 2003 Santa Lucia Highlands (Tondre Grapefield) Pinot Noir (in the over $30.00 category).

      The Gold Best of Class Medals were won by Bargetto Winery for its 2000 La Vita, Regan Vineyard in the Italian Varietals category; and by Bonny Doon Vineyard for its Sangiovese. In addition to all of its Gold Medals, the appellation, represented by 20 participating wineries, won 30 Silver Medals and 29 Bronze.

      More than one third of the medals won are for Pinot Noir. In addition to the 10 Gold Medals, appellation wineries won 10 Silver and 11 Bronze for Pinot Noir, and two thirds of these are for Pinot Noirs made from grapes grown in the Santa Cruz Mountains . Hallcrest Vineyards made a particularly stellar showing as the winery with the most medals - eight altogether, all for Pinot Noir – as well as the most Gold Medals, with four. Medals were also won for Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Syrah, Merlot, and other Bordeaux, Rhone, Burgundian varietals and blends.

     “Join us and the other award-winning wineries from the Santa Cruz Mountains at the public tasting and discover the excellence of our mountain appellation,” said Jerold O’Brien, Silver Mountain Vineyards, winner of the Double Gold as well as Gold and Silver Medals for Pinot Noir. The award-winning wines from the Santa Cruz Mountains can be enjoyed at the Competition’s Public Tasting February 25 at Fort Mason Center in San Francisco. More information and a complete listing of winning wineries can be found at http://www.winejudging.com .

    “These results are testimony to the high quality wines we are making here in the Santa Cruz Mountains ,” said Shannon Flynn, Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association. “Our Pinot Noirs, as well as our Bordeaux , are especially attracting fans and rave reviews.”

      Santa Cruz Mountains wineries are holding two special events this year to highlight their award-winning Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon: Pinot Paradise is March 25 and 26 at Mountain Winery in Saratoga; Premier Cruz, featuring the exceptional Cabernet Sauvignons from the Santa Cruz Mountains , will be held November 4. More information on these events and others in the appellation can be found at http://www.scmwa.com .

      For more information, contact the Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers’ Association at 831/685-8463 or info@scmwa.com ; website http://www.scmwa.com .

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