Massive Cork Vineyards and Loew Vineyards declare high honors for entries

September 14th – ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Massive Cork Vineyards earned the 2022 Maryland Governor’s Cup for its 2021 Siberian Ice dessert wine and Loew Vineyards claimed the Jack Aellen Cup for its non-vintage Klara mead. This 12 months’s competitors scored greater than 150 regionally produced wines. 

The competitors was judged by 16 judges and included a nationwide assortment of sommeliers, trade professionals and members of wine media. This annual competitors focuses on Maryland-grown grapes and fruit. The Governor’s Cup is awarded yearly to the top-scoring grape wine and the producer of the very best fruit wine, mead or cider earns the Jack Aellen Cup. A group of award-winning wines will probably be featured within the Maryland Wine Explorer Village on the 2022 Maryland Wine Competition in Westminster, Md., on Saturday, September 17 and Sunday, September 18.

“It was an unimaginable displaying,“ mentioned Kevin Atticks, Government Director of the Maryland Wineries Affiliation, who was impressed by the breadth of submissions and caliber of judges. 

Massive Cork Winery’s Siberian Ice is a dessert wine produced with a grape mix that features Muscat Canelli, Vidal Blanc and SK 7753, a hybrid grape initially from Russia. The vineyard’s head producer, winemaker Dave Collins, credit the SK selection for this wine’s dominant aroma and distinctive taste traits. Since 2018, wines produced with the distinctive Russian grape have earned Massive Cork Vineyards quite a few “Greatest In Class” awards. 

“The SK 7753 grape is flexible and is usually used to supply our Russian Kiss,” mentioned Collins. “We’re in a position to harvest this grape early within the season to supply glowing wine like Glowing Kiss, or we are able to wait till late within the season when the grapes have larger sugar ranges. To supply an ice wine comparable to Siberian Ice in Maryland, the grapes are harvested absolutely ripe, pressed whereas frozen, then barrel-fermented and aged. We’re very honored to have this wine chosen to win the 2022 Maryland Governor’s Cup.”

Rachel Lipman, the fifth-generation winemaker at Loew Vineyards in Mt. Ethereal, was thrilled that Klara earned the competitors’s high award for fruit wines and meads. Klara is a pyment-style dry mead produced with Muscat Canelli grapes and locally-sourced honey. The Tribute Sequence of wines acknowledges generations of the Löw household and Klara is called for the mom of the vineyard’s late founder—and Lipman’s grandfather—William Loew.

“This recognition is an affirmation of the great thing about our household’s legacy,” Lipman mentioned. “The Tribute Sequence is a novel approach for us to honor our relations and their histories. As a generational vineyard, our future is formed by our previous; it means a lot to my grandmother, Lois, and me that we are able to inform our household’s tales via the high-quality meads and wines we produce.”

Eight wines obtained recognition for incomes “Greatest In Class” titles of their entry classes. Double Gold medals have been unanimously awarded by judges to 11 wines and gold medals have been awarded to 17 further entries. 

2022 Maryland Governor’s Cup Awards

Greatest In Class Award Winners

• White Mix: Robin Hill Farm & Vineyards Classic Mix 2021
• White: Sugarloaf Mountain Winery Vidal Blanc 2021
• Rosé: Cabin Winery Breeze 2021
• Crimson: Hyperlinks Bridge Vineyards Cabernet Franc 2020
• Crimson Mix: Port of Leonardtown Vineyard Previous Line Crimson 2019
• Off-Dry: Hyperlinks Bridge Vineyards Vichard 2021
• Mead: Loew Vineyards Tribute Sequence: Klara
• Dessert: Massive Cork Vineyards Siberian Ice 2021

Double Gold Medal Winners

• Massive Cork Vineyards Cabernet Franc 2020 
• Massive Cork Vineyards Siberian Ice 2021
• Massive Cork Vineyards Vidal Ice 2020
• Cabin Winery Breeze 2020
• Cabin Winery Breeze 2021
• Crow Farm & Winery Vintners Choose White 2021
• Hyperlinks Bridge Vineyards Cabernet Franc 2020
• Port of Leonardtown Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2020
• Robin Hill Farm & Vineyards Classic Mix 2021
• Sugarloaf Mountain Winery Penelope 2021
• Sugarloaf Mountain Winery Vidal Blanc 2021
• Gold Medal Winners
• Massive Cork Vineyards Merlot 2020
• Massive Cork Vineyards Muscat Canelli 2021
• Massive Cork Vineyards Russian Kiss 2021
• Cabin Winery Crimson 2019
• Catoctin Breeze Winery Property Syrah 2020
• Layton’s Likelihood Winery and Vineyard Ridgeton Crimson 2021
• Hyperlinks Bridge Vineyards Vichard 2021
• Loew Vineyards Tribute Sequence: Klara NV
• Loew Vineyards Tribute Sequence: Malka NV
• Port of Leonardtown Vineyard Captain’s Desk 2021
• Port of Leonardtown Vineyard Previous Line Crimson 2019
• Port of Leonardtown Vineyard Vidal Blanc 2021
• Port of Leonardtown Vineyard Vintner’s Choose Crimson 2020
• Port of Leonardtown Vineyard Viognier 2021
• Robin Hill Farm & Vineyards MD-32 2019
• Sugarloaf Mountain Winery Circe 2021
• Windridge Vineyards Albariño 2021

All further awards could also be seen on the Maryland Wineries Affiliation Governor’s Cup web site. To be taught extra about Maryland wine competitions, their outcomes and the state’s wine trade please go to marylandwine.com. The Maryland Wineries Affiliation invitations the general public to discover native wine at occasions just like the thirty eighth Maryland Wine Competition. Tickets to this upcoming occasion at the moment are on sale and will be bought at marylandwinefestival.org.

In regards to the Competitors. The Maryland Governor’s Cup Competitors awards the very best Maryland wines produced from grapes, fruit, and honey grown inside the state. Crimson, white, rosé and glowing wines compete for the Governor’s Cup. Fruit wines, meads, and ciders produced in Maryland are judged at this competitors and vie for the Jack Aellen Cup. 

In regards to the Jack Aellen Cup

The Jack Aellen Cup particularly highlights the top-scoring fruit wine, cider or mead. The cup is called after Linganore Winecellars founder, Jack Aellen, who pioneered wines constructed from fruit and honey in Maryland. The “Jack Aellen Cup” is introduced yearly alongside the Governor’s Cup.

In regards to the Maryland Wineries Affiliation

The Maryland Wineries Affiliation (MWA), fashioned in 1984, is the non-profit commerce affiliation that represents greater than 85 member wineries in Maryland. MWA’s mission is to develop and develop Maryland’s grape and wine trade – via schooling and promotion.

Commercial