Cartecay Vineyard receives highest award for Chimney Blush

Cartecay Vineyards’ Chimney Blush recently received the highest award given for a Hybrid Grape Wine.

The award was received at the Georgia Wine Trustees Wine Challenge:The Thomas McCall Award for Best Hybrid Grape Wine 2016.  This competition for Georgia wineries is Co-Directed by Jane Garvey and Douglas Mabry, with Parks Redwine presiding as Chief of Judges.

The Georgia Trustees Wine Challenge recognizes the excellence of Georgia-produced wines as well as other wines produced by Georgia wineries using grapes and fruits grown in other states.  ALL ENTRIES MUST BE FERMENTED IN GEORGIA

The “NOT 100% Georgia grown” entries MAY list Georgia as an appellation on their label as Federal law allows 25% of the grapes or fruit to come from outside the state and still be labelled Georgia. Even wines with NO fruit grown in Georgia may be an eligible entry IF the wine is “produced” (i.e., fermented) in Georgia. It may also be “produced” by one Georgia winery and “vinted” by a different Georgia winery.

A wine whose label says “Made and Bottled” infers that at least 10% of the wine is made by the winery or company listed. If the label says “Vinted and Bottled,” the winery on the label may have had little to do with the making of the wine in that bottle.

Technically, a wine “vinted and bottled” by an out-of-state (non-Georgia) winery COULD be eligible for entry IF the wine was actually 100% fermented by a Georgia winery. A wine “Produced and Bottled” would have to be 100% fermented by a Georgia winery. Thus, if a wine so labeled is NOT from a Georgia winery, that wine may NOT be entered in the competition.
Cartecay Vineyards’ wines also received the following medals at the event: Chimney Blush, Gold; 2015 Vidal Blanc, Bronze; 2014 Traminette, Bronze.