ON FOOD: Colorado wines score 37 medals in Taos

I had the pleasure of being a judge at the Southwest Wine Competition in Taos, N.M., for the second year on June 25 and 26.

There were two teams of five judges. All the wines are judged blind, and we didn't know which wineries won medals until a few days after we finished judging. The contest is limited to five states: Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Arizona.

Of the 187 wines entered for the event, Colorado and New Mexico emerged the clear medal winners. There were 122 medals awarded, with Colorado snagging 37 and New Mexico 69.

This is significant, since the wine industry in Texas is almost double in size to those of Colorado and New Mexico, which says to me that winemakers in these states are paying attention to the quality of the wine they are bottling.

The big news for me was the discovery of Guy Drew Vineyards in Cortez. I had not heard of it until this contest. This vineyard is relatively new, having built its operation in 1999 and bottling its first wines in 2000

Even more interesting is that four of the eight wines it entered in this contest took medals, with its 2004 Guy Drew Vineyards Syrah taking one of only four gold medals awarded. It just so happened that our team was the one that judged this wine.

I was so impressed with the wine that I made up my mind to visit the Guy Drew Vineyard on my way home from Taos. It was worth the extra miles to taste his other wines and pick up a case of the amazing syrah.

Don't despair; you won't have to use a couple of tanks of gas to get his wine. It can be purchased at Coaltrain Wine and Liquor as well as at several other wine stores. It's a bargain, too. It's only $14 for a beautifully made, bold, spicy, fruity wine. Perfect to pair with a barbecue meal.

The other Colorado winery to get a gold was Two Rivers in Palisade for its 2005 Two Rivers Ruby Port.

To find the locations of these and other Colorado Wineries, visit www.coloradowine.com.

Here's a complete list of Colorado wines that won medals at the contest:

Silver medals

• 2006 Two Rivers Chardonnay
• 2007 Carlson Vineyards Chardonnay
• 2007 Two Rivers Riesling
• 2007 Carlson Vineyards Riesling
• 2007 Carlson Vineyards Gewurztraminer
• 2006 Turquoise Mesa Winery Colorado Cabernet Sauvignon
• 2006 Winery at Holy Cross Abbey Reserve Merlot
• 2006 Two Rivers Merlot
• 2006 Whitewater Hill Vineyards Merlot
• 2006 Winery at Holy Cross Abbey Cabernet Franc
• Non-Vintage Creekside Cellars Rosso
• 2006 Canyon Wind Cellars Petit Verdot
• 2006 Carlson Vineyards Lemberger
• Non-Vintage Winery at Holy Cross Abbey Apple Blossom
• Non-vintage Meadery of the Rockies Lancelot
• Non-vintage Meadery of the Rockies Peaches ‘n Honey

Bronze medals

• 2007 Plum Creek Cellars Winery Riesling
• 2005 Two Rivers Cabernet Sauvignon
• 2006 Winery at Holy Cross Abbey Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
• 2005 Creekside Cellars Merlot
• 2006 Winery at Holy Cross Abbey Merlot
• 2006 Reeder Mesa Vineyards Cabernet Franc
• 2006 Whitewater Hill Vineyards Cabernet Franc
• 2006 Two Rivers Syrah
• 2006 Turquoise Mesa Winery Colorado Syrah
• 2003 Spero Winery Syrah
• 2005 Spero Winery Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot
• 2006 Turquoise Mesa Winery Colorado Crimson (blend of syrah, mourvedre, and merlot)
• 2007 Turquoise Mesa Winery Colorado Cinsault
• Non-vintage Plum Creek Cellars Winery Palisade Red blend
• Non-vintage Meadery of the Rockies Cherries ‘n Honey
• 2006 Guy Drew Vineyards Chardonnay
• 2006 Guy Drew Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
• 2005 Guy Drew Vineyards blend of merlot, syrah and cabernet franc

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Reach Farney at 636-0271 or teresa.farney@gazette.com. She appears Tuesdays on KOAA's Comcast Channel 9 at 4 p.m.