Adler Fels, Owl Ridge win Harvest Fair sweepstakes

<p>Two Sonoma County wineries that had never taken a sweepstakes prize grabbed the spotlight at Saturday night’s Harvest Fair Awards Night Gala.</p><p>Adler Fels of Santa Rosa won for its 2007 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir priced at $25, and Owl Ridge Wines of Sebastopol snagged the top prize with its 2008 Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc at $12.</p><p>About 1,500 people attended, down from 2,000 last year, largely the result of the sagging economy, organizers said.</p><p>While attendance was down, entries were up.</p><p>The wine competition, now in its 35th year, began in 1974 with 59 entries and it broke a record this year with 1,214, all produced from Sonoma County grapes. Last week, 25 judges from across the country tasted, debated and negotiated before giving scores for a wide range of Sonoma County wines.</p><p>In all, more than 1,000 gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded, with the two sweepstakes winners, one for red and one for white, topping the field.</p><p>At Saturday’s awards announcement, representatives from both wineries took the stage in the Grace Pavilion and accepted a Waterford crystal decanter, which trumps an Oscar in Wine Country.</p><p>Aaron Bader, assistant winemaker of Adler Fels, said, “We’re ecstastic. It’s a great pinot and we’re glad people like it as much as we do.”</p><p>Adler Fels, a Tudor-styled winery located high in the southeastern Santa Rosa hills, was founded in 1979 by David and Ayn Coleman. He came to Sonoma County in the 1970s, designing wine labels for wineries like Chateau St. Jean. An industry pioneer, he created the first gold foil label to be used on California wine bottles In 2004 the winery was purchased by Adams Wine Group, LLC, a Westlake Village-based company from Southern California. The winery has a tasting room in Kenwood at 9575 Sonoma Highway.</p><p>As for the Owl Ridge win, owner John Tracy said, “We knew it was a good wine and we’re always pleased to do well at the Harvest Fair. It’s nice to do well in your own backyard.”</p><p>Owl Ridge produces its wines at a custom crush facility, the former Vacu-Dry plant at the corner of Gravenstein Highway and Occidental Road. Tracy is a former high-tech entrepreneur who thought he’d retire in Wine Country but became a vintner instead. Owl Ridge Wines are poured at a collective tasting room, Hudson Street Wineries, at 420 Hudson Street in Healdsburg.</p><p>Inside the hall, overhead lighting was bright as people moved from table to table to sample wine and food.</p><p>Laraine Poveromo of Healdsburg, wearing a black dress with sequins, said she came to taste the wines. “It’s not as crowded as it was when I came two years ago,” she said. “I wish the lighting was a little more intimate. We need sun glasses,” she joked.</p><p>The upside? “There are so many new wineries to explore,” Povermomo said.</p><p>Overall, the judges awarded a total of 177 gold medals, up from last year’s 142; 483 silvers, up from last year’s 405; and 375 bronze, up from 367 last year. With the increase in awards, only 179 entries didn’t receive a medal.</p>