Harvest Fair's top wines revealed

A sauvignon blanc, a pinot noir and a sparkling wine snagged top honors Sunday at the Harvest Awards Night, playing to the diversity of Sonoma County.

The sweepstakes white is the Selby 2013 Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc at $15; the sweepstakes red is the Balletto 2013 Russian River Valley Estate Pinot Noir at $42; and the sweepstakes specialty wine is the Windsor Vineyards N.V. Sonoma County Blanc de Blanc at $32.

More than 500 people from the industry and the public paid at least $75 to hear the champions of the Harvest Fair’s wine competition announced at Santa Rosa’s Wells Fargo Center. The event was dedicated to recognizing the Sonoma County wine industry and its best wines.

“Everyone here was on pins and needles,” said Vikki Bufano of Santa Rosa. “Many people were friends and family members of the contenders and they were excited to hear who the sweepstakes winners were.”

At the reception in the lobby, people were sampling award-winning wines and dishes, and they were dressed in everything from jeans and cowboy boots to cocktail dresses and designer shoes with 5-inch heels.

The most sentimental part of the evening was when Saralee Kunde’s black-and-silver Derby-style hat was auctioned off. Bidding spiraled, with the top offer at $2,600 made by Kunde’s brother, George McClelland of Santa Rosa.

Kunde, a Sonoma County icon and producer of prize-winning grapes, was known for her generosity, her exuberance and her signature hats. She died earlier this year.

“This is the 40th anniversary of the Sonoma County Harvest Fair, but the first year without Saralee McClelland Kunde, and we miss her so much,” said Mike Martini, Harvest Fair board president and co-vintner of Sebastopol’s Taft Street Winery. “She was at the first one, and her example is what keeps us going.”

The evening was filled with fond memories, as well as an extensive lineup of accolades with a broad range of wine and food awards.

As for the Harvest Fair Restaurant Competition, Santa Rosa’s John Ash & Co. edged out six other contenders for the best of show award. It won a gold medal for its Sticky Fig and Date Pudding dessert in the competition earlier this month.

In the wine competition, the winners reveal the scope of Sonoma County.

“The diversity reflects the unique climates and soils, as well as the ethnic background of the original immigrants,” said Liz Thach, professor of wine business and management at Sonoma State University, who served as a judge in the competition. “Grapes from Italy, Croatia, France, Spain and Germany all grow well in specific pockets of Sonoma County.”

Susie Selby, vintner and winemaker of Selby Winery, was elated by her win for sweepstakes white.

“This is the 20th year to enter, and I’m so excited I can hardly stand it,” she said. “After 20 years, I’m so proud.”

The Healdsburg-based winery’s first vintage was in 1993 and it now produces more than a dozen varietals. The tasting room is at 215 Center St.

As for the sweepstakes red, president and owner John Balletto accepted the award.

“This is truly a great honor, and I want to acknowledge our winemaker, Anthony Beckman,” Balletto said.

Balletto Vineyards, based in Santa Rosa, produces many varietals, but its emphasis is on chardonnay and pinot noir. In 1999, the family decided to opt out of vegetable growing and develop vineyards, with its first harvest in 2001. The winery is at 5700 Occidental Road.

The specialty wine award was received by Stephanie Peachey, director of marketing for Windsor Vineyards.

“I’m not surprised, because the wine is delicious,” she said. “We’re just very happy to share it with more people.”

Windsor Vineyards was founded by the late Rodney Strong in 1959 and is now owned by Vintage Wine Estates. It produces reds, whites and sparkling wines, and its tasting room is at 308B Center St., Healdsburg.

Last week, organizers announced the 945 medal winners and the 41 that advanced to best of class, but kept the trio of sweepstakes winners under wraps until Sunday. This new format is a first in the fair’s 40-year history.

Organizers said the goal was to build suspense throughout the week, and to give retailers two opportunities to brace themselves for a crush of consumers eager to buy the award-winning wines.

The competition is a fall rite of passage and Harvest Awards Night was the culmination of the contest. A total of 21 judges sampled 1,081 entries in three days earlier this month.

The three sweepstakes winners were among the 41 Best of Class awards. Additionally, there were 59 double gold medals, 178 gold, 477 silver and 231 bronze. For the uninitiated, the double gold distinction is when all the judges on the panel are unanimous in awarding a gold. The entries in the contest had one thing in common: They all were produced from Sonoma County grapes.

Sunday’s top winners can expect a significant sales bump, if history is any guide.

Last year, Rodney Strong Vineyards won the sweepstakes white for its 2011 Russian River Valley Reserve Chardonnay at $35, and the win was embraced by the marketplace.

The Healdsburg winery’s 193 cases moved quickly in the first two weeks after the announcement and then sales tapered off, but eventually it sold out, according to Eric Poehlmann, vice president of sales for the western region.

“The award lifted our brand awareness as an ultra-premium wine producer,” Poehlmann said.

In addition, there was a dramatic increase in interest in the tasting room, where it contributed to a total 40 percent increase in year-end sales over the prior year, according to Mark Mathewson, who heads hospitality.

Another Healdsburg winery - Estate 1856 - said its sweepstakes-winning wine also was well received by consumers.

Estate 1856 won the sweepstakes red last year for its 2010 Sonoma County Cabernet Bordeaux Blend at $36.

“The financial impact of the sweepstakes win to our business was huge,” vintner Rachel Schmidt said. “The remaining cases that we had available sold out within two months. Approximately half of the sales went to retail outlets in Sonoma County. The other half went to consumers across California and as far away as New York, Florida and Texas.”

Schmidt said the sweepstakes win was a pivotal moment for the winery.

“Suddenly people knew our name, and wanted to try our wine,” she said. “Sales were coming from people we didn’t know, and to an unknown producer like us, that was incredibly exciting.”

The Harvest Awards Night also celebrated the county’s top winemakers, growers, microbreweries and culinary artists. Here are the honorees:

Lise Asimont of Francis Ford Coppola Winery for Outstanding Young Person in Agribusiness Award.

Bear Republic Brewery in Healdsburg for Excellence in the Craft Beer Industry Award.

Bloomfield Organics in Petaluma for Excellence in Food Production Award.

Al Cadd, Healdsburg grape grower, for Lifetime Contribution to Sonoma County Agriculture Award.

Carlos Chavez, co-owner of Healdsburg’s Safety Environmental Compliance Associates, for Friend of Sonoma County Agriculture Award.

Cameron Mauritson of Mauritson Wines in Healdsburg for Outstanding Young Farmer Award.

David Stare, founder of Dry Creek Vineyards in Healdsburg, for Lifetime Contribution to the Sonoma County Wine Industry Award.

Wine writer Peg Melnik can be reached at 707-521-5310 or peg.melnik@ pressdemocrat.com.