Cedar Ridge Vineyards Wins “Best Iowa Grown Wine” and 24 other Medals at Mid-American Wine Competition

Swisher, Iowa—July 13, 2011– Cedar Ridge Vineyards, Winery and Distillery received top honors for “Best Iowa Grown Wine” for its La Crescent wine, as part of 25 total awards for the winery, at the Fifth Annual Mid-American Wine Competition.  Cedar Ridge Vineyards’ awards include two sweepstakes awards, two additional gold medals, 12 silver medals and 10 bronze medals at the three-day competition—the highest number of awards granted to any Iowa winery.

The event,  judged by professional wine judges from all over the United States,  included wines from 14 Midwestern states. Over 530 wines were entered by 82 different wineries.  A broad array of Cedar Ridge Vineyards’ products received awards, including many produced solely from grapes grown in Iowa. 

“The Mid-American Wine Competition shines the light on the great products being made in our region. We are humbled by the quality and quantity of our awards,” noted Cedar Ridge Vineyards founder Jeff Quint.  “We chose the site for our vines for the silty, loam soil and steep hills. We don’t irrigate, and the terrain is difficult to cultivate. But this land produces superior fruit, allowing us to create unique, handcrafted wines. These awards support this vision.”

Cedar Ridge Vineyards began cultivating vines on Swisher, Iowa hillsides nine years ago. The first wines were released in 2005. “We continue to learn, grow and perfect our wines every year. My goal is to create local wines that drink as well as, some would say better than, nationally-branded wines. I hope everyone will give us a try,” shares Kolin Brighton, Winemaker.

Cedar Ridge Vineyards’ wines received these prestigious awards:

To learn more about the Mid-American Wine Competition go to www.midamericanwine.org.