"Stylish" Prairie Berry Wines Win More Accolades in California

POSTED: MAY 22, 2009

HILL CITY, SD – It’s awards season in the commercial wine industry, and South Dakota’s own Prairie Berry Winery is continuing to cause quite a stir in California.

At the 2009 Riverside International Wine Competition, the local, family-owned winery recently received a prestigious “Chairmans Award”—a unanimous gold from the panel of judges—for their 2008 Frontenac Gris, as well as Gold Medals each for their 2008 Frontenac and Raspberry Honeywine.

The judges were in particular, impressed with the wines made from University of Minnesota-developed, cold hardy hybrid grapes. News of high-quality wines made from previously unproven grape species is a high point for an ag-based industry that is struggling with the repercussions of climate change.

Dan Berger, of the Riverside International Wine Competition commented, "It’s probably a little unusual for us to see a Frontenac even entered, but fairly common for the Riverside Wine Competition to recognize such wines. We’ve given gold medals and sweepstakes awards before to Traminette, to Diamond, to Vignole, and to at least a dozen other unusual grape varieties. But the stylish manner in which these two Frontenacs were made were really very encouraging for the judges. And in particular because the two wines were tasted by two completely different panels who had never chatted with each other. To have these two varieties do so well in our competition is wonderful news."


Prairie Berry Winery has accumulated 349 medals and accolades for 42 different wines since first entering competitions in 2001. Fifth generation winemaker Sandi Vojta and her husband, Matt Keck, moved Prairie Berry to its current Hill City location from Rapid City in 2004. Found three and a half miles northeast of Hill City on Highway 385, the winery’s Tasting Room is open to the public daily, year-round.

 

For more on this story from Prairie Berry Winery, contact Michele Slott, or call her at 605-574-3898 x213

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