It was a standout year for St. Julian Winery at the annual East Meets West Wine Challenge. At the competition, the 2020 Braganini Reserve Mountain Road Estate Riesling earned Best of Show, Best of Class, and the top honor in the Riesling Challenge.
In addition, the 2020 Braganini Reserve Mountain Road Estate Riesling continues to gain national recognition. Recently, the wine earned Double Gold at both the Tasters Guild Competition and the Harvest Challenge. At the same time, it received a Gold medal at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.
Notably, the fruit for this award-winning Riesling comes from St. Julian’s Mountain Road Estate Vineyard in Coloma. Established in 2007, the 22-acre vineyard produces premium fruit for small-batch wines. Today, the site grows seven vinifera varietals, including Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Sangiovese. As a result, winemakers use this fruit for estate-bottled Braganini Reserve wines and Winemaker Series blends. In 2021 alone, the vineyard yielded 70 tons of premium fruit.
“Our Mountain Road Estate Vineyard consistently produces exceptional fruit,” says Sarah Braganini, owner and manager of the vineyard. “Because of that, our winemaking team continues to demonstrate its skill. We are honored, in turn, to receive awards that celebrate this remarkable wine.”
Meanwhile, St. Julian also earned additional Best of Class honors. Specifically, judges recognized the 2020 Winemaker Series Harvest Select Gewürztraminer/Riesling and Sweet Nancie, the winery’s popular sweet sparkling wine named after Vice President of Winemaking Nancie Oxley.
Beyond that, Sweet Nancie earned further recognition at major competitions. For example, the wine received Best of Class, Best of Lake Michigan Shore AVA, and Double Gold at the Harvest “Terroir” Challenge. Importantly, this event remains the only competition to judge wines by American Viticultural Area. In addition, Sweet Nancie earned Double Gold at the Indy International Wine Competition.
Altogether, St. Julian added seven more medals to its portfolio. These honors included three Gold and four Silver medals across several wines.
“To see our wines recognized on a world stage is a tremendous honor,” says Nancie Oxley, Head Winemaker at St. Julian Winery. “Ultimately, each medal reflects the dedication of our winemaking team. However, winning the Riesling Challenge stands out as our proudest achievement.” She adds, “Through this process, the 2020 Braganini Reserve Mountain Road Estate Riesling shows how we continue to refine and elevate our winemaking. I am incredibly proud of our team, from grape to glass.”
St. Julian’s 2022 medal winners include:
Best of Show and Riesling Challenge Winner
- 2020 Braganini Reserve Mountain Road Estate Riesling
Best of Class
- 2020 Braganini Reserve Mountain Road Estate Riesling
- 2020 Winemaker Series Harvest Select Gewürztraminer/Riesling
- Sweet Nancie
Gold
- 2020 Braganini Reserve Lake Harvest Vignoles
- 2021 Braganini Reserve Mountain Road Estate Rosé
- 2020 Braganini Reserve Traminette
Silver
- 2017 Braganini Reserve Meritage
- 2020 Braganini Reserve Pinot Noir
- 2020 Winemaker Series Albariño/Gewürztraminer
- 2018 Winemaker Series Double Barrel Merlot
Finally, founded in 1975, the East Meets West Wine Challenge ranks among the nation’s longest-running wine competitions. Each year, the event evaluates wines in two divisions: the International Eastern Wine Competition and the West Coast Wine Competition. Afterward, judges award medals in each division before advancing Best of Show winners to the East Meets West Taste Off, where one wine earns overall top honors.
