Press Releases
Kentucky winery takes prizes at Indy International
Purple Toad's Black Currant wine named Best of Class
For Immediate Release
Thursday, August 11, 2016
For more information contact:
Angela Blank
(502) 573-0450
FRANKFORT, Ky. — Purple Toad Winery of Paducah took home a coveted Best of Class award in Berry Fruit Wine for its Black Currant wine at the 2016 Indy International Wine Competition earlier this month.
“Kentucky wines are making their mark in competitions across the nation,” Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles said. “Kentucky wineries are growing in popularity as makers of excellent wines as well as entertainment venues. There’s still plenty of room for our grape and wine industry to grow, and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture stands ready to help our growers and winemakers in any way we can.”
With more than 2,000 entries from 13 countries and 36 states, the Indy International is the largest and one of the most respected individual competitions in the country. Purdue University hosts the annual event, which brings in some 50 professional wine judges from across the country to assess entries in 79 categories over two days.
“This truly is an international event,” said Tyler Madison, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Grape & Wine Marketing Program manager, “and the quality of wine submitted was outstanding. It’s very impressive when a wine is blindly selected by a panel of professionals as the best in a given class, and it really proves what we’re capable of producing in Kentucky.”
In addition to the Best of Class award, Purple Toad earned one double gold, four gold, six silver, and three bronze medals at the 2016 competition. Reid’s Livery Winery in Alvaton took home four medals: silvers for Diamond and Baco Noir as well as two bronze medals. Clark County’s newly established Hamon Haven Winery received a bronze medal for its Diamond.
To find out more about the KDA’s Grape & Wine Marketing Program, go to kyagr.com/marketing/grape-wine.html. For more information about Kentucky wineries, including an interactive map, go to kentuckywine.com.
