Annual event showcases best wines in the state

FRANKFORT (Nov. 16, 2021) – Two wineries took home top honors in the ninth annual Kentucky Commonwealth Commercial Wine Competition and Commissioner’s Cup on Nov. 13 at the University of Kentucky South Farm in Lexington. Talon Winery, with locations in Lexington and Shelbyville, and Wight-Meyer Vineyard & Winery, of Shepherdsville, combined to take home all five of the Commissioner’s Cup awards.

“Congratulations to all of the Kentucky wines taking home prizes in the annual competition,” Commissioner of Agriculture Dr. Ryan Quarles said. “This year’s competition demonstrates how Kentucky wines continue to grow in quality and appreciation.”

The 2021 Commissioner’s Cup awards went to:
• Best Red: Talon Winery, Lexington and Shelbyville, Crimson Cabernet
• Best White: Talon Winery, Lexington and Shelbyville, Sweet Evening Breeze (Chardonel and Vidal Blanc)
• Best Rosé: Wight-Meyer Vineyard & Winery, Shepherdsville, Chambourcin Rosé
• Best Sweet/Dessert/Fruit: Wight-Meyer Vineyard & Winery, Shepherdsville, Amy’s Apple Pie
• Best Boutique: Wight-Meyer Vineyard & Winery, Shepherdsville, Four Horsemen (Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Carménère, Alicante Bouschet)

This year’s awards for Wight-Meyer Vineyard and Winery gives them a total of eight Commissioner’s Cups, the most in the history of the competition. Talon Winery, which won two awards this year, received a Commissioner Cup award in last year’s competition, as well.

This year’s competition included 162 entries from 18 wineries. Purple Toad Winery, out of Paducah, won the most medals at 29 and Prodigy Vineyards and Winery, out of Frankfort, received the second most medals at 22.

The wines were judged by six wine professionals from Kentucky, making up two panels for the competition. The judges also awarded medals in the 2021 Kentucky Commonwealth Commercial Wine Competition including three concordance golds, meaning every judge in a panel individually awarded the wine a gold medal before deciding on an overall medal; 10 gold; 31 silver and 71 bronze.

The Kentucky Commonwealth Commercial Wine Competition and Commissioner’s Cup is held annually to promote Kentucky’s grape and wine industry and to recognize the best wines produced in the state each year. Wines are judged blind based on individual merit. In order to be eligible for the Commissioner’s Cup, a wine must be awarded a gold medal in the Kentucky Commonwealth Commercial Wine Competition and produced from a minimum of 75 percent Kentucky-grown fruit.

The home of the first commercial vineyard in the United States, Kentucky today boasts more than 75 wineries. A study commissioned by the Kentucky Grape and Wine Council found that Kentucky’s grape and wine industry generated $165.3 million in economic activity and 1,247 jobs with a total estimated payroll of $37.2 million in 2014. Approximately 216,000 people visited Kentucky wineries in 2014, the study found.

To help consumers discover the diverse tasting and tap rooms across the state, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture released a new version of its popular guide to the commonwealth’s wineries and craft breweries. Explore all the state has to offer with the free Drink KY® website and app. You can view locations in map or list format and earn rewards for your visits.

For more information about Kentucky’s grape and wine industry or to chart your own journey, go to the Department’s official interactive experience at https://www.drink-ky.com/.

For a complete list of winners and medalists in the 2021 Kentucky Commonwealth Commercial Wine Competition and Commissioner’s Cup, go to competition.kentuckywine.com.