Celebrate Oregon!

The Oregon State Fair once again played host to Celebration Oregon!, the awards ceremony and tasting event for the only all-Oregon wine competition in the Beaver State. Held opening night of the fair, Aug. 27, the evening paid tribute to award-winning professional Oregon wineries and wines — a culmination of the wine competition held in July.

At the ceremony, winners of the Best of Class and Best of Show awards were announced: Best of Show and Best of White: Phelps Creek Vineyards 2008 Chardonnay, Estate Reserve, Columbia Gorge; Best of Red: Stoller 2006 Pinot Noir, SV Estate, Dundee Hills.

In addition to attending the awards ceremony, wine lovers tasted more than 150 different award-winning Oregon wines, plus sampled gourmet delights by Oregon chefs. A silent auction was held benefiting the Agri-Business Council of Oregon’s “Keeping Ag Viable” program.

This year the professional wine competition judges tasted and scored 179 wines submitted by 51 wineries across Oregon. The competition awarded 125 gold, silver and bronze medals.

Professional Gold Medals: Amity Vineyards 2008 Pinot Blanc, Willamette Valley; Cana’s Feast Winery 2007 Sangiovese,â�¨Columbia Valley; Cana’s Feast Winery 2008 Counoise, Columbia Valley; Evergreen Vineyards 2008 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley; Firesteed Cellars 2008 Rosé of Pinot Noir, Estate; Phelps Creek Vineyards 2008 Chardonnay, Columbia Gorge; Shadow Mountains 2007 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley; Stoller 2007 Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills; Stoller 2006 Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills; Zerba Cellars 2007 Mourvedre, Columbia Valley.

A list of silver and bronze winners is available at www.oregonstatefair.org/competition/wine.