On Monday, the California Mid-State Fair announced the winners of the 19th annual Central Coast Wine Competition, the Central Coast Spirits Competition, and the Central Coast Vinegar Competition. The blind-tasting event was held June 15-17 at the Paso Robles Event Center and is reportedly the largest wine competition on California's Central Coast.
This year's wine competition featured 94 wineries and 508 wine entries. The fair says the "Best of" wines are selected for their "varietal typicity, quality, and character." The wine competition named Pear Valley Vineyards the 2021 Winery of the Year, which is the Paso Robles winery's first Winery of the Year honor.
- Best of Show/Best of Red - Carol Shelton Wines, Santa Rosa, 2019 Coquille Rogue
- Best Dessert - Halter Ranch, Paso Robles, 2019 Vin De Paille
- Best Sparkling - Robert Hall, Paso Robles, 2019 Cavern Select Sparking Grenache Blanc
- Best Rose - Vina Robles Vineyards and Winery, Paso Robles, 2020 Rose Huerhuero Vineyard
- Best White - Bushong Vintage Company, Paso Robles, 2020 Spanish Castle Queen
The Central Coast Spirits Competition included 60 total classes with 13 companies and 35 total entries.
- Best of Show/Best of Class Whiskey - Stark Spirits, Pasadena, Peated Single Malt
- Best of Class Amaro - Pendray's Distillery, Templeton, Amaro
- Best of Class Gin - Tin City Distillery, Paso Robles, Classic Gin
- Best of Class Rye - Krobar Craft Distillery, Paso Robles, 100% Rye
- Best of Class Vodka - Azeo, Paso Robles, Vodka
The Central Coast Vinegar Competition included four different brands with 11 classes based on varieties and 11 total entries in the competition.
- Best of Show/Best of Class Barrel Aged - Kismet Refining Company, Escondido, Black Garlic Balsamic
- Best of Class Flavored - Kismet Refining Company, Escondido, Hibiscus
- Best of Class Infused - Broken Clock Vinegar Works, Solvang, Chardonnay and Lavender
- Best of Class Other Fruit - Aris Vinegar, Paso Robles, Pomegranate
These winning entries will be displayed during the 2021 California Mid-State Fair, which runs July 21 through Aug. 1. Full results for all three competitions can be found at centralcoastwinecomp.com.
