TEMECULA, Calif., July 21, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For the second year in a row, a winery from the Temecula Valley was judged the best in the state at the California State Fair.
South Coast Winery, which opened its doors just six years ago, again won the fair's Golden Bear Winery trophy, which goes to the winery that wins the most medals and awards at the prestigious wine competition. South Coast beat out more than 600 other wineries to capture the trophy, which in the past has gone to such well-known wineries as Kendall-Jackson and Geyser Peak.
"With this back-to-back win, South Coast Winery continues to demonstrate to the world that Southern California's Temecula Valley is a quality, award-winning wine region," states Jim Carter, owner/vintner of South Coast Winery Resort & Spa. "While I am personally pleased with our performance, this win is not just for South Coast Winery. We are proud to share this prestigious accomplishment and the attention with the entire region."
Other Temecula Valley wineries that won gold medals and best of class awards at the California State Fair included Wiens Family Cellars, Maurice Car'rie Vineyard and Winery and Falkner Winery. Altogether, Temecula Valley wineries brought home 7 golds, 29 silver, and 15 bronze medals from the state fair.
"South Coast and the other award-winning wineries have brought their wines to a new generation of connoisseurs who have established Temecula Valley Southern California Wine Country as the new face for California wines," said Maryann Edwards, Temecula mayor. "The city of Temecula congratulates South Coast and all the wineries for bringing this well deserved honor back to Temecula Wine Country."
Temecula Valley Southern California Wine Country is a significant contributor to the region's tourism economy, which exceeds $600 million a year and is responsible for thousands of jobs.
South Coast and the other medal winning wineries also have helped to solidify the area's reputation as a premiere winemaking region and tourist destination, said Denis Ferguson, chairman of board of directors for the Temecula Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau. "I applaud them all," he said.
The Temecula Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau, formed four years ago, is a non-profit organization whose mission is to stimulate economic growth and tourism by promoting the Temecula Valley as a premiere destination to meeting planners, tour operators and leisure travelers. The bureau is the first in Inland Southern California to use marketing assessment fees rather than taxpayer money to market the region.