Texas Wineries Win Big at Houston Rodeo Uncorked
Texas Wineries earned 602 Medals at the recent Blind Judging of the Houston Rodeo Uncorked International Wine Competition held at the NRG Center. There were 2,985 entries from 22 countries with Texas representing 18% of those entries that were judged blindly by multiple panels of judges during the weekend of November 10th-12th, 2023. These wines were judged blindly with rigid procedures to ensure the wines were being tasted and judged without any hint of which wines were being evaluated. Wines are poured in one room in numbered glasses placed on carts which are taken by a different person to the Judges in various rooms so nobody knows what they are tasting. The Judges tally their scores individually which are then provided to an independent auditing firm to tally the results. The results were then converted from numbers to the names of the wineries and the respective wine so complete anonymity is provided in establishing the result.
The Houston Rodeo Uncorked 2024 Grand Champion Wine was Beau Joie Brut Champagne NV with the Reserve Grand Champion being Smith-Madrone Riesling Spring Mountain District (2018).
The 2024 Rodeo Uncorked Champions will be featured at Houston Rodeo Uncorked Events in 2024, hence they are called the 2024 Champions. BEST BITES will be held on February 18, 2024, Wine Dinner and Auction on February 25, 2024, and featured daily in the Champion Wine Gardens during the 2024 Houston Rodeo. The top Texas Wines at the 2023 wine judging included:
• Top Texas Wine – Meirstone Vineyards The Airship Red, 2021 from the Texas High Plains.
• Top White Wine – Perrissos Vineyards Winemaker’s Reserve Pape Blanc 2022 form High Plains
• Top All Around Winery – Nice Winery of Houston earning 45 medals
• Top Texas Winery – Becker Vineyards earning 22 medals
By the way, Texas Wineries earned a total of 19 Double Gold Medals, 71 Gold Medals, 376 Silver Medals, and 176 Bronze Medals. The judged quality of Texas wines is definitely improving as the Texas Wine Industry ages, becoming more knowledgeable and quality oriented. A rundown on wins by Texas wineries is provided below:
WINERY DOUBLE GOLD GOLD SILVER BRONZE TOTAL
1836 WINERY 1 1
4R RANCH VINEYARDS 1 1 2
AB ASTRIS WINERY 3 10 3 16
ADEGA WINERY 1 3 5 9
ARCHE WINERY 4 4
ARROWHEAD CREEK VINEYARDS 1 3 4
AUGUSTA VIN 1 3 1 5
AWI WINERY 4 1 5
BARONS CREEK VINEYARDS 2 9 1 12
BECKER VINEYARDS 2 4 13 3 22
BENDING BRANCH WINERY 5 4 9
BENT OAK WINERY 1 5 1 7
BERNHARDT WINERY 1 3 1 5
BINGHAM FAMILY VINEYARDS 1 7 2 10
BLUE LOTUS WINERY 1 1 2
BRENNAN VINEYARDS 1 3 4
BRIAR CREEK VINEYARDS 1 1
BULL LION VINEYARDS 2 3 5
BUSTED OAKS CELLARS 1 1 4 3 9
CARTER CREEK FAMILY WINERY 4 3 1 8
CASSARO WINERY 2 1 3
CEDAR HOLLOW WINERY 1 4 2 7
CHISOLM CELLARS 3 3
DECANT URBAN WINERY 1 1 1 3
DRIFTWOOD ESTATE EINERY 1 2 7 1 11
DRY COMAL CREEK VINEYARDS 4 4
DUCHMAN FAMILY WINERY 1 2 3
EDGE OF THE LAKE WINERY 3 1 4
ENGLISH NEWSOM WINERY 1 5 3 9
FALL CREEK VINEYARDS 4 2 6
FIESTA WINERY 7 6 13
FLAT CREEK ESTATE 1 3 4
FOUR I’S WINERY 2 1 3
FRIO CANYON VINEYARD 3 3 6
GRAPE GROWERS 2 2
GROWER PROJECT 1 1 2
HAAK VINEYARDS AND WINERY 1 3 7 4 15
HIDDEN HANGAR VINEYARDS 3 3 6
HILMY CELLARS 6 1 7
HYE MEADOW WINERY 7 1 8
KAI-SIMONE WINERY 1 2 3
KERRVILLE HILLS WINERY 3 1 4
KFIRE WINERY 1 1
KIEPERSOL WINERY 1 5 6
KLENK FAMILY VINEYARDS 1 1
LEGATOR WINERY 1 2 3
LLANO CELLARS WINERY 1 3 19 4 27
LONGHORN CELLARS 1 3 1 5
LOS PINOS RANCH VINEYARDS 1 1 2
LOST DRAW CELLARS 3 1 4
MAJEK CELLARS 1 1 1 3
MCPHERSON CELLARS 1 3 4
MEIERSTONE VINEYARDS 1 1 2 4
MESSINA HOF WINERY 2 15 13 30
MIDDLE OAK WINES 2 1 4 7
NICE WINERY 2 9 30 4 45
PARR VINEYARDS 3 1 4
PEDERNALES CELLARS 3 5 8
PERISSOS VINEYARDS 1 10 11
PETERS PRAIRIE VINEYARD 2 2 1 5
PONTOTOC VINEYARD 1 3 1 5
PORTEE CELLARS 1 2 5 8
RED ROAD VINEYARD 2 1 3
RHINORY 5 1 6
RISING SUN VINEYARD 1 2 3
RIVENBURGH WINE 1 1 2
RON YATES VINEYARDS 8 3 11
ROWDY CREEK RANCH 1 3 5 9
SABLE GATE WINERY 2 1 3
SANDY ROAD VINEYARDS 3 3 6
SAUVIGNON JOHN WINERY 1 1 2
SKELTON KEY 1 1 2
SKIES OVER TEXAS 2 1 3
SLATE THEORY WINERY 1 4 3 8
SPICEWOOD VINEYARDS 6 4 10
STONELEDGE VINEYARDS 1 1 2
TEXAS HERITAGE VINEYARD 5 2 7
TEXAS HILLS VINEYARD 1 2 3
TEXAS STAR WINERY 2 2
THE CAUSE URBAN WINERY 2 1 3
THE EYES OF TEXAS 1 1 2
THE TRIPLE D WINERY 1 2 3
THIRSTY MULE WINERY 6 6
THRESHOLD VINEYARDS 2 1 3
TORR NA LOCHS ESTATES 4 1 5
TRIPLE N RANCH WINERY 1 4 2 7
TURTLE CREEK VINEYARDS 3 3
UNTAMED WINE ESTATES 1 3 2 6
VALLEY MILLS VINEYARDS 1 1 2
VIVIANO 1 1
WEDDING OAK WINERY 1 7 8
WHISKEY ROAD WINERY 2 2 4
WHISPER PATH CELLARS 2 2
WHISTLING DUCK VINEYARDS 3 3
WHITLEY VINEYARDS 4 4
WILDSEED VINEYARDS 1 2 1 4
WILLIAM CHRIS VINEYARDS 1 2 3
WINES OF DOTSON-CERVANTES 1 1 2
TOTALS 19 71 376 136 602
