The judging for the 2020 Edition of the Houston Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition was held November 16th and 17th, 2019, at NRG Center. This year’s international event had 3,528 entries from 19 countries, including France, Spain, Bulgaria, Italy, Israel, Argentina, and South Africa. Teams of experienced judges came to Houston to judges these wines with independent tabulation under controlled secret means provide a wide range of winners. Medals were awarded based solely on the quality of the wines for a variety of reds, whites, roses, sweets, blushes, and a number of grapes varietals within certain “price points” to keep expensive wines and moderately priced wines in a competitive manner. In some instances, Gold Medals were not awarded to certain categories because the wines were not at the GOLD Level. When the ENTIRE team of judges on the judging panel unanimously agree that a certain wine is a Gold Medal Wine, then the Judges on that judging team provide that exceptional wine a Double Gold Medal. Texas wineries earned 23 Double Gold Medals. There were 62 Gold Medals awarded to Texas Wines and 268 Silver Medals awarded to Texas Wineries. Texas Wines also earned 148 Bronze Medals for a grand total of 501 Medals earned by Texas Wineries.
“The 2020 Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition featured entries from wineries across the globe, with the Piper-Heidsieck Brut, Champagne, NV taking home the highest honor as our Grand Champion Best of Show,” said Joel Cowley, Rodeo president and CEO. “Look for these award-winning wines at retail locations and plan to enjoy a selection at the Champion Wine Garden during the 2020 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.” The Top Texas Wine was awarded to Bingham Family Vineyards Dugout Red, Texas High Plans, 2017. The Top Texas Winery was Becker Vineyards, earning a total of 33 Medals, including two Double Gold Medals and six Gold Medals.
A list of Texas Wineries earning medals at this 2020 Edition of Houston Rodeo Uncorked is provided below:
| HOUSTON RODEO UNCORKED 2020 RESULTS | |||||
| WINERY | DOUBLE GOLD | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE | TOTALS |
| 1836 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| AUGUSTA VIN WINERY | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 | |
| BECKER VINEYARDS | 2 | 6 | 14 | 11 | 33 |
| BERNHARDT WINERY | 1 | 4 | 2 | 7 | |
| BINGHAM FAMILY | 2 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 18 |
| BLUE EPIPHANY WINERY | 5 | 5 | |||
| BLUE LOTUS | 4 | 2 | 6 | ||
| BLUE MULE | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | |
| BOLEN VINEYARDS | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
| BRENNAN VINEYARDS | 1 | 6 | 4 | 11 | |
| BRUSHY CREEK | 2 | 2 | |||
| BURKLE HILL VINEYARDS | 1 | 6 | 1 | 8 | |
| CARTER CREEK | 2 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 13 |
| CAST IRON WINERY | 1 | 1 | |||
| CASSARO | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||
| CIRCADA CELLARS | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 | |
| CORK HOUSE WINERY | 2 | 2 | |||
| DRIFTWOOD ESTATE WINERY | 2 | 5 | 1 | 8 | |
| DRY COMAL CREEK VINEYARDS | 3 | 3 | 6 | ||
| DUCHMAN FAMILY WINERY | 1 | 4 | 3 | 8 | |
| ENGLISH NEWSOM | 1 | 7 | 1 | 9 | |
| ENOCH’S STOMP | 3 | 9 | 5 | 17 | |
| ERMA ROSE WINERY | 1 | 7 | 8 | ||
| FALL CREEK VINEYARDS | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | |
| FIESTA WINERY | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 | |
| FRASCONE WINERY | 1 | 1 | |||
| GAMBINO FAMILY ESTATE | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| GEORGETOWN WINERY | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | |
| HAAK VINEYARDS AND WINERY | 2 | 2 | 6 | 10 | |
| HOUSTON WINERY | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||
| HYE MEADOW WINERY | 1 | 2 | 6 | 9 | |
| KFIRE WINERY | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||
| KIEPERSOL WINERY | 1 | 3 | 4 | ||
| KUHLMAN CELLARS | 4 | 2 | 6 | ||
| LAVACA BLUFFS VINEYARD AND WINERY | 1 | 1 | |||
| LEGATO | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||
| LLANO ESTACADO | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 9 |
| LOCATIONS TX | 1 | 1 | |||
| LONGHORN CELLARS | 3 | 8 | 4 | 15 | |
| LOS PINOS RANCH VINEYARDS | 1 | 1 | 5 | 7 | |
| LOST DRAW CELLARS | 7 | 7 | |||
| MCPHERSON CELLARS | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | |
| MENDELBAUM CELLARS | 2 | 2 | |||
| MESSINA HOFF WINERY | 1 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 12 |
| MYSTIC WINERY | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||
| NICE WINERY | 4 | 13 | 6 | 23 | |
| O G CELLARS | 2 | 2 | |||
| OLD MAN SCARY CELLARS | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | |
| PEACH CREEK VINEYARDS | 1 | 1 | |||
| PEDERNALES CELLARS | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | |
| PERISSOS VINEYARDS AND WINERY | 1 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 9 |
| PILLAR BLUFF | 5 | 5 | |||
| PIPERS CREEK VINEYARD | 3 | 3 | |||
| PLEASANT HILL WINERY | 1 | 1 | |||
| PONTOTOC VINEYARD | 1 | 1 | |||
| RED 55 WINERY | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||
| RED CABOOSE WINERY | 2 | 3 | 5 | ||
| RED HOUSE WINERY | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||
| REDDY VINEYARDS | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| RLV | 1 | 8 | 1 | 10 | |
| RON YATES | 4 | 2 | 6 | ||
| SADDLEHORN WINERY | 1 | 4 | 4 | 9 | |
| SALT LICK CELLARS | 2 | 2 | |||
| SILVER SPUR VINEYARDS | 1 | 1 | |||
| SINGING WATER VINEYARDS | 4 | 3 | 7 | ||
| SPICEWOOD VINEYARDS | 1 | 6 | 3 | 10 | |
| SPIRIT OF TEXAS IWNERY | 3 | 3 | |||
| STONE HOUSE WINERY | 1 | 1 | |||
| STONELEDGE WINERY | 3 | 1 | 4 | ||
| TESTAMENTO | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| TEXAS HERITAGE VINEYARD | 1 | 6 | 5 | 12 | |
| TEXAS STAR WINERY | 3 | 2 | 5 | ||
| THE INFINITY MONKEY THEOREM | 1 | 1 | |||
| THIRTY MULE WINERY | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| THORN | 1 | 1 | |||
| THP | 1 | 1 | |||
| THRESHHOLD VINEYARDS | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| TOR NA LOCHS | 5 | 3 | 8 | ||
| WATSON | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | |
| WEDDING OAK WINERY | 1 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 15 |
| WHISTLING DUCK | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||
| WHITE FOX VINEYARDS | 1 | 1 | |||
| WHITLEY VINEYARDS | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||
| WILLIAM CHRIS WINERY | 3 | 4 | 7 | ||
| WINES OF DOTSON CERVANTS | 1 | 1 | |||
| YES WE CAN | 1 | 1 | |||
| TOTALS | 23 | 62 | 268 | 148 | 501 |
Texas wineries have come a long ways in getting to this level of quality. It’s our turn to show the world the quality that Texas Wines have become by asking for these winning wines in our stores and restaurants.
Llano Estacado Winery Viviano 2015
Wine Characteristics: This balanced red blend has great tannin structure with layers of mocha, dried cherries, and cedar. Double Gold Medal at Houston Rodeo Uncorked 2020.
Grapes: Blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Sangiovese, 6% Barbera, and 5% Merlot sourced from several Texas High Plains AVA vineyards including the Newsom and Reddy Vineyards
Pair with: Grilled Texas Ribeye Steak
Where to buy: HEB, Kroger’s and SPEC’s (most stores)
Price: $34.99 per bottle
