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For an unprecedented fourth consecutive year, Gray Ghost’s Adieu received both First Place and Best Dessert Wine honors in the annual “Best of the East” competition conducted by Vineyard and Winery Management Magazine, a national wine industry publication!
Al and Cheryl Kellert, owners and winemakers, were honored to accept the prestigious award presented by Richard Leahy, Program Director of Wineries Unlimited in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, March 8, 2007.
Each year, Vineyard and Winery Management Magazine honors the top ten scoring wines east of California. Rankings are based on the number of competitions a winery has won as well as what award the winery received (gold, silver, bronze).
Gray Ghost not only had the highest scoring dessert wine but also was awarded first place over-all because the 2005 Adieu won in more International and National wine competitions than any other winery east of California! Gray Ghost is the only Virginia winery to be named “Best of the East”. This announcement follows on the heels of four consecutive wins on Gray Ghost’s current release, the 2006 Adieu in international competition, including a Gold at California’s Grand Harvest Awards.
Because of the consistent and continuous success of Gray Ghost’s Adieu, Al Kellert was asked to speak at Vineyard and Winery Management Magazine’s annual Wineries Unlimited conference. Mr. Kellert was the only individual asked to discuss late harvest/botrytis winemaking, while joining two renowned Ice Wine winemakers from Canada and Ohio.
Kellert emphasized the importance of fruit quality in producing the Adieu. Botrytis (also known as “the noble rot”) infected the Vidal Blanc grapes that make this wine. The Vidal was allowed to hang seven weeks later than it would normally be harvested. This extended hanging allows the botrytis to overtake the clusters, thereby concentrating the grape sugars. The result is intensely sweet grapes with heightened fruit character and a highly concentrated dessert wine as a result.
“It was a tremendous honor to be asked to speak at Wineries Unlimited. Then, to receive the ‘Best of the East’ honors for the fourth consecutive year was overwhelming! We continue to take a great deal of pride in our commitment to quality at Gray Ghost and the resulting international attention it has brought Virginia wines”, commented Al Kellert.
To celebrate the Adieu’s success, Gray Ghost will continue to offer complimentary tasting of this limited production wine from now through the end of May!
Gray Ghost Winery is located at 14706 Lee Highway in Amissville and can be contacted at (540) 937-4869.
The tasting room is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday
from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.
www.grayghostvineyards.com
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