PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release
December 1, 2008
Camaraderie Cellars has just been awarded a prestigious Jefferson Cup for the winery’s 2005 Elegance wine at the 2008 Jefferson Cup Invitational Competition. The competition, unlike many others, is by invitation only. Doug Frost, one of only three individuals in the world to hold both Master Sommelier and Master of Wine degrees, has organized a competition in the spirit of President Thomas Jefferson’s passion for wine and to bring deserving recognition to America’s wide range of wine regions and styles.
Approximately seven hundred wines were preselected for evaluation, all “… extremely deserving of the nation’s attention”, according to Frost. Of these, only seventeen were awarded the rare Jefferson Cup. Camaraderie’s Elegance, a Bordeaux-style blend of all five traditional Bordeaux varieties from the Meek Family Vineyard in Yakima Valley, was the only wine from Washington State to be so honored.
The competition does not award golds, silvers and the like. Rather, the invited wines that have all proven excellence in other venues are ranked as “wines of American Merit,” wines that are “American Examples of Greatness,” and wines that are Jefferson cup nominees. The top category is the prestigious Jefferson Cup.
Camaraderie Cellars’ other wine submissions also were recognized to be among the best in the United States. Both the 2005 Syrah and 2006 Tempranillo were awarded “Jefferson Cup Nominees,” the Cabernet Franc was designated a “Great Wine,” and the Merlot, Grace and Cabernet Sauvignon also showed well with recognition as among the best of their region and variety with “Certificates of American Merit.”
Don Corson, Camaraderie’s winemaker and partner commented upon news of these awards, “We work very hard to craft wines that are excellent by any standard and to have our wines recognized across the board for their high quality is a wonderful validation of both our hard work and vineyard partners who are as quality minded as we are.”
Camaraderie Cellars, located in Port Angeles, has consistently received recognition for award-winning wines since the winery was established in 1992. Don Corson has served on the Washington Wine Commission and currently serves on the board of the Washington Wine Institute. Visitors to the winery find a beautiful garden setting and warm hospitality.
For info on the Jefferson Cup: www.jeffersoncupinvitational.com