Creekside Vineyard Winery, while artisan in size, has proved its excellence in the 2014 Illinois Wine and MidAmerican Wine Competitions. In July both competitions release their results, and Creekside Vineyards earned high marks along wineries much older and larger than itself in the state and across the Midwest region. In the annual Illinois Wine Competition held at Lincoln land Community College in Springfield, Illinois, and in the Eighth Annual Mid-American Wine Competition held at the Des Moines Area Community College campus in Ankeny, Iowa, Creekside Vineyards Winery was awarded the following medals:
WINE NAME VARIETAL MIDAMERICAN IL WINE
Crooked Owl Corot Noir Gold Double Gold
Crooked Owl Corot Noir Silver: Food Pairing Grilled Sirloin Steak
First Kiss Marechal Foch Gold
Sundaze Seyval Blanc Gold Double Gold
Sundaze Seyval Blanc Gold: Food Pairing Baked Trout
Sweet Retreat Vignoles (*sweepstakes nominee*) Gold* Silver
"The quality of Midwestern wines continues to improve," said Bob Foster, Director of the Mid-American Wine Competition (MAWC). These are high quality wines that wine lovers should seek out and try." The MidAmerican competition was held July 11-13 and included wines from 15 Midwestern states. Professional wine judges from throughout the United States awarded 100 Gold medals, 171 Silver medals, and 132 Bronze medals. Full results can be found at www.midamericanwine.org. "This marks the eighth consecutive year of the MAWC and we have had the distinction of watching the local wine industry develop into a great representation of our region," said Chief Judge Doug Frost of Kansas City. "The wine industry throughout the Midwest has evolved into tourist destinations, where wine enthusiasts visit local wineries. This helps the local economy and area wine industry."
The Illinois Wine Competition was held June 16-18 and included 171 amateur entries and 257 commercial entries from across the state. Creekside Vineyards was one of six wineries in the state to receive multiple Double Gold medals. The competition is sponsored by the Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association. Full results can be found at www.illinoiswine.com. Bradley Beam, the Illinois state enologist and organizer of the contest, said, "The primary goal of this competition is to recognize the many outstanding wines produced in the state of Illinois. The number of medals awarded this year indicates that we, as an industry, are maintaining a very high degree of quality."
Creekside Vineyards, in 2013 producing its fourth vintage on an artisan scale, is relatively new to the Illinois wine scene and uses predominately Illinois grapes from its own vineyard and other local partners. Winemaker John Mital has practiced viticulture and enology for over 10 years, beginning in Missouri and then relocating with his wife and son to his roots in the Quad Cities. John's parents, Don and Bev, own and operate Creekside Vineyards Inn. Creekside Vineyards Winery is located on Highway 67 in Preemption, IL; its vineyards, bed and breakfast, and outdoor Wine Terrace are located at 7505 120th Avenue Coal Valley, IL. Creekside Vineyards also offers its wines at select Quad City IL retailers; to learn more, visit www.creeksidevineyards.com or call 309-787-WINE. "We hope these results help spread the word that the Midwest produces many fines," comments owner and Marketing Director Jennifer Mital. "We are honored to play a role in this industry and take pride in playing a part in its growth and future success. The best part of the day is knowing our wines and venues add enjoyment to people's lives. One doesn't have to travel far to find a fine bottle of wine or the beautiful vineyard from which the grapes are grown."
