The Oregon wine industry made its mark among preeminent wine influencers this year at the TEXSOM International Wine Awards (TIWA). The producers of the annual TEXSOM conference, considered by many to be the most influential wine trade education conference in the U.S., are the force behind TEXSOM IWA.
At the beginning of October the OWB issued a call for wines on behalf of TIWA. For the second year in a row, the OWB offered complimentary shipping for any Oregon winery interested in submitting wines to increase Oregon’s representation. The 2020 results were announced on March 6 and, thanks to your efforts, award-winning Oregon wines increased from 170 in 2019 to 174 in 2020. Most notably, Gold awards of Oregon wines increased a staggering 140% this year with 24 awards compared to 10 last year. Coveted TIWA Gold medals were only awarded to 12% of wine submissions.
Entries were blind-tasted and judged by over 60 internationally renowned tastemakers, including 19 Master Sommeliers, 16 Masters of Wine, and other category experts. Of these entries, the judges awarded 2,065 medals: 327 Gold medals (12% of entries judged), 815 Silver medals (29%), and 927 Bronze medals (33%). Suggested retail pricing of medal-winning entries ranged from US $2.64 to over US $700.00. Vintages spanned decades, with the oldest being 1996.
Oregon highlights include:
- The rare gold medal was awarded to 24 Oregon wines (only 327 total given out) from 8 AVAs including: Applegate Valley, Chehalem Mountains, Dundee Hills, Eola-Amity Hills, McMinnville, Rogue Valley, Umpqua Valley and Willamette Valley
- 13 Oregon AVAs were represented by awarded wines
- Awards were given to Oregon wines made from Pinot noir and 18 other varieties
AVAs represented: Eola-Amity Hills, Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton, Ribbon Ridge, McMinnville, Chehalem Mountains, Applegate Valley, Umpqua Valley, Rogue Valley, Columbia Gorge, Walla Walla Valley, Oregon
Mark your calendar! The Oregon Wine Board will run the TEXSOM International Wine Awards Complimentary Shipping Program again beginning October 2020. Read 3 Reasons to Submit Your Wine to the TEXSOM International Wine Awards.
