Fresno State Wines Win Again: Prestigious Southern Cal Fairs

California State University, Fresno's enology program continues to rack up top honors taking home gold medals recently at two of California's leading wine competitions - the 25th Annual Orange County Fair Commercial Wine Competition and the Los Angeles County Fair Wines of the Americas Competition.

In all, five Fresno State wines won top awards at the prestigious Southern California competitions including a gold medal for the 1999 Syrah at the Orange County Fair, which opened Friday (July 13), and a gold medal for the 1999 Barbera at the Los Angeles County Fair, which runs in September.

Results were announced this week by Dr. Robert Wample, chair of the university's Viticulture and Enology Department and director of the Viticulture and Enology Research Center. The program is now awaiting announcement of the results of the California State Fair in Sacramento, expected to be released later this month.

Five medals from the Orange County Fair, which runs through July 29 in Costa Mesa, include a gold medal for the 1999 California Syrah John Diener Vineyard (13.75% alcohol); a silver medal for the 1999 California Syrah John Diener Vineyard (14.35% alcohol); a silver medal for the 1999 Barbera Linden Hills Vineyard; and two bronze medals for the 1999 California Syrah Saviez Farms and the 1999 California Classic Chardonnay.

At the Los Angeles County Fair, which opens on Sept. 7 in Pomona, the 1999 Barbera Linden Hills Vineyard received a gold medal. The award-winning wines are available to the public at both fairs.

Fresno State winemaster Kenneth Fugelsang said both competitions use veteran judges with many years of tasting experience. See the full story at www.fresnostatenews.com as well as links to the Orange County Fairs, the Los Angeles County Fair and the Department of Viticulture and Enology.