Keswick Vineyards Awarded Gold in China!

August 25, 2015

Keswick Vineyards Wins in China

Keswick Vineyards’ 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve has just been recognized with an important Gold medal at the biggest and most prestigious wine and spirits competition in China, the CWSA.

The heavyweight blind tasting held in Hong Kong resulted in Keswick Vineyards being rewarded alongside famous brands including Scotland’s HAIG CLUB (David Beckham and Simon Fuller); Australia’s Wolf Blass and Peter Lehmann; France’s Bernard Magrez and Les Grand Chais de France; Italy’s Feundo Arancio and Cantine San Marzano; New Zealand’s Saint Clair and Marisco; South Africa’s Distell and La Motte Wine Estate and Spain’s Williams and Humbert and Rioja Vega.   

“We are honored to have our 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon be recognized as a World Class wine amongst 35 participating countries. Virginia is making a name for itself not just in the USA but worldwide.  We are even more excited about the vintages that we are aging and have not released,” says owner of Keswick Vineyards, Al Schornberg.

Winemaker and Vineyard Manager, Stephen Barnard, adds, “This is in part a small validation that we are on the right track in realizing our dream of making world class Cabernet.  With Virginia not known as a Cabernet Sauvignon favorable climate and area, this international recognition is something we can all be proud of.  Having just bottled our 2013 Vintage, and while our 14 matures in barrel, we are confident those wines will continue the success of our wonderful 2010”. 

The CWSA Judges traveled from each corner of Hong Kong, China and Taiwan to attend the blind tasting, selected from the most prominent sommeliers, hoteliers, retailers, importers, and distributors from throughout the region. They are the country's leading buyers and are responsible for sales of 50 million bottles of wine and spirits per year.

CWSA Judges reported the standard of wines and spirits was the highest ever seen before.

 

NOTABLE KESWICK VINEYARDS CABERNET SAUVIGNON PAST AWARDS:

2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve

·         Gold/93 Points – 2014 San Francisco International Wine Competition

·         Gold – 2013 & 2015 Virginia Governor’s Cup

·         Gold – 2014 San Diego International Wine Competition

·         Gold – 2014 Indy International Wine Competition

2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve

·         Double Gold – 2012 San Francisco International Wine Competition

·         Gold – 2012 Virginia Governor’s Cup

2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve

·         2009 Governor’s Cup Winner & Gold Medal

For further images see link here: http://www.cwsa.org/medal-and-press-images/

Full results on http://www.cwsa.org/cwsa-2015-results/

 

For further information or interview, contact:

 

Stephen Barnard, Winemaker & Vineyard Manager

Keswick Vineyards

sbarnard@keswickvineyards.com

434-244-3341 x102

www.keswickvineyards.com

 

Jacqueline Rullman, Public Relations Manager

Keswick Vineyards

wineclub@keswickvineyards.com

434-244-3341 x104

www.keswickvineyards.com

Ryder/Ryder is Ready/Ready!

Traditionally here at Keswick Vineyards we have happy couples come to us excited and newly engaged. They take the typical one year journey into their planning process and leave on their big day as newlyweds beginning to embark on one of the greatest journeys of life. Our wedding this past weekend mixed up this routine with us and it was wildly refreshing. Sam and Trish had been married for years prior to coming to see us. Both of them being active duty in the military, they never fully had the opportunity to host their dream wedding…until recently! We’ve had this wedding on our calendar (with many different dates) for quite some time. Deployments and their duties for our country seemed to always push back their date further and further, but this year on August 15th they finally were able to come together and have the vow renewal they have long dreamed for.

It was truly a family affair. Sam’s father officiated the ceremony because…well…it was already official! The couple re-declared their love with sweeping mountain views and the sun shining. Their cousin serenaded guests with the violin and even their Aunt contributed in making absolutely delicious desserts to send the crowd home with a sugar high! It was a celebration we’ve been greatly looking forward to and are so happy to have shared with them. Congratulations (again) to Sam and Trish Ryder! Special thanks to the following vendors for making the day so memorable: Event Planner Keswick Vineyards, Caterer Harvest Moon Catering, Florist Flowers by Natalie, DJ Dennis Payne with Playback DJ, Hair and Make-up Ave 42, Photographer Rebecca Keeling Studios, Transportation Albemarle Limousine, tent lighting by Skyline Tent Company.

Stephanie and Greg Break Glass and Tie the Knot!

Congratulations to Stephanie and Greg who officially tied the knot at Keswick Vineyards on Saturday, August 8th, and rang in their marriage with the Jewish traditional of breaking a glass by stomping on it! Mazal Tov!  A humorous moment in their ceremony was when they both shared in sipping some wine from the same glass.  Stephanie went first so when it was Greg’s turn he made sure he finished all the wine.  Guests got a good chuckle when he did that. Never miss an opportunity to enjoy some good wine I guess!  Their wedding day was already off to a great start with beautiful skies and a perfectly breezy day. The couple, having been together for many years, has been fortunate enough to travel the world together. They made tribute to this by having their guest tables named after the places they had been. We couldn’t have agreed with them more when we saw that they had chosen Charlottesville for their head table! Dressed in rich navy linens and beautiful flowers by Hedge Fine Blooms their tables were stunning and fit right in with their French chic theme. Their head table looked like it was set for a staged photo shoot.  For an even more perfect touch they added bistro lighting underneath of the tent to have them dancing the night away “under the stars” (one of our favorite ways to dress the Sperry tent here at Keswick Vineyards!) We hope they continue to travel their way around the world and one day make their way back here to where their marriage started with us soon!   

Thank you to the following vendors:  Caterer & Day Of Coordinator Roadside Chive, DJ Andy Wilfong of Party Masters, Musician Peter Richardson, Paul Hariston Cinematography, Hedge Fine Blooms, Carpe Donut, UTS Charter Bus Services, Skyline Tent Company, Hair & Make-up by Brianna Adams and Officiants Samantha Pelstring & Sully Carter.  

Anna and Hutton's Wedding Day!

When Anna first came to Keswick Vineyards for a tour of the property, she knew immediately that this was the venue for them.   We had a Saturday available in 2015 but it was only 4 ½ months away.  Would she be able to organize a wedding within that time frame????  Of course, and she did!  On Saturday, August 1st, Anna & Hutton were married and everything was just perfect!  This just shows you that you don’t need a year or longer to pull off an exceptional wedding. Anna & Hutton arrived early at Keswick Vineyards to get ready for their ceremony which was off site at a local church.  After the ceremony, guests enjoyed themselves on the East lawn of Edgewood Estate while sipping some award winning wines and appetizers.  Corn hole games were also available for guests to enjoy while the couple got their portraits taken. Once cocktail hour was over, guests found their seat under the Sperry tent and enjoyed a delicious buffet dinner prepared by Southern Inn Catering.  I love how Anna used an old window pane to display the menu.  She put burlap cloth behind the glass so the writing would stand out more.  Great idea!  She also had for centerpieces bouquets of the same flower in mason jars with a ribbon tied around them.  Very simple yet elegant.  Besides a delicious dinner, guests enjoyed some homemade desserts and danced the night away. This wedding had the best ending that I have seen in 5 years.  For the last song, DJ Frank Smith played “Lean On Me”.  Just as the song started everyone, and I mean everyone, formed a giant circle around the dance floor and put their arms around each other and sang along with the music.  Towards the end Anna & Hutton danced in the middle of the circle joined by their parents creating an inner circle.  It was just such a beautiful way to close out the evening.  And then when that song was over, everyone broke out into singing the UVA fight song.  This was one of those weddings that you could just feel the closeness and love of everyone there. 

Special thanks to the following vendors for doing such a fantastic job:  Southern Inn Catering, DJ Frank Smith with Primetime Sound, Felisa Needham Photography, Videography by Solokoo Productions, Wedding Planner Megan McConnell and transportation by Albemarle Limousine.