Three Leelanau County wineries took home best of class top awards at the 2024 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, including Amoritas Vineyards for its 2020 Pinot Blanc, Aurora Cellars for its 2022 Sauvignon Blanc, and Verterra Cellars for its 2022 Pinot Grigio. The competition is one of the largest in the world and features more than 50 judges analyzing 5,700 wines from 31 states as well as Mexico and Canada.
Amoritas, one of the three wineries that won best of class, submitted four wines in total. The three other medals they earned were for double gold, silver, and a bronze. Of the thousands of entries submitted this year, a total of 19 Michigan wineries competed in the annual contest.
“The fact that three wineries within a five-mile radius took home best of class awards at America’s biggest wine competition says a lot about the quality of our terroir,” said Emily Goodell, Amoritas Vineyards co-owner and head viticulturist in a press release. “But it takes more than just a good climate and complimentary soil structure, exceptional winemaking requires exceptional wine makers, and these impressive awards simply tell the rest of the country what we’ve known for years. Leelanau County is one of the best wine-producing regions in the world.”
