Awards Announcement – 2022 Palmetto Wine Competition

The 2022 Palmetto Wine Competition was judged May 7th at The Belmont Inn in historic Abbeville, South Carolina. The Palmetto Wine Competition serves to increase exposure for commercially licensed wineries in South Carolina.

The event is made possible by our generous and supportive sponsors, Van in Black, Bristow Beverage Law, and the Belmont Inn.

Van in Black and Greenville Wine Tours are your go to luxurious and coolest tour provider for winery, meadery, cidery, and brewery tours! Ride in style with your friends for amazing fun tours as the Van in Black safely handles your transportation needs!

Brook at Bristow Beverage Law is the go to beverage attorney in South Carolina! Bristow Beverage Law will keep you in compliance and assist in protecting your intellectual property. Brook Bristow truly cares for the local beverage industry. It’s not just a law practice, it’s a full on extraordinary passion at Bristow Beverage Law!

The charming Belmont Inn located on the brick paved square of historic Abbeville, South Carolina serves as the home to the Palmetto Wine Competition. We encourage you to stay for a long weekend at the Belmont Inn and fall in love with this well preserved slice of South Carolina history!

Without doubt this year we sat our most qualified and discerning panel of judges. They were tough on our 63 entries, really focusing in on the characteristics of each wine. The judges included two American Wine Society certified judges each with previous experience judging Wines of the South and Asheville Wine Competition. Two WSET Level 2 judges who work at a prominent North Carolina winery. The proprietor and the manager of Bond Street Wines in Spartanburg. Finally, two regional wine experts with years of experience judging the Palmetto Wine Competition.

Our Best-in-Show winner this year is a truly an unique wine. This wine produced from a French-American hybrid grape created at the University of Minnesota for cold-hardy growth. The juice was purchased from New York and this small batch is the first of this varietal commercially produced in South Carolina.

Best in Show and Double Gold: La Crescent – South Bend Winery, Greenwood

Best Estate Grown Wine: Lily White – Wellborn Winery, Travelers Rest

Our Prestigious Palmetto Signature Half-Case awards the top six scoring wines produced from fruit one-hundred percent grown in South Carolina. This award celebrates South Carolina’s local wineries and farmers!

Prestigious Palmetto Signature Half Case:

Scuppernong – Elevation 966 Winery, Greenville

Harvest White (Muscadine) – Island Winery, Hilton Head Island

Lily White (Chardonel) – Wellborn Winery, Travelers Rest

Magnolia (Scuppernong) – Deep Water Vineyard, Wadmalaw Island

Carlos (Muscadine) – Enoree River Winery, Newberry

Single Vineyard Dry Chambourcin – Cityscape Winery, Pelzer

Best Cider: Lemon Ginger – Fat Ass Heifer Cidery, Campobello

Best Mead: Mead with Sour Cherry – Bee-Town Mead and Cider, Bluffton

Best Fruit Wine: Blackberry – Enoree River Winery, Newberry

Best Muscadine: Magnolia (Scuppernong) – Deep Water Vineyards, Wadmalaw Island (Charleston)

Best Vinifera: Petite Sirah Reserve – Cityscape Winery, Pelzer

Gold Medal Winners: Peggy’s Chocolate Cherry Decadence – Old Rock Quarry Winery, Enoree

Lemon Ginger Cider – Fat Ass Heifer Cidery, Campobello

Winemaker’s Reserve Petite Sirah – Cityscape Winery, Pelzer

Guava Chipotle Cider – Ships Wheel Hard Cider, North Charleston

Mead with Sour Cherry – Bee-Town Mead and Cider, Bluffton

Silver Medal Winners:

Coffee Delight – Cityscape Winery, Pelzer

Rosé Cider – Ships Wheel Hard Cider, Pelzer

Pineapple Cider – Elevation 966 Winery, Greenville

Lily White – Wellborn Winery, Travelers Rest

Magnolia (Scuppernong) – Deep Water Vineyard, Wadmalaw Island

Carlos – Enoree River Winery, Newberry

Single Vineyard Dry Chambourcin – Cityscape Winery, Pelzer

Black Spanish – Enoree River Winery, Newberry

Harvest White – Island Winery, Hilton Head Island

Apricot Honey Wine – Island Winery, Hilton Head Island

Mitchell (Muscadine) – Elevation 966 Winery, Greenville

Raspberry White Zin – Cityscape Winery, Pelzer

Crazy ‘bout Caramel – Old Rock Quarry Winery, Pelzer

Primitive – Wellborn Winery, Travelers Rest

Gamay Noir – Old Rock Quarry Winery, Enoree

Blackberry – Enoree River Winery, Newberry

Just Peachy – Cartersville Country Winery, Timmonsville

Pomegranate Pinot Noir – Cityscape Winery, Pelzer

Purist – Bears Bluff Meadery @ Deep Water Vineyard, Wadmalaw Island

White Muscadine – Cityscape Winery, Pelzer

Pinot Noir – Elevation 966 Winery, Greenville

Oasis – Bears Bluff Meadery @ Deep Water Vineyard, Wadmalaw Island

Blackberry Breeze – Wellborn Winery, Travelers Rest

Scuppernong – Elevation 966 Winery, Greenville

Bronze Medal Winners:

Mead with Fig & Creamsicle – Bee-Town Mead and Cider, Bluffton

Red Clay Rosé – Wellborn Winery, Travelers Rest

Pomegranate – South Bend Winery, Greenwood

Upstate Blush – Cityscape Winery, Pelzer

Mead with Wild Blueberry Whiskey Barrel Conditioned – Bee-Town Mead and Cider, Bluffton

Sangiovese – Island Winery, Hilton Head Island

Pumpkin Potion – Old Rock Quarry Winery, Enoree

Sea Island White – Island Winery, Hilton Head Island

Maggie May – Enoree River Winery, Newberry

Raspea – Old Rock Quarry Winery, Enoree

Perfectly Peach – South Bend Winery, Greenwood

Mush Creek Mead – Wellborn Winery, Travelers Rest

Hopped Cider – Elevation 966 Winery, Greenville

Dry Hopped Cider – Ships Wheel Hard Cider, North Charleston

Apple Pie Riesling – South Bend Winery, Greenwood

Pomegranate – Cartersville Country Winery, Timmonsville

Sea Island Red – Deep Water Vineyard, Wadmalaw Island

Cabernet Sauvignon – South Bend Winery, Greenwood

Zinfandel – Elevation 966 Winery, Greenville

Wolf Moon – Enoree River Winery, Newberry

Winter Blues – Deep Water Vineyard, Wadmalaw Island

Berry Berry Licous – Enoree River Winery, Newberry

Marquette – South Bend Winery, Greenwood

Blackberry Merlot – Cityscape Winery, Pelzer

Chardonnay – South Bend Winery, Greenwood

Bourbon Barrel Merlot – Old Rock Quarry Winery, Enoree

Fortitude- Bears Bluff Meadery @ Deep Water Vineyard, Wadmalaw Island

Rum Barrel Gold – Ships Wheel Hard Cider, North Charleston

Horned E Heifer – Fat Ass Heifer Cidery, Campobello

It remains our pleasure to organize and host the Palmetto Wine Competition. We applaud all award-winners in the 2022 Palmetto Wine Competition.

Cheers to South Carolina wine!