Wine Competitions and Marketing!

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!

JenNis Beverage Marketing

Who is JenNis Beverage Marketing?

We are a full pour creative team whose strength is providing solutions for generating organic and dynamic exposure for our partnering brands.

Our unique, specialized, branded competitions are designed to generate a tool for our participating wineries to create an organic marketing campaign for their wines!

We are Dennis and Jenni Turner.

We provide brand exposure!

Dennis is certified at WSET Level 3 and a BJCP certified Hard Cider & Mead judge. Dennis serves as President for the French Broad Vignerons.

Jenni is a Board Member of the French Broad Vignerons, and our full-time creative marketing professional focusing on our several regional and national wine competitions.

We both are long-standing members of the French Broad Vignerons and both experienced wine competition judges. Together having judged the Asheville Wine Competition, the French Broad Vignerons Regional Wine Competition, The North Carolina Mead & Cider Competition, and the American Sangria Competition, among several other regional competitions. We are WSET certified and professionally trained in wine faults.

What we do?

We organize Unique Wine Competitions! We plan, organize, market, and direct specialty focused wine and beverage competitions with the optimal goal to create organic and dynamic exposure for our participating producers! Since 2016!

Award winning wines often experience an uptick in sales due to greater brand credibility and consumer trust! External validations of quality often sway consumer perception.

Our results guarantee increased exposure and recognition for your brand. We provide social media and influencer outreach for all winning wines! Increasing brand exposure and gaining influencer recognition is a proven plan to improving sales!

We evaluate and score wines. We will, with the assistance of highly qualified and experienced wine industry professionals evaluate and score your wine on a 100 point scale.

We are Manufacturers Sales Representatives for exceptional viticulture tools, winemaking supplies, and tasting room retail brands. We are positioned to deliver products for Vineyard, Winemaking, and Tasting Room success! Our territory is North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

We build communities! We build specialized communities. Join our Facebook groups……..Drink Local North Carolina……and Drink Local South Carolina!

We Invest in artisan craft beverage focused small businesses and startups.

We Scout for Crowdfunding opportunities of artisan beverage focused small businesses and startups seeking to raise capital.

Do you want your brand to grow, build your community, and bring your community of customers together in a meaningful and positive way?

Always remember that your marketing strategy should include consistency in actions, a clear path to your success, and authenticity in who you are as a brand.

We can assist you?

Let’s connect! Text or Call @ 864.357.1435

Weekend April 22-24

It was a full weekend for sure. Friday evening we dined at the CARO-Mi Dining Room in Tryon and afterwards enjoyed an amazing Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir at Bodega Noir in Landrum. Bodega Noir is quickly becoming one of favorite hangouts!

Saturday we enjoyed the Pig Pickin celebration at Parker-Binns Vineyard and Winery and afterward a bottle at The Red Horse Inn in Lundrum to watch the amazing sunset over the Blue Ridge Mountains!

Sunday we visited newly opened Souther Williams Vineyard in Fletcher for chocolate and wine pairing. Shopped for plants and antiques before finishing our evening at elevation966winery in Greenville. We followed that with dinner at @HomeTeamBBQ of Greenville!

Really a shame our weekends must end, but onward we press. Just two weeks until the 2022 Palmetto Wine Competition! 🍷🍷

Cider, Wine, and Dine Hendersonville, NC

Hendersonville, North Carolina is set to host the annual Cider, Wine, and Dine celebration during the weekend of April 22nd through the 24th.

The three day celebration invites visitors to the vineyards and orchards to sample the many artisan craft beverages produced in Henderson County. The winery and orchards around Hendersonville offer amazingly spectacular mountain and vineyard views.

More that fifty different events are scheduled including specialty tastings and live music!

Souther Williams Vineyard will celebrate its Grand Opening on April 22nd. SWV will officially become the seventh winery in the Crest of the Blue Ridge Henderson County American Viticulture Area.

Wineries in the area are Burntshirt Vineyards, St. Paul Mountain Vineyard, Stone Ash Vineyards, Marked Tree Vineyard, Point Lookout Vineyards, Sawyer Springs Vineyard, and the new Souther Williams Vineyard.

Cideries include Appalachian Ridge Artisan Hard Cider, Flat Rock Cider, and Bold Rock Hard Cider.

Visit the Cider, Wine, and Dine webpage to learn about all the events and plan your visit.

“Visitors enjoy spending the weekend hopping from one winery and cidery to another,” says Amy Boswell with Visit Hendersonville. “They have favorites, but the weekend also encourages them to check out new locations they haven’t experienced.”

Saveurs du Temps Pinot Noir

The Wine: Saveurs du Temps

Vintage 2020

100% Pinot Noir

Indication Géographique Protégée Pays d’Oc

13% ABV

Medium ruby in color

Nose: Medium intensity of red fruit with red cherry, redcurrant, red cranberry, mushrooms and spice. Would definitely benefit from decanting 60 minutes or longer.

Taste: Youthful yet rounded tannins showing red cherry, dried red cranberries, redcurrant, and pomegranate finishing with earthy notes and mild pepper.

Overall Impression: Not one the finest Pinot Noirs, yet certainly very pleasant. Will pair well with pasta and veal. I would expect it will improve with bottle aging.

JenNis Beverage Marketing score of 87 points!

Paolo Bea Cerrete Sagrantino

WINE: Paolo Bea, Cerrete, Montefalco, Umbria, Sagrantino

VINTAGE: 2015

COLOR: Medium Ruby

NOSE: Amazing! Needs to open 30 to 60 minutes. Alcohol is present, licorice, toasted almonds, and leather until it opens up with very expressive layers of red currant, red cherry, and very ripe red plums.

TASTE: Dry with polished tannins and harmonious layers. Toned notes of red currant, red plum, red cherry, spices, toasted almonds, caramel, and licorice.

FINISH: Lingering with balanced notes of fruit and spice.

ALCOHOL: 15% ABV

PRICE: $175

SCORE: JenNis Beverage Marketing score of 98 points.

NOTES: This wine is mind blowing! Very rare, if you find a bottle, buy it!!

Watershed Dry Red – Marked Tree Vineyards

WINE: Watershed Dry Red Wine

Winery: Marked Tree Vineyards

Vintage: 2019

Region: Crest of the Blue Ridge, Henderson County AVA

Decanted: 30 minutes

Color: Medium Purple

Nose: black cherry, black plum, cranberry, lilac, and charred wood.

Palate: dry, bone dry, and silky on the tongue, medium-high tannins with high acidity and medium flavor notes of black plum, black currant, dried cranberries, black cherries, clove, sage, toffee, and smoke.

Finish: medium-long finish with hints of clove and smoke.

ABV: 12.5%

Final Evaluation: very good drinking red blend with a reasonable expectation to pleasantly age for an additional 5-7 years.

JenNis Beverage Marketing Score: 89 points

Price Point: $28 a bottle

Vineyard Website: Marked Tree Vineyards

From the Website: “The Continental divide runs through Marked Tree Vineyard. Inspired by the ridge of land that separates the Atlantic Ocean and Mississippi River Valley, Watershed is Marked Tree Vineyards’ signature blend. This dry red wine is made with a blend of Cab Franc, Petit Verdot and aged in the barrel for 18 months. While enjoying a bottle of Watershed at Marked Tree, walk the divide and enjoy your path.”

Raptor Red Reserve – Brandon Hills Vineyard

WINE: Raptor Red Reserve – Exclusive Blend – Brandon Hills Vineyard

Vintage: 2019

Region: Yadkin Valley AVA

Decanted: 30 minutes

Color: Medium Ruby with a youthful light rim.

Nose: cherry, plum, blueberry, cocoa, and vanilla.

Palate: dry and silky on the tongue, medium tannins with balanced acidity and medium flavor notes of plum preserves, black currant, dried fig, prunes, raisins, and dark spice.

Finish: medium finish with a little hint of oak and smoke.

ABV: 14%

Final Evaluation: very smooth red blend perfect for pairing with a sizzling steak or red sauce pasta dish. Currently drinking really good with a reasonable expectation to pleasantly age for an additional 3-5 years.

JenNis Beverage Marketing Score: 86 points

Price Point: $25 a bottle

Order Online: Brandon Hills Vineyard VinoShipper

Vineyard Website: BrandonHillsVineyard.Com

Firesteed Pinot Noir

Firesteed Cellars Pinot Noir

Vintage 2020

Wine is youthful as shown in it’s light delicate ruby red color.

Decanted 30 minutes.

The nose moderately shows aromas of red cherry, red plum, vanilla, smoke, cedar, and spice.

On the tongue is moderate notes of red cherry, red plum, cranberry, pomegranate, vanilla, oak, spice, cedar, and smoke.

13% ABV.

The Malolactic Fermentation shows prominent in this vintage. French Oak aging is prominent in the nose and taste.

This wine should smooth and mellow with aging. I’d love to revisit this vintage in two years. Should cellar and age very desirably for 5-8 years.

It’s a nice drinking wine for the money.

JenNis Beverage Score of 79 points and Bronze medal worthy.

From the website – Firesteed Cellars was founded in 1992. Firesteed opened its official winery and tasting room off the beaten path in Rickreall, Oregon in 2002, where production remains to this day.

Winning Wines of Note at San Francisco Wine Competition

The San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition is the largest in North America. It is also one of the most influential for American wines.

In 2022, over 4800 wines were judged over the three day event.

As one would expect, a majority of the wines entered are from West Coast wineries. However, several East Coast wines scored very high.

A $60 bottle of 2020 Chardonnay from Adega Vinho in the Texas Hill Country won Double Gold.

A $25 bottle of 2020 Chardonnay from Arrington Vineyards just outside of Nashville, Tennessee won Double Gold!

Arrington Vineyards also won Double Gold for the $20 a bottle 2020 Sauvignon Blanc . That’s right, this Tennessee winery won two Double Gold medals!

Barboursville Vineyards in Barboursville, Virginia won Double Gold for the 2020 Viognier.

Doukenie Winery in Hillsboro, Virginia won Double Gold for the $65 a bottle 2016 Loudoun County Merlot!

Jefferson Vineyards in Charlottesville, Virginia won Double Gold for the $77 a bottle 2014 vintage Monticello Meritage!

Maggie Malick Wine Caves of Purcellville, Virginia won a Double Gold for the $29 bottle of 2020 estate grown Albariño.

Valley Mills Vineyards in Valley Mills, Texas won Best in Class for the $43 bottle of 2019 Tempranillo.

Weymouth Farms, Orchard, and Winery of Hinckley, Ohio won Double Gold for the $28 a bottle 2019 estate grown Aromella. Aromella is a Cornell University developed hybrid of Traminette and Rabat 34.

Weis Vineyards of the Finger Lakes in New York, won Double Gold for the $20 bottle of 2020 Grüner Veltliner.

This just proves our adage, really good wine can be produced in non-traditional wine regions.

We encourage you to get out try the local wineries in your area. Cheers! 🍷🍷