Traverse Wine Coast Wins Big At National Competition, Including 'Best Of Class' For Leelanau Cellars' Red Sangria

Five Traverse Wine Coast wineries captured 35 awards at the 2021 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, the largest wine competition in the nation.

The wines were up against more than 5,000 others from more than 1,000 wineries. Dozens of judges conduct blind taste tests; the very best win Best in Class, Double Gold, Gold, Silver and Bronze.  

Wines from Blustone Vineyards, Boathouse Vineyards, Chateau Grand Traverse and Rove Estate were represented. Leelanau Cellars won awards under the Leelanau Cellars brand and under the Lakeshore Farms Trading Company and Farm Fresh Wine Company brands (and took home a Best In Class for its Red Sangria).

Says Gabe Marzonie, director of marketing at Leelanau Cellars, “As the second largest producing winery in the Midwest (behind Oliver Winery in Indiana) with nearly 300,000 cases produced a year, it’s good to see our products perform well in national wine competitions. The Best of Class Red Sangria win was a pleasant surprise, as we actually won the same award in 2020 for the White Sangria — and now have Best of Class awards for both of our sweet, fruity sangria products,” he says.

Winning wines include: 

Chateau Grand Traverse 
Semidry Riesling: Gold 
Late Harvest Riesling: Silver 
Pinot Noir Rose Vin Gris: Silver 
Pinot Noir: Bronze 
Dry Riesling: Bronze 

Blustone Vineyards
Riesling: Gold
Late Harvest Riesling: Silver 

Boathouse Vineyards 
Riesling: Double Gold 
Overboard: Gold 
Cabernet Franc: Silver 
Pinot Grigio: Bronze 
Muscat: Bronze 

Farm Fresh Wine Co. 
Blackberry: Double Gold 
Cranberry: Double Gold 
Blueberry Moscato: Gold 
Peach Moscato: Silver 
Blackberry Moscato: Silver 
Cherry: Silver 
Blueberry: Bronze 
Raspberry Moscato: Bronze 
Apple: Bronze

Lake Shore Farms Trading Company
Apple: Double Gold 
Cranberry: Double Gold 
Blueberry: Gold 
Peach: Silver 

Leelanau Cellars 
Red Sangria: Best in Class 
Witches Brew Pumpkin Spice: Double Gold 
Witches Brew Spiced Apple: Gold 
Meritage: Gold 
Festivus: Silver 
White Sangria: Silver 
Merlot: Bronze 

Rove Estate
Pinot Noir: Silver 
Ragaire Rose: Silver 
Chardonnay: Silver