2021 Dry Riesling Reserve Awarded Jefferson Cup
Brys Estate is excited to announce that the 2021 Dry Riesling Reserve won a Jefferson Cup at the 23rd annual Jefferson Cup Invitational Wine Competition!
Named the “Olympics” of wine competition by many, this invitational is unique in that is the only competition that honors the best of the best among wineries from all of America’s wine regions; the 2022 competition included wines from twenty-five states. Rather than being open to every winery willing to submit an entrance fee, the organization selected wines culled from tastings and competitions. The two-day competition culminated with the awarding of forty-one Jefferson Cup Trophies to wines made from both vinifera vines and non-vinifera vines. These forty-one prestigious Jefferson Cups were awarded to twelve white wines, twenty red wines, five sparkling wines, and four fruit or dessert wines.
Other Brys wines awarded in the competition were Riesling Reserve (Silver), Gewürztraminer Reserve (Silver), Cabernet Franc Reserve (Bronze), Pinot Noir Reserve (Bronze), and Sauvignon Blanc (Bronze). The 2017 Cabernet Franc Reserve was awarded a Jefferson Cup in 2019.
Continue reading below for information from the competition ...
November 21, 2022 Press Release
The Jefferson Cup Invitational Wine Competition
Kansas City, Missouri – The Jefferson Cup Invitational has celebrated its twenty-third year as the only competition that honors the best of the best among wineries from all of America’s wine regions. Each year we select great wines from across America; the 2022 competition included wines from twenty-five states. At the end of the second day of this year's tasting, November 18, forty-one wines from ten different states had captured top honors. Just as the event’s namesake would have it, democracy reigned at this year’s Jefferson Cup Wine Competition.
The two-day competition culminated with the awarding of forty-one Jefferson Cup Trophies to wines made from both vinifera vines (the European species responsible for famous grapes such as Chardonnay and Cabernet) and non-vinifera vines, which flourish in the more extreme climates in the U.S.
These forty-one prestigious Jefferson Cups, the Sweepstakes Awards for our competition, were awarded to twelve white wines, twenty red wines, five sparkling wines, and four fruit or dessert wines. “While many competitions insist upon selecting a pre-ordained number of sweepstakes winners, our judges are allowed to find the top wines, whether there are only one, two or three, or even NO winners in some categories, as has happened,” says Jefferson Cup Invitational founder Doug Frost. “In previous years we’ve had muscadine wine as winners, and rosé wines and a fruit wine. There were once again great examples of wine, both from vinifera and non- vinifera grapes." Together with sixteen other Jefferson Cup nominated wines, these forty-one wines represent some of the most compelling wines made in America.
Although many expect California to dominate the awards, Jefferson Cups were won by eleven other states as well: Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Ohio, Texas, Virginia and Washington. And reflective of changes in the world of wine, a constellation of grapes was included among the winners: Edelweiss, Syrah, Grenache, Chambourcin, Chardonel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Manseng, Vignoles, Riesling (in fact, three of them), LaCrescent, Traminette, Vignoles, and Norton.
Many people call the Jefferson Cup Invitational, the “Olympics” of wine competitions. This competition is not open to every winery willing to submit an entrance fee. Rather we select the best of the best, culled from tastings and competitions in America throughout 2022. The Jefferson Cup Invitational was founded in 1999 in honor of Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson fathered our constitution, helped champion the international concept of human rights and was a seminal figure in America’s cultural, culinary (including wine) and agricultural history.
About the Jefferson Cup Invitational
The Twentieth-Second Annual Jefferson Cup Invitational took place on November 17 and 18, 2022 in Mission, Kansas. The Jefferson Cup is a different sort of wine competition, in that it is an invitational in which five hundred and seventy-five wines are pre-selected which exemplify top viticulture and winemaking throughout America.
Out of five hundred seventy-five participating wines, the judges selected just ninety wines to receive Bronze Medals, honoring wines exemplary of their regions and varieties, two hundred seventy-four wines received Silver Medals, and the judges found eighty-eight wines to be worthy of Gold Medals and twenty-six being granted Double Gold Medals. These are truly great wines, reflecting our goal of finding and praising wines of true American excellence.
The fifty-seven Jefferson Cup Nominees included wines from fourteen states. They were tasted by the entire group of eighteen judges. Out of those honored wines, the judges collectively picked forty wines to be awarded the Jefferson Cup. And by selecting both vinifera and non- vinifera wines for the Jefferson Cup each year, the goal is to respect the diversity of American viticulture and Jefferson's own acceptance of native varieties and hybrids.
“In most other competitions there is ‘open’ seating,” says Frost, ”and California represents 90% of the entries. As a result it usually captures 90% of the honors,” he said. “What we are doing is following Mr. Jefferson’s example and allowing every quality wine-producing region in America a place at our table. Each year we select great wines from across America; the 2022 competition included wines from twenty-four states.”
Following the Jefferson Cup competition, the remaining wines are donated for an annual event that benefits children and adults in need. This year the Jefferson Cup raised more than $200,000 for AngelFlight Central (www.angelflightcentral.org). In more than a decade of assisting AngelFlight Central, the Jefferson Cup has raised nearly two million dollars.