Hilton Head Wine and Food Festival -Medalists Announced

The Hilton Head Island Wine & Food Festival presented by Publix announced 344 award-winning wines in association with the Hilton Head Island International Wine Judging for 2018. This year’s honorees included an uptick of almost one hundred additional winners from last year, making it one of the most successful years yet for wine growers, vintners, and the festival, which uses the competition to raise money for local scholarships.

Wines pour in from around the world to be judged by master sommeliers, certified wine educators, and other highly credentialed individuals gathered at the Hilton Head Island Beach & Tennis Resort Conference Center.

“The judging included more entries and more winners this year. Last year we were able to create 14 new scholarships for Technical College of the Lowcountry and University of South Carolina – Beaufort students in food, beverage, and hospitality. We are optimistic this year will enable us to do even better,” said Jeff Gerber, executive director of the Hilton Head Island Wine & Food Festival.

This year’s top wines included four Best in Show winners and one Best in Region: Best in Show Sparkling went to NV Lucien Albrecht Brut Rose, Best in Show White to 2016 Kettmeir Pinot Bianco, Best in Show Red to 2012 La Togata Brunello di Montalcino Notte di Note, Best in Show Rose to 2017 Klinker Brick Winery “Bricks and Roses” Rose and finally, Best in Region to the 2015 Pollak Vineyards Cabernet Franc Reserve.

Each year, judges select exceptional wines from outside the “white” and “red” varietals to honor, with past awards having even gone to the likes of a dessert wine from Barboursville Vineyards.

In its 33rd year, the Hilton Head Wine & Food Festival has included a competition for dozens of years to facilitate scholarships for local collegiate students studying tourism, hospitality, and the culinary arts. The scholarships are created by the auctioning off of excess wine bottles accumulated through the judging event. Each submission requires three bottles in the event of an unforeseen issue, and unused bottles are immediately donated to the John & Valerie Curry Educational Scholarship Fund following the judging event. Wine enthusiasts enjoy the opportunity to bid on lots of bottles at the Grand Tasting and Public Tasting events, March 9th and 10th respectively in 2018, owing to the fact that many bottles may be hard to find and each sold bottle goes to a special cause.

This year, the wine festival will last from March 8th through 11th, with major tasting events happening Friday and Saturday at The Sea Pines Resort and in the Harbour Town Yacht Basin. There will be 25 tents pouring over 250 different wines this year.

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