Nascent Sweet Briar College Farm Winery Strikes Gold (And Silver) In Virginia Governor's Cup

(MENAFN- PR Newswire) The gold medal entry, Earned the Rosé, is named for the institution's motto honoring all Sweet Briar graduates, "She who earns the rose may bear it." The new variety delighted the senses of six judges who conducted single-blind tastings over three days. They knew the grape or category of each wine, but not its vintage, winery or name. A 12-judge panel subsequently assessed the highest-ranking wines, sampled all and assigned final marks. Those scoring 90 to 100 were accorded gold medals and are included in the Virginia Gold Medal Wine Trail, where wine enthusiasts flock each year to discover the Commonwealth's finest offerings.

Sweet Briar College Farm receives three medals in nationally renowned Governor's Cup wine competition.

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Silver medal winners were Leading the Way Chardonnay and Meadow Merlot.

"Our wines are named to honor and celebrate Sweet Briar College's traditions, academic excellence and core curriculum dedicated to women's leadership, and to highlight our sustainability initiatives," noted Professor Lisa Powell, Ph.D., who heads the school's agriculture and sustainability programs.

Grapes for the award winners were grown on the College's campus, overlooking a wildflower field that provides superb forage for both native pollinators and honeybees from Sweet Briar's apiary. The wines are made in collaboration with Michael Shaps Wineworks and are bottled in Charlottesville, Va.

"Students learn about viticulture and the wine industry both through courses and a variety of experiential opportunities. Several honors students have conducted research inspired by our vineyards, including work on marketing and designing traps for invasive pests. Since we planted the vines, groups of students have learned how to prune, how to estimate yields, how to sample to assess readiness for harvest, and bottled some of our wines," said Powell.

Information on visiting campus for tastings and purchases is available at sbc/farm .

ABOUT SWEET BRIAR COLLEGE
Sweet Briar College is an institution for women's education in Sweet Briar, Virginia. For more information, visit sbc .

SOURCE Sweet Briar College

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