The top award-winner, recipient of The Bruce Galphin Award/Best of Competition, was Wolf Blass Wines Shiraz 1998 (Platinum Label), Eden Valley/Barossa, Ausralia. Galphin, an Atlanta journalist who died in 1997, was the competition founder, said AIWS President E. Patricia Driscoll in announcing results today.

The Wine Summit¹s newest award category, The Best East Coast Wine, was won by Rappahannock Cellars in Huntly, VA, for Rappahannock Cellars Cabernet Franc 2001.

The Best Zinfandel Award, a category for the bests example of Americas own vinifera, went to Chumeia Vineyards Zinfandel 2001, Dante Dusi Vineyard in Paso Robles, CA.

Habersham Vineyards & Winery in Helen, GA, won the AIWS Magnolia Award for best Georgia-produced red and white wines which, respectively, went to Habersham¹s Creekstone Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 (Mossy Creek Vineyard) and to Creekstone Chardonnay 2002 (Stonepile Vineyard) aged in barrels made of American Oak.

The Atlanta International Wine Summit¹s Dogwood Awards name the ten best domestic and international vintages selected from all of this year¹s gold medal-winning wines, Driscoll explained. The Dogwood tree flower. long-associated with the City of Atlanta, appears on the competition¹s gold, silver and bronze medals.

Wines here undergo two rounds of judging to reach these top categories. A panel of 75 wine experts from Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama and North Carolina volunteered and conducted blind tastings last July awarding a total 448 medals. Over 1,100 entries this year came from 14 states and 12 foreign countries.

Domestic Competition Winners Include:

The best red and white wines, respectively, were won by Alexander Valley Cyrus 1999, a blended wine, produced by Alexander Valley Vineyards in Healdsburg, CA, and Keswick Viognier 2002 (Edgewood Estate Reserve-Monticello), produced by the Keswick Vineyards, Keswick, VA.

The Best Sparkling Wine award went to Domaine Carneros Le Reve 1996, from Carneros in Napa, CA.

The Best Blush or Rose Wine was produced in St. Helena, CA. It is Trinity Oaks Vineyards White Merlot 2002.

The Best Dessert Wine was the Gray Ghost Adieu Late Harvest Vidal 2002, vinted by Gray Ghost Vineyards in Amissville, VA.

The Best Fruit Wine (non-grape) award went to the Sky River Sweet Mead NV, a honey wine, produced by Sky River Vineyard in Salton, WA.

Imported Wine Winners Include:

The best imported red and white wines, respectively, are The Wolf Blass Wines Shiraz 1998--the same vintage winning the Galphin Award--and Trimbach Gewurztraminer 2000 from Trimbach, a French winery in Alsace.

Magnotta Winery in Beamsville, Ontario, Canada, won Best Dessert Wine for their Magnotta Winery Vidal Icewine 2001 Limited Edition (Niagara Peninsula).

The award for Best Fortified Wine was given to the d¹Arenberg Winery for d¹Arenberg Port 2002, Vintage Delacred Shiraz, McLaren Vale, Australia.