Agness Wine Cellars today announced that its 2018 and 2019 Finger Lakes Semi-Dry Riesling both received gold medals in the 2022 San Francisco International Wine Competition (SFIWC). The company’s Finger Lakes Semi-dry Riesling and Sparkling wines were also selected to represent New York State during the opening banquet of the 2023 Winter World University Games to be held in Lake Placid, NY January 12-22.
Founded in 1980, the SFIWC is now in its 42nd year. It is the oldest American wine competition and among the most prestigious.
Widely recognized as one of the world’s most important wine competitions, the SFIWC one of the world’s most important wine competitions, has released the top white wines from its 2022 judging.
More than 30 judges gathered in San Francisco from November 9 – 12 to evaluate and score approximately 3,000 wines from around the world. Roughly 65% of the wines were from North America, and the balance was foreign. Agness Wine Cellars was the only Finger Lakes winery to receive gold medal recognition.
“We are thrilled with this recognition from one of the world’s most important wine competitions and, more important, we continue to be thrilled with the enthusiastic response from our many customers,” said Agness. “The strong support we’ve enjoyed from customers, restaurants and family-owned wine shops has given us the confidence to continue expanding our products and growing production. We take the time to source from the best local vineyards and hand-craft a small-batch wine that truly represents the best of the Finger Lakes.”
Staged every two years in a different city, the winter edition of the FISU World University Games is a celebration of international university sports and culture. With several thousand student-athletes competing in each event edition, the FISU World University Games is among the world’s largest winter multi-sports competition.
“We are proud to represent New York State and the Finger Lakes region during this world-class sporting event, and we welcome the delegation visiting our area,” said Agness.
Founded in 2015, Agness Wine Cellars continues to grow its customer base, with nearly 250 family-owned wine stores and fine-dining restaurants across Upstate New York, the Southern Tier and the Adirondack region carrying the company’s products. The company has collaborated with Seneca Lake-based Swedish Hill Winery on its 2017, 2018 and 2019 vintages, its sparkling wine and will soon bottle its highly anticipated, limited-release Cabernet Franc/Merlot blend.
Since the company’s founding in 2015, Agness Wine Cellars has received more than 30 medals and other award recognition in regional, national and international wine competitions including a Gold Medal and Best Buy award from China Wine & Spirits for its 2017 Finger Lakes Semi-Dry Riesling; a Double Gold in 2017 from Appellations America for its 2016 Finger Lakes Semi-Dry Riesling and a Double Gold at the 2015 INDY International for its 2014 Finger Lakes Semi-Dry Riesling — the judge’s highest score. The company has also been invited to participate in the prestigious Contest of the Great White Wines of the World in France for two years in a row.
Winemaker Randy Agness is a degreed chemist and has worked in process control and quality throughout his 30+ year career. He earned a Master of Science in Business from SUNY Oswego and completed key coursework in Winemaking and Vineyard Management at Finger Lakes Community College in 2013 and has been producing award-winning small batches of varietal wines — from Vinifera, Hybrid and Native American grapes, white, red and rose, and from sweet to dry. He and his business partner, David Lanzillo, both completed their undergraduate degrees at St. Bonaventure University. Lanzillo is also a 1997 University of Rochester Simon School graduate and brings more than 30 years of corporate marketing, business and public relations experience to the partnership.
For more information on the company’s wine offerings and a list of the wine shops and restaurants where you can purchase, visit: www.agnesswinecellars.com, or on Facebook at Agness Wine Cellars.
