An award-winning white wine made by students at Santa Rosa Junior College’s Shone Farm flowed on the humid and overcast Saturday morning at the 2023 Sonoma County Harvest Fair on Oct.14.
The Sonoma County Harvest Fair is one of the premiere regional wine judging events in the country. It’s a highly anticipated tradition by locals, showcasing the region’s flavors through its wineries, restaurants and farms. SRJC’s Shone Farm has submitted their wines for most of the last 20 years, said Kevin Sea, SRJC’s wine studies program coordinator and instructor. The Harvest Fair only evaluates wines made from Sonoma County grapes. Over 100 wineries entered a whopping 900 wines in the professional wine competition.
SRJC’s 2021 Shone Farm Chardonnay stood tall at the fair, garnering a coveted gold medal from the judges. Its pear and stone-fruit aroma and crisp finish helped it stand out among hundreds of wines for a medal. At only $18, its affordable price point is also rare; most chardonnays that won gold were over $25.
“It’s always nice to get good results,” winemaker Pat Henderson said. “When you’re doing anything creative, you try not to worry too much about the results and just focus on [the process]. I wasn’t totally surprised because I knew that was a good wine. I knew I had a chance.”
Wine enthusiasts can purchase a bottle of the award winning 2021 Shone Farm Chardonnay at SRJC’s winery website, or at Bottle Barn and Oliver’s Markets.
