Cedar Ridge Marechal Foch Iowa’s First 90-point Wine

Awarded a Gold Medal in World Wine Championships Award by Beverage Testing Institute

Swisher, IA—June 11, 2010
—Cedar Ridge Vineyards, a small, family-owned vineyard with a new events facility located between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, Iowa, announces that its estate-grown Marechal Foch red wine has received an impressive 90 points score from the Beverage Testing Institute in Chicago. Cedar Ridge Proprietor and Master Wine Maker, Jeff Quint says this is a distinctive honor for his wine, “This 90 points score is, to my knowledge, the first time a wine from Iowa has scored 90 points or higher. We’ve long considered our Foch exceptional, but this outside recognition is great confirmation to have,” he stated.

Mr. Quint says that having a record-high rating for his wine is good news for all Iowa wines in that it puts Iowa on the map for being capable of producing high quality reds. Iowa State Enologist, Dr. Murli Dharmadhikari agrees, “This 90 point rating for Cedar Ridge Vineyard’s Marechal Foch proves that, when tested objectively, these varieties in Iowa are capable of producing superior wines.”

The Cedar Ridge Vineyards Marechal Foch was blind tasted by judges at the 2010 Midwest Wine Challenge on May 17, 2010. It was named “Best Marechal Foch” and awarded a Gold medal in its World Wine Championships Award. Beverage Testing Institute uses a dedicated tasting lab in Chicago and its panelists are “highly experienced, professional guest tasters.” The judges, or panelists, go through several tasting rounds, with the end score being translated into a modified 100-point scale, as follows:

96-100–Superlative
90-95–Exceptional (Cedar Ridge Marechel Fosh)
85-89–Highly Recommended
80-84–Recommended
less than 80–Not Recommended

Quint describes his Marechal Foch as being smokier and spicier than most, due in part because Cedar Ridge uses some Hungarian Oak in the aging process. They also employ a three-day pre-fermentation cold maceration or “cold soak” on the must and only ferment on the skins for three days before finishing fermentation in barrels. “This cold soak and partial-barrel fermentation gives the wine better flavor and color extraction, along with a huge ‘mouth feel’ that was pointed out in the review,” stated Mr. Quint.

The Cedar Ridge Marechal Foch can be found in area retail stores, but there is a very limited supply. It can also be purchased at Cedar Ridge Vineyards at 1441 Marak Road in Swisher, Iowa, for $16.67 a bottle, or $15.00 when purchased by the case, while supplies last.

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