Vines & Wines Home Winemaker Awards Highlights Nevada Grown Fruit

Entries to the 2018 Nevada Vines & Wines Home Winemakers competition were down slightly from the prior year, but the quality was up, according to the judges who worked both years. Story continues below…

Greg and Susan Ross savor his win at the Home Winemaker Awards on May 17, 2018

Newcomer Greg Ross was this year’s standout, taking gold ribbons for all four of his entries. Ross’s Bulldog Red and Bulldog White Blends excelled within their categories, with the Red scoring a double gold and Best of Show. Stella, the four-legged companion whose image adorns the labels, looked on from the front row.

Stella, for whom Greg Ross named his award-winning Bulldog Red and Bulldog White Blends.

Ross tends 485 vines near the Walker River, and expects shortly to plant several hundred more. It was his wife, Susan, who goaded him into starting a vineyard (using reverse psychology, she says) after they arrived from California. As a retired importer, Greg Ross had significant exposure to wines from around the world, but as a winemaker, he claims to be self taught.

The event on May 17 was the fifth Nevada Vines & Wines contest. The organization notes on its website that all of the gold ribbons went to wines produced with Nevada grapes. V&W judges also detected improved quality of this year’s wines over the 2017 entries. A full list of winners is posted here.