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Chester County Press

Galer awarded gold medal for its 2014 Chardonnay

08/12/2015 12:20PM ● By Richard Gaw


By Richard L. Gaw, Staff Writer

It is nearing harvest time at vineyards throughout Chester County, but the Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery in Kennett Square has already reaped the benefits of what they've sown.

Galer Estate's first release of its un-oaked 2014 Red Lion Chardonnay was recently awarded a Gold Medal in the 2015 International Women's Wine Competition that took place in Sonoma County, California.

The wine was one of the first wines entirely crafted by Galer’s new winemaker Virginia Mitchell, and is made entirely from five-year-old vines at the upper Red Lion Vineyard located on the Galer property. The wine features aromas of lemon zest, pineapples and bananas, and offers crisp acidity and citrus flavors.

Galer officially released the award-winning wine at their winery on Aug. 7.

The International Women's Wine Competition is an annual blinded wine competition judged by women, who consider thousands of entries from around the world. Galer Estate also won a Silver Medal for their new 2014 Pinot Gris and a Bronze Medal for the 2013 Equivine Chardonnay.

"Winning a gold medal for the 2014 Red Lion Chardonnay at the 2015 International Women's Wine Competition is such a special award," said Galer's winemaker, Virginia Mitchell. "This medal is a team effort, from the vineyard work throughout the years to the 2014 harvest team and the winemaking decisions that followed.

"The ideal growing season of 2014 contributed to the complex flavors of the Chardonnay grapes," she said. "It was kept out of oak and fermented in Stainless Steel as a stylistic choice to really express the terroir of this Chester County vineyard."

Brad and Lele Galer, co-founders and owners of the vineyard and winery, expressed their admiration for Mitchell

"We look forward to sharing and enjoying all of Virginia’s wines that express her vibrancy and distinctive palate," they said.

Before joining Galer in 2014, Mitchell served an internship at Mazza Vineyards in North East, Pa., while pursuing her Bachelor's degree in Food Science at Penn State. After spending a year at Two Hands Wines in South Australia, she returned to Mazza Vineayrds, where she was the assistant winemaker.

Since it first opened in 2011, Galer has earned nearly 100 international and national medals and awards for both its reds and whites. All Galer wines are made from grapes either grown in their vineyards or at neighboring vineyards within a 30-mile radius of the Kennett Square location. Galer Estate wine is sold at the winery location at 700 Folly Hill Road in Kennett Square, and at select restaurants in the local area. To learn more about the Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery, visit www.galerestate.com.