Paso's Eberle Winery named Winery of the Year at competition

Eberle Winery in Paso Robles won the top honor at this year’s Central Coast Wine Competition.

Winery owners Gary and Marcy Eberle accepted the Winery of the Year award on July 18 — Cattlemen and Farmers’ Day — at the California Mid-State Fair.

The annual award recognizes the winery with “the most exceptional selection of wines at the Central Coast Wine Competition,” according to a competition news release. To be considered for selection, wineries must have a minimum of five entries.

Eberle Winery’s award-winning wines included the 2011 Cotes-du-Robles Blanc, the 2012 Muscat Canelli and the 2012 Viognier, which won gold medals and Best in Class awards. The winery’s 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon also garnered a gold medal.

In addition, the winery won four silver medals and three bronze medals.

The 11th annual Central Coast Wine Competition, held in June, featured 543 wines from 134 wineries, according to event coordinator Jacky Eshelby, who oversees special projects for the fair.

All vintages produced using grapes grown in the Central Coast appellation of the American Viticulture Area, which stretches from San Francisco County to Santa Barbara County, are eligible for competition. So are wines made with Ventura County grapes.

The competition created the Winery of the Year award three years ago, Eshelby said. Hearst Ranch of San Simeon won the award in 2011, and J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines of Paso Robles earned the honor in 2012.

A display featuring this year’s gold medal-winning wines is currently on exhibit at the Ventura County Fair, which runs through Sunday. It will debut Aug. 28 at the Monterey County Fair.

For more information about the Central Coast Wine Competition, visit http://centralcoastwinecomp.com.

This story was originally published August 6, 2013 at 10:27 AM with the headline "Paso's Eberle Winery named Winery of the Year at competition."