KEWAUNEE – Parallel 44 Vineyard & Winery in Kewaunee and its sister Door 44 Winery in Sturgeon Bay made the top-scoring wine and earned multiple top honors in last month's Americana Cup wine competition.

Door 44's M, a 2020 red wine made from Marquette grapes grown at its Door County vineyard, received the highest score in the competition with 94 points as well as earning Best Red Wine recognition.

Meanwhile, three Parallel 44 wines also earned the top scores in their categories. Its Drink Pink! scored 93 points to win Best Rose Wine; its La Crescent, made from Wisconsin-grown grapes of the same name, won Best White Wine with 92 points; and Pink Frosting, made from Frontenac Gris grapes grown in the state, was named Best Sweet Wine with a score of 92.

The Americana Cup, held for the first time this year, was sponsored by The Beverage Testing Institute, a Chicago-based organization. The competition was for American wines produced outside of California, and its judges were comprised of leading buyers, beverage directors and sommeliers from across the country.

“We are proud of the awards our wines have won," said Steve Johnson, Parallel 44 and Door 44 winemaker and co-owner with his wife, Maria. "But what really excites me is that these wines are excelling not only in competitions structured around these specific grape varietals, but also in competitions where they are stacked up against wines from the world’s finest wine regions, including California, Italy and France."

The Americana Cup awards follow on the heels of Parallel 44 being named 2022 Winery of the Year at the International Cold Climate Wine Competition held in May in Minneapolis. That competition is the only one exclusively dedicated to the wines made from newly developed grapes grown in the Upper Midwest, Canada and the Northeast U.S.

Both wineries are holding a Holiday Open House over the next two weekends where guests can taste the wines, sample specialty foods and listen to live music. Exclusive holiday discounts and gift options will be available during the event.

Parallel 44 was started in 2005 and now has more than 7,000 vines on its 35-acre estate. Door 44 opened in 2013. Their focus is on making wines from grapes grown in Wisconsin.

The open houses will be held Fridays through Sundays, Nov. 25 to 27 and Dec. 2 to 4, at Parallel 44, N2185 Sleepy Hollow Road, Kewaunee; and Door 44, 5464 County P, Sturgeon Bay. For more information, call 920-388-4400 or visit 44wineries.com.

Contact Christopher Clough at 920-562-8900 or [email protected]

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This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Door 44, Parallel 44 wines win top scores in national competition; wineries to hold open house