Behind every double gold medal is a year of weather, a lifetime of craft, and a moment where art meets science in the glass. ~ Wine Competition Judge
Last night glittered with gold for Tiny Vineyard wines at the 2026 Harvest Fair’s Red, White & Sparkle! Gala Tasting in Santa Rosa. Winners of the 2026 Professional Wine Competition were announced, and samples poured for the estimated 1,000+ attendees. Tiny Vineyards won TWO Double Gold Medals, one for our 2025 Rose of Pinot Noir (the second Double Gold for this amazing wine!) and one for our 2023 Aerie Cabernet Sauvignon. We also snagged a Gold Medal for our 2024 Sangiovese, but hey, right now we’re only talking about bling that has you seeing double!
So, what the heck is a Double Gold Medal as opposed to your garden variety single Gold Medal? I mean, how much gold does it really take to make the point that the wine is worth your consideration? A total of 865 wines were entered in the 2026 Harvest Fair Professional Wine Competition and judges awarded 107 Double Gold Medals. Admittedly we had a lot of company, but winning one still placed us in the top 12% of a bunch of really good wines. (Does winning two place us in the top 6%? Quick, someone check the math on that.) And you have to remember that every wine entered was some winemaker’s pride and joy—no plonk here—so the bar was set pretty high to begin with. Not too shabby!
But what does a wine have to be to earn that “Double” designation. Wine competitions are usually scored using blind tasting systems. Judges do not see the bottle, label, or price; wines are poured into numbered glasses and grouped into flights by grape, style, region, or vintage. Scores are awarded—usually on a 100-point scale—where judges evaluate wines based on appearance, aroma, palate, finish, and overall quality. Judges work to reach a consensus or average their individual scores.
Unlike a standard gold medal—which is often decided by a majority vote or an average score across the panel—a double gold means 100% of the judges independently or collectively agreed the wine reached gold-tier quality. In many point-based competitions, a double gold generally corresponds to the highest tier of scores, often falling in the 95 to 100-point range.
Yeah, for what it’s worth, we’re bragging’ a little today. But only a little. Wine is a demanding mistress and rarely rests on her laurels. Fame is fleeting in the winemaking world and disaster lurks around every corner, so you’re only as good as that last bottle you opened. Join us in this moment of gilded giddiness and treat yourself to a “double double” at tinyvineyards.com.
