Kewaunee, Door County wineries big winners in major wine competition

A Kewaunee-based winery and its sister winery in Sturgeon Bay were again among the top medal winners for a second straight year in what is claimed to be the largest wine competition in North America, while another Door County-based winery brought home a medal for a traditional sparkling wine.

Combined, Parallel 44 Vineyard & Winery and Door 44 Winery won 30 medals in the 2026 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition held in mid-January, with Parallel 44 taking home 27 and Door 44 three for their wines. Their combined medal count is more than were won by all but three of the nearly 1,000 wineries from across the country, California to Maine, and from Canada and Mexico that entered more than 5,500 wines in this year's competition.

‍