Shamrock Hills Vineyard & Winery Earns 13 Awards at 2026 Missouri Governor’s Cup Wine Competition

This year’s competition featured 277 wines from more than 30 wineries across Missouri. Eight expert judges spent two days blind tasting and evaluating the entries, awarding 65 gold, 103 silver, and 61 bronze medals. (Missouri Wines)

Mike Riley, winemaker and co-owner of Shamrock Hills, also served as this year’s Missouri wine industry representative during the competition. In that role, he observed the judging process and helped confirm that the competition was conducted fairly and consistently across the panel.

Riley was able to confirm that every wine was judged blindly. Each wine category was assigned a number, and every wine within that category received an additional identifying number. Judges saw only those numbers and did not know the winery or wine name connected to any entry.

The only individuals who knew which wines belonged to which wineries were those working behind the scenes to enter the judges’ scores into a spreadsheet. Even the judges did not learn the winners until they received an email on Monday following the competition.

“The blind judging process gives every wine the same opportunity to be evaluated on its own merits,” Riley said. “There were no labels, winery names, or other identifying information available to the judging panel. That level of separation helps protect the fairness and credibility of the competition.”

The 2026 Governor’s Cup was awarded to Adam Puchta Winery for its 2025 Dry Vignoles. Les Bourgeois Vineyards received the C.V. Riley Award for its 2024 Norton, and Defiance Ridge Vineyards earned the Husmann-Jaeger Award for its 2025 Poppy’s Vidal Blanc. (Missouri Wines)

The Shamrock Hills team congratulates those wineries, the Best of Class recipients, and every Missouri winery that participated.

“Missouri has an incredibly talented community of growers and winemakers,” Denise Riley said. “We are honored to have our wines evaluated alongside so many outstanding entries and proud to be part of an industry that continues to grow, collaborate, and raise the standard for Missouri wine.”

Shamrock Hills plans to share more about Mike Riley’s experience as the industry representative and the behind-the-scenes judging process in a future blog article.

Shamrock Hills Vineyard & Winery is located at 12300 Shoemaker Road in Excelsior Springs, Missouri. Guests may visit the tasting room to enjoy award-winning Missouri wines, food, live music, vineyard views, and seasonal events.