Parallel 44, Door 44 win 30 medals at San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

March 9, 2026

NORTHEAST WISCONSIN – For the second consecutive year, Parallel 44 Vineyard & Winery and Door 44 Winery earned top honors at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, the largest North American wine contest.

Co-owner Steve Johnson said, collectively, the wineries received 30 medals, including 11 Double Gold or Gold awards.

Double Gold winners, he said, included Frontenac Blanc, Glacier Fumé, Itasca, Marquette Reserve, and Red Frosting, while Gold medals went to Bubbler, Petite Pearl, Red Door, Red Velvet, Petite Rosé and White Frosting.

Johnson said the competition featured 5,500 wines from nearly 1,000 U.S. wineries, judged by 60 industry experts, including sommeliers, wine writers and chefs.

“Only three other wineries of the nearly 1,000 wineries received more medals than us,” he said. “That means a lot to us because we are competing with the most established wine regions and brands from across this country. Who would have thought that a little winery on the Frozen Tundra could garner as many medals as highly esteemed brands, such as J. Lohr and Boggle?” 

Johnson said Parallel 44 (founded in 2005) and Door 44 (opened in 2013) specialize in cold-hardy grape varietals suited to Wisconsin’s climate.

Both wineries, he said, produce wines from locally grown grapes and have received multiple national and international awards.