2011 La Crescent wine from Four Daughters Vineyard and Winery in Spring Valley, Minn., won the coveted Minnesota Governor's Cup trophy at the 2012 International Cold Climate Wine Competition (ICCWC).

The Minnesota Governor's Cup recognizes the "Best of Show" or top prize of all Minnesota gold-winning wines. This is fourth year the traveling trophy has been awarded.

The Four Daughters 2011 La Crescent also won the "Best of Show" award for the top white wine. Other "Best of Show" awards went to the Shelburne Vineyard, Shelburne, Vt., for its 2010 Marquette Reserve, as best red wine and to the Danzinger Vineyards, Alma, Wis., for its Midnight Voyage Dessert Red Wine, for best specialty/fortified wine.

This year's competition included more than 325 wines from commercial wineries in 12 states and Canada. Awards were based on blind tastings by 21 expert judges, who include wine writers, restaurateurs, retailers and wine educators. Three-judge panels determined the initial awards, with the top-scoring Best of Show wines evaluated by seven-judge panels and all 21 judges for the Minnesota Governor's Cup award.

The ICCWC is a partnership between the Minnesota Grape Growers Association and the University of Minnesota  which developed several of the cold-hardy grapes used to make the wines in the competition.