February, 2007
Written by: Ben Bicais on Tuesday, February 27 2007
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Hospices of Sonoma, a Pinot Noir barrel auction, will be held on April 20 and 21. The 2 day event includes a gala barrel tasting, auction, and 17 winery tasting dinners. 37 carefully chosen wineries will offer specially made Pinot Noir for auction.
The largest Pinot Noir barrel auction in the United States, Hospices of Sonoma is modeled after Hospices de Beaune in Burgundy, France. This annual charity event draws many of the world’s top wine collectors and luminaries. All proceeds are donated to hospitals for the underprivileged.
Hospices of Sonoma will benefit The Children’s Village of Sonoma County, Barry Zito’s Strikeouts for Troops Foundation, the Okizu Foundation, and the WCC Charitable Foundation.
Some of the wineries that will have dinners include Halleck Vineyard, Gloria Ferrer, Hartford Family Wines, J Vineyards & Winery, Russian Hill Estate, Olivet Lane, De Loach, Chasseur, The Donum Estate, Schug Estate, Emeritus Vineyards, and Dutton Estate.
Written by: Ben Bicais on Monday, February 26 2007
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As spring emerges in wine country, the whole landscape begins to come alive. Yellow mustard blankets the land and the vines are pruned for another growing season. As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, Sonoma County wineries are also preparing for the traditional barrel tasting events held in March: the Russian River Wine Road’s Barrel Tasting Weekends and Savor Sonoma Valley: A Barrel Tasting and Culinary Experience.
The Russian River Wine Road’s Barrel Tasting Weekends will be held on March 4 and 9-11. About 110 wineries from Russian River Valley, Alexander Valley, and Dry Creek Valley will give visitors the chance to taste samples from the barrel.
Savor Sonoma Valley: A Barrel Tasting and Culinary Experience will take place on the weekend of March 17-18. 19 wineries have teamed up with several local restaurants to provide an excellent wine and food experience for visitors.
At both events, winemakers will be on hand to answer any questions the public may have. This is a great opportunity to interact with the people who are responsible for making your favorite Sonoma County wines. You can also buy wine that is still in the barrel at a considerable discount. Most importantly, it is a great chance to see the beauty of Sonoma County and the genesis of the 2007 vintage.
Written by: Ben Bicais on Saturday, February 24 2007
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Lodi’s wine industry has made tremendous strides in recent years. Once known for mass production, several boutique wineries have sprung up and are justifiably targeting higher price points. Michael-David Vineyards just released the region’s first wine priced at over $50; a Cabernet Sauvignon named “Rapture.” While the quality of Lodi wines is no longer in question, there is a new threat to the industry: suburban sprawl.
As reported by San Joaquin County’s Recordnet.com, the populations in the nearby cities of Sacramento and Stockton are increasing rapidly. The Lodi greenbelt is caught in the middle, prompting local winemakers and grape growers are taking steps to prevent suburban sprawl from creeping in.
They face several challenges. With the cost of housing in the San Francisco Bay Area at stratospheric levels, moving to outlying areas like Lodi, Stockton, or Sacramento is the only option for many people. Additionally, it is much more lucrative to develop land with houses or strip malls than it is to farm.
Since demographic and economic trends are not on their side, Lodi vintners are focusing their efforts on lobbying for regulation to prevent vineyards from being developed. This may be the only way to ensure that premium Lodi wines will be enjoyed by future generations.
Written by: Ryan Fujiu on Thursday, February 22 2007
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It is not news to anyone reading this blog that the internet’s reach is growing. More and more people are using the web to find, learn and explore their interests; and this trend is not showing signs of slowing down.
In fact, the rate of growth is increasing. However, there are auxiliary consequences of this growth. One is higher expectations of websites from the public. This can mainly be attributed to the widespread acceptance of social networks and use of CSS (a type of code that makes websites beautiful).
There is a large amount of pressure for websites to not only look great, but also provide value and functionality. And the wine industry is no exception. As the public turns to the internet to find and purchase wines, it is important for winery websites to cater to these new expectations.
Rising to the challenge, many wineries are building new websites. One of these is Rutherford’s Round Pond Winery, who just launched their new website yesterday.
Round Pond has created a very elegant, straightforward interface for their visitors. Their color scheme is inviting, and using black and white pictures gives the look and feel of a classic website.
One of the best features of this new site is the amount of content. Compared to other winery websites, Round Pond has a great deal of unique content. This is beneficial to the visitor and helps them cast a wide net in the Search Engines.
While overall, they are ahead of the curve as far as winery websites are concerned, they definitely have room to improve. They can make the biggest improvement in their Search Results.
Search Engine Optimization is an esoteric and complicated subject; understanding the principals that drive Search Engine Page Results takes years to know and master. A lack of understanding on the part of Round Pond’s development team is probably one of the reasons why they don’t come up number one in the Search Results for their own terms.
Overall, they have a good site, and with a few structural changes, it could be great. A great deal of thought and effort went into the development of their site, and a congratulations is in order.
Written by: Ben Bicais on Wednesday, February 21 2007
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Located in the hills east of the town of St Helena, Spring Mountain Vineyard has long been known for its environmentally friendly grape growing and winemaking practices. When vineyard manager Ron Rosenbrand discovered the destructive mealybug in 5 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, conventional treatments seemed like the only option.
As reported by the St Helena Star, Rosenbrand tried to combat the mealybug with insecticides and quarantine measures for 3 years, but to no avail…
“I thought, there’s gotta be another way to do this. We weren’t eradicating and barely controlling the vine mealybug. And with our methods, we were still seeing some spread through the blocks.”
Rather than continuing to fight the bothersome pest with questionably effective pesticides, Rosenbrand decided to take a different approach. In collaboration with a team of UC Berkeley researchers, he released 6 species of insects that are natural predators of the mealybug. These included ladybugs, mealybug destroyers, 2 species of wasps, green lacewings, and minute pirate bugs.
The insects seem to be effective, and Rosenbrand is cautiously optimistic. “I have no idea if this is able to eradicate or control the Vine Mealybug, but I would much rather use biocontrol as a control method than insecticide. It is better for our environment and we’re hoping that last year wasn’t a fluke, but a demonstration of how biocontrol methods can work. We’ll see how things go through this season and by November, if we have similar results, we’ll be able to say we’re controlling and possibly eradicating vine mealybug.”
Natural predators have been used to combat other vineyards pests, notably the glassy winged sharpshooter. Tiny wasps (Gonatocerus triguttatus) have been released in several parts of California to control the spread of the glassy winged sharpshooter.
Written by: Ryan Fujiu on Tuesday, February 20 2007
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The Temecula Winegrowers Association’s “Ultimate” Wine and Food pairing event is set to take place on March 24th from 1 – 4 pm. There will be a dinner that pairs its menu with wines from Baja California to British Columbia (BC to BC).
Taking place at Callaway Winery, event participants will have to opportunity to taste more than 100 wines from fourteen different wine regions. Later that night, an additional event is set that will pair innovative food prepared by Executive Chef E. Dennis van Rumund with local Temecula wines.
Chef van Rumund said, “The menu, which includes international dishes and flavors from the Mediterranean, Caribbean and Asia, is proof that wine goes with all kinds of food,”
The cost of the regional tasting is $58 per person, and the dinner is $135 per person plus gratuity. For more information, call the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association at 801-800-WINE.
- Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association
- Linda Kissam, Executive Director
- (800) 801-9463
Written by: Ben Bicais on Monday, February 19 2007
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In a ruling that has stunned food and wine critics throughout the world, a jury has awarded a Belfast restaurant ₤25,000 for a “defamatory” review by Caroline Workman.
The owner of Goodfellas restaurant, Ciaran Convery, brought the suit against Workman in response to a “hatchet job” of a review. As reported by Decanter Magazine, in 2000, Workman described the, “Staff as unhelpful, the cola as flat, and the chicken marsala as ‘so sweet as to be inedible.’” This is clearly not a flattering review, but libel?
Not surprisingly, the judgment has created quite a stir amongst journalists and critics. It has already been appealed, and National Union of Journalists is throwing its weight behind the issue.
Decanter’s Brian St Pierre summed up the story best when he said, “This says more about juries than about restaurants or critics. It’s easier to convince a jury that a reviewer has been unfair than it is to argue the finer points of free speech.”
By appealing to the jurists’ emotions, all reason flew out the window. Rather than it being evaluated as a matter of free speech, the issue was erroneously shifted to whether or not Workman was being fair with her critique.
Written by: Ben Bicais on Saturday, February 17 2007
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While California’s wine industry is stronger than ever, it is no secret that the state is facing increased international competition. Decanter Magazine recently reported that wine exports from New Zealand increased an amazing 30% in 2006.
Last year, the total value of New Zealand’s wine exports was $611 million. To emphasize how rapid the increase has been, consider that in 2003, total exports were less than half of their current value.
Most of the growth in demand for New Zealand wines has occurred in the United States, Australia, Britain, Ireland, Denmark, and Canada. Sauvignon Blanc remains the dominant export from New Zealand, and increased 25% last year. Although Pinot Noir is sold in lower quantities, it is surging at a quicker rate that Sauvignon Blanc (41%).
Written by: Ben Bicais on Friday, February 16 2007
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The World Wine Trade Group (WWTG) recently agreed to some universal elements on wine labels. One of the WWTG’s goals is to ease regulatory burdens associated with imports.
As long as member countries of the WWTG, (United States, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, and Canada), include the required information on their labels, (product description, net content, country of origin, and alcohol percentage), no major redesigns will be necessary. The European Union has also approved these guidelines.
While this agreement is a step towards more open markets, certain national regulations will still have to be met. For example, in the United States, warning labels are mandatory and the existence of sulfites must be declared. All imports to America will still have to comply with these laws.
Packaging is a major expense in the wine industry, and redesigning labels can be particularly costly. To read the actual agreement, visit the World Wine Trade Group’s website
Written by: Ryan Fujiu on Friday, February 16 2007
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Feb 16, 2007 – Garguilo Vineyards Releases new Oakville Super Blend. Oakville’s Garguilo Vineyards releases their 2004 Aprile Super Oakville Blend.
Feb 15, 2007 – Drinkward Peschon Releases new Wine. St Helena’s Drinkward Peschon Winery released their 2004 “Entre-Deux-Meres” Cabernet Sauvignon.
Feb 14, 2007 – New Events at Fantesca Winery. Upcoming Events at Spring Mountain’s Fantesca Winery.
Feb 13, 2007 – Loring Wine Company Releases four new Pinots. Santa Rita Hills’ Loring Wine Company has released four new single vineyard, Central Coast Pinot Noirs.
Feb 12, 2007 – Kosta Browne Releases new Wines. Russian River Valley’s Kosta Browne Winery releases two of their ten 2005 Pinot Noirs.
Written by: Ben Bicais on Thursday, February 15 2007
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Robert Biale Vineyards recently released several wines from the outstanding 2005 vintage to members of their mailing list. These are the first wines that the Biale Family made in their new production facilities located in the Oak Knoll AVA.
Establishing a physical winery has been a long time coming for the Biales. The family has been growing grapes in Napa Valley for decades, but only recently navigated the regulatory and permit maze that is required to open a bonded winery. Prior to opening the new facility, Biale wines were made at Hendry Winery at the base of the Western Mayacamas Mountains.
The 2005 vintage is shaping up to be an excellent one throughout California. The vines got plenty of water in the winter, followed by a moderate spring. The grapes developed very methodically and were ripened by a late heat wave in September. In other words, 2005 was about as good as it gets for Zinfandel – Biale’s specialty.
That said, the winery is becoming less Zin-centric and offers a number of varietals in their recent release. These include the 2005 Black Chicken Zinfandel, 2005 Old Crane Ranch Zinfandel, 2005 Party Line Zinfandel, 2005 Grande Zinfandel, 2004 Hill Climber Pilgrimage Syrah, 2004 Thomann Station Petite Sirah, 2005 Nonna’s Sangiovese, and 2006 Pollo Bianco Sauvignon Blanc.
The Biale Family’s best known wine is probably their Black Chicken Zinfandel. In the decades following the repeal of Prohibition, and before the renaissance years of the late 1960s and 1970s, there were very few operating wineries in Napa Valley. During those years, Aldo Biale made homemade wine and sold it to locals under the codename “Black Chicken.” Aldo’s son, Robert, names his flagship Zinfandel after this piece of family history.
Written by: Ben Bicais on Wednesday, February 14 2007
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California owes its earliest winemaking history to Spanish Missionaries who planted the aptly named Mission grape during the 18th century. This varietal made simple, rustic wines that were used mainly for ecclesiastical purposes. It has long-since fallen out of favor and has been replaced by grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay.
The Mission’s illustrious past combined with its contemporary obscurity has always made it a bit of a curiosity. Until recently, no one knew the exact geographic and genetic origins of the grape.
According to an article in Wine Spectator, the mystery has finally been solved. Alejandra Milla Tapia and his team of researchers at the Centro Nacional de Biotecnología in Madrid have determined through DNA analysis that the Mission grape is genetically identical to Listan Prieto.
Listan Prieto is a Spanish grape that is also known as Palomino Negro. It was grown in Castile before being largely wiped out by the phylloxera outbreak of the late 19th century. There are still substantial plantings on the Canary Islands, as this region was too isolated to be affected by phylloxera. Tapia’s outstanding research has shed light on a major part of California’s wine heritage.
Written by: Ben Bicais on Tuesday, February 13 2007
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Sustainable Winegrowing may be a new buzz word in California’s wine country, but for many producers, it is a long-term commitment. Wineries like Fetzer Vineyards, Benziger Family, Buena Vista, and Tablas Creek are not only economically successful, they are also responsible custodians of their land.
The California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) is an organization that promotes the economic interests of the state’s wine industry and advocates a sustainable winegrape growing program.
Wine is a rare product in that it is both an agricultural and finished good. It is made by nature, the people who work the land, and vintners in the winery. While the CAWG’s primary goal is to, “Produce the best quality wine and/or grapes possible,” their code of sustainable winegrowing also encompasses environmental and social goals.
Some of these other values include their desire to, “Maintain the long-term viability of agricultural lands, and to support the economic and social well-being of farm and winery employees through training and competitive compensation.” The CAWG understands the importance of preserving the natural environment as well as maintaining favorable relations with the workers who are the foundation of the industry.
This is not to say that the California Association of Winegrape Growers is not concerned with economics. Another bullet point in their code states that they want to, “Honor the California wine community’s entrepreneurial spirit.” They certainly have a refreshing and holistic approach to the wine business, and should be supported in their efforts.
Written by: Ben Bicais on Monday, February 12 2007
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In a sign that wines from the Lodi AVA are gaining more cachet with consumers, a recent article reported that Michael-David “Rapture” (Cabernet Sauvignon) will sell for $59 a bottle. The Lodi region has a reputation for quality wine, but generally at lower price points.
However, it is not surprising that this newer, high-priced market is emerging. Lodi has a very long grape growing and winemaking history. It is also one of the few places in California’s Central Valley where small, family farms are still thriving. Some great, handcrafted wines have been made in the region for many years.
Adam Mettler and Frank Lambert are the winemakers for the Michael-David label. They also make a Zinfandel called “Lust” which sells for $49 a bottle. The move to sell “Rapture” for $59 a bottle represents a big leap for the Lodi’s wine industry. But some uncertainty still remains. Will consumers accept such a high price point from a non-coastal region?
Mettler and Lambert may very well be the right winemakers to attempt such a feat at the right time. There is a lot of buzz about these 2 young vintners, and Michael-David has gained quite a following in recent years.
Written by: Ben Bicais on Friday, February 09 2007
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Siduri is known for producing single vineyard ultra premium Pinot Noirs, and recently released 3 new wines to members of their mailing list. Based in the Russian River Valley AVA, Siduri is a boutique Pinot producer owned by Adam and Dianna Lee. Each year, they make an amazing 21 different Pinot Noirs with grapes from some of the best vineyards in California.
The new releases include the 2005 Siduri Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, 2005 Siduri Terra de Promissio Vineyard Pinot Noir, and 2005 Siduri Garys’ Vineyard Pinot Noir.
The 2005 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir is a blend of several different vineyards including Muirfield, Shaw, Arbre Vert, and Hawks’ View. At 12.99%, the alcohol level is very moderate. This wine was aged in only 29% new French oak to avoid overwhelming the fruit flavors.
The 2005 Terra de Promissio Vineyard Pinot Noir is from the Petaluma Gap region of the Sonoma Coast AVA. At less than 1.5 tons per acre, the yields were kept very low. This wine was aged in 44% new French oak for 11 months. It was not fined, filtered, or racked before bottling.
The 2005 Garys’ Vineyard Pinot Noir is the follow-up to the amazing 2004 vintage from this property. Garys’ Vineyard was planted in 1999, and although the grapes have always been superb, the quality level really hit its stride in 2004 and 2005. 768 cases of this wine were produced.
Written by: Ryan Fujiu on Friday, February 09 2007
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There are many great wine websites on the internet. In the first part of Friday Wine Links, I reviewed five wine sites. This version reviews three established sites, Wine Label, The Wine Diva and The Wine Botique.
Written by: Ryan Fujiu on Thursday, February 08 2007
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The Spring Mountain AVA may be less famous than its valley floor neighbors, but there are great wines made on this small mountain top wine region. There have been vineyards on Spring Mountain since the Civil War, but its wine industry is just beginning to realize its potential.
“Wonders of Spring Mountain” is the first tasting of the year from Uncorked Events. According to their website, “Uncorked Events was founded on the notion that enjoying wine should always be fun, relaxed, social and educational – never stuffy or snooty! While wine is the focus of our events, we often incorporate gourmet food pairing, art, music and fashion.”
This event will feature over thirty small production wines from eleven Spring Mountain wineries. The lucky few attending this event will have the opportunity to meet owners and winemakers from these prestigious wineries.
In addition to the wine, there will be a specialty chocolate tasting of Raffiné artisan chocolates. The chocolate tasting will be led by master European chocolate chef and company founder Mona Keady. This event will promises to be fun and exciting.
- Location: Officer’s Mansion – 1 Fort Mason
- Date: Thursday, February 8th, 6:30-9pm
- Cost: $40 advance only
Participating Wineries:
Written by: Ryan Fujiu on Wednesday, February 07 2007
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In an unexpected turn of events, Kentucky state regulators dropped out of a federal lawsuit, allowing direct to consumer shipping from “small-farm wineries.” These wineries are now able to ship wine direct to customers who place online or phone orders.
Small wineries outside of Kentucky are also able to ship direct, but have to apply for licenses through the state Office of Alcoholic Beverage Control. According to the state of Kentucky Alcohol Beverage Control Board, a “small-farm winery” is one that produces no more than 50,000 gallons of wine per year.
Like many other opponents of direct shipping, Kentucky regulators argued that it would promote abuse in “dry counties” as well as make it easier for minors to buy. Although the law suit was dropped, an appeal is expected from the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of Kentucky.
This ruling is a serious blow to wine the wine wholesalers of Kentucky, but a victory for consumers and wineries. This opens the door for Kentuckians to begin expanding their wine cellars and begin buying wine from small California wineries.
Any questions can be answered by reporter Alex Davis, who can be reached at (502) 582-4644.
Written by: Ryan Fujiu on Tuesday, February 06 2007
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© The New Yorker Collection 1993 Warren Miller. All Rights Reserved.
Written by: Ben Bicais on Monday, February 05 2007
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According to an article in the San Francisco Chronicle, sales of Riesling are increasing in the United States. Riesling is a grape that has long been haunted by its association with cheap, overly sweet jug wines. This is unfortunate because Riesling is capable of a combination of flavor concentration and finesse that few other white varietals achieve.
The SF Chronicle’s Janet Fletcher hit the nail on the head when she remarked, “The less consumers know about wine, these vintners say, the more likely they are to view Riesling as invariably sweet and terribly unfashionable and to fear that enjoying a glass would expose them as rubes.” It is quite ironic that many wine experts will name Riesling as their favorite white varietal, and yet the average consumer continues to see it as a vulgar grape.
But as Fletcher reports, the tide seems to be turning, with Riesling sales increasing 29% in 2006. California has a long history of producing the grape that dates to the 19th century. However, during the 1970s and 1980s, consumer tastes began to change and bone-dry wines became all the rage.
Not that many Rieslings aren’t produced completely dry, because a significant number are. However, the classic German style has low alcohol, high acidity, residual sugar, and no oak. This is the antithesis of the big, oaky Chardonnays that dominated the market for many years (and still do to a large degree).
In any event, it is good to see that the American palate is expanding and that consumers are becoming more adventurous. There really is nothing like the ethereal aromas and flavors of a great Riesling, and it is encouraging to see that more people are experiencing this.
Written by: Ben Bicais on Saturday, February 03 2007
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Many winemakers want to vinify grapes with ripe flavors that can only be attained at high Brix levels. But this leads to wines with high alcohol that can be out of balance. So an increasing number of wineries are using different types of dealcoholization methods on their wines. As described by Alan Goldfarb of Appellation America, the 3 major types of dealcoholization are reverse osmosis, using a spinning cone, or adding water.
Vinovation is a company that specializes in dealcoholization through reverse osmosis. Vinovation allows their customers to taste the wine at .1% increments so they can find one of the “sweet spots” where alcohol is balanced with fruit flavors. The company argues that their alcohol adjustment services allow, “winemakers to harvest grapes based on flavor characteristics, independent of Brix.”
ConeTech is a company that specializes in dealcoholization using the spinning cone. The spinning cone is a cylinder that removes alcohol through a process called “vacuum distillation.” According to their website, ConeTech owns the largest alcohol adjustment center in the world and is employed by over 600 wineries. Tony Dann, President of Cone Tech, says the the spinning cone, “Enables temperatures measurably lower than other distillation processes.” This is in contrast to reverse osmosis, where the wine needs to be heated to be dealcoholized.
The percentage of alcohol in a wine can also be reduced by adding water, but as Goldfarb points out, this is illegal except for when the fermentation process is “stuck.”
Dealcoholization is not just used to balance the components of a wine. Many producers want to make wines that are under 14.001% alcohol because they are taxed less. Under this threshold, the tax is $1.07 a gallon; wineries are taxed $1.57 per gallon for wine above 14.001%. There are clearly legitimate reasons for dealcoholization, but it remains unclear if reverse osmosis and the spinning cone strip the wine of any of its inherent quality.
Written by: Ben Bicais on Friday, February 02 2007
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In response to increased competition from the New World and declining domestic consumption, France is changing its wine labeling rules. France will now allow blends of different Vins de Pays to be labeled, Vignobles de France.
The move comes in the wake of criticisms that French wine labels are very difficult to understand, especially by the export market. Many experts believe this is one of the reasons that New World regions have been chipping away at France’s market share in recent years. Ambitious French producers will now be able to make non-traditional blends under the Vignobles de France label.
“We are trying to link together the word ‘France,’ the name of a grape and the name of a brand on which a company can invest over the long term and earn some money,” said Michel Leguay, of Viniflhor, the board that made the decision.
But not everyone is supports the change. Jacques Gravegeal, President of the Union Producers of Vin de Pays d’Oc, said, “The ‘Vignobles de France’ will have the consequence of destroying the quality revolution that has taken place over 20 years in our region.” Others argue that the new designation dilutes the concept of terroir.
France’s new designation has opened a wider debate as to whether or not the country’s wine industry should work to appeal to international tastes, or adhere to tradition.
Written by: Ryan Fujiu on Friday, February 02 2007
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Friday, February 2nd – The Lake County Wine Alliance distributes funds from Auction. The Lake County Wine Alliance held their 2006 Wine Auction at Steele Wines in the Red Hills AVA.
Thursday, February 1st – Simi Winery Releases 2004 Cab. Alexander Valley’s Simi Winery released their 2004 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
Wednesday, January 31st – Ceja Vineyards takes duty as host winemaking family at Mustard Festival. This year marks the 14th anniversary of the Napa Valley Mustard Festival, and Napa-Carneros’ Ceja Vineyards is the host winemaking family.
Tuesday, January 30th – Galante Vineyards Open House set for February 3rd. Carmel Valley’s Galante Vineyards is opening their doors to a open house to for wine futures tasting.
Monday, January 29th – Inman Family Releases new Pinot Noir. Russian River Valley’s Inman Family is set to release their 2005 Olivet Grange Vineyard Pinot Noir in February.
Written by: Ryan Fujiu on Thursday, February 01 2007
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The San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition took place in early January at the Cloverdale Citrus Fairgrounds. Over 1,500 wineries from 20 states submitted some 3,800 wines for judgment. This made it the largest American wine competition in the world.
Like many other wine competitions, they were awarded bronze, silver, gold and double gold. The sweepstake awards were given to the top red, white, sparkling and dessert wine.
The sweepstake award winners are:
- Red wine: 2005 Flying Goat Cellars Pinot Noir, Rancho Santa Rosa, and 2004 B.R. Cohn Winery Petite Sirah, North Coast;
- White wine: 2006 Geyser Peak Winery Sauvignon Blanc, California, and 2006 Windsor Vineyards Gewürztraminer, Alexander Valley;
- Dessert/specialty beverage: 2005 Navarro Vineyards Late Harvest Muscat Blanc, Anderson Valley.
Hospices of Sonoma Barrel Auction
