Tag Archives: travel

Discovering Hidden Gems in the Wine World

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As I began my Diploma in Wine journey, I joined a tasting group to expand my knowledge. I often found myself discreetly jotting down the names of wines others recommended or spoke about with enthusiasm. Many of these wines were completely unfamiliar to me—a humbling reminder of the sheer vastness of the wine world. It’s hardly surprising, considering there are over 4,200 bonded wineries in California and more than 90,000 worldwide.

Searching for these recommended bottles was a source of frustration, as the majority were not available locally and often not available online. Living in California, I soon realized that while local distributors carry an impressive selection of California wines, a significant percentage of imported wine enters the U.S. via the East Coast and doesn’t always make its way to our golden state. I knew I would have to put in some serious effort to explore different wine shops and distributors for access.

Fortunately, the Bay Area offers many shops and importers that pride themselves on providing quality and diversity in wine. Kermit Lynch in Berkeley (https://kermitlynch.com/) and K&L Wine Merchants (https://www.klwines.com/) are two such stores/importers. The Rare Wine Company (https://www.rarewineco.com/) is also a gem, with extremely knowledgeable and helpful staff. Of course, there are many other establishments with strong portfolios and sound advice. During my Diploma journey, these players were instrumental in helping me source wines I needed to access and experience.

I’ll admit it: I have since gotten lazy and fallen into the rut of purchasing the same wines I know I will enjoy and have easy access to. Had I lost my spirit of adventure? Then, in October, I spent three weeks visiting wineries and meeting winemakers in Spain and Portugal. If ever you need to rekindle your zest for discovery, driving through vineyards at harvest will do it. The magical aromas of freshly picked grapes being crushed at the winery, the stunning scenery, the historic towns and buildings, and the traditions shared while tasting across their portfolios were a gift for all the senses. So many wines, so little time.

I recently came across a post where a site administrator asked readers to share an interesting wine they enjoyed in 2024. The bottles didn’t have to be rare or expensive, just the wines that brought the most joy. Pictures were encouraged. The following is a small selection of the wines posted:

  • Turley Zinfandel
  • Prima Donna Tannat
  • Chave Saint-Joseph
  • Flaccianello Della Pieve
  • Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Marqués de Murrieta Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial
  • Rinaldi Barolo
  • Vega-Sicilia Único

(Full disclosure: this list comes from a site where most participants work in the wine industry and have access to wines I generally cannot afford to experience. However, these eight wines represent five countries (USA, Uruguay, France, Italy, Spain) and showcase a diversity of grape varieties. While “the moment” can often elevate your experience with a wine, all of these are solid offerings and far less expensive than most  California cult wines.)

My joyful wine of 2024: Clos Mogador Manyetes from the Priorat region of Spain. I tasted it with the winemaker, René Barbier, at the winery in Gratallops. René is passionate about his craft, humble, and open-minded, drawing on knowledge gained over many vintages and the wisdom of the land to create beautiful wines. This wine, 100% Carignan, is a blockbuster and was a definite favorite. To learn more about Clos Mogador, visit their website at: http://www.closmogador.com/index.asp?idioma=EN.

As we welcome 2025, let’s make a resolution to broaden our wine horizons and make time and put in the effort to source and taste interesting benchmark wines of the world.

Cheers to 2025…

Amador County Commercial Wine Competition 2024 results…

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It’s great to judge these AVA type competitions as it gives a good snapshot of the producers and how they stack up against their fellow wineries. The competition is ‘blind’ (meaning the judges have no idea of the winery that produced the wine in the glass). Each wine is identified by a number and scored on the merits of what is tasted in the glass. However, we do know the ‘category’ such as Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Other White Blends, for example.

Our panel consisted of a seasoned winemaker (with a Bachelor’s degree in Enology – the science of winemaking), an acclaimed wine writer and author, and me (I hold the DipWSET certification, am a Certified Sommelier, and an experienced wine judge). We worked together seamlessly and we each came away with some nuggets of wisdom from each other. There is always an ‘A-HA’ moment…

The night before the competition, Casino Mine Ranch Winery hosted the judges for a salad and pizza dinner with an assortment of freshly baked pizzas prepared in their amazing woodburning pizza oven. They were delicious and a wonderful pairing with their line-up of tasty wines. (Note: Casino Mine Ranch also had wines entered in the competition, but they did not offer tastings of any of the entries for this event.) Visit their website at: https://www.casinomineranch.com/visit-us/

Here is a picture of the beautiful new winery building and the sitting area overlooking the water at Camino Mine Ranch…

The results of the competition have not yet been posted to the Amador County website, but here is a link to an article that tells a bit about some of the winners of this year’s competition: https://www.ediblemontereybay.com/blog/in-praise-of-barbera-amador-wine-competition-winners/

FAIR RESULTS NOW POSTED: https://amadorcountyfair.com/2024-fair-results

I’d like to also give a ‘shout out’ to Rest, a Boutique Hotel, where we stayed the night before the competition. The rooms are lovely and very comfortable, we enjoyed the fire pit with a glass of wine before turning in for the night, and the staff was incredibly attentive to every detail. Breakfast the next morning was wonderful, and I cannot wait to return. Their website can be found here: https://www.hotelrest.net/

After the competition, we dined at Taste, an upscale restaurant a few doors down from Rest. It was a lovely surprise to find such quality in the Foothills, with creative dishes, and a wine list that included Foothill wines but also International selections. Their website can be found here: https://www.restauranttaste.com/

If you are looking for a get-a-way, Amador County has lots to offer, although truly their wines are the star of the show. Get out there and try some of these award winning wines!

Wine judging is serious business…

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It was a pleasure to judge at the 2024 El Dorado Commercial Wine Competition this past week. Our panel was comprised of a viticulturalist, a technical winemaker, a wine writer and me, an educator (DipWSET and Certified Sommelier) and the Wine Director (buyer) for several fraternal wine organizations. We worked well together and gave each wine our full attention and careful consideration, detailing the attributes present. We always requested a taste from a second bottle if there was any question about the condition of the wine as we wanted to ensure the wineries were able to put their best foot forward.

This competition is an ‘open’ one, which means that any winery from around the world is able to submit for consideration. Obviously, located in the foothills, the bulk of the entrants are in and around the foothills and general areas of California. The competition is blind which means the wine in the glass is only identified to the judge(s) by a number assigned to the entry. We have no idea of the winemaker or winery while evaluating.

The ‘Special Awards’ given (Best of Show White, Red, etc.) and the full report on all awards can be found by clicking the link below:

https://eldoradocountyfair.org/commercial-wine.html

Support these local wineries by stopping by and letting them know you read about the wonderful awards they earned! As an added bonus, you might find something you can’t do without for your Easter celebration!