Tag Archives: wine awards

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!

Gambero Rosso’s ‘Tre Biccheri’ in San Francisco 2024

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“Tre Bicchieri” translates to “Three Glasses” in English. It is a prestigious wine award given by the Italian wine guide, Gambero Rosso, a leading authority on Italian wine. Their annual Vini d’Italia (Wines of Italy) guide is highly regarded in the industry.

So, what does the term really mean? The “Tre Bicchieri” award is bestowed upon wines that are considered outstanding, with a rating of three glasses being the highest honor. More than 70 expert tasters comprise the team that blind-tastes 45,000+ wines annually, rating them on a scale of one to three glasses (bicchieri). Of these many thousands of wines, fewer than 1% achieve the Tre Bicchieri designation, a ranking reserved for only the best wines from each vintage. Each tour stop also includes a set of Master Classes, which spotlight different regions of Italy and the most exciting grapes and wines emerging from those regions.

Gambero Rosso hosts events and tastings in different parts of the world, showcasing Italian wines across Italy, including those that have received the prestigious Tre Bicchieri recognition. The San Francisco tasting was held at the Fort Mason Festival Pavillion with the San Francisco Bay as the backdrop. Slated for industry professionals, it provides an opportunity to explore and appreciate the diversity and excellence of Italian wines. It also provides an opportunity for producers to showcase their wines to wine importers, wholesale buyers, retailers, restaurateurs, educators and the press. 

A wealth of information is provided by enthusiastic owners and winery representatives. In this instance, these particular wines have not yet arrived at the distributor for sale, so an advance preview of wonderful wines to come!

Three wines, same producer, different vineyards, very different aromatic profiles. A side by side tasting complete with a detailed map of the area so the representative could talk about the individual vineyards, elevation, and aspect that make these wines a standout.

There were approximately 90 tables (producers) with 2 to 4 wines at each station available to taste. It was a wonderful experience as always (I always select a theme as I cannot taste everything), and this year I concentrated my tasting on the Piedmont and Chianti areas (although I must admit I am fascinated by the 100% Cabernet Franc wines coming out of various areas in Italy and just had to sample a few).

View the list of wineries and wines at:

https://gamberorosso.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/folder-san-francisco.pdf