My favorite magazine for media and trade in the wine industry is, hands down, the Tasting Panel magazine. Of course I read other publications too (Wine Spectator and Imbibe magazine to name just a couple.) but Tasting Panel has the most comprehensive information on new products and…events for trade and media. In the case of the latter, I attended one stop of the Tasting Panel Tour 2010 last Thursday.
For this event we were invited to Waterloo & City in West Los Angeles and treated to a tasting of both the San Francisco International Wine Competition 2010 Double Gold Winners and World Spirits Competition.
As these were all Double Gold winners, I would never presume to know more than the judges. I have bolded the ones that I really dug.
A couple of “editorial” notes: I had to take a break between the Gins and the Tequilas because…well frankly…I was on fire. I sat down and tried to stick to the least spicy pairings the restaurant had graciously provided. (Though once again I marveled at some of the peppery items – like spicy tuna – they paired for us. Even when I was just on the red wines, this heat on my back palate held on so tight that I was forced to do more than my share of another item – fig on brie on toast – to resume my tasting.)
Wine
2009 Jules Taylor Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough
2007 Lynmar Chardonnay Russian River Valley
2009 Kavaklidere Egeo Roze Aegean Turkey
2007 De Tierra Pinot Noir Silacci Vineyard Monterey
2008 Cru-Monterey Pinot Noir Appellation Series Santa Maria Valley
2008 Wrath Pinot Noir Quasi Mulla Monterey
2008 Sequana Pinot Noir Sarmento Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands
2008 Sequana Pinot Noir Dutton Ranch Green Valley
2008 Summer Estate Wines Charbono, Villa Andriana Vineyards, Napa Valley
2007 Prazo de Roroz, Quinta de Roriz, DOC, Douro Rover Valley, Portugal
2009 Jazz Cellars Pinot Noir Lone Oak Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands
2006 Paradise View Malbec Sonoma Coast
2007 Robert Hall Winery, 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles
2007 Cameron Hughes Cabernet Sauvignon Lot 172 Atlas Peak
2007 Halter Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles
2007 Cakebread Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Millarium Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
2007 Valley of the Moon Cabernet Blend, Cuvee de la Luna Sonoma County
2007 St Helena Road Winery-Maier Family Meritage Sonoma
2006 Rosenthal-Surfrider, Hang Ten Red, California
2007 Niner Wine Estates Fog Catcher Paso Robles
2006 J. Lohr Cuvee Pau, Paso Robles
2007 Guglielmo Winery, Petite Syrah Reserve, Estate Grown, Santa Clara Valley
NV Gonzalez Byass Oloroso Sherry Solera 1847 Superior Selection
Gonzalez Byass, NV Nectar, Superior Selection, Jerez, Spain
2007 Quinta do Vesuvio, Vintage Port, Douro, Portugal
Spirits
Rokk Vodka, Sweden
Pisco “O” Torontel, Ica, Peru
2009 Germana SOUL Cachaca, Brazil
Germana Tradicional Cachaca, Brazil
2009 Germana Heritage Cachaca, Brazil
Wembley Gin, Romania
Bellringer Gin, USA
Beefeater Gin, 24, England
Tequila Blu Reposado, Mexico
Tequila Cinco Blancos Anejo, Mexico
El Jimador Anejo Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico
El Zacatecano Anejo Mescal, Mexico
Rum Vizcaya VXOP Solera Rum, Dominican Republic
Isle of Jura Single Malt Scotch, Prophecy, Scotland
Pere Magloire Calvados VSOP, France
Pere Magloire Calvados XO, France
Comandon Cognac XO, France
Before I left I did check in with staff writer Michael Perlis and his wife Karen, Denise Lowe aka the Goddess of Vino, John Dickey, Brad Roen, Tasting Panel editor-in-chief Anthony Dias Blue, their event planner Allison Levine, and thanked our host, Tasting Panel publisher and executive editor, Meredith May. Unfortunately I missed late-arriving George Skorka as I barreled through the tasting in a new record: 90 minutes.