The San Francisco International Wine Competition was held in June of this year at Hotel Nikko in San Francisco. Over 4,000 wines were tasted, and medals were awarded as follows:
202 Double Gold Medals.
363 Gold Medals.
1,358 Silver Medals.
1,613 Bronze Medals.
While any medal would indicate that the wine is of high quality, the Double Gold designation is reserved for those wines that are designated Gold by all judges on a particular panel, making them consensus “bests of the best”.
Unfortunately, I was not in attendance at this competition.
Fortunately, the SFIWC, in conjunction with Tasting Panel Magazine, takes their show on the road, bringing a representative sample of Double Gold winners to several cities in the U.S. I was able to attend the tasting in September at Duplex on Third in Los Angeles.
Wines available for tasting at the event were:
075 Carati 2011 Sparkling Ribolla Gialla, IGT delle Venezia
Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte 2004 Vintage Brut, France
Middle Sister NV Pinot Grigio, Drama Queen, California
Astrolabe 2011 Pinot Gris Promise, Marlborough, New Zealand
[K] Bonterra Vineyards 2010 Sauv Blanc, Lake and Mendocino Counties
McManis Family Vineyards 2011 Chardonnay, River Junction, California
Francis Ford Coppola 2011 Rosso & Bianco Chardonnay, California
Francis Ford Coppola 2010 Director’s Cut Chardonnay, Sonoma County
Five Rivers 2010 Chardonnay, California
[K] Y Rousseau 2011 Old Vines Columbard, Russian River Valley
Martin & Weyrich 2010 Moscato Allegro, California
Cameron Hughes 2010 Moscato d’Asti Lot 319, Italy
Giesen Estate 2010 Pinot Noir, Marlborough, New Zealand
Stoller Vineyards 2008 SV Estate Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, Oregon
La Merika 2010 Pinot Noir, Central Coast
Sanctuary 2008 Pinot Noir, Bien Nacido, Santa Maria Valley
Dons & Sons 2010 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast
MacRostie 2008 Pinot Noir, Wildcat Mountain Vineyard, Sonoma Coast
Lawson’s Dry Hills Pinot Noir, Marlborough, New Zealand
[M] Chateau Lettau 2010 Stiletto Tempranillo, Paso Robles
[K] Alexandria Nicole Cellars 2010 Grenache, Purple Reign, Horse Heaven Hills
[M] Songlines Estate 2010 Shiraz, McLaren Vale, Australia
[M] The Colonial Estate 2010 Estate Shiraz, Barossa, Australia
[M] Alamos 2009 Malbec Seleccion, Mendoza, Argentina
[M] Arizona Stronghold Winery 2010 Dala Cabernet, Arizona
Valentine Vineyard 2004 Tory’s Block Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendocino
First Press 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
[M] Trojak-Knier Winery 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
[K] PerryMoore 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Paradii, Napa Valley
Parallel 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
[K] Parallel 2008 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Alexandria Nicole Cellars 2010 Quarry Butte Red Table Wine, Horse Heaven Hills
Del Fin Del Mundo, 2008 Bordeaux Blend, Patagonia, Argentina
Chateau Ste Michelle 2008 Meritage Artist Series, Columbia Valley
[K] Conn Creek 2007 Anthology, Napa Valley
[K] [M] Stanton Vineyards 2009 Petite Sirah, Napa Valley
Renwood 2010 Gold Crest Zinfandel, Amador County
Gonzales Byass Leonor, Palo Cortado Sherry, Jerez, Spain
Wines marked with a [K] were my wife Karen’s favorites that day; those marked with [M] were mine. I guess those that have both [K] and [M] would be considered our “bests of the best”.
The complete results of the competition can be found at the San Francisco International Wine Competition’s website: www.sfwinecomp.com
Michael Perlis provides outsourced controller services to businesses that do not need a full-time controller. He balances this with his interest in wine: reading and writing about it and, of course, drinking it. He is still trying to figure out how to combine these two pursuits. Feel free to contact him about either at mcpfinancial@aol.com or michaelthezinfan@aol.com.
