Three drinking (oh, pardon moi, tasting) events wrapped in one walk-around worship to Bacchus were presented in San Francisco’s historic Monaco Hotel by The Tasting Panel Magazine – a distinguished trade publication (Meridith May, publisher, Anthony Dias Blue, Editor-in-Chief) on Monday, to an appreciative audience of producers, distributors, and media experts on wine, spirits, and cocktails.
Double Gold Winners from the San Francisco International Wine Competition and the San Francisco World Spirits Competition lined up testing tables, waiting to be evaluated, compared, and sometimes, discovered. Crème de la crème of the 3897 wines submitted from 27 countries and 28 states to the SF International Wine Competition (the largest and most prestigious in the U.S.) and 1024 spirits from 57 countries participating in the SF World Spirits Competition made it to the 4th annual tasting event only to prove once again that tastes differ. This reporter’s personal winners included: Wine competition 2010 double gold
1. Jules Taylor Wines, 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand. Complex, dramatic, satisfying. At $15 a bottle, just tell me where to buy a case or three!
2. De Tierra Vineyard, 2007 Pinot Noir, Silacci Vineyard, Monterey. Young, yet well-balanced, clean taste. $32.
3. Cru-Monterey, 2008 Pinot Noir, Appellation Series, Santa Maria Valley. Older fruit, with more depth, very distinct. $35.
4. Robert Hall Winery, 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles. Named “Best Cabernet Sauvignon” for a reason. $18. Once again, I’m ready to stock up on this one!
5. Gonzalez Byass, NV Oloroso Sherry, Solera 1847 Superior Selection, Jerez, Spain. Those Spaniards boast big names, don’t they? $18.
6. Gonzalez Byass, NV Nectar, Superior Selection, Jerez, Spain (Best Sherry). Indeed, the best. True nectar, drink of the gods. $18 – a bargain.
7. Rebello Wines, Strawbellini, Moscato Strawberry Sparkling, Australia. Great celebration wine, fun and fruity, perfect for dessert. $15 – grab it!
Spirits competition 2010 double gold
1. Wembley Gin, Romania. Great juniper berry taste, excellent post-communist drink from an up-and-coming location. Only $12.
2. 2009 Germana SOUL Cachaca, Brazil. The very soul of perfect distillation. $29.
3. Tequila Blu Reposado Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico. Fragrant and smooth. $38.
4. Ron Abuelo 12 Year Old Rum, Panama. Good old feel, melts you away. $35.
5. Rum Vizcaya VXOP Solera Rum, Dominican Republic (Best in Show). Deep, satisfying, the best, indeed. $38
6. Isle of Jura Single Malt Scotch, Prophecy Islands, Scotland (Best Whiskey). $70, and worth every penny. Great smokey taste, overall winner for moi.
7. Comandon Cognac XO, France (Best Cognac). $145. At the end of the day, there’s nothing like good cognac.
A sweet finale to the festivities, "Make Your Best Shot! The HARLEM Shot Competition," was produced in cooperation with the Tasting Panel Tour and sanctioned by the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Some of the most creative SF bartenders showed off their talents in their HARLEM® Kruiden Liqueur-based two-ounce cocktails. While this strong and smooth drink redolent of herbs and spices is recommended for chilled shot drinking, it seemed to play well with other “kids” in delightful concoctions made with lemon, apple slices, fresh raspberries, or fruit juices. For more information about The Tasting Panel Magazine, visit www.tastingpanelmag.com.
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