Gold Medal Mini-Tasting Wrap Up
Over 160 members and guests attended the Gold Medal Mini-Tasting on July 7 at nine host sites. The evening began with a Gold medal winning Viognier from Falkner Winery in Temecula and a Double-Gold Chenin Blanc from Dry Creek Vineyards (Clarksburg AVA).
The blind tasting followed with seven flights of two wines each. For additional information on more award winning wines, visit winecompetion.com. The wines covered a wide range of styles with three white pairs, one Rosé pair, and three red pairs. Several sites reported ties in their top three, and eight of the fourteen wines finished in the top three at one or more sites. The three favorite wines of the nine host sites and three others that tied for fourth are listed below:
| Place | Winery Name | Year | Price | Description |
| 1st | DeWitt Vineyards | 2015 | $28 | Tempranillo, Amador County, Double Gold. Three first, one second, and three third place finishes |
| 2nd | Trentadue La Storia | 2016 | $28 | Zinfandel, Alexander Valley, Double Gold. Two first, two second, and one third place finishes |
| 3rd | Carol Shelton – Black Magic | 2017 | $20 375 ml |
Late-harvest Zinfandel, Sonoma, Double Gold. Two first, one second, and one third place finishes |
| 4th-tie | Sunce Winery | 2016 | $30 | Mission, San Francisco AVA, Gold, One first and one third place finish |
| 4th-tie | Orange Coast Cellars | 2017 | $29.99 | Albarino, Double Gold, One first and three third place finishes |
| 4th-tie | Blair Estates | 2013 | $40 | Pinot Noir, Arroyo Seco AVA, Double Gold, three second place finishes |
In addition, attendees brought a delicious dish to share and then voted on a Chef of the Evening. The results of the Chef of the Evening at each host site are:
- Host Carol Frank & Sam Puzzo: Kevin Coy’s “Marinated Flank Steak”
- Hosts Betty Jo & Jay Newell: Irene Scott’s “Flourless Chocolate Cake
with homemade vanilla bean Ice Cream” - Host Linda Baumeister: Linda Ellenburg’s “Carrot Cake”
- Hosts BJ & Tina Fornadley: Fred Heinecke’s “BBQ Tri-tip”
- Hosts Nancy & Stephen Edwards: Allison Snyder’s “Cherry Cheesecake”
- Hosts Marcia & James Vaughan: Marcia Vaughan’s “Peach & Blackberry Crisp”
- Hosts Wendy & Stacey Taylor: Bill Forsch and Noel DeSota’s
“Brisket and Burnt ends with 2 sauces” - Hosts Virginia & Karl Kawai: Dino Amico’s “Champagne Risotto”
- Hosts Janae & Bob Unruh: (Tie) Nancy Harman’s “Chocolate Brandy Pudding Mousse shots” and Linda Crawford’s “Herb Roasted Salmon”
Congratulations to all the winners! A big “thank you” to all the Hosts!
Please send your recipes to George Cravens at George@ocws.org as a possible recipe in a future Newsletter article.
– George Cravens, Director