During our most recent Mini Tasting, our panel of experts concluded by a wide margin that Inland wineries were preferred over Coastal wineries. Summarizing the points in the table below, Coastal wines scored a total of 216 points across the seven sites; conversely, the Inland wines scored 363 points.
Of course, the wines themselves are really the deciding factor in this comparison, as is the lose definition of Coastal versus Inland. It is easy to distinguish between Lodi (inland) versus Paso Robles, but is Paso more coastal compared to Napa, which is regarded inland? Someone here is seriously challenged with geography!
What is absolutely clear is the Beckman Cabernet was the highest scored wine followed by the Klinker Brick Zinfandel, both inland wines. Also noteworthy is the strong preference for the Zins and Cabernets over the Merlots, Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. I think the one thing we can conclude is that people like what they like, and basis the turnout of this sold-out event, they like the Mini Tasting.
Our Gold Medal Event is scheduled for Sept. 6 and sign-ups are available now. This is our most popular event, so sign up early to increase your chances for your preferred location.
| Round | Wine | Brand | Inland / Coastal | Year | Price | Score | |
| 1A | Chardonnay | Bernardus – Coastal – Monterey | Coastal | 2022 | $ 21.0 | 58 | 88 |
| 1B | Chardonnay | Hanzell – Inland – Sonoma | Inland | 2023 | $ 32.0 | 30 | |
| 2A | Pinot Noir | Blood Root – Inland – Sonoma | Inland | 2023 | $ 22.0 | 47 | 65 |
| 2B | Pinot Noir | Busy Signal – Coastal – Santa Rita Hills | Coastal | 2023 | $ 39.0 | 18 | |
| 3A | Merlot | Clos Pegase – Inland – Napa Valley | Inland | 2021 | $ 22.0 | 63 | 89 |
| 3B | Merlot | Russian Ridge – Coastal – Santa Clara | Coastal | 2014 | $ 28.0 | 26 | |
| 4A | Zinfandel | 103 | Inland | 2021 | $ 35.0 | 103 | 170 |
| 4B | Zinfandel | Ancient Peaks – Coastal – Paso Robles | Coastal | 2021 | $ 16.0 | 67 | |
| 5A | Cabernet | Beckman – Inland – Santa Ynez | Inland | 2022 | $ 29.0 | 114 | 167 |
| 5B | Cabernet | Paysan – Coastal – Central Coast – San Benito | Coastal | 2022 | $ 20.0 | 53 |