Jill A. Ditmire is an Omnimedia Wine Specialist who
shares her wit and wisdom nationwide in print, TV
and radio. She is an AWS certified wine judge who
lives in Indianapolis, IN with doggyboyz Guinness
and Harp where she also runs her own production
company and teaches and consults in an effort to
keep the boyz treat jar filled with biscuits and her
freezer stocked with ice cream.
California Dreaming (2005)
I always knew I wanted to come back as a dog in my next life but
up until a few weeks ago I wasn’t sure just where I wanted to enjoy my canine
reincarnation. Then I went to Sonoma County, California. Rolling hills, fertile
vines, the crashing Pacific Ocean to the coast, winding roads through eclectic
forests of redwoods, pine and palm trees, teeny tiny towns that look like movie
sets, and equally earthy, real, people everywhere you go. Oh yes—and the
wineries!
I experienced this heaven on earth while judging the San Francisco Chronicle
Wine Competition held in conjunction with the Cloverdale Citrus Fair.
Cloverdale, just north of Geyserville is a 15-minute walk up and down the main
street dotted with antique stores, Mexican restaurants, a Curves, several
churches, a school and an Internet café. But the storefronts are circa
1920—completely charming. And to the south of town is the Citrus Fairgrounds
building where for 3 days 47 judges gathered to sniff, swirl, sip and spit over
2500 California wines competing for medals and the prestigious Best of Show
honors.Wine Tasters by day…Wine Drinkers by night…
Each morning around 8:30 a.m., panels of 5 sat down to judge the first flight of
what would be over 100 wines for the day, though usually only 2 varietals a day.
For instance, my first day we judged 85 Chardonnays under 20 bucks in the
morning (somebody’s got to do it!). The afternoon was MUCH better with 83
Red Meritage/Bordeaux blends. In fact all were so luscious we found 17 to be ALL
GOLD medals/vying for Best of Class. Our final taste off took an hour to pick
the ONE to go on to the Sweepstakes round. THIS is how serious wine judging can
be—and the SF Chronicle along with Dallas Morning News, San
Fran International,
Riverside and
Indy International are the tops in the world. A lot of wines folks think
competitions aren’t worth more than a spit in the bucket but the reality is that
Gold means SOLD for a winery, and medals are important tools for customers
choosing wines as well.At night we were dined and wined—and beer-ed as a hoppy glass was a great palate
cleanser after a day of spitting. And the second night of competition our motley
crew got bussed to Napa for an interesting evening at the Mondavi winery. The
new addition to the Napa landmark facility is sleek and solid and we toured the
cellars tasting some very young but very promising Cabernets. Then to dinner
hosted by a still vibrant Robert Mondavi. Wife Margrit was all
smiles and hugs with our group making us feel as if we were just part of the
extended family. The dinner created by Chef Sarah Scott highlighted some
of Mondavi’s best wines and furthered the wineries commitment to the pleasures
of pairing wine with food. We started with a Striped Bass with Truffles and
Chanterelles in Beurre Blanc that was silky, earthy and perfect with the
accompanying Fume Blancs including a 1994 Reserve that was still so full of life
it only further noted why Mondavi was and is the one to credit for bringing
subtly oaked Sauvignon Blanc to the world.
Main course of Duck over Root Vegetable puree alongside sweet, small roasted
Brussels sprouts and heavenly roasted endive made us swoon especially when each
bite was tasted with both the 94 and 2000 Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet
Sauvignons. Again—the latter offered so much depth while the former is lush and
ripe and will age well for meals to come.Dessert—a fantastic Quince
Tart with Sauvignon Blanc Botrytis Ice Cream (say THAT three times
fast—especially after a night of Mondavi wine!). I love quince and think
it’s an underused fruit here in the US. Go abroad and you get to enjoy it in its
natural state as well as baked in desserts. Along with this came the 99 Napa
Valley Sauvignon Blanc Botrytis makes sense since the wine was used for the ice
cream. Well-balanced fruit shines in this dessert offering—enough sweetness to
pair with the quince yet soft, clean finish, no cloying after taste.
Back Home Again
As I write reviews and send lists to other West Coast Wanna Be Wine fans I
think my visit to Sonoma not only was great experience for my young palate but
hopefully I’m able to impart some new tastes and offerings to those of us in the
Midwest. The old Mondavis are still the best—as the subtle yet vibrant flavors
make perfect food partners. And the eclectic Best of the Bests at this year’s
San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition just goes to show that wine judges are
truly aware that consumers want and deserve to find the best wine buys for the
buck—and there are plenty of tasty and affordable options out there in
California alone.
Executive Director note: The 2004 San Francisco Chronicle
Wine Competition Judges Dinner was hosted by Robert Mondavi Winery. Previous
hosts are as follows: 2003- Gallo of Sonoma; 2002- Korbel at Sonoma Lake Winery;
2001-Beringer Blass at Asti Winery
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