Bay Area wine lovers are invited to pit their palates against the pros on Saturday January 19 when the Bay Area Wine Society, in partnership with Affairs of the Vine, invites Cabernet enthusiasts to taste 32 of the top-rated wines from the 2012 Affairs of the Vine Cabernet Shootout and compare their findings to those of the judging panel at the 2013 Cabernet Shootout Challenge. The wine gets poured from noon.
For many wine drinkers, says Tom Merle, oenophile extraordinaire and president of the Bay Area Wine Society, January is associated with a major tasting of Zinfandels.
“Now Cab lovers can also indulge their passion at the beginning of the year in one of the most dramatic settings in the Bay Area — The Winery SF on Treasure Island — [Treasure Island, San Francisco] and enjoy the experience without the crowd crush of the mega-tastings or Passport weekends.”
The event includes:
- A consumers choice blind tasting of Cabernets.
- Winemaker panels discussing the unique characteristics of different Cabernet growing areas.
- A walk-around tasting to discuss releases with the vintners who submitted wines for judging.
- A raffle of Gold Medal-winning Cabernets from the Cabernet Shootout.
Over the course of many weeks this past fall, says Merle, a distinguished group of wine industry professionals assessed a broad range of Cabernet Sauvignons, Cabernet Francs and Cabernet blends and selected the best of the best at the Cabernet Shootout.
These finalists can now be evaluated in a blind tasting by wine consumers participating in the Cabernet Shootout Challenge.
“This distinctly different format provides a unique opportunity for people who buy the wine to challenge the tastes of the wine experts.”
Afterward, a walk-around tasting, including Cabernet-friendly light hors d’oeuvres, will allow attendees to meet the participating vintners and taste their current releases.
With the limit on ticket sales set at 250, unlike the mega-tastings and Passport Weekends, the citizen judges will have plenty of opportunity to chat with the vintners.
In addition, the Cabernet Challenge will offer several concurrent panel sessions with winemakers prior to the blind tasting. Winemakers will discuss how this noble varietal is influenced by the terroir of different grape growing areas in California as well as Bordeaux.
One Brick, a nonprofit organization, is providing volunteer assistance for the event and will also raffle off gold medal-winning Cabernets from the Cabernet Shootout.
Ticket prices are $69 each, $89 including a winemakers panel.
For more information and to buy tickets online go to cabchallenge.eventbrite.com — or call Tom Merle at 707.337.3663 about possible discounts.
Getting there: The Winery SF is located at 200 California Ave, Bldg 180 North, Treasure Island, San Francisco.
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