Category Archives: Tasting

Balletto Vineyards On THE VARIETAL SHOW!

Sneak peek of our next Pour + Explore Rosés & Aromatic Whites tasting produced by the Sonoma County Vintners and me on Thursday, April 17, 5:30-7:30pm at Balletto Vineyards, along with 35 other all-star wineries!

Enjoy this fun discussion with the superstar winemaking duo Anthony Beckman & Andre Swart of Balletto Vineyards and the world-class grapes used to make the Rose, Pinot Gris & Gewurztraminer that the winery will be pouring at this fabulous event focused on Aromatic Whites & Rose Delights!

Get your TICKETS now! $65.00 per person, plus tax and a small service fee. See you there, Chris & SCV

Pour+Explore Rosés & Aromatic Whites on April 17th!

Join Sonoma County Vintners and Sawyer Somm for this exclusive wine tasting event at Balletto Vineyards, featuring a special selection of Rosés & Aromatic Whites from over 30 wineries across Sonoma County! The evening festivities will be hosted in The Reserve Room, surrounded by estate vineyards, gorgeous views of the Backyard Gardens and stunning West County sunsets.

Celebrate springtime with a walk-around tasting of a curated selection of wines from each vintner, and enjoy light bites of cheeses and charcuterie. TICKETS available now!

Featured Sonoma County producers include Balletto Vineyards, Banshee Wines, Benziger Family Winery, Bricoleur Vineyards, Chalk Hill Estate, Chenoweth Vineyards, Comstock Wines, DaVero Farms & Winery, Davis Bynum, Dry Creek Vineyard, Ferrari-Carano, Foley Sonoma, GC Lurton Vineyards, Hamel Family Wines, Imagery Estate Winery, Inman Family Wines, Knights Bridge Winery, Kokomo Wines, Lasseter Family Winery, Laurel Glen Vineyard, MacLaren, Marimar Estate Vineyards & Winery, Mascarin Family Wines, Meadowcroft Wines, Medlock Ames, Rodney Strong Vineyards, Roth Estate, Senses Wines, Solo Nostro, The Setting Wines, Three Sticks Wines, Valette Wines, Zialena and more!

Rochioli Rocks on THE VARIETAL SHOW!

Speaking of PINOT, enjoy this fun interview with Tom and his daughter Rachael Rochioli, of Rochioli Vineyards, one of the great Sonoma County Vintners that will serving their amazing Pinot Noir selections at Pour & Explore on Thursday March 13 at Bricoleur Vineyards in Windsor!!! Get your LAST MINUTE TICKETS while you still can!

Pinot With Papapietro Perry On THE VARIETAL SHOW!

Enjoy THE VARIETAL SHOW with my great pals Ben Papapietro & star winemaker David Lowe of Papapietro Perry about the glories of working with the Pinot Noir grape grown in Sonoma County and the special wines they’ll be serving at the exciting upcoming Sonoma County Vintners Pour+Explore Pinot Noir Tasting, an exclusive event with 35+ revered Pinot producers pouring from 5:30-7:30 PM this Thursday, March 13th at Bricoleur Vineyards in Windsor. TICKETS are limited so get yours soon!

Sawyer Somm On Sip, Sip, Hooray!

Sip, Sip, Hooray! is a Podcast From Mary Orlin & Mary Babbitt: Where Wine Is Always Fun, Tasty And Inspirational

Chris Sawyer Shares Stories, Music, Movies and Wine

SUBSCRIBE to Sip Sip Hooray using your favorite Podcast platform: https://substack.com/@sipsiphooraypodcast

A Taste of Bricoleur On THE VARIETAL SHOW

THE VARIETAL SHOW visits Bricoleur Vineyards to taste and talk about the joys of Pinot Noir, and the epic SCV Pour & Explore event happening there next Thursday, March 13th, with superstar winemakers Bob Cabral and Tom Pierson. Get TICKETS while you still can!

Fun Times With Cobb Wines On THE VARIETAL SHOW!

A brilliant afternoon opening bottles (by any means necessary), tasting, and THE VARIETAL SHOW with Ross Cobb of Cobb Wines near Occidental in Sonoma County, discussing the upcoming Pour+Explore Pinot Noir Tasting on Thursday,March 13th happening at Bricoleur Winery, that I am co-hosting with the Sonoma County Vintners. Get your TICKETS for this epic Pinot tasting!

Get Your Tickets! SCV Pour+Explore Pinot Noir ON Thursday March 13th

Pour + Explore: Pinot Noirs Tasting at Bricoleur Vineyards Thursday, March 13, 2025 | 5:30 – 7:30 PM Produced by Sonoma County Vintners in Collaboration with Sawyer Somm

Join us for this exclusive wine tasting event, featuring a special selection of Pinot Noirs from over 25 wineries across Sonoma County. Discover wonderful wines that epitomize the essence of each winemaker’s individual style and Sonoma County’s distinctive vineyards.

All attendees must be at least 21 years of age.
TICKETS are $65.00 per person, plus tax and service fee.
We hope to see you there – Cheers!

Featured vintners include Balletto Vineyards, Benovia Winery, Bricoleur Vineyards, Buena Vista Winery, Cartograph Wines, CIRQ & CHEV, Cobb Wines, Davis Bynum, DeLoach Vineyards, Domaine de la Rivière, Elaine Wines, En Garde Winery, Gloria Ferrer, Hartford Family Winery, Hirsch Vineyards, Inman Family Wines, Innumero Wines, Joseph Jewell Wines, Joseph Swan Winery, Kanzler Vineyards, Kistler Vineyards, Landmark Vineyards, Martinelli Winery, Merry Edwards Winery, Panther Ridge, Papapietro Perry Winery, Rochioli Vineyards & Winery, Schug Winery, Tamber Bey Vineyards, Three Sticks Wines, Williams-Selyem and more!

Beautiful Bricoleur Vineyards will host Pour+Explore Pinot Noir on Thursday March 13, 2025!

More SCV Pour & Explore in 2025!

Hope you were able to join us at Rodney Strong Vineyards for the Bordeaux tasting event this month, but if not, no worries! Sonoma County Vintners and I will be hosting more of them ALL YEAR LONG. So mark you calendars for the upcoming Spring editions, ticket info coming next week!

Pour & Explore Pinot Noir! Thursday March 13 at Bricoleur Vineyards

Pour & Explore Rosés & Aromatic Whites! Thursday April 17 at Balletto Vineyards

AFWC: The Results Are IN!

The American Fine Wine Competition Announces

Results from the 18th annual Judging

Where was Sawyer Somm in January? In Florida, judging at the American Fine Wine Competition! This invitation-only wine judging included 550 wines from 150 wineries vying for top honors. Hosted, once again, by the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Florida International University in North Miami.

The 2025 Top Awards

BEST OF SHOW

Sparkling Wine

2017 Domaine Carneros  Le Reve, Carneros ($125)

White Wine

2023 Castello di Amarosa  Gewurztraminer  Anderson Valley ($35)

Red Wine

2019 Talisman  Pinot Noir  Mystery Vineyard  Sonoma Coast ($85)

Sweet White Wine

2023 Ferrante Winery Vidal Blanc Ice Wine  Grand River Valley ($35)

Sweet Red Wine

Prager Winery & Port Works Noble Companion 10-Yr-Old Tawny, Napa ($85)

BEST OF CLASS

Sauvignon Blanc

2023 Barnett Vineyards Andrew’s Vineyard Dry Creek Valley ($35)

Chardonnay

2023 Mi Sueno Winery Estate Carneros, Napa ($75)

Other White Single Varietal

2023 Eastwood Farm & Winery Petit Masang, Monticello ($35)

Other White Blend

2023 Carol Shelton Coquille Blanc Paso Robles ($28)

Albarino

2023 Clearwater Canyon Crawford Vineyard Yakima ($22)

Riesling, Dry

2021 Brooks Lone Star Eola-Amity Hills ($35)

Riesling Off-dry

2022 Bel Lago Leelanau Peninsula ($18)

Gewurztraminer

2023 Castello di Amarosa Anderson Valley ($35)

Sweet White

2023 Ferrante Vidal Ica Wine Grand River Valley ($35)

Sweet Red

Prager Winery & Port Works Noble Companion 10-Yr old Tawny, Napa ($85)

Sparkling Wine

2017 Domaine Carneros “Le Reve” Carneros ($125)

Pinot Noir

2019 Talisman Wine Mystery Vineyard Sonoma Coast ($85)

Zinfandel

2021 Deerfield Ranch Sommer Ranch Vineyard Dry Creek Valley ($68)

Cabernet Franc

2022 Element 79 Vineyards Estate “Fair Play” ($45)

Merlot

2021 Robert Foley Vineyards Napa Valley ($80)

Syrah

2021 J. Lohr Vineyards “Gesture” Paso Robles ($45)

Petit Verdot

2022 J. Lohr Vineyards Home Ranch Paso Robles ($45)

Red Bordeaux-style Blend

2019 Peju Reserve Meritage Napa Valley ($175)

Cabernet Sauvignon

2021 ZD Wines Reserve Napa Valley ($175)

Other Red Single Varietal

2023 Cline Cellars Mourvèdre Small Berry Contra Costa County ($45)

Malbec

2021 Shadowbox McKenzie Mullen Vyd. Carneros, Napa ($65)

Petite Sirah

2022 V. Sattui Barrel Aged Napa ($52)

Sangiovese

2022 Eberle Paso Robles ($45)

Other Red Blend

 2022 Bricoleur Vineyards “La Rumeur” Sonoma County ($65)