Category Archives: Wine

Event, Food, Wine

The Blending Experience at Paraduxx: Friday March 24th

Leave a comment

This is a special Terroir to Table event happening at Flavor! Napa Valley.  An enjoyable opportunity to be winemaker by making your own blend with the amazing Paraduxx Wine crew.  During this hands-on experience, you will be guided through a component tasting of the three core varietals that make up Paraduxx while enjoying seasonally paired bites from local chefs, Natalie and Jonathan Niksa, of La Saison, Napa Valley.

Get your tickets!
The Blending Experience
at Paraduxx
FRIDAY, MARCH 24, 2017 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM

 

Event, Tasting, Travels, Wine

It’s Back! Telluride Wine Festival 2017

Leave a comment

Word is out, Telluride Wine Festival will be June 22-25 this year, so time to get your travels plans a’ brewing! I will be there again and setting up some seriously awesome seminars. Details coming soon, but for now wineries can get signed up online with the Grand Tasting at:  2017 TWF Winery Registration

Wineries can also contact me directly about seminars,  wine@sawyersomm.com: I look forward to finding a space for you to participate!  Meanwhile, I will continue to share festival updates.  And for more information about the Telluride, CO area check out this resource:  telluride.com

Cheers! Christopher

Event, Literature, People, Wine

Reading Time: American Wino by Dan Dunn

Leave a comment

At the ZAP Expo last weekend I ran into my friend Dan Dunn, author of the book American Wino: A Tale of Reds, Whites, and One Man’s Blues.  He inscribed my copy with “This doesn’t happen without you man!”  High praise.  Looking forward to the read.

Here is an informative Forbes review to warm up your mental palate for the excursion:  American Wine: A Fun New Wine Book Wine Snobs Will Hate

Event, Food, Wine

Dinner with legendary winemaker Heidi Barrett – March 23rd

Leave a comment

Known for her love of Cabernet, Heidi Barrett will be honored at a special Winemaker Dinner next month for Flavor! Napa Valley.  Since the 1980s, she has created some of the Napa Valley’s most famous wines, including Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle, Grace Family, Paradigm, and many others. She started La Sirena, in 1994, and began her collaboration brand, Barrett & Barrett, with her husband, Bo Barrett of Chateau Montelena, in 2010.

Icons Dinner honoring legendary winemaker Heidi Barrett
Thursday, March 23, 2017 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Don’t miss this opportunity to taste her amazing collection of Muscat, Grenache, Pirate’s Treasure and Cabernet Sauvignon paired with amazing dishes made by star chefs from across the nation; Host Chef Jeffrey Jake (Silverado Resort and Spa), Matthew Accarrino (SPQR), Stuart Brioza & Nicole Krasinski (State Bird Provisions and The Progress), Waldy Malouf (CIA), Ken Frank (La Toque) and Michael Schulson (Schulson Collective)

Limited seating – get tickets while they last!

Appellation, Tasting, Travels, Wine

Take a trek Behind The Cellar Door: March 4-5

1 Comment

Seriously!  This is an opportunity to go taste some of those foothill wines I keep telling you about.  In fact, I have 2 FREE DAY PASSES to this one, Behind the Cellar Door, for the first person to write a note to wine@sawyersomm.com with their mailing address.  What you get in return is a weekend of touring the lovely Amador County wineries, towns and landscape. The caveat?   I just ask you to report back here for all of SawyerSomm with your favorite wines from the tour.  Believe me, you will thank me for this!

For those that aren’t quick enough on the draw, you can still
purchase tickets HERE until Feb 28th.  Have fun everyone!

Competition, news, Tasting, Wine

Live Thurs Feb 16th on KGO! SFWC Public Tasting on Feb 18th.

Leave a comment
The final round of our my team’s flights of high-end Viognier.

I will miss the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Public Tasting this year, but instead I get to share my thoughts about the exciting results from a wine judge’s perspective ahead of time on KGO! Catch me tonight, February 16th, from 8:45 to 9pm with Pat Thurston.

The SFWC Public Tasting will be Saturday, February 18th at Festival Pavilion, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco from 1:30-5pm.
Get your tickets HERE!

Awards, Competition, Wine

East Meets West: 2017 Competition Results!

Leave a comment

As promised, results from the recent East Meets West Challenge results.   Check the site for a more thorough summary later this month.

Best of Show: East
Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards, 2014 Vidal Blanc Ice Wine, Finger Lakes Natural Ice Wine, $45

Best of Show: West
Miro Cellars, 2014 Petite Sirah, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley, Reserve Coyote Ridge Vineyard, $32

Best Sparkling: East
Trump Winery, 2009 Brut Reserve Estate Monticello, Methode Champenoise, Estate Bottled, $75

*Best Sparkling: West
Gloria Ferrer, Royal Cuvee 2007, $37

Best White: East
Wine Insiders, Simue 2016, Verdejo, Spain, $30

Best White: West
Oak Farm Vineyards, 2016 Albarino, Lodi,
Certified Green under Lodi Rules, $24

Best Rosé: East
Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard, 2015 Rosé, Maryland, $20

Best Rosé: West
Stave & Stone Winery, 2016 Dorothy Pinot Noir Rosé, Columbia Gorge, Broten Boulder Vineyard, $25

Best Red: East
Pollak Vineyards, 2014 Cabernet Franc, Reserve Estate, Monticello Estate Grown Reserve, $50

Best Red: West
Miro Cellars, 2014 Petite Sirah, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley, Reserve Coyote Ridge Vineyard, $32

*Best Riesling: East
Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards, 2014 Vidal Blanc Ice Wine, Finger Lakes Natural Ice Wine, $45

Best Riesling: West
Carol Shelton Wines, 2014 Black Magic Late Harvest Zinfandel, $20

*Indicates Best of East Meets West in Class

photo2
photo3
photo1
photo4