SFIWC 2015’s cast of judging characters, flanking competition organizers Anthony Dias Blue & Chandler Moore (seated, center). Total slacker seated far left. (image: Charles Communications)
I have much love and praise for SFIWC, which has got to be one of the best-run wine competitions in North America (and, in my own personal experience, globally), thanks in no small part to the efforts of the tough, mighty, and inimitable Chandler Moore, who, behind the scenes, pretty much ensures that all runs smoothly, and makes the entire SFIWC “go” without a hitch.
This year, I felt a little more at home, a little more accomplished as a wine comp judge (having had quite a few more under my belt since last year’s event), and a little more of an “insider” (getting invited to the traditional local watering hole for beers after each day of “work” was, I thought, I sort of mini rite of passage… also, I fell compelled to point out that nothing – nothing – tastes better than a good beer after a full day of judging wine).
Because I am a geek, mental notes were taken on some of the blind-tasted wines that I found particularly interesting from my own panel’s days at the SFIWC “office,” so I’ve highlighted some of those Double Gold selections (receiving unanimous Gold medal awards from all of our panel members) below, after the jump. These are not necessarily the wines that performed the best in our panels or the comp. in general, but stood out to me as being particularly noteworthy / enjoyable / made me wanna get my buzz and swervy on, etc.
If you’re me, when you get an invite to attend a guided tasting of Ornellaia’s 2012 “L’Incanto” release (and some past vintages) with Giovanni Geddes da Filicaja and winemaker Axel Heinz at 620 Loft and Garden in NYC in May, you accept.
Also, if you’re me, when they name a wine “L’Incanto” (“the Enchantment”), you expect them to put pixelated references to Minecraft on the label. I am sad to tell you that didn’t happen, my friends. I know, right? C’mon, even first graders know the Minecraft references now (not that those consumers should be Ornellaia’s market…).
I am not sad to report, however, on the wines that we tasted during that session, most of which were excellent (as you will read in a few moments). I am sad to think that several of you reading this will flame me for liking these wines, though I am quite sure that will happen. Having said that, I incite you to consider the following insight:
Before you ask… yes, I am still not quite up to the full-on feature articles, and am woefully behind. Look, I’ve got major issues on the homestead, people, so you’re going to need to be patient (or, simply enthrall yourselves with any of the other billion English-language wine blogs out there for now).
The issues have not stopped me from imbibing wine, however (even after having mouth surgery – oh yeah, who’s your drinkin’ daddy?!??). Hey, this is me we’re talking about, here!
Fortunately for both of us, the sample pool gods hath been smilingly generous towards me in my time of personal woe. Thanks to them, I can throw the following wines and resulting frissons of gustatory excitement out at you, my friends.
Just so long as you don’t mind a penchant for wagon pictures on wine labels, or Pinots that clock in at over 14% alcohol (please… leave that abv-hate at the virtual door before entering here, ok?); trust me, James MacPhail knows what the f–k he’s doing with his Pinot…
I am, as I’ve noted ad nauseam lately, insanely behind on my producer/feature write-ups. That streak continues unabated at the moment, but this time it’s in favor of actually bringing you some vino recommendation (you’re welcome!).
I recently had the great pleasure of being a panelist speaker at the enormous VINO215 Italian wine trade and tasting event in NYC. I’ll get to some highlights from the tastings in a few moments, but first I wanted to tell you with as much humility as I could muster that my panel TOTALLY KILLED IT. I mean, look… we had… THIS:
That’s just Awesome with a capital A, (in the words of Martin Short’s Ed Grimley) “I must say!”
Which is, of course, my humorous attempt to tell you that I thought that my fellow panelists and moderator totally killed it in talking about the intersection of wine and music, and that I was basically just trying to keep up with them.
Of course, VINO2015 was chock-full of enough tasting opportunities to pickle all of your livers several times over, and so here are my takes on a few that turned my wine-geek-critic-type-guy head (with apologies in advance to the VINO2015 organizers, who focused on Southern Italy, while I apparently focused on Northern Italy, as you’ll soon see). Also, for those of you complainy-pants who constantly moan that I never talk about inexpensive wines, this your chance to bite it! (I mean that respectfully… I think…)…
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