© 1997 JDM Enterprises All Rights Reserved Vol. I No. 19 SAN DIEGO CHAMPS by Jerry D. Mead Results are in from the San Diego National Wine Competition and we have the "Best of Show" winners for you. There are only three this year, because the judges couldn't come up with a clear majority (required for "Best of Show" honors) to name a Best Sparkling Wine. There was more than one contender and the judges kept splitting. Consensus was impossible. "Best of Show Red" honors went to Gundlach Bundschu 1995 "Morse Vineyard-Sonoma Valley" Zinfandel ($14). A small Southern California producer claimed "Best of Show White" title, Rey Sol 1996 "Temecula" Viognier ($16). Rey Sol is a brand devoted to Rhone-style varieties produced by Mount Palomar Winery. And the Sierra Foothills claims the title for "Best of Show Dessert Wine." It's Lava Cap 1995 "Sierra Foothills" Muscat Canelli ($12). A copy of the official awards book containing all the medal winners (plus a lot more information) is available by sending $5 to: San Diego Wine Winners, Box 1598, Carson City, NV 89702. VALUE FROM WHERE? There is and has been a shortage of California grapes and wine. And while the state's grapevines appear to be setting themselves up to yield a giant crop in 1997, anything can happen between now and harvest time. That's why you're seeing wines from places you might never have drank wine from before on your merchants shelves. And it's also why some of your favorite California wine brands don't contain California wine anymore. You have to look close at the label (even the back label sometimes) to find out where the wine originated. You can't just relay on the brand anymore. I'm not saying this is all bad (if the wine tastes good that's all that matters...especially in the budget price category), it's just something of which you should be aware. For example, Vichon, which is owned by Robert Mondavi, used to be all Napa Valley wine. Now it is 100 percent French wine. The Monterey Vineyard, oddly enough, has a French wine under one of its labels. And several well known California brands are putting wine from Chile, or Washington State, or other places, in their bottles. And you have to read the small print to find out. The thing is, they don't want you to get out of the habit of buying their particular brand, and there just isn't enough California juice to go around. Then there are the other brands that feature the foreign nations predominantly on the label. Never had an Argentine Malbec or Cabernet Sauvignon? There are some good ones. How about a Chilean Merlot? Some world class stuff. And South Africa offers a broad range of wine types and price ranges from which to choose. I've also been tasting some good red wine from Bulgaria, though the whites are nothing to write home about. Bulgarian wines have already become a major force in the value wine market in the United Kingdom. Add a few more like the two to follow and they'll become important here. Should you have any problems finding the wines, contact the importer directly: New world Wines, 2 Henry Adams St #M58, San Francisco, CA 94103 (415) 863-2220. Vesella Vineyards 1993 "Bulgarian" Merlot ($6) Ripe, somewhat spicy, cherry to plum fruit flavors, with just a touch of stewed tomato in the background. Light to medium bodied; very drinkable. A great pasta companion, especially if it's a tomato sauce version. A solid "Best Buy." Rating: 84/90 BEST BUY WINE OF THE WEEK Vesella Vineyards 1991 "Bulgarian" Cabernet Sauvignon ($6) Very, very good and amazingly mature and complex for the price. Plum and cassis fruit with a mildly herbaceous note in the aftertaste. The six years of aging both in cask and bottle is rare for a wine in this price category and makes the bargain all the greater. Case purchases highly recommended. Rating: 85/95 CALAVERAS MORE THAN FROGS The frog jumping capitol of the world is also a wine center and the six wineries in the county's vintner association are sponsoring a "Passport Weekend" on June 21 & 22, in and around the gold country community of Murphys. It all happens from 11am to 5pm and all of the wineries have special activities taking place that day, ranging from the pouring of special library wines, to live music, to special hors d'oeuvres. And there's an optional and very special gourmet wine dinner available on Saturday evening. Murphys is a great little Sierra Foothills town with lots of other things for tourists to do. There's a great historic hotel downtown, lots of antique shops and more. For more information or to make advance purchase of Passport Weekend tickets call (209) 795-5000. WINE ARCHAEOLOGY Carlo Mastroberardino, whose family vineyards are near Naples and Pompeii, has always specialized in ancient grape varieties of Greek and Roman origin. And now he's planting a vineyard with roots that go back to 79 AD, the year Pompeii was destroyed by a volcanic eruption. Working with the Archaeological Superintendent of Pompeii and the National Research Center of Italy, and 15 grape seeds found trapped in the ashes of Pompeii, Mastroberardino's goal is to experimentally reproduce the viticultural and winemaking systems employed by the Romans. Extraction of vegetable DNA yielded valuable information on the evolution of the gene pool of the vines and the genetic mutations that showed themselves when compared to modern vines. The ability to compare today's cultivars to those of so many centuries ago is truly a modern miracle. Wines are scored using a unique 100 point system. First number rates quality; second number rates value. HOME © 1997 JDM Enterprises. 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