Kelseyville >> At Moore Family Winery in Kelseyville Saturday, 18 different wineries brought their A-game to the Lake County Winery Association (LCWA) People’s Choice event. Be they red wines or whites, the wineries were invited to break out what they felt would be the public’s favorite wines. Guests perused the grounds and sipped on the numerous varietals before casting their votes for the two winners.
In the end, Cache Creek Vineyards’ Sauvignon Blanc won best white while a Cimarron Ridge Blend from the Shannon Ridge Vigilance label won best red. It was a tough competition. While guests had a difficult time casting their votes, they were eager to honor the wines they enjoy so much. “We love Lake County wines and we really think they deserve the recognition,” said Jan Maddock, an event attendee.
People’s Choice began six years ago as an event to follow up the LCWA Wine Awards, a professional wine judging competition. The LCWA felt the public deserved a say in the wine scene as well, so they organized People’s Choice, with categories that mimicked the Wine Awards. Although the event was a hit, handling that much wine was a challenge, so they scaled down. Last year there were only three reds and three whites to choose from. This year, as another change of pace, they invited the wineries to pour their own wines.
Saturday night was a success. “The vibe I got from people … I had people turn to me and say, ‘this is awesome. You really hit it out of the park,’” said Terry Dereniuk, LCWA Executive Director.
There’s a large culture surrounding wine tasting and it’s surely what drew many people to the People’s Choice event. “This wine tasting seems to be such a hit with people,” Dereniuk said. “The placed was mobbed. Wine tasting is a whole dynamic unto itself. They [the public] really like the idea of, ‘well, let me taste this one and this one and see what one I really like.’”
Some event goers made the trip to Moore Family Winery all so they could help highlight the county’s many excellent wines. “I wanted to come here because Lake County wines are so good and they’re not appreciated in the rest of the state,” People’s Choice attendee Tom Maddock said.
Often, the wines that win People’s Choice vary from those that take home prizes at the LCWA Wine Awards, since professional judges evaluate the wines with criteria that may differ from the public. They take into consideration any possible flaws to the wines, how true it is to the varietal and how it would pair with food. Dereniuk said if she were voting, she might ask herself, “Would I serve this?”
“The professional judges are looking at it from a totally different dynamic,” she added.
But whether a winery wins a Wine Award or a People’s Choice, they both carry their own weight. “I think they both have a significance,” Dereniuk said. “It’s great to have the professional wine judges who do this for a living to say, ‘this wine really merits recognition,’ but there’s also a piece that’s very special about having everyone who likes wine taste it and say, ‘I really like this one.’”
The participating wineries were Beaver Creek, Brassfield Estate, Chache Creek Vineyards, Don Angel Cellars, Fore Family, Fults Family Vineyards, Gregory Graham, Langtry Estate, Laujor Estate, Moore Family Winery, Noggle Vineyards, Olof Cellars, Rosa d’Oro, Six Sigma Ranch, Smiling Dogs Ranch, Steele Wines, Vigilance from Shannon Ridge Family of Wines and Wildhurst Wineyards.
However, wine tasting wasn’t all the event had to offer. Julie Hoskins of Chicle Chef hosted a wine and food pairing session and sent people home with recipes for both a red and white wine. Wine educator Gary Johnson held an information session all about location. People who sat in on his talk were treated to wines from different places and learned how their origins impacted their taste. In the fading afternoon sun, Sacramento-based band BoomBox took to the stage and sang well into the night as guests danced and lounged on the grass.
Jennifer Gruenke can be reached at 900-2019.
