Lakeport >> Gregory Graham is no stranger to winning medals and accolades for his wines. And yet, with all of the prestige that comes with winning professional judging events, the honor of being named the winner of the Lake County 2016 People’s Choice event brought a smile to Graham’s face.
“I like to see people enjoy my wine,” he said. “People are the ones who ultimately buy the wine, so when they select my wine as their favorite, it really means something.”
Two of Graham’s wines, the 2015 Sauvignon Blanc and 2011 Cinder Cone, won the 2016 People’s Choice tasting.
Sponsored by the Lake County Winery Association (LCWA), it featured a blind tasting and an opportunity to sample wines that were awarded gold medals in the 2016 Lake County Wine Competition.
Graham’s 2015 Sauvignon Blanc competed against a field of 13 Lake County Sauvignon Blanc wines in a blind tasting event.
“After the blind tasting was over, I went through and tasted all of the wines,” Graham said. “I was pleased to have my wine win in a field of so many good wines.”
Twenty percent of the 2015 vintage spent six months in French oak which Graham says gave it a denseness that past vintages have not had.
“I like the way the 2015 Sauvignon Blanc turned out and plan to duplicate this again in 2016,” he said.
Graham’s 2011 Cinder Cone Reserve is a proprietary blend of Syrah, Cabernet and Grenache from Graham’s Crimson Hill Vineyard blended with Malbec from a nearby Red Hills vineyard. It was awarded a gold medal in the 2016 Lake County Wine Awards Competition.
The People’s Choice wine tasting held on July 30 featured Sauvignon Blanc from 13 Lake County producers. The wines were bagged and poured for the blind tasting. Guests swirled and sipped to choose their favorite before casting their vote. The open tasting offered gold medal wines poured by 14 Lake County wineries, showcasing their best from the 2016 Lake County Wine Competition.
For more information about upcoming LCWA events, sponsorship or membership opportunities, call (707) 357-5237 or visit www.lakecountywineries.org.
