The sips and sniffs were conclusive: judges at the 2007 Alameda
County Fair liked what Gilroy wineries had to offer, rewarding them
with two gold medals, two silvers and two bronzes in the annual
Best of the Bay Wine Competition.
By Perry Shirley
Staff Writer
Gilroy – The sips and sniffs were conclusive: judges at the 2007 Alameda County Fair liked what Gilroy wineries had to offer, rewarding them with two gold medals, two silvers and two bronzes in the annual Best of the Bay Wine Competition.
Solis Winery of Gilroy racked up golds for their 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon and a 2002 Sangiovese Estate vintages, beating out 248 wines from 55 wineries across San Francisco Bay Area for the honor.
“Cabernet Sauvignon is my personal favorite wine variety, and ours is very approachable,” said Solis proprietor Vic Vanni of his $32 wine. “Throw Napa Valley on the label, and it’s a $60 bottle.”
Though it’s said to be named after an old spirit that roams its lands, Sarah’s Vineyard needed no supernatural help to win a silver for its 2004 Pinot Noir and bronze for their 2005 Chardonnay and 2004 Zinfandel.
That a 2004 vintage would place in a 2007 competition shouldn’t be a surprise because three years is about the time it takes for wine to truly mature, according to Sarah’s Vineyard owner Tim Slater. While major wineries will “crank out” new wines every year, smaller ones such as Solis, Sarah’s and Fernwood Cellars prefer to give it time.
The 2004 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon that won Fernwood a bronze medal at the Best of the Bay competition and took gold at the San Francisco International Wine Competition was “a classic style built for some longevity” that aged for two years in a cellar within French oak barrels, winery owner Matt Oetinger said.
“A wine that needs a little bit of aging has its appeal,” Oetinger said. “I think to an extent a lot of cabernet makers are trying to dumb down cabernet to make it really approachable really early in its life (but) to find the true expression of what (it) has to offer takes time.”
Entering wines in competitions is largely a way for wineries to expand their name, bring attention to their vintages and sell a few more bottles.
