© 1996 JDM Enterprises
MEDAL WINNINGEST WINESby Jerry D. MeadMonths before it's published each year, people start asking when the latest edition of the hottest annual wine book in America will be available. California Wine Winners, edited by Trudy Ahlstrom and J.T. Devine, has that kind of following. It is the holiday season shopping guide of tens of thousands of wine lovers. What California Wine Winners is, is a computer compilation and analyzation of the results of nine of the most important wine competitions in America. At a glance, you can see which of the major wine types won the most medals, won any medals at all, which specific wines they were, what they sell for, and are cross-referenced by wine variety and winery. So if you're cooking leg of lamb and want a good red Zinfandel to accompany it, go to the Zinfandel chapter and look for top scoring wines among those your retailer has. Conversely, if you're paying a visit to wine country, and have just pulled up in front of Chateau Le Plonk, go to the "by winery" section for a complete list of medals won by the Chateau to guide you in what you taste and buy. For the past many years, I've been provided with an advance copy for review under the condition that I don't reveal too much. As a book of nothing but information, a reviewer could give away so many of the book's secrets that no one would want to spend the bucks to buy it. So that's why we tell you some things and tease you with others...we want to keep getting advance copies. The latest edition is titled California Wine Winners 1997, and then in small print it says "The Best of the 1996 Judgings." That bit of double talk is for the book stores, which don't like to sell books that say 1996 on their covers after it gets to be 1997. It sells for $8.95, will be available at most chain bookstores, at many wine shops and some winery tasting rooms (those whose wines did well in competitions), or it can be ordered by mail for $11.45 (includes shipping) to: Wine Winners 97, Box 880281, San Francisco, CA 94188 (800) 845-9463. It will be available by the time you read this. Before I name some specific winners, I should mention that winners are ranked in two different ways...pure medal count (as in nine medals out of nine judgings), and by weighted medal rank, as in 1-point for bronze, 3-points for a silver medal, 5-points for a gold, and 7-points for a sweepstakes, double-gold or some other special rank. Wineries are also ranked by overall points, but that's a little deceptive. Some wineries only make one or two wines and so can never do well here. Wineries which not only make exceptional wines, but lots of different types, do best here. You'll have to buy the book to find out which two wineries scored nearly 300 points each, with one coming out on top by a single point. I'll tell you all kinds of things about the Cabernet Sauvignon class, but not the name of the $50 a bottle champ on points from a small producer that sells only from its tasting room. The next highest scoring Cab is one that got a big score here about six months ago, Gallo Sonoma 1992 "Frei Ranch" ($16). And that three Cabernets won some kind of medal at eight out of nine shows: Beringer 1992 "Napa Reserve" ($45); Rodney Strong 1993 "Sonoma" ($11) and Rodney Strong 1992 "Alexander's Crown" ($20). The number two Chardonnay on points also had a perfect nine out of nine for medals, but the number one wine, while only winning at eight out of nine shows, had an extra silver medal in its count. Two Sonoma wineries battled it out for top Gewurztraminer honors this year. Number one by a single point was Adler Fels 1995 Sonoma ($11). Hot on its heels was Alderbrook 1995 "Sonoma" ($11). The number one Riesling by a mile is a "Best Buy" to boot: Geyser Peak 1995 Soft Johannisberg Riesling ($6). The top two Merlots are in a dead-heat tie and the next three runners-up are within two points, providing lots of good shopping tips for this currently hottest of all red varieties. The top five range in price from $15 to $42, and, yes, I'm intentionally not mentioning the names. We told you about the number one Petite Sirah way back in February when it won the American Airlines Trophy as overall Best of Show at the New World International: David Bruce 1994 "Central Coast-Vintner's Select" ($12). Mirassou 1994 "Monterey" White Burgundy ($8.25) was the number one Pinot Blanc, which is no big surprise, as it does well every year. A personal favorite came in second, Wild Horse 1995 "Monterey" Pinot Blanc ($13). Statistics are strange things. Rodney Strong 1994 "Russian River-River East" Pinot Noir ($16) won more golds than any other Pinot (5), but got nosed out of first place by a $40 wine that is no longer commercially available that won a couple of special designations plus a string of silvers. In a similar compilation by the newsletter California Grapevine (which includes a tenth judging in its statistics), the Rodney Strong was number one. For the last three years the number one Sauvignon Blanc has been a $5 value brand. This year it slipped to number two and the price has edged up to $7 (though you can find it for less): Canyon Road 1995 "California." The wine that edged it out and that is nearly twice as expensive is almost impossible to find anyhow. Call Canyon Road the "Best Buy" Sauvignon Blanc of the decade. An amazing thing happened in the Syrah class. The number one wine by points and medal count is from a brand new winery and the first crop off a new vineyard in a new growing area, Indian Springs 1994 "Nevada County" ($15). Watch this hot new brand closely...this isn't the only wine it won medals for. Rutherford Estate Cellars 1994 White Zinfandel ($5) didn't quite come in first in its category, but it scored best of the White Zins you have a chance to find. The book has other categories I didn't get to, like Cabernet Franc, red and white Meritage, Semillon and Zinfandel. Pick it up and take it shopping. The "Wine of the Week" will be back next week.
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