I admit, we had a preconceived notion about the Rotary Club Wine Fundraiser, Festa di Vino last weekend.  My friend Susan had scored a couple of tickets, and we were fairly sure it would feel a bit like a church crab feed or maybe even dinner at Mimi’s—Rotary Club, Shriners, Elks, Moose,  that sort of thing, right?  You’d be thinking the same thing, admit it!  Our plan was to check it out, and then likely head out to get a real glass of wine.

We were pleasantly surprised when we entered a very energetic room filled with hundreds of wine tasting, food sampling patrons ranging in age from about 35-70.  A very diverse crowd was enjoying the offerings of upwards of 30 local wineries and probably 20 restaurants.    Shows how much we know!

I love events where I can buzz through tasting wines side by side.  Just like a blind party, you are exposed to so many open bottles, you can easily determine what pops out at you—one’s own preferences become obvious.   Rather than list all we tasted, I’m going to focus on what we liked, and they were pretty much identical lists as far as a Top 5 went.  What we both liked about these wines is that they were unique in flavor profile, well balanced, and pleasant on the palate.  I’ve listed them in no specific order.

• Petite Sirah, Zinfandel — M2 Winery, Lodi (www.m2wines.com)
• Quartz Estate Zinfandel—Story Winery, Plymouth, Amador County, (www.zin.com)
• Barbera—Perry Creek Winery, Fair Play, El Dorado County  (www.perrycreek.com)
• Cabernet Sauvignon—Wharton, Yountville (www.whartonwines.com)
• Alexandra & Olivia Bordeaux-Style Cabernet Blends—Moniz Family Wines, Napa/local (available Sellands, Nugget, www.monizfamilywines.com)

 After 2 hours….we were pretty satiated!  Hope you'll try out some of these great local wines.  We loved them—and the Rotary event!  Now I plan to head out to the Sierra foothills soon. xoxoSusan