Long Beach Grand Cru

If you've been following along you know that I recently spent a weekend judging for the Long Beach Grand Cru. It was an exciting experience I hope to have again. More interesting is that I attended the public event weeks later and had an opportunity to savor, instead of spit out, all of the medal-winning wine. This is my story:Right off the bat, I was thrilled with tastings from Stolpman Vineyards at Vintner Tom Stolpman's table and the VIP lounge, that unique experience was quickly followed by a few more wows with bubbles from Vina Sympatica; the discovery of Cholame Vineyard, another great winery to come out of San Miguel; having too much fun tasting wines with Bob Gold, of Bob Gold & Associates, and his sons; getting to try the Limoncello again (that we awarded a Gold medal too) and the Grappa-like "Hooch" from Red Soles Winery; the wonderful Cabernet Franc, Petite Sirah and Cabernet Sauvignon from Vinemark Cellars; tasting a few fun red blends from Chronic Cellars with wine judge and South Coast Botanic Garden Board of Trustee Peter Olpe; getting to try three wines from my new favorite winery in Wisconsin, Elmaro Vineyard, that also included another Gold Medal winner; the wonderful food, dancing to the live band and breathtaking venue.It was one of those events that had such a large space for guests to wander that we never felt crowded or had to wait much at all for a taste of wine or a bite of food. There was plenty of seating too, though we rarely took advantage of it. (An event other event planners should look at.)The crowning achievement of the event was twofold. This was probably the first wine tasting that I've been to that had so many medal-winners from all over the U.S. as well as the areas we are more familiar with like Napa and Paso.If a wine from Wisconsin wowed me you can bet that there were plenty more that I loved (see more in this short YouTube video here) with Gold Medal winning wine from places like New York's Finger Lakes, Maryland, Uruguay, Mexico's Valle de Guadalupe, South America's El Dorado, Michigan, Rhode Island, Indiana, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Puget Sound...if I were a vintner I would definitely send my wine to the Long Beach Grand Cru for judging and public tasting.The second fold of my twofold statement is that the event is rooted in supporting poverty law and the attorneys that dedicate themselves to serving those less fortunate, The Legal Aid of Los Angeles. I hope that if you haven't attended this 2-decade long running event that you consider it in 2016.2015 Medal WinnersSweepstakes winners:Sweepstakes Winner, Dessert: Red Soles Winery Red Soles Stillhouse NV Limoncello - New Brandy infused with lemons, Paso Robles. Sweepstakes Winner, Red: Daniel Gehrs 2012 Rocker Rarities, Central Coast. Sweepstakes Winner, Rose: Goose Watch Winery 2014 Cabernet Franc Rosé, Finger Lakes. Sweepstakes Winner, Sparkling: Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards 2006 Royal Cuvée, Carneros, Calif. Sweepstakes Winner, White: Elmaro 2014 West Prairie White Reserve.