Santa Rosa, CA (January 20, 2016) —Today, the Sonoma County Vintners (SCV) announced the members of its specially selected panel responsible for evaluating the one-of-a kind wine futures to be featured at the 2016 Sonoma County Barrel Auction scheduled for April 29th. Panelists include:
- Sandy Block, Master of Wine, Legal Sea Foods (Boston, MA)
- Doug Frost, Master Sommelier/Master of Wine, Full Circle Wine Solutions (Prairie Village, KS)
- Evan Goldstein, Master Sommelier, Full Circle Wine Solutions (San Francisco, CA)
- Keith Goldston, Master Sommelier, Capella (Washington, DC)
- Bob Paulinski, Master of Wine, BevMo (Concord, CA)
- John Szabo, Master Sommelier, WineAlign (Toronto, ON)
- Liz Thach, Master of Wine, Sonoma State University (Rohnert Park, CA)
“It was important to the entire SCV membership that the wines crafted for this event be of the highest quality,” said Executive Director Carolyn Stark. “Therefore, we felt it was extremely important that these never before, never again wines be evaluated by some of the industry’s top experts.”
The seven panelists began double blind tastings of lot submissions this month and will finalize lot selections in February, ensuring that all wines reflect terroir authenticity, varietal correctness and are a true representation of Sonoma County by appellation.
“Sonoma County has such remarkable diversity. Certainly it’s more diverse than any appellation in California, and maybe in the U.S.,” said Master Sommelier and Master of Wine Doug Frost. “This is an opportunity to continue an on-going pursuit to understand what is going on in the region.”
Licensed wine sellers, including retailers, restaurateurs and wholesalers, may review panelist biographies, get further information on participating wineries and request a ticket to the invitation-only 2016 event by April 1st online at SonomaWine.com/barrelauction or by contacting Carol Galletta at (415) 683-0696 or sommelier@fullcirclewinesolutions.com. The trade-only barrel auction will take place at Vintners Inn in Santa Rosa on Friday, April 29th. Space is limited.
For timely updates and more information on the 2016 Sonoma County Barrel Auction, like Sonoma County Vintners on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SonomaCountyVintners, follow on Twitter at @SonomaVintners, on Instagram at @SonomaCountyVintners or search using the hashtag #SoCoBA.
About the Sonoma County Barrel Auction
Cultivated in Sonoma County’s most highly acclaimed vineyards. Handcrafted by legendary vintners. Evaluated by a hand-selected, impartial panel of wine experts. Every lot in the annual Sonoma County Barrel Auction is a masterpiece of Sonoma County winemaking. Wines for this event are produced in very limited quantities ranging from five to 20 cases, giving select members of the wine trade the opportunity to offer true originals for resale to their customers and ultra-premium wine collectors. Proceeds from the event support the marketing efforts of Sonoma County Vintners and their AVA partners.
About Sonoma County Vintners
Sonoma County Vintners (SCV) is the leading voice of Sonoma County wine, dedicated to raising awareness and building understanding of Sonoma County as one of the world’s premier wine regions, noted for its heritage of artisan winemaking, distinct growing regions, and extraordinary quality. Founded in 1944, SCV represents more than 260 wineries and affiliates of all sizes throughout the county. Learn more about SCV at www.SonomaWine.com.
