The best wine by fair

Paul Clinton

Touted by winemakers as well as organizers as the world’s top judging

event of California wines, the Orange County Fair’s commercial wine

competition logged a high-water year for entries.

Judges handed out 1,390 ribbons in this year’s event, which drew a

record 3,325 entries, organizers said. Among the winners are eight

Four-Star Gold Medal wines judged to be the best the state has to

offer.

The Orange County Wine Society organizes the event, which is now

in its 27th year.

“It’s numbers we’re talking about,” said Dennis Esslinger, the

wine society’s president. “This was a record year.”

Many of the wines entered into the competition can be sampled at

the Courtyard at the fair. For $1, visitors can sample a one-ounce

glass of a ribbon-winner. For $5, a glass of a runner-up can be had.

The society’s army of judges rated the wines on a double-blind

tasting session, which ended June 1. Five-judge panels combed through

almost 50 categories of grapes. Each category is broken up into

sub-categories based on the wine’s sugar content and price level.

What also makes the competition unusual is that winemakers aren’t

charged an entry fee. But they must submit six bottles to be judged

and sold at the tasting counter, Esslinger said.

As in other years, the 2003 competition had its share of

surprises, wine society leaders said.

“This year, we had a remarkable number of new entries,” said Larry

Graham, the society’s vice president.

Judges gave their highest honor to the Macchia 2001 Zinfandel,

which was submitted from an obscure winery outside of Stockton. It

was one of the Four-Star Gold Medal wines.

Robert Rue’s 2001 Zinfandel was also a hit with the winemaker

judges.

Carol Shelton, a Zinfandel specialist, said she was impressed by

the vintage’s spice notes and layers of blueberry and chocolate.

“A good balance of all different things,” Shelton said. “That’s

what makes a wine great.”

In addition to the ribbons, judges also give out four “best in

show” awards for red, white, sparkling and dessert wines. This year,

those awards were handed out to Trinchero’s 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon,

St. Supery’s 2001 Meritage White, Mirabelle’s Brut and Prager Winery

& Port Works’ 1999 White Port.

An award is also given to the wine with the top label design. It

was won by Reynolds Family Winery’s 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon.

Many of the award-winning wines are carried by Costa Mesa’s

Hi-Time Wine Cellar. The retailer carries some 150 ribbon winners,

said Daniel Williams, the North American stocking manager.

“Within Orange County, man, do we have people coming in to demand

these gold medal wines,” Williams said. “Hi-Times is the largest

retailing promoter of the Orange County Fair wines. Period.”

Hi-Times also organizes about six tastings at their wine bar

during July, so patrons can sample the wines.