PIT YOUR PALATE AGAINST THE PROS

 For many wine enthusiasts,  January is associated with a major tasting of Zinfandels.  Now Cabernet fans, thanks to the Bay Area Wine Society Meetup  and   Affairs of the Vine,  can also indulge their passion at the beginning of the year in one of the most dramatic settings in the Bay Area - The Winery SF on Treasure Island.  And enjoy the experience without the crowd crush of the mega tastings or Passport weekends

Over a number of weeks in the fall, Affairs of the Vine convened a select panel of 41 wine makers, writers, retailers, educators, and consultants to judge the 7th Cabernet Shootout among mostly limited production artisan Cabernets, Cabernet Francs and Cabernet blends from 56 different Appellations.  Without regard to price, vintage or region, this group of experts moved 64 wines to the final round selecting 32 "best of the best."

These finalists can now be evaluated in a blind tasting by the wine lovers attending the  Cabernet Shootout Challenge .Starting at 1:30 pm, each Cab lover will select their favorites in a flight of 16 Cabs containing five of the top 10 wines chosen by the panelists.

In this Pro/Am competition, the results of the professionals'  Cab Shootout will then be compared to the tally of the   'amateurs' Cab Challenge, both tabulated by gender.

This distinctly different   format provides a unique opportunity to compare your taste preferences to   those of the 'gatekeepers' in the wine industry.   It also allows participants to sample other than the usual suspects and rate rising star wineries

During the afternoon, attendees will also be able to mingle and meet with an array of the vintners from the wineries that participated in the  Cabernet Shootout in an open walk around tasting accompanied by various nibbles.

Sample wines from more than 24  boutique producers such as Cass, Eberle, Deerfield Ranch, J  Pilar, Vigilance, Rahn, Auburn James, Sol Rouge, En Garde, Cuda Ridge, Rocca Family, Fernwood, HeartSmart, Rodirgue Moyneaux, Signorello,  Peju, and last year's SF Chronicle Grand Champion McGrail.

In addition,starting at noon the Cabernet Challenge offers two concurrent panel sessions of winemakers who will discuss how this noble varietal is influenced by the terroir of different grape growing areas.  One session will explore the distinctive features of a representative Old World Bordeaux Cab vs. some of California's New World versions among the Shootout champions.The other workshop will examine how the  viticultural characteristics of several regions in the state differ and guide winemaking decisions.

We will also be raffling off bottles of killer Cabs from the participating wineries to raise funds for One  Brick that assists charities with temporary manpower needs. And since we are expecting 30+ wineries  to pour in the walk around tasting, and no more than 250 tickets will be sold, the odds are quite good that you can walk away with a superb bottle of vino.

TRANSIT: Easy Muni access which also serves BART customers.

Regular price for Cabernet Shootout Challenge + meet the vintners & sample their current releases   $69;

.~~VIP releases: price for Winemakers panel + Cabernet Shootout Challenge + Meet the vintners & sample their current releases: $89 

 Group ticket prices: Contact the organizer about discounts for 2 or more at tom@bayareawinesociety.org.

NO NEED TO HAVE A PAYPAL ACCOUNT TO PAY

QUESTIONS:  CALL TOM MERLE 707.337.3663