Dust in the Wind
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Napa County wine coverage: Visit us online at NapaValleyRegister.com/wine for more coverage of the wine ON WINE industry. FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2019 | napavalleyregister.com | SECTION C ON WINE The 100- point wine ecades ago, soon after the 100-point scoring scheme Dbecame a popular way to evaluate wine, a glossy wine magazine awarded a 100-point score to an exalted First Growth Bordeaux. As a former math major in college and pro- fessional skeptic, I was already cynical about DAN rating the qual- BERGER ity of a wine by numbers — es- pecially if more than one evaluation system is used at the same time. The magazine’s policy made no sense to me. It was almost par- adoxical. (See “The Unexpected Hanging,” by Martin Gardner.) The magazine said its eval- uation had been done by fi ve judges, that the evaluation was totally blind (the judges didn’t know the identity of the wines), GARY OTTONELLO PHOTOS and that the fi nal score repre- Julie Johnson of Tres Sabores pours for a member of the trade at A Day in the Dust. sented the cumulative opinion of all judges. I immediately saw problems. The magazine asking us to ac- cept the premise that three or more of the fi ve judges had in- dependently come to the con- clusion that one unknown wine was worth 100 points — and that the other two judges had Dust in the rated it at least 99 points. That inconsistency proved that some of the problems as- sociated with wine judging may not always be as evident as they should be. The late UC Davis Prof. Maynard Amerine, in his 1976 book “Wines, Their Sensory Evaluation,” outlined several wind (and fog) wine-evaluation fallacies when people are rating several wines. The Rutherford Dust Society puts on a 25th anniversary show in San Francisco Most people seem to prefer ranking systems to give them a TONY POER event’s most surprising wine, frame of reference as to what a A pair of Northern California a 2012 Rutherford Sauvignon wine expert, or an expert panel, institutions shared a spotlight Blanc. considers great. in San Francisco last month. “Not only was opening up A Even UC Davis sees the On a cool Thursday after- Day in the Dust to consumers need for some form of rank- noon, the St. Francis Yacht Club a brilliant idea, but so was tak- ing, and for decades has used hosted the Rutherford Dust So- ing the show on the road,” the a 20-point system to evaluate ciety (RDS) for the group’s an- communications director said. student-produced wines. This nual “A Day in the Dust” July “These wine lovers would not system was later adapted to trade tasting. The 92-year-old have been exposed to the wines analyze commercial wine. De- sailing club opened its doors to on display had [the tasting] been cades ago, I used a form of this the much younger association held in its previous fashion.” for my own purposes. (I never of Napa Valley wineries, which Julie Johnson, an industry published the results.) It was was commemorating its 25th veteran from her days at Frog’s merely a shorthand method for anniversary. Leap and the proprietor-wine- determining how to write about As in past years, dozens of Bay maker of Tres Sabores, was a particular wine. Area retailers and restaurateurs pleased with the balance of attended the event. Consumers trade, media, and her own club Please see BERGER, Page C5 and winery club members fol- The Rutherford Dust Society Grand Tasting in San Francisco. members who attended. lowed the trade later that day, “This was, I think, just a test a fi rst for the Rutherford Dust was about 40 degrees colder clubhouse it was a coming-out to see what was possible,” she Of all the grape Society. In another break from that day than in wine country. party for the much-anticipated said of the switch from Ruth- varieties that claim tradition, instead of Rutherford St. Francis Yacht Club sits above 2016 vintage, as well as an op- erford to San Francisco for the preeminence in this enthusiasts trekking up to Napa a rocky seawall at the northern portunity for wineries to dig grand tasting. “There’s noth- Valley for the popular event, the edge of the Marina District, through their cellars. ing like bringing the tasting to world, disheveled, RDS brought the Grand Tasting and the normally spectacular “With this being the 25th people and seeing who comes. tattooed, unshaven, to San Francisco. view of Alcatraz, Angel Island, anniversary of the Rutherford I had wine club members here, They also brought some bot- and the Golden Gate Bridge was Dust Society, the retrospective and they may not have made sandal-wearing Pinot tled sunshine in the form of partly hidden by dense July fog. tasting of Rutherford AVA wines the trip if it hadn’t been right Noir seems to be the Rutherford Cabernet, Zinfandel, Long moans from the bridge’s was fi tting,” said Kelly Carter of in San Francisco. So that was and Sauvignon Blanc. Consis- foghorn every few minutes Alpha Omega Winery, an RDS pretty cool.” least likely candidate tent with San Francisco summer added to the gloomy ambiance. member since 2006. Carter had for stardom. weather, the local temperature But inside the nautically themed the distinction of pouring the Please see DUST, Page C2 The Rutherford Chili Ball returns Aug. 4 Spirits make inroads despite In celebration of its 25th an- niversary, Rutherford Dust the government roadblocks Society (RDS), the non-profi t member association for growers ERIC ALTHOFF for concern, as excise and “sin and vintners in the Rutherford Distilled spirits continue to taxes” imposed by various states Appellation, will host the Ruth- take a bite out of beer and wine are not only increasing the erford Chili Ball on Sunday, Aug. in the American drinking mar- per-bottle cost to consumers, 4 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Becksto er ket. In fact, 2018 marked the but also endangering many jobs. Farm Center. ninth straight year of record “Like it or not, whenever a Back by popular demand, this sales and volumes, increasing political party thinks they need festive, family-friendly event to $27.5 billion of supplier sales new revenue, they try to tax dis- will include entertainment for all — or 37.4 percent of the total al- tilled spirits,” Ozgo said. “When ages, including a Chili Cook-o coholic beverage market. you tax distilled spirits, you’re competition between vintners, That’s good news for business, really just taxing the hospitality growers, fi refi ghters, chefs, and according to David Ozgo, the se- industry. And, ultimately, these self-proclaimed chili connois- nior vice president for economic taxes cost jobs. seurs in Rutherford. and strategic analysis at the “Even though the economy is A live vote by attendees and Distilled Spirits Council of the doing fairly well right now, you local chefs will decide who gets United States, the national trade never want to [levy] a tax and the ultimate glory and bragging SUBMITTED PHOTO association for producers and cost somebody their job.” rights for having the best chili in The annual Rutherford Chili Ball is Aug. 4. marketers of distilled spirits. Furthermore, such taxes typ- Rutherford. “Over the last three or four ically function as a moral judg- In years past, the Rutherford try music by Brigham Brothers Wines by RDS members and years, in volume terms, we’ve ment on personal behavior: Chili Ball has been a sold-out Band. local beers will be available, gotten into a consistent growth Rather than stopping “problem event, where locals, guests and “The Chili Ball is a great Ruth- complemented by a full barbecue pattern of 2 percentage points,” drinkers” from indulging, the their families gathered to kick erford tradition,” said RDS Board spread featuring slow-roasted Ozgo said in a phone interview. levies slow buying across the back, relax and enjoy each oth- Secretary Regina Weinstein of brisket, chicken, and all the “The 5.1 percent increase in rev- board, resulting in less taxes to er’s company. This year, RDS is Honig Vineyards and Winery. “It sides by Black Bean BBQ. A silent enue means that we’ve grown even collect, o cials said. bringing it back with fun activi- allows us to reconnect with our auction will feature large for- revenues by over a billion dol- “You’re not doing anything ties for the entire family — from friends and neighbors in Ruther- mat bottles of Rutherford wine, lars.” from a public health standpoint bouncy houses, to face painting ford before harvest. The money as well as tasting experiences And yet, even with distilled to curb abusive drinking,” Ozgo by Buki the Clown, lawn games, we raise supports important throughout the appellation. spirits continuing to make in- said. and more. This year’s event will non-profi ts in our community, roads against beer and wine, be a rodeo theme, with live coun- and it’s always a lot of fun!” Please see CHILI, Page C2 Ozgo says there remains cause Please see SPIRITS, Page C5 M 1 C2 | FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2019 WINE NAPA VALLEY REGISTEr with a foot each in the past on the Grand Tasting. Like Dust and quickly evolving pres- Laurie Hanna, his family is From C1 ent. attached to the wine busi- The current RDS board ness. And, like Sprincin, he A long-time link president, Steve Tonella, works in software. Having an identity so was on hand to pour his “I thought it was a great closely intertwined with S.R.