Tasting competition sees influx of delicate reds in the over-$35 class

The Sonoma County Harvest Fair wine competition began Wednesday at the county fairgrounds with 1,052 wines under the scrutiny of 25 judges.

"It's only day one, but the standard is very good so far," said panelist Gerry Ritchie, a professor in the wine and viticulture program at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

The results of the three-day judging will be announced Saturday at the Awards Night Gala in the Grace Pavilion at the fairgrounds.

The competition, which began in 1975 with 59 entries, broke 1,000 for the first time last year, all of them produced from Sonoma County grapes.

"The most significant change I've seen with entries this year is the continuation of the 'Sideways' phenomenon," said tasting coordinator Bob Fraser, referring to the Oscar-winning 2004 film that bolstered public demand for pinot noir.

"This year there's a significant increase in higher priced pinot noirs," Fraser said. "There are more bottles over $35 than the categories of $25 and under and $25 to $35 combined. If we tracked this (back) 10 years ago, this would not be the case."

Fraser also noticed a higher percentage of pricier zinfandels and less expensive merlots in the mix.

Fraser doesn't expect to see as many high priced pinot entries in the next couple of years because of the current economic downturn.

Ritchie added that people don't stop drinking wine in tough times, "they just look for a better value, which is a polite way of saying cheaper."

There were 50 more entries this year than in 2007, the uptick likely due to an influx of wines from custom crush facilities -- brands that don't have a physical winery and rent production space, Fraser said. Until this year, the fair did not allow such wines to be entered.

The identities of the contenders are kept secret, with only the volunteers having access to the room where the wines are stored. Georgia Butler, a volunteer from Cloverdale, said her job was to keep mum, pour wines and make sure the judges got the glasses in a speedy manner.

Last year more medals were handed out than ever before in the 33-year history of the fair, a total of 895 in all categories, gold, silver and bronze.

Fraser said it's typical for 8 percent to 12 percent of entries to win gold medals in most wine competitions, but this contest usually edges closer to 12. "Sonoma County is one of the finest regions in the country and we require all the entries to be produced from Sonoma County grapes, so it's going to give you a higher number of golds."

One panel of judges tasted through a flight of pinot noir Wednesday but were anything but unanimous.

"The round was interesting," said moderator Cameron Watts. "The judges were all over the board. Some gave them a bronze, some gave them a silver, some said no medal." Cameron's take? "Different styles of pinots. Different palates."

Judging will wrap up Friday morning, when the panels sort through their top wines to agree on a sweepstakes red and white, the highest honors the annual fair bestows.

You can reach Staff Writer

Peg Melnik at 521-5310 or peg.melnik@pressdemocrat.com.