Size isn’t everything, they say, but sometimes it’s mighty impressive. The yearly Family Winemakers tasting in San Francisco has as one of its many claims to fame that it is the single largest tasting of California wines in the world. That alone would not be reason for excitement, were it not for the generally very high quality of the wines that are on offer, year after year.
Regular readers know that this tasting, now in its 21st year, is one of my favorites. While the definition of a “family-run” winery is stretched a bit to include behemoths like Jackson Family Estates and Gallo, the organization consists mostly of smaller, family-run wineries, many of whose wines are made in such small quantities that they do not receive wide distribution. The chance to taste the wares of these wineries remains the single best reason to attend this tasting. Because of the scope of the tasting, a trip around the room also becomes a very good way to get a sense of recent vintages.
If you’ve never been to a large public tasting of wine, then this might very well be the best one to experience for the first time. Such tastings are a fantastic way to learn about wine in a way that you simply can’t anywhere else — by tasting many dozens of wines in comparison with one another.
So set aside a few hours on Sunday August 21st, buy a ticket, and enjoy some of the best that California has to offer.
2011 Family Winemakers Public Tasting
Sunday August 21st, 3:00 PM until 6:00 PM
Festival Pavilion
Fort Mason Center
San Francisco, CA 94123-1382
Tickets are available for $65 in advance online. Any remaining tickets will be sold at the door on the day of the event for $75.
Trust me when I say you want to buy a ticket in advance. Also trust me that you want to park far, far away from Fort Mason and then cab, walk, or take a bus to the event, as street parking, or even parking in Fort Mason’s paid lot can be quite difficult.
Finally, do yourself a favor and observe my tips for large public tastings: wear dark clothes; leave the perfume or cologne at home; come with your stomach full; drink lots of water; plan which wineries you want to visit using the list on the web site, and for Pete’s sake, SPIT! You may think that you need to swallow to enjoy the experience, but you really don’t. You’ll be able to taste many more wines and will actually learn something.
