Pompous Twits: Livermore Valley Wines

[A Twit Don't Spit]

Our Pompous Twits winetasting group's August event started at noon in the back yard of Bob and Karleta Atkinson in Livermore on a lovely August afternoon. Theme: A Taste of Livermore Valley Wines -- Karleta works at Concannon, so it's an area she knows well.

Jerry, Carol, Mike

Actually, she said, when they went around to various wineries to pick wines for this tasting, they were surprised at how long it had been since they'd visited them and tasted -- the Statue of Liberty Syndrome (those who see the Statue of Liberty least often are those who live in NYC).

Jinny, Dawnelle, Paul

John, Jinny

Here are the wines. They were, without exception, excellent, so you are very safe buying any of these, and all are widely available -- in the San Francisco area, anyway. We vote on our favorites of each flight, and I could have kept track of that and reported, but the votes split so evenly for each flight that it wouldn't be much of a guide for you! In fact, it makes one wonder why wines are so variably priced when they all taste so good. Hmmm... Maybe one or more of my colleagues at the Twits tasting could comment.

Prices are only a general guide; they are what Bob & Karleta paid at the time; they are club members for some, so the price is discounted somewhat from what you would pay retail.

Chardonnay

2007 Deer Ridge, $21.95

2008 Bent Creek, $14.60

2007 John Christopher Cellars, $19.70

Syrah/Shiraz

2002 Thomas Coyne, $10.30

2006 Deer Ridge, $13.17

2005 Fenestra, $15.37

Petite Syrah

The PS's didn't have that tart/sour note they sometimes show, thankfully.

2005 Thomas Coyne, $14.70 - smooth.

2006 Fenestra, $19.59 - juicy.

2005 Concannon, $16.47

Cabernet

2005 Fenestra, $26.85 - my favorite

2005 Ruby Hill, $19.97

2007Mitchell Katz, $12.29

A tasty treat. If you've never had wines from the Livermore Valley of California, one of the oldest winegrowing regions in California, you are missing out!

And special thanks to Bob and Karleta for the excellent grilled sausage, and the tasty white starter wines that I forgot to write down; and to the other Twits, who brought additional picnic goodies!