San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Judges hydrate, snack while tasting hundreds of entries
“I enjoy tasting the diversity of the wines at SFCWC and noting changes,” she said. “My favorite wines are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and Chardonnay is a great example of trends, as some years the wine has a lot more oak than other years.”
Hours of tasting can be demanding, Gill admitted.
“By the last few flights of the day, I will remind myself of all the dedication each winery puts into producing their wine and recommit to giving my best awards,” she said. “I realize that wine judging is a lot of work, however, it is also glamorous. I enjoy the respect received by the panel coordinating team, my fellow judges and the beautiful wineries.”
To keep her palate fresh through sampling all those wines, Gill grazes on Costeaux French
Bakery bread from Healdsburg, drinks plenty of water and for big, tannic red wines, nibbles on rare roast beef. The big, daily lunches are welcome respites, too.
“I never get sick of wine,” she said. “It is the perfect beverage for sipping after a long work day. I especially enjoy having wine with friends and pairing it with dinner.”
For people who dream of being a judge, meanwhile, Gill suggests that they take the Advanced Wine Evaluation Class offered at UC Davis.
“You learn about varietals, flavor profiles and wine faults, and there is an option to take a blind tasting test at the end of the class to qualify you to be a judge at the
California State Fair,” she said.
Winemaker at Rock Wall Wine Company in Alameda
Rosenblum’s father, Kent Rosenblum, founded Rosenblum Cellars in Alameda, and by the age of 2, she was reading grape brix levels on a refractometer. In 2008, her family sold Rosenblum Cellars and started Rock Wall Wine Company.
By the end of the first harvest, the then25yearold was named head winemaker. A year later, she entered the wine judging arena and has participated in the competition for 11 years.