Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/126443
So What Are We Looking For? Heres a Sample! WHAT: Send us a story and photo that details your greatest adventure, in or out of the wine business. We'll also need your Thorny Rose tasting notes, so don't forget that! WHO: YOU, the wine buying professional for today's hip young consumer! WHEN: Deadline for entries is July 5, 2013. Email entries to ThornyRose@tastingpanelmag.com or upload story, photo and tasting notes to our Facebook page WHY: One lucky winner will be a guest blogger on THE TASTING PANEL website and have the chance to share their tasting notes with THE TASTING PANEL's social media for six months. Oh yeah—did we mention the $1,000 cash prize and full page profile? For rules, questions and to enter, please email ThornyRose@tastingpanelmag.com. You can also enter by sharing your story, notes and photo on THE TASTING PANEL's Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/ TastingPanelMag. We're ready to be inspired! PHOTO: MARIA SCHRIBER The Deets I had, as a matter of pride and thrift, eschewed the optional GPS when I rented my little Italian car. My borrowed phone was dead, and despite my initial confidence that I could muster my way through most road signs, when I crossed over the Italian border into Slovenia, I knew I was in uncharted territory. I just needed to navigate my way through the Vipava Valley, find a town called Podraga, and somehow track down someone named Primoz Lavrencic. Easy. ˇˇ The gas light chirped at me brightly, alerting me that I had few miles left before a petrol station was in order. My palms were sweaty as they clutched the steering wheel. I was not just lost; I was hopelessly, shamefully, stupidly, lost. Finally, a slash of sunlight cut through the broody afternoon sky and hit the side of the lower mountains of the Julian Alps, filling the valley with a honeyed glow. Ahead, I saw a sign marked Vipavska dolinaPodraga, signifying that I was on my way to the tiny town where tireless winemaking families were intertwined for generatons of friendships, rivalries and traditions. There, the burja, a soul-raking wine sweeps through the vineyards, concentrating fruit and giving the wines from this region verve and soul. Couple this with an extraorindary assortment of ingedenous varietals and the emergence of post-Socialist individual vineyards and wineries, and the results are dazzling. Several days later I made my way out of Slovenia with a full tank of gas and sweet memories of an old world wine culture that continues to be real and relevant to this country and beyond—GPS not needed. Thorny Rose Cabernet Sauvignon is round with chocolate-kissed cherries, mingled with fresh blackberries and spice. Long, lean and lusty. Karen Moneymaker Beverage Director, Pedaler's Fork, Calabasas, CA may 2013 / the tasting panel / 101