Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/597666
november 2015 / the tasting panel / 65 After a successful career in beer, Jose Maria Arreola decided to retire and do something good for Mexico by starting a tequila brand: Maracame. Medallions handmade by the Huichol tribe adorn the top of the bottle—the tribe also makes items as promotional materials. Not only does the brand provide work for these artists, but also it produces a world class tequila, as evidenced by its Double Gold for its Añejo expression—it also won for its packaging. "From my experience in beer, I know that you must start with the right ingredients," Arreola concludes. "It's about quality and winning this award proves that." "We're committed to sharing Arizona with the world, one glass at a time," says Jon Eagan, owner of Arizona Distilling Company. "Our Desert Dry Gin (soon to be marketed as Commerce Gin) pays tribute to Arizona's five C's—cotton, copper, cattle, climate and citrus—with five C's of our own: locally sourced cardamom, coriander, cumin, cinnamon and citrus [lime zest]," adds Eagan. "We won a Silver last year for our gin, after which we made slight changes to the recipe and came away this year with the Double Gold." With 26 years of industry experience under his belt, Jim Gherlone, National Sales Manager for Wine Hooligans, understands that winning any medal at the San Francisco International Wine Competition is something to celebrate, even more so a Double Gold, which they won for their 2013 Stateland Cellars Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara. "On top of the Double Gold win, two other Stateland wines won Gold medals and we're very proud of how our wines showed at this year's Competition," says Gherlone. "In a saturated market, having a portfolio with medal wins from the San Francisco International Wine Competition helps sets us apart from the competition." PHOTO: TIMOTHY MURRAY PHOTO: CAL BINGHAM PHOTO: TIMOTHY MURRAY