Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/833814
{ SOMMjournal.com } 89 "I'm a true believer in Paso Robles," shared Fred Dame, MS, introducing our first seminar. "It's an historic place but really in its naissance for what it's going to be." We had three seminars to survey the Paso Robles wine in detail, one comparing Cabernet Sauvignon, one exploring Malbec and one considering the five Bordeaux varieties and how well they blend—ending with a science experiment of our own as the sommeliers and wine buyers used beakers to compose their own blends, crowning an ultimate winner and awarding a $250 prize for their refined palate. Each panel consisted of five winemakers to guide us through their individual thoughts and approaches toward produc - tion and toward the region as a whole. Jason Diefenderfer from Treana Winery, Alan Kinne from Allegretto Vineyards & Wines, Kevin Willenborg from Vina Robles Vineyards & Winery, Jim Madsen from The Farm Winery and Jeremy Weintraub from Adelaida Vineyards & Winery led the discus - sion about Cabernet Sauvignon. Some estate wines and some blended wines, we narrowed down the general impressions of the grape in three of the sub-regions. Willenborg summed it up best, explaining, "Adelaida District lends heightened phenolics, Creston District yields softer tannins and El Pomar District, lying closer to the Templeton Gap, gives classic cas - The winemaker panelists for our seminar on Cabernet Sauvignon included Kevin Willenborg from Vina Robles Vineyards & Winery, Jason Diefenderfer of Treana Winery, Fred Dame, MS, Alan Kinne from Allegretto Vineyards & Wines, Jim Madsen of The Farm Winery and Jeremy Weintraub from Adelaida Vineyards & Winery. Stand-out Seminars—with a Side of Competition David Toste Ruivo, General Manager of Arroyo Chop House in Pasadena, created the judges' favorite blend in our competition among the sommeliers and won the $250 prize awarded by The Somm Journal. DAOU Vineyards & Winery Soul of a Lion.