First Annual

"Battle for the Purple Boot Award"  Blind Wine Tasting Shoot Out

Livermore Valley vs. Santa Cruz Mountain Wineries

ClubSport and SignatureWines.com are pleased to co-host this premium tasting event pitting 16 wines from two appellations.  Both will be represented by four wineries each sampling one red and one white in a blind tasting competition. You be the judge as you sample wines paired with catered gourmet appetizers. Choose your favorite red and white wines from such noted vintners as Domenico, Fenestra, Sarah's Vineyard, and more.

With you contributing to the judging panel, the winning appellation will be awarded the coveted “Purple Boot” trophy!  Featured wines may also be purchased for take-home enjoyment.

Members & guests invited. This event will sell out and space is extremely limited.

$40/person, $10/wine club member with promo code available at Activities Desk.

Wine club guest coupons and guest discounts are not valid for this premium event.

All ticket sales are final.

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June Smith & Jerry Starr - Santa Cruz Examiner

On Friday, May 25, 2012, at 6:00 p.m., eight wineries – four each from the Santa Cruz Mountains, and four from the Livermore Valley – will square off at ClubSport, Pleasanton, in the first annual “Battle for the Purple Boot.”

Consumer judges are the experts

Each winery will bring two wines, a white and a red. The wines will be tasted “blind.” That is, the bottles will be covered. No one – except the organizers – will know which wine is in which bottle. Judges/tasters will be asked to rate each wine according to appearance, aroma, taste on the palate, finish, and overall quality.

Judges will select one wine as best of the whites and one wine as best of the reds. To add a little bit of an inviting twist, women’s and men’s opinions will be tallied separately and combined in the end for the final overall total.

Winning winery will receive the coveted Purple Boot trophy

The winning winery will receive the Purple Boot trophy, a one of a kind specilally designed hand-blown glass trophy. In addition, the winning appellation – either Santa Cruz Mountains Wingrowers Association or the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association – will receive the grand trophy for display in their offices.

The “Purple Boot” trophy is a humorous reference to an historic tradition

In the past when wines were crushed by ceremoniously – or unceremoniously – stomping on the grape clusters in large vats, the stompers would often wear boots. By the end of a day of crushing the freshly harvested dark-skinned grapes, those boots would become indelibly inky dark purple in color. According to Michael Kowitz, Founder and CEO ofSignatureWines.com, “The purple boot just seemed to be too appropriate as the trophy for this event!”

Participating Santa Cruz wineries are:

Corralitos Wine Company
Domenico Winery
Roudon-Smith Winery
Sarah’s Vineyard

Livermore Valley winery participants include:

Fenestra Winery
McGrail Vineyards and Winery
Nottingham Cellars
Darcie Kent Vineyards

Event: The Battle for the Purple Boot
Date: Friday, May 25, 2012
Time: 6:00 until 8:30 p.m.
Location: ClubSport Pleasanton, 7090 Johnson Drive, Pleasanton, CA 94588

For information and tickets visit SignatureWines.com, or call ClubSport Pleasanton at 925.463.2822.

By Jerry Starr

Certified Sommelier and Sommelier Examiner