The Golden Palate Update and Final Countdown Date

Our two semi-finals took place last month and we haven't done an update in a while...

Gabe Barakat was victorious over Gail Roberts in a highly contested match with an 18-16 score.  The top wine of the night ended up with a pair scoring the same, both selected by Gabe: O'Shaughnessy "Howell" 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon and Kobalt 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon. We also had a tie for the next most popular wines of the night-- another tie, both wines selected by Gail: Malartic Lagraviere 2010 Bordeaux Blanc and Cheval des Andes 2010 Malbec/Cab.

John Pate came out on top after matching wines with Dan Williams (who had knocked out last year's 'Golden Palate' Zach Korhonen in his previous match).  The top wines of the night ended with a triple tie for 1st place: William Fevre "Vaudesir" 2013 Chablis selected by John and Kamen 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon & Law "Sagacious" 2012 Rhône Blend selected by Dan.

Our 'final countdown' showdown for The Golden Palate will take place in December so we have a bit of a breather before the combatants enter our wine bar ring: Thursday, Dec. 10th, 4:30-8:30 p.m., $35.

Updates: The Golden Palate!

by Tobin Sharp

Our staff competition is well under way so we thought it a good time to give you an update on our recent "battles" and the top wines from those nights.

On March 27th, reigning champ "Golden Boy" Zach Korhonen took on the "Duchess of Deutschland" Beate Martin and ended up with a Golden Palate first: a complete shutout.  Zach won 12-0.  The top wines of the night (both from Zach) were: #1. Groundwork 2012 Mourvedre $19.95 [227430] & #2. Bonn Anno 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon $19.95 [204590].

On April 3rd, Patty Quick took on yours truly (Tobin Sharp) and in a highly-contested match, Patty came through in the end to win 8-6.  The top wine of the night was selected by Tobin, Vignerons de Maury 2012 Nature de Schiste $17.99 [333389], while there was a tie for the 2nd place wine between Hewitson "Ned & Henry's" 2012 Shiraz/Mourvedre $19.98 [379936], selected by Tobin, and Heartland "Spice Trader" 2012 Shiraz/Cabernet $13.95 [382619], selected by Patty.

Our next match will be on Friday, April 17 and will feature last year's runner-up in the overall competition, Dan Williams, competing against relative newcomer Kendall White... this could be a David v. Goliath moment or more akin to Bambi v. Godzilla.  Who knows?  As always, keep an eye on our winebar page to find out about upcoming tastings.

The Golden Palate Competition is Back!

The Return of The Golden Palate!
by Tobin Sharp
Last year, we tried a new series at our wine bar-- one that pitted our wine staff members against each other in a 'cage match' kind of wine competition, one we call The Golden Palate. In this competition, our wine staffers each select 5 wines from a preset price range ( 1st round includes wine under $20, 2nd round includes wines under $50, 3rd round includes wines under $100, the final didn't have a price range) and the wine bar customers, who don't know which staffer picked which bottles, votes for their favorite wines. Whomever gathers the most votes, moves forward. The "2nd place winner" goes home (sometimes in tears).
 
In last year's finale, in an 'Anakin Skywalker v. Obi Wan Kenobi' showdown, Zach "Le Champignon" Korhonen bested Dan Williams in a tightly contested round (with incredible wines!).

Our first match of the new year took place last Friday (2/20), pitting Gabe Barakat against Veronica Castro.
 
Here are the top vote-getting wines, and who picked them:
1. Pago Florentino 2010 Tempranillo (Veronica)
2. & 3. (tie) (both from Gabe)
• Bohigas Brut Reserva Cava
• Tarima Hill 2012 100% Monastrell
 
Even though Veronica chose the most popular wine of the night, it was Gabe Barakat who emerged victorious!

Here's the full list in the order served:

1. Bohigas Brut Reserva Cava

2. Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noir

3. Cantina Terlano 2013 Pinot Grigio

4. Charles Smith 2013 Riesling "Kung Fu Girl"

5. Matthieu Barret 2013 Côte du Rhône Petit Ours Brun

6. Pago Florentino 2010 Tempranillo

7. Freakshow 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon

8. Bodegas Aragonesas 2012 Coto De Hayas

9. Tarima Hill 2012 100% Monastrell

10. Ancient Peaks 2012 Proprietary Red "Renegade"

Coming up in April!
Todd v. Michael
Zach v. Beate

As always, check our Wine Bar page to find out the schedule!

2015 Bracket