May 5, 2021 Angels Camp, CA - The Calaveras Winegrape Alliance (CWA) in partnership with the Calaveras County Fairgrounds will be hosting the 40th annual wine judging on June 25th from 9:00-1:00 at the Calaveras County Fairgrounds. This year’s competition will be dedicated to the late Steve Collum, recognized vineyard manager and friend of the Calaveras Wine Region who passed last August. Steve was the owner of Vineyard Concepts, a Calaveras Winegrape Alliance Board Member among other organizations, and was passionate about introducing innovative practices. He personally set up the Vineyard Exploration Exhibits at the Fair Wine Pavilion each year and enjoyed his many contributions.
Laurie Giannini, Calaveras County Fair Manager shares, “The Calaveras County Fair of Directors is pleased to announce that the 2021 Sierra Foothill Wine Competition is dedicated to the memory of Steve Collum. Steve was an amazing volunteer who was so knowledgeable about the winegrape industry. He would put together the most amazing displays for the Wine Pavilion that would include snakes, owls, or other critters. Someday I hope we can build a demonstration vineyard as that was one of Steve's goals"
Every year, a team of about 20 esteemed wine experts throughout California gathers at the Calaveras County Fairgrounds to judge a blind tasting of wines submitted by winemakers from Calaveras and neighboring counties including Amador and El Dorado. These professional wine judges will taste through close to 300 wines across 48 categories using the “Danish System,” sometimes called the “Group Method”. Each wine is measured against standards and not ranked against competitors. Some of the returning judges to this year’s competition include Michael Dunn, freelance wine writer,