Wineries, negotiants, distributors, regional and national associations, and even countries organize trade tastings to introduce new wines to decision-makers with bars, restaurants, chains, and wine writers in large markets throughout the country.

The sessions provide the opportunity to taste many wines, if desired, or pursue a tasting strategy based on the individual needs of the buyer or the writer’s curiosity. We’ve enjoyed smaller tastings over lunches or dinners with six wines of limited production to annual events (VinExpo in Paris) with thousands of wines offered over several days from the biggest wineries in Europe.

For a more manageable and personable event, the Napa Valley Vintners recently brought its organoleptic road show to San Diego, featuring some 25 wineries pouring 75 wines during a three-hour session at The Lodge at Torrey Pines. Winemakers, distributors, and a few owners poured wines and answered questions. The well-organized session included abundant glassware, spit glasses, dump buckets at every wine station, and several bar tables scattered around the room for tasting in solitude. Swallowing as little as possible and rinsing regularly are keys to advancing through more extensive tastings. Tasters could also cleanse their palates with a selection of hors d’oeuvres, breads, and cheeses in a side room.

Touring Napa Valley

Vintners is a non-profit trade association with about 550 members. It reports that just 4 percent of California’s harvest is from Napa Valley. Most wineries make less than 10,000 cases annually, and 95 percent are family-owned. The wineries produce around 9 million cases of Napa Valley wine each year under more than 1,000 individual wine labels.

The wines at the Lodge tasting ranged in price from $22 to $1,000, with production going from just 50 cases to many thousands. Wineries participating in the tasting that might not be familiar to most Napa fans because of their limited distribution, pricing or exclusive nature included Accendo Cellars, Ancien, David Arthur Vineyards, Fairest Creature, Gemstone, HALL, Long Meadow Ranch Winery, Parable Wines, Reynolds Family Winery, Robert Biale Vineyards, Roy Estate, Rutherford Ranch Winery, and Sleeping Giant. Here are notes from the wines I enjoyed during the session.

Bubbly and White Wines

  • 2020 Schramsberg Vineyards Brut Rosé ($50). Light salmon; fresh strawberry, red fruit nose (72% Pinot Noir, 28% Chardonnay); mid+ acids; balanced; long, crisp red fruit finish. 16.5/91.
  • 2015 Schramsberg Vineyards J. Schram Blancs (84% Chardonnay, 16% Pinot Noir; $150). Eight years on the lees. Stone fruit, yeasty, light citrus nose; mid acids; balanced; good depth; long, elegant, crisp finish. 17/92.
  • $22 value Napa find 2023 Rutherford Ranch Sauvignon Blanc. Herbaceous, newly mown hay, lime nose; low-mid acids; mid-body; round, semi-crisp, easy-sipping Sauvignon Blanc. 16/90.
  • $32 2023 Hall Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley. Light-mid straw gold; light herbaceous, lime, hay nose; mid acids; good depth; long, tasty, varietal finish. 16.5./91.
  • $32 Rutherford, Calif., 2023 Long Meadow Ranch Sauvignon Blanc. Light-mid straw gold; boxwood, citrus nose; low-mid acids; balanced; good varietal character; semi-long, semi-crisp finish. 16/90.
  • $42 Napa 2023 St. Supéry Sauvignon Blanc Dollarhide Estate. Light straw gold; grapefruit, lime, slightly herbaceous nose; mid acids; mid depth; long, balanced, tasty varietal finish. 16/90.
  • Oak Knoll District, Napa, 2022 Clif Family Winery Viognier ($42). Light-mid straw gold; peachy, tropical nose; low-mid acids; round, ripe (15.1 alc.); long stone fruit and melon finish. 16/90.
  • $42 2022 Reynolds Family Winery Chardonnay Carneros (800 cases, concrete fermentation). Sharp mid-gold, viscous (14.2 alc.); green fruit, stone fruit, mineral nose; low-mid acids; round, ripe, fruity finish (like a Macon). 16.5./91.
  • $70 Oakville, Napa, 2023 Oakville Ranch Chardonnay Napa Valley (150 cases). Light-mid gold, viscous (14.2 alc.); light peachy, stone fruit, vanilla nose; low-mid acids; round, ripe, long semi-tight hot finish. 17/92.
  • 2022 Parable Chardonnay, A18, Atlas Peak ($90, 130 cases). Mid gold, viscous (13.9 alc.); vanilla, wine lees, stone fruit nose (33% new French oak); low-mid acids; mid+ body, depth; round, ripe, vanilla, stone fruit finish. 17/92.

Pinot Noir

  • $45 2021 Ancien Pinot Noir Carneros. Light-mid ruby, rim variation, viscous; red fruit, cherries, wood nose; low-mid acids/tannins; balanced; semi-long red fruit finish. 16/90.
  • $62 Coombsville, Calif., 2021 Ancien Pinot Noir Mink (275 cases). Mid ruby, rim variation, viscous; red fruit, stemmy (open-top fermenters) nose; mid acids/tannins; balanced; round, deep, tasty Pinot finish. 16.5/91.
  • $85 (325 cases) 2022 Dearden Wines Pinot Noir Sleeping Giant Carneros. Light ruby, rim variation, viscous (14.2 alc.); red fruit, cherry, light oak nose; low-mid acids; mid tannins; good Pinot fruit; semi-long cherry and wood finish. 16.5/91.

Cabernet Sauvignon and Blends

  • $150 Napa red blend 2021 Accendo Cellars Laurea Cabernet Sauvignon (10% Petit Verdot). Mid-dark garnet, viscous (14.2 alc.); berries, red fruit, mint, cedar nose; mid acids; mid+ tannins; balanced; semi-long Cabernet and wood finish; slightly hot. 17/92.
  • $395 Napa 2019 Accendo Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon (850 cases). Dark garnet, viscous (14.2 alc.); ripe berries, black fruit, herbaceous, oak nose; mid acids; mid+ tannins, softening; balanced; long, rich, multilayered Cabernet finish. 18/94.
  • $85 Napa 2019 David Arthur Proprietary Red. Mid-dark garnet, rim variation, viscous (13.8 alc.); red fruit, berries, mint, cocoa nose; low-mid acids; mid tannins, softening; long, semi-round red fruit finish. 16.5/91.
  • $275 Napa 2019 David Arthur Cabernet Sauvignon Elevation 1147. Mid-dark garnet, rim variation; big red fruit, berry, oak, herbaceous nose (mountain fruit); low-mid acids; softening tannins, but deep, round, full Cabernet finish. 17.5/93.
  • 2019 Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Kathryn Hall Napa Valley ($185). Dark, viscous (15.2 alc.); ripe grape; herbaceous, smokey, wood nose; low-mid acids; mid tannins; rounding out; semi-long tasty Cabernet finish. 17/92.
  • 2019 Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley ($70). Mid-dark garnet, rim variations; berries, red fruit, light wood nose; mid acids; mid tannins; round, ripe, balanced, good Cab finish. 16.5/91.
  • 2021 Parable Cabernet Sauvignon, Vangone, Atlas Peak ($220; 50 cases). Mid-dark garnet, viscous (15.7 alc.); berries, herbaceous, ripe grape, oaky nose (22 months, new French oak); mid acids; mid+ tannins; tight, chewy Cabernet and wood finish; needs time. 17/92.
  • 2021 Parable Cabernet Sauvignon, Beckstoffer Bourn Vineyard, St. Helena ($275, 130 cases). Dark garnet, viscous (15.1 alc.); big berries, ripe grapes, mint, Napa nose; mid acids; mid+ tannins; big extract; long, deep, Cabernet finish. 17.5/93.
  • Napa $1,000 wine by Thomas Rivers Brown, 2019 Fairest Creature “Perihelios” Cabernet Sauvignon. Dark garnet, viscous; big berry nose; ripe grapes, wood; mid+ acids; mid+ tannins; deep, tight, hot, black fruit finish. 17/90.
  • Napa $1,000 wine by Benoit Touquette 2019 Fairest Creature “Sine Fine” Cabernet Sauvignon. Dark garnet, viscous; ripe grape, berries, cedar, bright secondary red fruit nose; mid acids, tannins; balanced; semi-long, elegant red fruit finish. 17.5./93.
  • Napa $1,000 wine by Philippe Melka 2019 Fairest Creature “Polyspline” Cabernet Sauvignon. Darkest purple, viscous (15.7 alc.); ripe grape, berries, cassis, mint nose; mid acids; mid+ tannins; balanced; good Cabernet fruit; stylish finish (5% Petit Verdot). 18/94.