The F.A.M.S.B.T.T. Results

Well, the results are in. I don't want to say that the F.A.M.S.B.T.T. was a bust, but I also can't say that I'm going to be looking for a job as a sommelier any time soon.

Below, a recap of the contenders, the judges' comments, and the final decision.

The Contenders:

Contender #1 (The Favorite): Kim Crawford 2007 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, $11.99

Contender #2 (The Challenger): Cooper's Creek 2007 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, $8.99

Contender #3 (The Longshot): King Shag 2007 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, $7.99

The Judges' Comments:

Judge #1 described the Kim Crawford as "better" than the King Shag. The King Shag he deemed "verdant," and the Cooper's Creek impressed him with its "spiciness."

Judge #2 disagreed with his characterization of the Cooper's Creek as spicy; she found it fruity and on the sweet side. The Kim Crawford smelled and tasted "fuller" to her than the others. King Shag, she felt, tasted the "cheapest" and offered a "very green" finish.

Judge #3 (yours truly) also got a green feel from the King Shag, in which she tasted grass. She found the Cooper's Creek to be the lightest of the wines with a hint of green pepper, while the Kim Crawford had a fuller flavor and a syrupy mouthfeel with tropical fruit hints.

The Final Decision:

Pour 'em all!

All three were delicious (a cop out, I know). Who can decide? I leaned toward the old standby Kim Crawford, but it might be worth it to do a blind tasting next time to see how/if that changes things. Kim Crawford is a great buy at under $15 and it has a good reputation. In fact, during our tasting another friend stopped by and when we offered her a glass of it she said, "Ooooh, I love Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc!" So there you have it.

The F.A.M.S.B.T.T.

My sister is the first to point out that my memory sucks.* Buuuuuut I will not forget (or at least have not yet forgotten) discovering the wonderful Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand, which for about a year now has been my white wine of choice. I first tasted a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc last May at a big family dinner. I certainly didn't order it and probably even grumbled at its being ordered, but once I tasted it I made sure the bottle stayed on my end of the table. That MSB was by Kim Crawford, and it was the first wine in which I was accurately and unmistakably able to identify an actual organic flavor in wine. (It was passion fruit, which gave this wine an edge given my weakness for tropical fruit.) I subsequently not only committed to memory the name Kim Crawford, but I also went out and told my friends about it.

This weekend I've planned the First Annual MSB Taste Test. While it's obviously an excuse to consume a lot of wine, I'd like to consider it a learning experience too. Who knows when wine flavor-identifying skills will come in handy? I intend to hone mine now (especially with unemployment on the horizon).

We'll be pitting Kim Crawford against two or three other contenders. Full details -- and of course, results -- to follow.

*(She's right. In fact I very nearly recounted my discovery of Kim Crawford as having happened at her high school graduation dinner when in fact it was at my stepmom's grad school graduation dinner.)