Mark Rashap Weighs in on Austin Wine Experience

Mark Rashap, WFFT’s Director of Wine Education, gives you his best tips for making the most of this year’s Grand Tasting.

At WFFT, we are really gearing up for the Austin Wine Experience and couldn’t be more excited about the quality of sessions, speakers, and wines that will be featured this year. For those of you who attended last year, you know that each and every educational seminar offered the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding on a wide range of topics and taste some truly special wines. That will definitely be the case this year; we have added a couple seminars, and the food pairing sessions are shaping up to involve complex and strikingly delicious pairings (FYI: there is still some room in the Uchiko and Riesling seminars). However, I think it appropriate to also draw your attention to the caliber of wines being poured at the Grand Tasting.

Even if the seminars you wanted to attend are sold out, the Grand Tasting offers an incredible opportunity to cult and cutting-edge wines, classic regions, and off-the-beaten path gems. Please, take a minute to look over the list of over 70 wines blow. You will be better able to manage your time and not miss your favorites. I am incredibly impressed by the selections that our partner wineries will offer, and only wish I could spend the entire day in the Grand Tasting.

Here are some of the wines that are really catching my eye:

There’s a particularly strong showing from Italy with several Brunellos, some Super Tuscans, and the rock stars of Sicily and Sardinia (Agricola Punica and Pala). There are wonderful wines from the Rhone, including Chateauneuf de Pape, Gigondas, and a lovely “new to the market” Viognier from Chapoutier. From Spain there will be Gran Reserva Rioja and the high scoring Alto Moncayo Veratón.

If you’re a California and new world wine lover, you’ll be able to taste one of the most iconic vineyards in all of Napa, the To Kalon vineyard with the Mondavi Reserve, and on the cult side, Schrader’s Double Diamond Cab. Trefethen and Silverado will have a big cross section of their wines, showing their depth and diversity. From Washington, the delicious Northstar Merlot and Spring Valley Frederick continue to impress; and I will be gunning for the just-released and highly-allocated Resonance from Willamette Valley, which is the new Oregon project by Jacques Ladriere. Finally, we continue to keep our eye on the increasing quality of the Texas wine industry, and the Texas wines at this Grand Tasting will be worth tasting and comparing to the other regions. These producers are showcasing varietals that we’re finding are very well-suited to the Texas climate, such as Aglianico, Nero d’Avola, Tannat, Picpoul Blanc, Viognier, and Tempranillo.

There is truly something for everybody. I urge you to plan your route and visit the Grand Tasting between seminars. You should also tell your friends to come along! A non-member ticket price for 3 ½ hours in the Grand Tasting is only $75; add in all of the great food sponsors, and this is without a doubt the BEST DEAL IN TOWN!

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