Sunday January 25th, 12 noon at the John and Mable Ringling Art Museum in Sarasota……. The 2015 Forks and Corks was a sellout, an incredible one.  In exactly 8 minutes, last November, all 1500 tickets for the event sold.

We took an Uber taxi ride to and from the event  Sunday which allowed us to be more liberal with tastings for the afternoon and have no worries about the drive home.  Arriving at the museum we were amazed at the length of the line awaiting entrance to the event. Purchasing a VIP ticket would have provided us with a quick entrance.  We had general admission tickets.

The Italian wines from Zenato walked off with 3 honors – Best of Show for its 2007 Cresasso and two gold medals.  First taste of the day for us was the Cresasso and it was, yup, lovely.

Presqu’ile Winery from Santa Maria Valley, CA. was pouring a 2012 Steiner Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir that we all enjoyed.

Napa Valley’s Blackbird Vineyard had several incredible wines.  I thought the Paramour was sensational. This might possibly have been my favorite of the day.

Jaffurs Wine Cellars in Santa Barbara had a winner with their 2012 Sirah.  I tasted their Grenache and Petite Sirah too.  All were great but I was drawn most to the very drinkable 2012 Grenache.

I wish I could remember who was serving the roast beef sliders.  They were excellent. Derek’s, formerly of Sarasota, now in Bradenton, had a spicy chicken and sausage gumbo that was amazing.  Cafe Baci was serving an impressive chocolate ganache dessert I could easily have returned for seconds.  The food, all round was delicious.

Not only was the museum courtyard rather crowded, the noise level often made it hard to talk through or over.  The event included live music that was a great addition but also added to the difficulty in having conversations.

Ahhhhh…….Dutton Goldfield Wineries 2012 Freestone Pinot Noir was exceptional!

Another favorite of the day was Dierberg & Star Lane Vineyards.  The 2010 Three Saints Vineyard Pinot Noir and the  2011 Dierberg Vineyards Pinot were great.

We caught a taste of Michael David’s wines on our way to the exit.  The Cabs – Earthquake and Freakshow were gone but I was happy to catch a taste of the  2011 “7 Deadly Zins”.

Exiting the event took you through a wine sales area that was well stocked but difficult to see the labels making selections tough and less attractive to dig through to take home.  We somehow managed  to find some and did not leave empty handed.

I’ve heard Forks and Corks are held in many cities around the country.  I have to believe Sarasota’s has to be one of the top events to attend.

Salud!  Debbe