WTN: Barefoot Moscato NV..(short/boring)

We tried last night the rare:
1. Barefoot Moscato Calif Deliciously Sweet (Most Awarded Wine Brand; 9%; www.BarefootWine.com) V&B by BarefootCllrs/Modesto NV: Colorless color; intense fragrant/floral/Muscat slight valve oil huge fruit nose; bit frizzante soda pop/gingerale intense Moscatto rather sweet (6%-8%?) light soda pop/ginger ale/Sprite flavor; med.short simple intense Moscato frizzante sweet finish; lots of very strong Moscato character but utterly boring/simple. $5.99
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. Supposedly Muscat is one of the fastest growing wine genre in the USofA. There was recently a thread on the recent Calif State Fair competition, ridiculing the judging because it gave a DoubleGold to the Korbel Blanc de Noir. The nay-sayers further pointed to a DoubleGold award to the Barefoot Moscato as evidence of the stupidity of that competition. The award was actually in the "Best Value" category. Anywho...I felt compelled to take one for the team and try it.
So...is the wine worth a DoubleGold??? Maybe. If it's the BestValue category. It's clean, free from defects, very intense Muscat. Don't know what wines it was going up against. As a marinade for the fresh strawberries and served w/ DevonshireCream & a touch of Balsamic....it was a perfectly good wine as we looked out the back portal and watched the lightening bounce across the mountain peaks and ignite more forest fires.
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2. The wine brings back some fond memories. DavisBynum owned a wine shop in Berkeley back in the '70's. He started buying bulk wine back then, blending it & putting it up in gallon jugs, labeled as BynumBarefootBurgundy. It actually was pretty decent stuff. He went on to build DavisBynumCllrs on WestSideRd. First winemaker was one GaryFarrell, as I recall. Made some pretty good Pinots over the yrs. The Barefoot label was bought by a couple (Michael Hollihan & BonnieHarvey) and production was expanded to the supermarket level. They may be owned by Gallo or some such industrial figure. The WebSite implies they're a small family-operated wnry. Whatever.
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3. So it's easy to poke fun at the Calif State Fair competition because of these DoubleGolds, as does 1WineDude. But it is run by MikeDunne, a guy I have nothing but great respect for. If you look at the panel of judges, there are some very good palates on there. Way better than mine. If you look at the list of winners in the various categories...there are some first rate wines that were awarded medals. There are a few that I'm going to seek out to try. So....the Calif State Fair competition...it is what it is.
Tom

Heck, I'll go one step further and say some kind words for the Blanc de Noirs, Tom.

Disclaimer: I once worked for the company that sold/marketed Korbel sparkling wine.

First thing, I sold an awful lot of it. Because people liked it, and enjoyed drinking it, enough they asked specifically for it. They liked the fruitiness without overt cloying sweetness, the roundness of the wine supported by the acidity.

For many years the BdN has been largely sangiovese---that happened because the winemakers wanted to incorporate some sangiovese into the blend...and turned out that it was perfect for the wine, adding that touch of strawberry/raspberry fruit the winemaker was looking for.

Second thing: it was pleasant and entirely easy to drink and quite satisfying. And I was asked to provide it for my two daughters, who had access to whatever wines they wished but asked for that.

Third thing: there are wines that excite, wines that challenge you, wines that send you into raptures of delight, but there are also wines that are made specifically to be pleasing, enjoyable, dependable, even predictable, and that perform their tasks effortlessly. And I'd put the Korbel BdN in that category.

Now, having been in the same position of competition judging numerous times, and having sometimes asked myself what the hell I was thinking when I gave a particular wine a particular award or medal, i almost always remembered that I did so because at that moment, that wine showed well, even surprisingly well, yes, and was sufficient to deserve its accolades.

Is this wine the absolute epitome of sparkling wine? Nah. But evidently I didn't taste any absolute epiphany wines that particular day, whereas I did taste an entirely pleasant wine, that happened to have a modest price, but that satisfied my needs, and apparently satisfied the needs of many, many different people over many different occasions, enough to bring them back repeatedly.

I don't know what wines were in the set with the BdN. I don't know what happened that day, which way the wines were poured, how the judges were feeling, or what the situation was. But I do know this: that wine so struck a sufficiency of judges---and the Fair is a well run competition and attracts some fine judges, with experienced and toned palates---that it got high marks. More than likely because it deserved the marks...because they appreciated the wine. And isn't that what a competition is for?

Finally, I have given such awards to humble wines. One in particular was when the table captain, when we finished one category, stated "Boy, this one will get some flack. It's not the most prestigious label around." And she was right: it did, and it wasn't. But since the category was "Bargain Chardonnays" and the general price was well under $10, I didn't get terribly upset about my decision.

And just for the record: yes, I have done comps. with Two Buck Chuck and many of its ilk. And, no, I haven't given them any gold medals.

I believe, in fact, that Barefoot is now a Gallo product.

I believe, in fact, that Barefoot is now a Gallo product.

And has been for some years.

ain't it funny, how time slips away?

So, Steve: you having your growers up in the Foothills grafting over all the vines to muscat so you can reap the windfall?

Tip: it's the pink muscat that is really trendy right now.

I happened to taste that particulat Korbel at a friends house a couple of weeks ago. Pleasant, but the competition couldn't have been much.

I happened to taste that particulat Korbel at a friends house a couple of weeks ago. Pleasant, but the competition couldn't have been much.

Sometimes pleasant is enough...especially if it''s more pleasant than the other guy's stuff.