I had a great time last weekend working with my friends at Bumgarner Winery for the El Dorado Passport weekend! It's an annual wine event here in the Sierra Foothills. Ticket or “Passport” holders for the event were issued a 25th anniversary commemorative glass and were able to roam about 20 wineries in the El Dorado area. Every winery adds their own special flair to the festivities. Some had music or other attractions, but all of them had delicious food, country flavor, and samples of their best new wines!
I was in charge of the dessert wine tasting and we had a pairing of blue cheese from Dedricks Main Street Cheese shop in Placerville. Each wine had a different blue cheese that it paired with. Yum! The owner of the cheese shop, Mary, and Brian Bumgarner, the owner of the winery, tasted 50 different blue cheeses to find just the right pairings! The fruit of their labor was truly divine.
The first match was a late harvest Viognier paired with a beautiful sheep’s milk blue cheese from the French Pyrenees. This was a real crowd pleaser. I really enjoyed watching peoples' faces light up as they took a bite of the cheese and then a sip of the Viognier. Heavenly.
For the second pairing, they had the Bumgarner Ruby Port made with 6 different Portuguese grapes—all grown and sourced locally. It's made in the traditional Ruby Port style—bright and fruity. The pairing was with a water buffalo and sheep’s milk blue cheese from Tomales Bay. So Delish! I heard several people comment that this was their favorite!
The last pairing was the Bumgarner Tawny Port and a buttermilk blue cheese from Wisconsin. The port is made with the same grapes as the Ruby Port, but it's aged for 15 years. A lot goes on in the wine over its 15 year aging process in the barrel. With time the port turns rich with dried fruit and stewed fruit flavors, and it has an aroma and flavor similar to brandy. This type of wine making is a labor of love. It starts its life in three barrels but over time is condensed down to one. It evaporates 2/3 of its volume during its 15 year aging process. It takes up a lot of cellar space and a great deal of patience to make it.
I had a blast at the event and met a ton of great people! I can’t wait to do it again next year!
Whenever you're in the area, be sure to check out our friends, Brian and Jenn at Bumgarner Winery. They're open 7 days a week, from 11:00 am - 5:00 pm and they're well worth the drive to see them.
Bumgarner Winery
3550 Carson Rd Building B
Camino, Ca 95709
www.BumgarnerWinery.com