Storyline and photos
 by califusa,
Left Coast Correspondent

I N T R O D U C T I O N

The Consorzio Cal-Italia was founded in 1997 by a small group of dedicated vintners who wanted to share their excitement for these emerging grape varieties. After many years of focusing primarily on French varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, there is now a growing trend in California toward mining the rich history of Italian winemaking. Plantings of such grape varieties as Sangiovese, Barbera, Pinot Grigio and Tocai Friulano are beginning to spread all over California. The list of wineries producing these varieties is also growing every year.

From the Consorzio Cal-Italia website

Califusa returns to 
Consorzia Cal-Italia 1999

The lads wanted to come along, but I said no.

One of the nice aspects of this event is the presence of a number of food purveyors, who offer samples to taste along with the wines. It made for a very pleasant experience last year, and I was looking forward to this year's version. 

The lads were quite vocal, but I stood my ground. After all, they would have spent all their time at the sausage table, demanding sample after sample, and who would dare refuse? They were still miffed when I finally got home.

The tasting

Fort Mason is clearly the preferred venue in San Francisco for wine trade events. A lot of that has to do with the fact that it is Federal property, and this simplifies what might otherwise be a maddening experience with the ABC (and I don't mean Anything But Chardonnay !) And, of course, it's tough to find facilities with the capacity and parking to handle these big events. ZAP, Family Winemakers, German Wine Information Board, Mendocino Winegrowers Alliance - all have hosted trade events here that I have enjoyed immensely. Tonight was no exception - Consorzio Cal-Italia made me feel right at home.