It was pretty amazing to witness Margrit Mondavi, that delicate dove of a woman, being inducted into the Women for Wine Sense Hall of Fame on Saturday. She’s the first. As the vice president of culture at Robert Mondavi Winery and co-founder of Copia, she is literally the American pioneer of fusing wine and the arts. Nobody was doing it before she joined the winery in 1967. Before that, she was a tour guide at Charles Krug. She made $2 a day.

Another little know fact about Margrit: she’s quite the artist herself, working with watercolors, crayons and acrylic paints. She applied her talents to commercial design and also created a line of home accessory designs exclusively for Robert Mondavi Winery, including table and kitchen linens, wine sleeves and bottles containing Robert Mondavi Winery’s olive oil and wine vinegar.

But watching her, it’s not these things you think of. Rather, you see that she’s the utter embodiment of joie de vivre, of everything she promotes, good times with wine and food and friends and the arts. The countless people she’s touched and helped, it’s really overwhelming to think about. It looked like she had tears in her eyes during the standing ovation, and each time she got up to thank someone, however painfully, it was a kiss on each cheek. Every time. Always smiling, she’s so graceful and gracious.

The other honorary award, a lifetime achievement, went to Carole Meredith, the retired professor of viticulture and enology at UC Davis. I called her once to decipher the variety and origin of a mystery grape in Lodi that tastes like butterscotch. She’s a plant geneticist and when I tell you what she’s credited with, it’s enough to make your head spin:

1. Carole pioneered the use of fingerprinting to identify grape variety percentages and origin.
2. She first discovered genetic links among Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Sauvignon Blanc in 1996, leading to the conclusion that Cab Sauvignon resulted from a cross between the other two varieties about 300 years ago.
3. She proved that Zinfandel and Primitivo are identical, as well as Charbono and Corbeau.
4. She broke through the mysteries of the origins of Syrah, Chardonnay and Gamay.

She now grows world class Syrah in the Mount Veeder appellation of Napa Valley with her husband Stephen Legier. Their label is Legier-Meredith.

There’s so much to say about Saturday’s first annual Wines Women Want at the Four Seasons, I’ll no doubt blog and write about it in the paper for some time. After all, 60 percent of wine consumers are women; and women are still usually the ones bringing family and friends together for food and drink and celebration. Though I’d say my millennial male friends are gaining on us, with their master brewing and affinity for tapas. They’re becoming quite the Martha Stewarts, with an edge.

Back to Saturday. I took a sensory evaluation class from Ann Noble, the food science professor at UC Davis and the inventor of the wine aroma wheel. She’s a sensory scientist and flavor chemist and the first to make a diagram out of the dominant flavor descriptors in red and white wines. Ann’s an idol of mine.

Before we started tasting, Ann explained that this was “kindergarten of the nose.” That it’s easy to describe wine but because we grew up in a verbal and auditory world, and a world where colors are a popular descriptor, we don’t pay attention to our noses. But humans have the ability to catalog 4,000 aromas. What we lack is the vocabulary to discuss them. I was fascinated. Growing up, she would go on bike rides calling out scents to her friends instead of visual stimulation.

What we did next is a must in any wine descriptor or sensory evaluation class. Monica Chappelle at the Lafayette Community Center does this too. With Ann, we sniffed and eventually tasted three white wines blind. On the table, covered up, were the physical representations of the eight main aromas in white wines: from pineapple juice and lychees to vanilla and clove.

I had more than a few ah-ha moments — when I sniffed the actual item and them recognized it in the wine. Wow. It’s really a must for anyone interested in enhancing or perhaps finally breaking through their sensory walls with wine. Tip: Cover the wine up with your hand or a lid while you’re swirling. Uncover and then smell. It’s much more effective.

The wines, a Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and White Reisling, were all great and all by J. Lohr, one of my favorite Paso Robles producers.

Argh. Just had to blog about my awful experience last night at the cult Italian restaurant in my neighborhood. Anyone who lives in Berkeley or the East Bay in general swoons at the mention of Trattoria La Siciliana on College Avenue in Elmwood.

Well, I love it too. The charm. The rustic, affordable, Zagat-rated menu. The great Sicilian vibe (cash only). But I hated it last night. It was a Monday, so my friend Kelly and I got in with no wait around 6:30. I had raved to him about it, like all Berzerkley-ites do. Despite the empty tables, it took forever to order, to receive our Proseccos, our salad, and eventually, our entree.

His arrived at 8. Mine, at least 20 minutes later. Isn’t that the cardinal rule of running a restaurant? Entrees at the same time. His salmon arrived cold, and the rationale was that my swordfish was on the grill and would arrive shortly. If it was really on the grill, why was it also cold and dry when it arrived? I was so ticked off.

Then this: The chef kept running outside throughout the night, bringing in what appeared to be large parties of his friends celebrating their birthdays. I know this because the lights to the restaurant were right by our table so Kelly and I offered to turn them off and on to help out with the celebration. We were offered a complimentary chocolate souffle for the overall terrible experience. Funny enough, we never said a word. They just knew how poor our experience was.

The bright side? I liked their wines by the glass. While the selection is minimal, the two glasses we tried were superb, especially the red: a 2001 Tatone Montepulciano D’Abruzzo for $8.50. It was a steal given the wine’s optimal age, dark fruit and peppery nose and silky finish. The Prosecco, a Carpene Malvolti, could’ve been drier but paired nicely with our ice cold fish. The bubbles were big and passive, perfect for Kelly’s sensitive tummy. He can’t drink Champagne, probably because of its fierce, tiny and abundant bubbles. So if you have the same problem, try it. And try that ‘01 before they’re out.

How’s that for a balanced review? Regardless, Trattoria doesn’t need a review from me or anyone else. They thrive on word of mouth and that unwavering neighborhood loyalty, a Bay Area phenomenon that can be troubling at times. What if you have a horrible experience? I almost feel like you’re supposed to keep it to yourself. If you’re not careful, the concept of local local local can lull the brain. The next time someone is gushing over Trattoria, I’ll gush along with them, but I will definitely mention this past experience too.

If you want to hold a blind tasting and don’t have time to gather all the items you’ll need, try Blind Wine’s Wine Tasting Game: Where Friends & Family Compete, made by two East Bay guys who love wine. Their company, Marc & Josh’s House Party, LLC, is based in Danville. The game is sold at Prima in Walnut Creek and online at Blind Wine. It costs $25. I see it more as a gift that something you’d buy for yourself.

As someone who attends or throws a blind tasting once a month, I wouldn’t call it a game. That threw me a little. I took Blind Wine to my monthly Wine Groupies, thinking inside was some fun wine trivia board game or something competitive we could play after we go through our blind tasting, which usually involves at least 8 wines and is pretty focused and serious. There’s no winner, per se, because we’re not guessing the wines.

We merely choose a varietal or category (Unoaked Chardonnay; 04 Pinot Noir) and taste them against one another and then rate them. If there’s any winner, I suppose it’s the person who happened to buy the wine that comes out on top. But in a lot of cases (like this month’s category, Portuguese blends), the winner was unfamiliar with their bottle. They just got lucky.

Anyway, back to Blind Wine. It’s essentially a kit comprised of all the things we forage for around the house: invitations and envelopes to send in advance (we just use Evite or email), a booklet on how to throw a blind tasting (it’s really not that complicated), a first place medal (we have a last place, racy cork from Vegas), scoring cards, bags to cover the bottles (we use aluminum foil or brown bags from wine stores), pencils, thank you cards and wine glass labels.

Again, it’s a nice introduction to blind tastings but it’s not a board game or anything. Cheers!

Wondering what happened to Roshambo, the hipster Sonoma winery with the laid back, “it’s just fermented grape juice” attitude? Well, they couldn’t afford that grand winery, but they can sure keep it real in a swanked-out rock ‘n’ roll bus!

This summer, if you’re headed to a barbecue in Santa Rosa or lunch in downtown Healdsburg and see the red, black and white (White Stripes colors!) 38-feet tour bus, stop for a tasting. The Roshambus is a temporary home while owner Naomi Brilliant and her crew build their new tasting room on Westside Road in Dry Creek. In typical rock-star fashion, they’re taking their show on the road, to new and old fans around the country.

I talked to spokesperson Daniel Ricciato, who informed me that in typical Roshambo style, local artists designed the artwork that’s wrapped on the bus’s exterior, and the entire interior is a collaborative effort between Levi Miller, Ricky Watts, and Brilliant of graffiti art and tricked out walls. Sit on either of the two cream-colored leather loveseats, or lounge on the double bed in the flower filled bedroom. Yes, handcuffs are available.

Incidentally, a six-pack of RPS Red and RPS White is currently available on their Web site for $35.

Find out where the bus’ll be at

For those of you attending tomorrow’s event at the Four Seasons in San Francisco, here’s the itinerary for the seminars. Attendees get to attend two seminars plus the the Awards Presentation immediately following. Can’t wait. See you bright and early at 8:30!:

8:30-9:45 a.m.
How do I find the Passion(fruit) in my Chardonnay or Chocolate in my Cabernet?
OR
Aging Gracefully – Building a Wine Collection

10:00-11:15 a.m.
Cultivating the Vines – Successful Careers in the Wine Industry
OR
Women Icons in the Wine Industry

Anyone else see Jason Burke’s piece about hard times in the Languedoc? My friend George sent The Observer link to me, and boy, is it a hoot. I love British wine-writing. It’s so…ripe.

Not to make light of it. Wine growers in the south of France have been suffering economic hardship for some time, mainly due to competition from abroad: their brothers’ Burgundy and Bordeaux, our Cabs, and maybe, most recently, New Zealand’s Pinots topping the list, I’d say. Spanish wines and Malbec are probably taking a piece of their pie as well. Other parts of France haven’t felt it, but the Languedoc-Roussillon, ignored to some extent by consumers within France, certainly has.

Turns out a group there known as CRAV (Comité Régional d’Action Viticole), or regional winegrowers’ action committee, threatened violence in a video released to French TV if new President Nicolas Sarkozy does not do something soon to help them.

While it begs for Al Queada-like treatment in a Saturday Night Live spoof (I can just see Alec Baldwin swirling and spitting and spitting again), these people aren’t joking. According to the story, two years ago, winegrowers in the area protested similar economic conditions that caused them to sell their production at a loss. They clashed with police and two buildings were targeted with makeshift bombs. Last year, the wine tanks of distributors in the southwest, blamed for forcing local prices down by importing cheap wine from Spain, were destroyed.

As an homage to the Languedoc, which produces delicious, exciting and affordable table wines, may I recommend Domaine De Niza’s Coteaux de Languedoc? It’s a hearty blend of Mourvedre, Syrah and Grenache that’s got equal parts smoke, meat and blackened fruit.

You know Robert Mondavi’s contributions to the industry. But the woman at his side is a ground-breaking pioneer as well. Essentially, Mrs. Mondavi introduced the concept of hospitality to the winemakers of America. Furthermore, whatever artistic collaborations you see in wineries today, be they exhibits, concerts, cooking classes or literary events, you have her to thank.

I had the honor of sitting next to Mrs. Mondavi at the Judgment of Paris reenactment last year at Copia. She’s delightful, not to mention stunning. I felt more star-quality and radiance from her than any entertainment celebrity I’ve ever interviewed. I’m pretty sure my palms were sweating. She told us stories taken straight from her diary about those early days, four decades ago, in Napa. They will no doubt resurface in the Judgment movie, which begins production this fall, I believe.

Women for WineSense, a 17-year organization dedicated to supporting women in wine, is honoring Mrs. Mondavi as its first inductee into the Women for WineSense Hall of Fame, which will have its physical home at Copia. She will be inducted on Saturday, June 23, at the San Francisco Four Seasons Hotel, as part of the Wines Women Want Grand Tasting event.

Definitely check it out. You’ll be able to taste the winning wines from the first National Women’s Wine Competition back in March. In addition, there will be a day-long series of educational programs and opportunities for women in the wine industry.

The program begins at 8:30 in the morning and includes seminars and panel discussions on wine appreciation, sensory analysis, careers in the wine industry and women icons in the wine industry. Afterwards, a walkabout lunch limited to 200 participants and prepared by the Four Seasons chef follows an award ceremony, and features stations offering food and wine pairings.

A Grand Tasting, featuring the winners of the National Women’s Wine Competition, begins at 2 p.m. About 100 wineries will be showcasing their award-winning wines. Want to attend it all? Full admission, including the Education Programs, Award Ceremony, Luncheon and Grand Tasting, is $125 ($100 for WWS members). That’s quite a deal, I think. Tickets for the Walkabout Lunch and Grand Tasting are $95 ($85 for WWS members). Just want to hit the Grand Tasting Event? It’s only $50 ($40 for WWS members).

Tickets are available online at Wines Women Want. Proceeds from the event will underwrite the educational programs and activities of WWS and fund two scholarships for women in viticulture/winemaking and women wine educators. See you there!

I went to the Golden Glass event at Fort Mason on Saturday. It’s the fourth annual Italian wine tasting celebration from Lorenzo Scarpone, the local Slow Food maestro. The movement, as you probably know, started in Italy and encourages biodiversity, and the continuity of local traditions, foods and products.

There were 135 regional wines, delectable foods from 20 top restaurants (Chez Panisse, A16, Michael Mina) and 14 artisan producers and farmers (go Brentwood Olive Oil Association!). Hodo Soy, which you can find in the Ferry Building, made a flavorful cilantro tofu and Kung Pao tofu. I’m still thinking about both.

For some reason, the event, for me, lacked zest. I don’t know if it was the lack of clear signage denoting regions, but two of my wine-inclined friends, both of whom studied wine in Italy, agreed. We loved a handful of wines, but it wasn’t our favorite annual wine event in the City. I think RAP and Family Winemakers takes both cakes.

On to the wines. Chances are you’ll already familiar with these, as some are Italy’s top wines. Here goes:

San Michele Appiano Pinot Grigio Sankt Valentin 2004: What a beautiful white wine. From Trentino Alto Adige comes this round, sophisticated flavor that to me, is the perfect harmony between mineral and oak. I think lovers of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay can enjoy this wine. Imported by Siena Imports.

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Castellum Vetus 2004: From Abruzzo, a gorgeous red wine of violets, blackberries and blueberry flavors. It was a favorite of everyone in my group. Imported by Villa Italia.

Castello del Terriccio Tassinaia 2002: From Toscana, 1/3 Sangiovese, 1/3 Cabernet and 1/3 Merlot make this peppery blend a perfect companion for spicy meatballs. Imported by Kobrand.

My wine club met yesterday in Petaluma. The gorgeous, rustic environment was perfect for tasting the equally rustic reds of Portugal. That was the theme - Portuguese reds - and almost everyone showed up with a 2003 from Douro.

We did our usual drill. Eighteen of us tasted them blind, took notes and discussed the aroma and flavor profiles before unveiling the winners. Then we pigged out on delectable shredded pork, vegetarian chili, and lamb sausages that brought out the smoky pepper and dark fruit of the reds. Delicious.

There were two repeaters, which is strange, because if you go some where specialized, like Spanish Table, you can have your choice of dozens upon dozens. One of the repeaters, Primavera, was corked, and it came from Bev Mo! in San Francisco. I encouraged the couple to take it back, not for the $5, but because every merchant I’ve ever talked to really wants to know if a corked wine leaves their store. They can go back to their buyers, who will go back to the producer and find out what happened. You’re doing them a favor by taking it back. Inversely, they’ll want to keep you as a customer and probably offer you a (better) bottle on the house.

My wine, Lavradores de Feitoria 2004 Douro, came in 10th. I got it for $10.99 at Spanish Table in Berkeley. Jenny’s, Adriano 2003 Douro, came in first. She got it for $13.99 at Cost Plus in Walnut Creek. Here’s the complete list.

1. Adriano 2003 Douro
2. Altano Reserva 2003 Douro
3. Quinta Dos Quatro Ventos 2004 Douro
4. Palestra 2003 Douro
5. Post Scriptum 2004 Douro
6. Duas Quintas 2003 Douro
6. Altano Reserva 2003 Douro
8. Charamba 2004 Douro
9. Aveleda 2001 Estremadura
10. Lavradores de Feitoria 2004 Douro
11. Vertente 2003 Douro
12. Primavera 2002 Beiras
13. Primavera 2002 Beiras