New Kid Scores Big in Wine Competition

AUBURN, CA - In a cave beneath the tasting room at Mount Vernon Winery in Auburn, four stainless-steel tanks hold four different kinds of grapes that will soon be blended together and bottled.

You might say there's a lot of pressure on those grapes. The varietals: viogner, roussanne, marsanne, and vermentino make up the "Calotte Blanc" of Le Casque Winery in Loomis.

"Calotte Blanc is our name for a Rhone-style blend of white wine using grapes traditionally found in the southern region of France," said Le Casque owner Kevin Stevenson.

Stevenson's first release of his Calotte Blanc recently scored top honors at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. In fact, the wine received a "best in class" in the "Rhone, Other White Varietals and Blends" category.

Stevenson said he was really pleased with the wine, so he entered the competition on a whim. "We sent it in just to see what would happen," he said. "And low and behold, we got lucky."

Stevenson quickly added that it was more than luck that garnered him the award. "We did work very hard at perfecting the wine," he said. "It's a big deal. It's exciting."

What made this honor even more impressive is that Calotte Blanc is the first wine made by Le Casque Wines.

"My friends tell me not to get used to it," said Stevenson. "But I do think I can continue to make wonderful wines that will continue to win awards."

Stevenson pointed out that he did not create his award-winning blend on his own. Ryan Taylor is the winemaker. Taylor's family owns and operates Mount Vernon Winery.

"It's great. It's been one of my dreams to be involved in a spinoff winery from my parents winery," said Taylor.

The 2007 Calotte Blanc costs $22 retail. If you'd like to learn more about the wine and the winery, click here.