Soledad's ROAR winery wins taste test -
'Gary's Vineyard' takes top honors

By SUNITA VIJAYAN The Salinas Californian

In a true David vs. Goliath story, a Monterey County wine took top honors in a prestigious blind-tasting competition, beating prominent competitors that out-price the local winner by tenfold.

Gary Franscioni, who, along with wife, Rosella, owns Soledad-based ROAR Wines, said while the couple had high hopes for their 2004 "Gary's Vineyard" Pinot Noir, other wines in the competition were far better known.

Just being asked to participate in the third annual "Pinot Noir and Burgundy ... Blind" event, hosted by celebrated wine critic Robert Parker, was an honor, Franscioni said.

"We were just stunned," he said. "It was really like being invited to the Oscars. It was just an honor to be with those types of wine, but to win, we never expected that."

Held Oct. 26 at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena, Franscioni said, the exclusive event featured the top 12 Pinot Noir and Burgundy wines as personally picked by Parker. In the blind tasting, Franscioni said, each of the 125 attendees was presented with vintages from California and the Burgundy region of France. The intent, he said, was basically to see how the two wine-producing areas stacked up against each other.

Franscioni said with the other wines costing from $67 to $500 per bottle, the 2004 ROAR "Gary's Vineyard" Pinot Noir, which costs $45 per bottle, swept the votes decisively.

Referring to Parker as the "god of wine," he said having the critic's stamp of approval is a true honor.

"I think what it does is it gives our region, the Santa Lucia Highlands, a great identity now," Franscioni said. "We can compete among the world's best Pinot Noirs."

But if you're thirsting to purchase the champion wine, you're out of luck: The winning vintage sold out in August, he said.

He describes the wine as "well-balanced and fruit-driven." He believes the key to its success lies in its rich flavors of black and red cherries.

Among celebrated French wines featured at the event were Domaine Dujac, Domaine de la Romanee-Conti and Momessin, while among the California Pinot Noir producers included Brewer-Clifton, Martinelli and Marcassin Vineyard, Franscioni said.

Adam Lee, a winemaker with ROAR, said he was "blown away" by the significant number of votes cast for Gary's Vineyard.

"I thought it was huge, because I've participated in lots of tastings and it's very rare for a wine to win hands down," he said. "This one was a very clear winner."

Lee, who has been making wine for more than 10 years, said ROAR makes sure its grapes are hand-punched down, bottled without filtration and produced as gently as possible.

"For that wine to stand out so much is a tribute to the quality of the grapes in our region," he said.