2006 California Wine Experience Photo Gallery

Images from the evening Grand Tastings

Posted: October 20, 2006

Wine Spectator's annual Wine Experience, now in its 26th year, has returned to San Francisco, the place where the event got its start, in 1981. Last held in the city in 1998, the California Wine Experience (which alternates years with the internationally oriented New York Wine Experience) has been on the road since then, making stops in New York, Las Vegas and Chicago.

The three-day wine extravaganza, being held Oct. 19-21 at the San Francisco Marriott, kicked off on Thursday night with the first of two evening Grand Tastings, an opportunity to sample wines from more than 190 top producers in California, Oregon and Washington. While guests came from all over the country, the wineries clearly had a home-field advantage—the aisles were packed soon after the doors opened, and attendees were buzzing with excitement over the fantastic lineup of bubblies, Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, Cabernets and more.

Here are portraits of a few of the notable vintners and owners who were on hand to pour their wines, along with the guests who came to enjoy them.

Photographs by Kent Hanson

Paul Draper of Ridge Vineyards, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Marvin R. Shanken, Hazel Shanken and Bill Harlan of Harlan Estate.		Winemakers Jim Clendenen, Brian Loring, Jeff Cohn and Dan Kosta.
Paul and Suzie Frank of Gemstone with Gina Gallo.		Bart and Daphne Araujo with Naoko Dalla Valle.
On the floor at the Grand Tastings.		Maximilian Riedel.
Gerhard Reisacher of Delectus with Boots Brounstein of Diamond Creek.		Tom Rinaldi of Provenance with collector Ron Light.
Shari and Garen Staglin greet Beth Novak Milliken of Spottswoode.		Guests Cathy and John Hemmer, Cliff and Beth Lackey and Evan and Sandy Ageloff.