The purpose of our wine evaluation meetings is to provide you with professional and peer review of your unfinished, usually  not yet bottled wines.  This evening Cuong Tran, winemaker at Scribner Bend Winery in the Sacramento Delta, will be our guest evaluator.  He will be evaluating your 2025 white, rosé, and sparkling wines –  your wines in progress,  your “maybe baby” wanting to say “Yes!”.  Whether you have questions regarding current acid or sugar levels, suspect a fault, feel your wine is out of balance, or are struggling with clarity, this night is for you.  

If you are bringing wine to be evaluated:

  • Bring to the meeting two 750 ml bottles of your wine labeled with the varietal, vintage, and your name;
  • Email  Vice President Donna Bettencourt at  donnab1045@gmail.com by Friday February 13 to register your wine(s) for evaluation;
  • Complete this Wine Evaluation Form and email it to Donna Bettencourt at donnab1045@gmail.com by Monday February 16th;
  • Make sure you have joined SHW as a dues paying member for 2026; and
  • Be prepared with your winemaking notes.

If you are attending but not submitting wine for evaluation:

Bring an inquiring mind, don’t NOT attend because you don’t make whites or rosés (you might just learn something), and bring two wine glasses.

No Tasting Table at this meeting. The Tasting Table returns at the April meeting.

Wine analysis services for Club members are available for pH, titratable acidity, free SO2, malic acid, and glucose-fructose (residual sugar). Bring your wine samples to Byron at the Sentia station near the bar/kitchen.  $5 per test.  Bring a 1-5 ml sample per test in a container with your name and test requested.  See here for the details. Please ensure your 2026 membership is current.

Heads Up:  Our March 18th meeting guest evaluator will be evaluating 2024 and 2025 Bordeaux varietal and blended red wines.  Bordeaux varietals include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Carménère, and recently added Touriga Nacional (up to 10%).

Meeting starts upstairs at 7 pm at the Turn Verein located at 3349 J Street in Sacramento. Contact Vice President Donna Bettencourt at donnab1045@gmail.com with meeting questions.