Wine: Take a trip around the globe without leaving Calaveras

By Tom Bender

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Don't forget your passport if you are heading to Calaveras County this weekend.

Now in its 13th year, Calaveras Passport Weekend kicks off \tFriday night with "Taste the World of Calaveras."

Murphys Community Park is split into five regions, with each offering wines that have their origins in that specific wine region. Commemorative glasses are issued and participants taste their way around the world at the Calaveras Winegrape Alliance-sponsored event.

Last year, regions included the Rhone Valley, where syrah, grenache and viognier were highlighted. Wineries in the Spanish section featured tempranillo, while the Italian tables poured barbera and sangiovese.

The event continues Saturday and Sunday, when it shifts to winery tasting rooms both at the winery sites and at tasting venues on Main Street in Murphys.

Passports are stamped at each of the wineries; completed passports are entered into a drawing for prizes. Each winery venue provides food, music, wine discounts and special pourings. Some have gained quite a reputation for their food.

An all-weekend ticket is $60, but individual tickets are available for Friday night at $35, and Sunday-only passports are $40. Reserve online at www.calaveraswines.org.

So save on air fare and stay on this continent, but be sure to update your passport in Calaveras County.

Wine picks are from Tom Bender, wine instructor at Columbia College and wine steward for O'Brien's Market, 4120 Dale Road, Modesto, 545-8100. E-mail him at wineguy@goldrush.com or tom@obriensmarket.com.