Modesto region brewery wins best of year award. See which one, what beers scored high
Turlock’s Dust Bowl Brewing Company had the highest point total out of 850 entries from 120 breweries in the recent 2022 California State Fair Craft Beer Competition.
Dust Bowl earned gold medals for the Taco Truck Lager, the California Golden Ale and the Hobo Pilsner. The Therapist scored a silver medal, giving the Dust Bowl Brewing Company the most points to win the coveted Brewery of the Year Award.
The California State Fair is one of the craft beer industry’s most recognized and longest running beer competitions. The Dust Bowl brewery operates three taprooms, including its flagship taproom next to the brewery in Turlock, the Taproom Depot in downtown Monterey and the Old Town Tap House in Elk Grove.
Save With a Covet Pass
If you enjoy wine tasting but balk at the cost, you might consider buying a Covet Pass. It’s a year-long pass that gives you immediate access to complimentary tastings at select California and Baja wineries, plus hotel, travel and shopping perks. Currently the Covet Pass has wineries from Napa Valley (six), Sonoma County (six), Anderson Valley (eight) and Lake County (four) in California, and Valle de Guadalupe (seven) in Baja, Mexico. As new wineries and destinations join, they are immediately available to current Covet Pass members. The price is $150 and is good for 365 days from the date of purchase. For more details go to covetpass.com.
Save With Naked Wines
If you enjoy wine but never have the time to shop, consider becoming an Angel. Currently, Naked Wines has over 300,000 Angels, each contributing $40 per month to front the cost for independent winemakers to work their special magic. This money accumulates in your account until you decide to buy. You are in charge of your account. There are no membership costs and you can cancel any time. You get to chose and rate your wines, read the ratings of other Angels and participate in online tastings with winemakers. Years ago, Naked Wines caught my attention and I became an Angel for one year. My angelic behavior caught the Navigator a little off guard, but the wines we chose were solid, well priced and I mentioned that in this column. If you don’t have the time to visit that huge wine wall in your supermarket, stay home and check out NakedWines.com.
What’s on Our Table
The 2019 Ancient Peaks Merlot (Gold Medal, 93 points) lists for $22 and is a deal at $14.99 at Costco. The steal this week is the 2020 Gerard Bertrand Gris Blanc Rose. The suggested price for this French Grenache Rose is $19.99 and it is $5.99 at the Grocery Outlet. Happy hunting. Cheers!
Questions? Comments? Find me on Facebook or at rgwinton@yahoo.com.