The First Ever Award for Winery of the Year by the WCB (PB)

The WCB has never broached the area of Winery of the YEAR and neither (NW) nor (Billy) of this blog were consulted about my doing so. That's the advantage of being the founder and "Senior Tasteman" not to mention father-in-law and father, respectively, of the other two bloggers of our award winning blog.

The Four Bears wines are not distributed in my state yet(Maine) which makes my designation of Sean Minor Wines as "Winery of the Year" that much more intriguing.

Sean and Nicole Minor are relative newcomers to the adventure of wine making having begun in 2005. Their story could be mine in many ways as to their motives of getting into the craft and business.

Sean writes--"Not long after Nicole and I were married, we discovered that our second largest monthly expense was wine. We enjoy wine every day with dinner, when friends and family come to visit, during celebrations... actually, I can’t think of time we don’t enjoy wine."

So fulfilling a dream they ventured out and took a chance. In the competitive, global industry of wine, that takes more than a hectare of boldness. There are a handful of producers who yield quality, value wines vintage after vintage. Sebastiani and Columbia Crest come immediately to mind. They are the kind of wineries that no matter what the varietal or blend might be, they just do it well and at a price point that normal people can afford. Sean Minor wines are right on this same track.

Sean writes--"After a number of years in the industry, I knew there had to be a better and more affordable way to produce great wines that didn’t have severe consequences on the pocket book." As far as I am concerned, they have succeeded. Their success with their wines is an extension of their commitment to the most important things in life--their children and each other.

You may notice that one of their wines--the Central Coast Chardonnay 2008 came in at the #4 spot on my top ten wines of 2010 and frankly, their Pinot Noir(Carneros) and their Napa Cabernet Sauvignon are already standouts for the top ten of 2011.

I am pleased to extend this award and my congratulations to the Minor family and hope that they stay focused on what is truly important. For at the end of the day, a very wise and wonderful man said, "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?"

Raise a glass to Sean Minor wines and their 4 Bears!