Volcanic Wine Awards | The Jancis Robinson Story | Mission Blind Tasting

Taste bright lights from California

• 2 min read
Image

3 December 2017 It was a hugely enjoyable evening and tasting and we raised about £10,000 thanks to everyone's generosity. We will be reporting in more detail. 

16 November 2017 We are very excited to share with you below a list of the exciting California wines that you can taste at our self-pour tasting at 67 Pall Mall in London on the evening of Saturday 2 December. In Europe we have far too few opportunities to taste the best of California, so I’m much looking forward to sampling this collection of some of the best of what is currently going on in northern California.

All of these wines have been donated by their UK importers, just as the room and Zalto glasses have been donated by 67 Pall Mall, and storage and delivery have been donated by Sensible Wine Services. So every penny you pay for a ticket will go directly to help the victims of the recent fires in northern California wine country, people like the seasonal vineyard workers who have lost their homes and the employees of the hotel that was razed to the ground. See Alder's recent account of some of the personal stories of some of those seriously affected by the fires.

Those who have attended our tastings in the past will know how enjoyably informal they are, and how they are expressly designed for people who love wine. Everyone is welcome, however much or little they know about these hand-picked California wines, listed below.

Anyone who buys a ticket – not cheap, but the aim is to raise as much as possible – is welcome to drop in to the St James’s Room below 67 Pall Mall in London at any time between 6.30 and 9 pm.

WHAT Fine California wine tasting to raise funds for northern California fire victims
WHEN
6.30–9 pm Saturday 2 December
WHERE
St James’s Room, 67 Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5ES (lower floor, with its own entrance)
HOW MUCH
£150 a ticket, supplementary donations welcome

Buy tickets here.

Every penny you give will be donated to the three funds that our California team of Alder Yarrow and Elaine Chukan Brown have identified as those that will most effectively reach the people most seriously affected by the fires: OLE Health for vineyard workers, The Napa Valley Community Fund for Napa and Redwood Credit Union Fund for Sonoma. See our earlier article about this initiative.

All the wines have been kindly and generously donated by the following importers and agencies:

  • Raeburn Fine Wines
    • DuMOL, Isobel Chardonnay 2013 Sonoma Coast
    • DuMOL Pinot Noir 2012 Russian River Valley
    • Joseph Swan, Trenton Estate Vineyard Syrah 2009 Russian River Valley
    • Joseph Swan, Bastoni Vineyard Zinfandel 2012 Sonoma County
  • Roberson Wine
    • Mount Eden Chardonnay 2013 Santa Cruz Mountains
    • Kutch Chardonnay 2015 Sonoma Coast
    • Arnot-Roberts, Montecillo Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 Sonoma Valley
    • Hirsch, Reserve Pinot Noir 2014 Sonoma Coast
    • Domaine de la Côte, La Côte Pinot Noir 2014 Sta Rita Hills
  • Treasury Wine Estates
    • Beringer, Private Reserve 2013 Napa Valley
  • Nekter Wines
    • Keep Wines, Carbonic Counoise 2016 El Dorado County
    • Ferdinand Wines Tempranillo 2013 Amador County
    • Calder Wine Company Carignane 2014 Mendocino
    • Benevolent Neglect Syrah 2015 Carneros
    • Long Term Wine Company Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 Napa Valley
  • Thorman Hunt
    • Turley, Hayne Vineyard Petite Sirah 2006 Napa Valley
  • FMV
    • Frog’s Leap Sauvignon Blanc 2016 Napa Valley
    • Ramey Chardonnay 2014 Russian River Valley
    • Ridge, East Bench Zinfandel 2015 Dry Creek Valley
    • Ramey Pinot Noir 2014 Russian River Valley
    • Frog’s Leap, Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 Napa Valley
  • Flint Wines
    • Skylark Pinot Blanc 2016 Mendocino
    • Failla Chardonnay 2014 Sonoma Coast
    • Drew, Fog Eater Pinot Noir 2016 Anderson Valley
    • Anthill Farms, Tina Marie Pinot Noir 2014 Russian River Valley
  • The Wine Treasury
    • Rutherford Hill Chardonnay 2014 Napa Valley
    • Twomey Merlot 2012 Napa Valley
    • Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 Alexander Valley
    • Schug Pinot Noir 2014 Carneros
  • The Vineyard Group
    • Donelan, Nancie Chardonnay 2013 Sonoma County
    • Knights Bridge, West Block Chardonnay 2014 Knights Valley
    • Donelan, Kobler Family Vineyard Syrah 2013 Russian River Valley
    • Peter Michael, L'Esprit des Pavots 2013 Knights Valley
    • Rudd Estate, Samantha's Block Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 Oakville
  • Jackson Family Wines
    • Vérité, La Joie 2009 Sonoma County
    • Cardinale Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 Napa Valley
  • Four Corners Wine Company
    • Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 Napa Valley
    • Slacker, Computer Geek 2014 Paso Robles
  • Wine Source
    • Massican, Annia 2016 Napa Valley
    • Massican Sauvignon Blanc 2016 Napa Valley
    • Massican, Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay 2016 Napa Valley
    • The Mascot Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 Napa Valley
  • Alliance Wine
    • Paul Hobbs, Lindsay Pinot Noir 2014 Russian River Valley
  • Pol Roger UK
    • Dalla Valle Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 Napa Valley
    • Abreu Cappella 2006 Napa Valley

The Russian River Valley sunset above was captured by George Rose.

Choose your plan
Member
$135
/year
Save over 15% annually
Ideal for wine enthusiasts
  • Access 294,698 wine reviews & 16,077 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
Inner Circle
$249
/year
 
Ideal for collectors
  • Access 294,698 wine reviews & 16,077 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
Professional
$299
/year
For individual wine professionals
  • Access 294,698 wine reviews & 16,077 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
  • Commercial use of up to 25 wine reviews & scores for marketing
Business
$399
/year
For companies in the wine trade
  • Access 294,698 wine reviews & 16,077 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
  • Commercial use of up to 250 wine reviews & scores for marketing
Pay with
Visa logo Mastercard logo American Express logo Logo for more payment options
Join our newsletter

Get the latest from Jancis and her team of leading wine experts.

By subscribing you agree with our Privacy Policy and provide consent to receive updates from our company.

More Free for all

Ungrafted monastrell vines in Jumilla
Free for all 4 June 2026 In advance of the 2026 Old Vine Conference on June 8, we’re republishing this overview of our...
Institute of Masters of Wine logo
Free for all As our Sam Cole-Johnson and 216 others prepare to take the MW exams next week, we look back at the...
The Bull interior
Free for all Great wine and pie in the Shires. Charlbury is pretty much the first stony outcrop of the Cotswolds that you...
Capsules-congés
Free for all A look at Anglo-French love through the lens of wine. Plus a guide to the UK’s fine-wine traders. A shorter...

More from JancisRobinson.com

Fernando Mora MW and Mario López of Bodegas Frontonio
Tasting articles A close look at three of Zaragoza’s most important projects. Above, Fernando Mora MW (left) and Mario López of Bodegas...
Acered vineyard
Tasting articles To celebrate Aragón’s new map in the upcoming World Atlas of Wine , Ferran explores the wines of Zaragoza. Above...
Alexandre Delétraz's (Cave des Amandiers) vineyards in Valais @ Leif Carlsson
Tasting articles Red, white, young, old – there’s no shortage of diversity or deliciousness available in Swiss wines. You just need to...
Mt Ararat overlooking vineyards
Tasting articles Reasons to drink more Riesling; best buys; and far-flung finds – highlights from a month of tastings. Above, Mount Ararat...
Dar Sinclair, Tangier
Don't quote me Foreign parts feature heavily this month, including the villa above overlooking Tangier. But that’s far from all. I hope you...
Sally Abé of Teal
Nick on restaurants An exciting new addition to the East London restaurant scene. Above, Sally Abé. Everything is on the small side at...
Niepoort rabbit illustration
Wines of the week A traditional, versatile and inexpensive white port that is both dry and sweet – and doesn’t take itself too seriously...
Chianti Classico Collection 2026 banner
Tasting articles Two notoriously difficult vintages, with very different outcomes. The image above, from Collezione Chianti Classico 2026 in Florence, is courtesy...
Wine inspiration delivered directly to your inbox, weekly
Our weekly newsletter is free for all
By subscribing you're confirming that you agree with our Terms and Conditions.