23rd Annual California Barrel Tasting
featuring the 2006 Vintage
MacArthur Beverages has been the pioneering force behind offering California Wine futures. Addy Bassin, the founder of MacArthur Beverages, had a vision to create a California futures program offering customers an opportunity to sample and then purchase great wines years before their release. Sadly Addy passed away in 1986 shortly after the first barrel tasting. Addy’s son, Bruce, took over the operation of the store and continued to improve and expand the event started by his father. The Addy Bassin Cancer Research fund was started in Addy’s honor at the second tasting in 1987. In 1998 after the very sudden and tragic passing of Addy’s son, Bruce, his name was also added to the charity.
What began with a dozen California wineries participating in the initial tasting has now grown to fifty wineries offering nearly ninety wines. Next year the wineries attending the Barrel Tasting will be pouring the highly anticipated 2006 vintage. This event is a great opportunity to sample wines from “barrel” and ask the wine makers questions regarding their wines and the winemaking process. The wines sampled at the tasting on Saturday will then be offered for sale as “futures” at a substantially lower price from their retail release price the following Monday.
This year’s event raised over $25,000 for the Addy and Bruce Bassin Memorial Cancer Research Fund. The Addy and Bruce Bassin Memorial Cancer Research Fund at George Washington University helps to honor the memory of two men for their commitment to the world of fine wines.
Friday April 11th 2008 Wine Makers Dinner
The Mandarin Oriental Hotel will host the Annual Winemakers Dinner. Please come and join the Bassin family and wine makers at this great hedonistic event. The evening begins at 7pm with a sparkling wine reception and passed hors d’oeuvres. This is followed by a sensational seven course dinner featuring twenty four wines covering both recent vintages and older cellar selections made by the wine makers attending the dinner. Bill Plante’s excellent wit and love of wine make him the perfect MC introducing the wine makers throughout the evening.
The dinner will be prepared by Chef Anthony Reynolds and his expert team at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
The cost of this gastronomic experience is $400.00 per person.
Saturday April 12th 2008 Barrel Tasting
This year the Barrel Tasting will feature the highly anticipated 2006 vintage. The tasting will be held in two identical two and a half hour sessions. The first is from 1pm until 3pm and the second 7pm until 9pm. The cost is $150.00 per person. This also includes an incredible buffet, desserts and coffee service. When you make your reservation please indicate which of the two sessions you wish to attend.
Reservations for both the Friday night Dinner and Saturday Barrel Tasting can also be made on line at our secure web page www.bassins.com or by calling the store at 202-338-1433. Reservations will be taken after December 1st 2007.
The Mandarin Oriental Hotel has a block of rooms held under MacArthur Beverages for customers wishing to stay in Washington and make a weekend of the event. The rooms are $275.00 per night. Please call 1-888-888-1778 no later than February 6th 2007. Please make your reservations early as the room block fills up very quickly.
The Mandarin Oriental Hotel is located at 1330 Maryland Ave S.W., Washington DC.
Participating Vineyards
We will be adding more, once they are confirmed
| Andrew Will | Hope and Grace | Ravenswood |
| Arns | Karl Lawrence | Ramey |
| August Briggs | Kathryn Hall | Regusci |
| Axios | Kobalt | Ridge |
| Bacio Divino | Judd's Hill | Rudd |
| Barnett | Ladera | Ruston |
| Blue Rock | Larkin | Sequoia Grove |
| Clark-Claudon | Jack Larkin | Sonador |
| Cornerstone | Laurel Glen | Spencer Roloson |
| Culler Winery | Livingston-Moffett | Steltzner |
| Delectus | Moffett | Temple Family |
| Diamond Creek | Madrigral | Tom Eddy |
| Dunn | Miner | Von Strasser |
| EMH Vineyards | Michel Schlumberger | ZD |
| Fisher | Paul Hobbs | |
| Fountainhead | Peter Michael | |
| Girard | Piedra Hill | |
