Could I finally learn to enjoy America's favorite white wine through the oncoming chard-tsunami? Would I even be a good judge? The dreams of the 1,250 wineries from 23 states that entered this competition depended upon it.
The countless consumers, too, who turn to such ratings from competitions for their wine-buying advice would rely upon the verdicts.
"It can have a huge impact," said winemaker and judge Daryl Groom, owner of Australia's Groom Wines (and former partner in Sonoma's Geyser Peak). "Wineries that do well here will see an immediate impact in sales and movement on the dial."
For a $30 billion American wine industry that has been severely challenged by a recession that has knocked nearly 20 percent off the price of many bottles entering this year's show, the stakes are as high as ever.
But would I even survive this four-day marathon through more than 500 wines, a sensory slog that alternately left my taste buds delighted, surprised, evolving, and stunned numb - including one terrifyingly tannic sip of cabernet franc that momentarily paralyzed my top lip?
"Breathe through your nose," counseled Dan Kosta, a renowned pinot noir maker at Kosta Browne who was among my fellow 58 judges.
Other judges, virtually all competition veterans from different corners of the wine industry, offered their best advice on keeping the palate fresh, from gnawing tiny bits of sourdough bread and sliced roast beef to munching unbrined green olives.
"Sometimes I lick my napkin," confided Ben Pearson, the general manager for Bottle Barn in nearby Santa Rosa.
"Sparkling water is your friend," said former Philadelphian Jeanne Christie, the wine editor for Arizona Gourmet Living who sat to my left on Panel 10.
