First up, we want to congratulate Shaun Frohn on his recent award in the 2010 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. Frohn is the owner and head winemaker for Consensio Cellars, out of Ventura County. His 2008 Tempranillo picked up a Double Gold Award in this prestigious competition and his 2008 Sangiovese won a Silver.
Gotta say, we agree with the judges. Frohn’s making some very tasty stuff.
What’s also interesting is how he’s doing it – via Camarillo Custom Crush Winery. We’ve known CCC owner John Daume for years. His Home Wine, Beer and Cheesemaking Shop in Woodland Hills, California, has been the sponsor and home of the Cellarmasters home winemaking club to which we belong. Daume’s CCC venture is for folks who want to make the leap into professional wine making, but don’t have the space, time, etc. to open a full-fledged winery. The label owners buy the grapes and supervise to varying degrees the custom crush winemakers, then can sell their wines under the custom crush’s licenses – because, let’s face it, the byzantine bureaucracy involved in selling anything alcoholic in this country could befuddle even the French.
Frohn not only has his Consensio label out of CCC, he’s one of the winemakers there – and one of the best, in our humble… okay, not so humble opinion. Anne thinks he’s a cutie, too. He’s just young and enthusiastic with a great sense of humor and a generous spirit. In fact, a couple years ago, we were at the CCC setting up the Cellarmasters annual wine competition, when Frohn offered us the ultimate melange of wines. It’s what he called a hose blend, all the bits and drips leftover from a recent bottling. It was amazing stuff, really. Yet another reason why we don’t get folks who insist single grape wines are the best.
So congrats, again, Shawn. Keep up the good work.