A Sunny 2013 Public Tasting!

On February 16th, under clear skies and a cool breeze, hundreds of sail boats from the Corinthian Mid-Winter’s race dotted the San Francisco Bay with their colorful spinnakers and provided a spectacular kaleidoscopic backdrop for the 2013 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Public Tasting. As in previous years, it was again a packed house with over 5,000 people at the Fort Mason Center’s Festival Pavilion in San Francisco. Bob Fraser, SFCWC Executive Director states, "It was one of those gorgeous San Francisco days in which Bay Area folks flocked to the pavilion by the bay to enjoy wine, food, and companionship. It seemed that everyone agreed that this tasting was one of the best ever. I really appreciate the support of the wine and food industry in sharing their wonderful products and showing their allegiance for our patrons of the event".

Sponsored by Bevmo!, the event featured thousands of award-winning wines and delicious gourmet food provided by local artisans from SavorCalifornia.com, the International Culinary Center, California Culinary Academy and the culinary department at the Santa Rosa Junior college. More than 800 wineries participated and joining them was sponsor Anheuser Busch with wonderful selections of beer. There was excitement everywhere with celebrity appearances by renowned chef Tyler Florence and Bachelor star Ben Flajnik. This was all captured by KGO Radio's Ryan Scott's live broadcast from the event where he interviewed many of the winemakers.

So make sure you save the date for next year's San Francisco Chronicle's Public Tasting on February 15, 2014. See you then.

See photos of the event »

DeLoach Vineyards Hosts SFCWC Judges' Dinner

The 2013 San Francisco Chronicle Official Judges Dinner host is DeLoach Vineyards of the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County, California.

DeLoach Vineyards focuses on small-lot winemaking, giving exceptional care and attention to their Russian River Valley, O.F.S. and Vineyard Designate wines. Their passion is Pinot Noir - the noble variety of Burgundy that demands a delicate, labor-intensive process to showcase the exceptional terroir and complexity of the Russian River Valley and beyond. They have the diligence required to produce truly original, terroir-driven Pinot Noir. In keeping with their Burgundian Heritage, they use French open-top wood fermentors for all their Russian River Valley, O.F.S, and Vineyard Designate Pinot Noirs, as well as their old-vine Zinfandel. They also practice hand punch-downs, known as pigeage -- another Burgundian winemaking tradition.

Read More »

5,000+ Visit Sold-Out 2012 SFCWC Public Tasting!

"The 2012 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Public Tasting was a smashing success", reports Bob Fraser, Executive Director. "There were over 5,000 people in the Festival Pavilion at Fort Mason Center, San Francisco enjoying the wonderful warm day and great food/wine... Additional pictures will be available online so please come back to visit", Fraser adds.

Click here for more photos from the 2012 Public Tasting »

2013 Cloverdale Citrus Fair Wine Tasters Tell All

Past Competition Video Archives

And the Winners Are...

2013 Sweepstake Winners

Sparkling

• Korbel Champagne Cellars California Blanc de Noirs $11.00

White

• Keuka Spring Vineyards 2011 Finger Lakes Riesling $13.99

Pink

• Sorelle Winery 2011 Lodi Sangiovese Rosato $16.00

Red

• Terlato Family Vineyards 2010 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir $60.00
• Wilson Winery 2009 Dry Creek Valley Molly’s Vineyard Petite Sirah $38.00

Dessert

• Castello di Amorosa 2011 Anderson Valley Late Harvest Gewürztraminer $35.00

Label

• Mutt Lynch Winery Man’s Best Friend Series

Click here for the complete results »

Meet the SFCWC Professional Judges

The SFCWC sets the standards for the year by choosing renowned judges to award wines that are truly exceptional. This year, 60 judges from across the country bring their knowledge, passion and trained palates to determine the fates of more than 5,500 entries and this event will allow the public to discover new ways to experience wine. Unpretentious and fun, the Public Tasting encourages everyone to come together, learn, and indulge their taste buds.

San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Judges»

Sponsoring the SFCWC

KGO 810 has been the exclusive radio sponsor for the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition since its inception, reports Bob Fraser. "The media support of promotional spots on KGO and the recognition of the Sweepstake Winemakers has been tremendous for the consumers of not only the Bay Area but throughout California and into some areas of the Pacific Northwest. They add special excitement to the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition..."

NBC Bay Area is proud to be the Television media sponsor of the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. NBC Bay Area has supported SFCWC for the past six years and you can see the last year’s webisode just visit NBCBayArea.com and search San Francisco Wine Competition.

The San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition is proud to announce it has partnered with BevMo!  as the presenting sponsor for its 2013 judging and public tasting event.

The best-selling Belgian beer in the world, Stella Artois is the brand of “Supreme Quality and Worth.” It is admired for its uniqueness, uncompromising quality, distinctive and sophisticated packaging, and highly esteemed positioning. Its differentiated position has enabled Stella Artois to become one of the fastest-growing brands in the world.

The official wine glass sponsor of the 2013 SF Chronicle Wine Competition is Saxco International, the largest designer, distributor and service provider to the wine, beer, spirits and food industry in North America. They have a dedicated team of experienced industry professionals who offer their customers the highest quality and the widest selection of products. Saxco is the clear choice for premium packaging solutions.

Wine & Spirits Magazine is the official magazine of the competition.

Keeping with the liveliness of the Public Tasting, our magazine partner invites everyone to “Live well, Drink well”! Wine & Spirits Magazine is back as the official magazine of the Public Tasting, presenting best of more than 10,000 wines screened by panels and critics, along with top destinations for wine and food, perspectives on distinctive wine regions and news. Subscribe today and gain immediate access to their online database of ratings and reviews.

Please see more of our Sponsors »

Bob Fraser's Wine Regions of the World - A Self Guided Tour Follow winejudging.com's Bob Fraser as he tours some of the World's famous wine regions. Northwest Wine Regions; Eastern United States Wine Regions; France- Bordeaux; and France- Burgundy, Rhone, & Champagne. Let's get started »

Bob Fraser's Wine Travels One of my most pleasurable past times is visiting America’s wine country regions. I always will make an effort to visit the many wineries that enter the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. I am always so amazed of the warm hospitality that wineries offer to their visitors and am always so proud to be associated with this fantastic industry. Paso Robles AVA of Central California Bob Fraser and guests tour the Paso Robles AVA  read more »