As it goes with any job well done, a celebration was definitely in order after the 2008 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. Featuring a record-breaking 4,235 wine entries from 1,500 of the country's finest wineries, the annual judging brought more than 60 professional wine judges from across the United States to the Cloverdale Citrus Fairgrounds in Sonoma County for an extensive four day period of evaluation, during which panels of five sat for hours at a time to determine what was Gold – and what was not.

As the results poured in, the hard work ultimately paid off – the annual Public Tasting, held Saturday, February 16th at Fort Mason Center's Festival Pavilion, brought in over 5,000 patrons, all of whom were eager to experience the best of the best. Though guests were initially given the option to purchase tickets at the Fort Mason Box Office, the demand for advance purchase was so strong, management staff was forced to declare the Tasting as "Sold Out" – a week ahead of the actual event.

The line for the Public Tasting began to form as early as 1pm and included everyone from professional tasters to amateur samplers, wine experts to food lovers, and even those who were just there for the intoxicating view of the San Francisco Bay. Once the Tasting was underway at 2pm, the energy inside the Festival Pavilion was palpable as each individual was faced with an abundance of tastes, textures, sights, scents, and sounds. Much like the judges who evaluated the award-winning varietals just over a month before, the patrons were up to the challenge, enjoying the company of friends (new and old) as they sampled their way through the aisles of pinot noirs, chardonnays, and everything in between. Gourmet culinary artisans from SavorCalifornia.com offered tempting treats, allowing guests to not only experience the incredible pairing of fabulous wine and delectable food, but also to discover their own personal, potentially unconventional, matches between the two.

By the end of the 2008 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Public Tasting, as the last bottle was poured and the final morsel was devoured, it was clear that the event had again experienced monumental success, in more ways than one. It will be difficult to imagine a better celebration of the world's largest competition of American wines…at least, until next year.