Press Democrat Launches Regional Wine Competition

Taking a cue from its big city neighbor to the south, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat newspaper has co-created a new wine tasting competition, to rival the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

According to an article in this morning's Press Democrat,

The Press Democrat and Vineyard & Winery Management have teamed up to create The Press Democrat North Coast Wine Challenge, which will allow entries from wineries that source fruit from the North Coast, including the American Viticultural Areas spanning Napa, Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino counties, and parts of Marin and Solano counties.

The regional focus of the new competition emphasizes its similarity to the Chronicle's, which grew out of the "tri-county" wine tasting competition at the Cloverdale Citrus Fair - Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino.

Two long-time Healdsburg wine consultants have come on board, including Australian-turned Sonoma winemaker Daryl Groom to recruit a panel of judges.

Vineyard & Winery Management, a trade publication based in Santa Rosa, hosts six winery competitions per year, including one focused on Millennials and another targeted at women, said Debra Del Fiorentino, the company's director of wine competitions.

CEO George Christie of Vineyard & Winery Management said, "There are so many great wines that are being produced in the region, I just thought it would be fun to put together a targeted competition so neighbors can pit their wines against each other."

Organizers hope to attract 1,000 or more entries and hold a public tasting event after the competition. The competition is now open to entries, with a deadline of May 10, according to the Press Democrat. To read the full article, please click here.