North Coast Wine Challenge

North Coast AVAs including Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Sonoma, Marin and parts of Solano County.

Judging

April 4 & 5th

2023

Entry Deadline
March 24th

Early Bird End
March 10th

Enter Here

Shipping Label Here

Save the DATE
Saturday, June 17, 2023
The North Coast Wine & Food Festival is a celebration of the best wine and food of our region. Join us on Saturday, June 17, for an afternoon of excellent wine, delicious food, music, and activities, including 25 of the region’s top chefs and 90 gold medal winning wines from the North Coast Wine Challenge.

2. Only Gold Medals +

Are Published

This is a marketing advantage that other competitions don't offer. We promote ONLY the highest awarded-wines (golds and above), keeping your win exceptional and exclusive.

Achieving top honors carries high prestige and offers a valuable USP for increased retail sales. Golds are converted into a point score above 90 and all 90+ point wines will get a marketable positive comment from the judging panel. Small wineries can truly benefit from a gold medal in this contest.

5 REASONS TO ENTER

1. Exclusivity

This is a regional competition that ONLY rates wines exclusively produced and bottled in Northern California's premier winegrowing region to determine which wines are considered the Best of the Best. Eligibility includes wines made in these California North Coast AVAs:

Lake County
Mendocino County
Napa County
Sonoma County
Marin County
Solano County

This includes any bottled wine labeled with these AVAs as their main source of grapes and whose winery is in California.

5 REASONS

that benefit you to enter

3. Judges with Influence

The best wines draw the best professional wine judges who annually vie for a coveted spot to judge here. Many are seasoned retailers, distributors, restaurateurs and wine writers with influence. They know how to promote the wines they enjoy and can help give your wine increased exposure.

4. Multi-Channel Promotion

Public announcement of awards is made in print by The Press Democrat, the North Bay Area's primary source for news and information. Additional on-going promotion is made in award-winning Spirited trade magazine and other print publications, online, by virtual newsletters and through social media outlets.

5. Public Tasting

Gold medal-winners are invited to pour and have their wines enjoyed at the North Coast Wine & Food Festival annually organized and hosted by The Press Democrat. This is a fun-filled day enjoyed by wine enthusiasts near and far who look forward to tasting the Best of the Best wines Northern California has to offer.

2022's
Best of the Best

2022 Best of Class and above

2021 Best of Class and above

2021 Awards by Brand

2019
Roth Estate Winery
Heritage Red
BEST OF THE BEST
Best of Sonoma County
Best of Show Red
Sonoma County
99 Points

Alumni Judges

Daryl Groom - Chief Wine Judge	Debra DelFiorentino Competition Director	Alexandria Sarovich Executive Wine Director Little Saint Healdsburg	Barry Herbst Wine Director, Bottle Barn Liquors	Bekah Schloss Wine Wall Supervisor, The Matheson
Bill Hayes Wine Category Manager, BevMo! \| US West Coast	Chris Munsell Director of Winemaking, E. & J. Gallo Winery	Christopher Sawyer Wine writer and "Sommelier to the Stars"	Dan Berger Wine Journalist	Debbie Zachereas Wine Expert, International Wine Judge
Ellen Landis CS, CSW	Elsie Wolfe Senior Buyer on the Adult Beverages team at Target	Erik Olsen Chief Winemaker, Constellation Wines	Michael Jordan Director of Global Key Accounts at Jackson Family Wines	Heidi Barrett Winemaker, Barrett & Barrett Wines \| Napa Valley, CA
Jesse Katz Winemaker, Aperture and Devil Vineyards	Kerry Damskey Winemaker, Consultant, Owner- Ter-ior Artisan Wines	Kimberly Noelle Charles, DipWSET President & Founder, Charles Communications Associates San Francisco	Kris Ronald Anderson Wine Buyer Wilibees Wines & Spirits	Larry Van Aalst Radio Host of "The Sonoma Wine Report", Sommelier, Equus Restaurant
Linda Murphy Contributing Writer, Sonoma Magazine	Dr. Elizabeth "Liz" Thach, MW, Professor of Wine, Professor of Management, Author,	Michael Beaulac Director of Winemaking, , Foley Family Wines	Mick Schroeter Winemaking Director, Sonoma-Cutrer	Nick Goldschmidt Winemaker and Consultant, Goldschmidt Vineyards
Paul Coker Director of Beverage Montage Resort Healdsburg.	Peg Melnik Wine Critic & Wine Blogger	Scot Covington Winemaker, Trione Vineyards and Winery, Geyserville, CA	Tim Bell Winemaker, Dry Creek Vineyard	Traci Dutton Sommelier, Manager - Public Beverages/Wine Studies, CIA
Ziggy Eschliman Radio & TV Personality, Wine Blogger	Laura Ness Food and Wine Writer	Corey Beck Director of Winemaking, Francis Ford Coppola Winery	Spreti Valente Certified Sommelier - Wine Buyer - Professional Wine Judge, Consultant & Educator	Philip Levesque Wine Consultant Oakville Grocery, Healdsburg
Ross Reedy Winemaker, Truett Hurst & VML Winery \| Sonoma County, CA	Chelsea Barrett Winemaker \| Calistoga, CA	Leslie Sbrocco Author, TV Host, Consultant, Wine Lover	Erin Miller Wine Director - Dry Creek Kitchen - Head of Best of Award of Excellence Wine List - Wine Spectator -	Miro Tcholakov Winemaker, proprietor, salesman, cellar rat - Miro Cellars & Trentadue Winery
Randy Ullom Winemaster, Kendall Jackson	Wilfred Wong, Chief Storyteller, Wine.com	Greg Urmini	Hady Kahale Head of Wine Buying, Naked Wines US – Wine consultant and winemaker - Napa, CA	Jon McCarthy WINE + BEVERAGE DIRECTOR
Fred Dame Master Sommelier & VP of Prestige Accounts, American Wine & Spirits	Jasper Russo Director of Wine Education, Sales & Marketing, Sigel's Fine Wines and Great Spirits	Pedra Polakovicova Beverage Manager-Sommelier - Montage Healdsburg	Bob Foster - Assistant Editor of the California Grapevine wine newsletter

ALUMNI ASSOCIATE JUDGES

The Press Democrat North Coast Wine Challenge strives to be an educational platform for young wine industry professionals growing in their careers. Associate Judges are nominated by their peers and attend the judging process,

each assigned a panel with our highly experienced wine judges. They get to learn and network with winemakers,

sommeliers, media people and other seasoned wine industry professionals.