Judges of the SFCWC

The 19th Annual San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition with presenting sponsor BevMo! kicks off with the wine judging at the Cloverdale Citrus Fair! There are over 60 professional judges from around the nation, who are tasting, discussing and determining the winners from North America.  Held over four days, the judging begins January 8th and concludes January 11th in Sonoma County, CA. Results of the 2019 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition are available on Friday after the sweepstakes judging round on January 11th.

A select group of winners are chosen to participate in the annual Public Tasting, which will take place on February 16, 2019 at the San Francisco’s Fort Mason Center. Buy tickets online to taste these award-winning wines at the largest competition of North American wines!

Judges Listed by Industry Category

List of Judges judging the SFCWC within the last 3 years.

Media

Bill Ward

Writer/Journalist, Minneapolis Star Tribune and Decant This, LLC, Minneapolis, MN

Bob Ecker

Wine Writer and Photographer, Napa, CA

Bob Foster

Assistant Editor of the California Grapevine Wine Newsletter, San Diego, CA

Christopher Cook

Chief Restaurant Critic and Wine Columist (ret.), Hour Detroit Magazine, Troy, MI

Craig LaBan

Restaurant Critic & Drink Columnist, Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia, PA

Deborah Parker Wong

Global Wine Editor, Somm Journal, The Tasting Panel & Clever Root, San Francisco, CA

Ellen Landis, CS, CSW

Wine Journalist, CS, CSW, Windsor, CA

Eric Degerman

President/ CEO, Great Northwest Wine, Kennewick, WA

Jeffrey Binney

Writer of, "Jeff's Corner", Educator & Tour Director, Grape Creek Vineyards, Fredericksburg, TX

Jessica Altieri

CEO, Certified Sommelier, Wine Channel TV Digital Network, Chicago, IL

Jill A. Ditmire

Omnimedia Wine Specialist/ Journalist, Indianapolis, IN

Larry Van Aalst

Retired Sommelier, Radio Talkshow Host, Rohnert Park, CA

Laura Donadoni

Wine Journalist, San Diego, CA

Laura Ness

Wine Columnist, Los Gatos, CA.

Marguerite Thomas

Writer, The Wine News, Baltimore, MD

Martha Dunne

Martha Dunne, Wine Enthusiast, Sacramento, CA

Michael Apstein

Columnist, WineReviewOnLine.com, Newton, MA

Mike Dunne

Contributing Wine Columnist, The Sacramento Bee, Sacramento, CA

Richard Peterson

Winemaker & Author of award-winning book "The Winemaker"

Tim McNally

The Wine Show, WGSO 990AM & Wine and Spirits Editor, columnist & feature writer for New Orleans Magazine, New Orleans, LA

Restaurant, Food & Hospitality Industry Wine Buyers

Christopher Sawyer

Journalist/Sommelier & founder of SawyerSomm.com, Petaluma, CA

Jennifer Jespersen

Lead Sommelier, Farmhouse Inn, Forestville, CA

Ken Landis

Retired Chef Consultant, Landis Shores, Vancouver, CA

Nadia R. Pavlevska, CS, CSW, FWS, IWS

Professional Sommelier, CSW, FWS, IWS, NP Wine Consulting, Hermosa Beach, CA

Stephanie Cruz Green

Owner, Sommelier, International Wine Judge, Kelseyville, CA

Tony Lawrence

Owner, The Global Wine Chef/The World is Kitchen, Philadelphia, PA

Retail Wine Buyers

Amy Mullally, CS, Diploma WSET

Fine Wine Specialist for the Henry Wine Group, Long Beach, CA

Ann Littlefield

President, Littlefield Wine Marketing, Napa, CA

April Reddout

Guest Services, Col Solare Winery, Richland, WA

Barry Herbst

Wine Director, Bottle Barn Liquors, Santa Rosa, CA

Bill Hayes

Wine Category Manager, BevMo!, Concord, CA

Chip Cassidy

Chip Cassidy, Professor, Florida International University, North Miami, FL

Jeff Slankard

Wine Director, Barons Market, San Diego, CA

Kristi Mohar

Wine Buyer, Pacific Markets Sonoma County, CA

Sahar Gharai

Owner and Wine Buyer of La Dolce Vita Wine Lounge, Petaluma, CA

Spreti Valente, CS

Sommelier & Senior Wine Buyer, Professional Wine Judge, Consultant & Educator, Costa Mesa, CA.

TeeJay K. Lowe

Managing Partner, West College Management LLC., Santa Rosa, CA

Wilfred Wong

Chief Storyteller, Wine.com, San Francisco, CA

Wine Education

Barry H. Gump, Ph.D.

Professor, Florida International University, North Miami, FL

Carl G. Brandhorst

President Emeritus, Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association, Fairfax, VA

Jennifer Cossey Hendrickson

Beverage Manager, Lead Sommelier, Yellowstone Club, Big Sky, MT

John Buechsenstein

Wine Instructor, UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education; Visiting Instructor, Culinary Institute of America, St. Helena, CA

John Giannini

Winemaker, Van Ruiten Family Winery, Lodi, CA

Kathleen Arnink

Lecturer for Wine and Enology, Cornell University Viticulture & Enology, Ithaca, NY

Richard (Dick) Mercer

Italy Travel Specialist including Italian Wine and Food Tours, Sacramento, CA

Rick Fraga

Wine Educator, Deloach Vineyards, Santa Rosa, CA

Sue Straight

Owner/ Founder, Wine Wench Productions, Wine Director at Oakville Grocry, Healdsburg, CA

Winemaker & Industry Representatives

Alexandra Fraser

Lab Technician Consultant, Cloverdale, CA

Alicia Ysais

Director, Delicato Family Vineyards, Manteca, CA

Ann Miller

Marketing, Les Bourgeois Vineyards, Rocheport, MO

Bill Pesonen

Owner Pesonen Vineyards and William Gordon Winery, Cloverdale, CA

Charles F. Mara

The Mara Wine Group, Palm Springs, CA

Christopher O'Gorman

Director of Communications, Rodney Strong Wine Estates, Healdsburg, CA

Dan Kosta

Founder/Proprietor, AldenAlli Winery, Healdsburg, CA

Denise Gill

Alexander Valley Vineyards, Santa Rosa, CA

Dustin Fults

Proprietor, Fults Family Vineyards, Lower Lake, CA

Eric Stine

VP Winemaking, Foley Family Wines and Langtry Estate & Vineyards, Middletown, CA

Greg Burns

Owner and Head Winemaker, 1st Generation Winemaker & 5th Generation Grape Grower, Jessie's Grove Winery, Lodi, CA

Jane Halahan Valentin

Assistant Winemaker for Beringer Vineyards, Stags Leap Winery, St Helena, CA

Jim Caudill

Director, Marketing Communications, Treasury Wine Estates, Napa, CA

Jim Trezise

President, WineAmerica, New York, NY

Mark Chandler

Principal, Chandler & Company Wine Consultants, Lodi, CA

Mark Elcombe

Homeplace Manager , Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards, Windsor, CA

Maureen Martin

Senior Winemaker, Clos Du Bois, Healdsburg, CA

Miro Tcholakov

VP/Director of Winemaking, Miro Cellars, Cloverdale, CA

Pat Henderson

Winemaker, Sonoma Valley, CA

Sarah Mullins

Winemaker & Winery Manager, Rancho Sisquoc Winery, Santa Maria, CA

Shauna Rosenblum

Winemaker, Rock Wall Wine Company, Alameda, CA

Sue Bonzell

Radio Personality, Author & Speaker, Bonzell Media, Santa Rosa, CA

Tom Simoneau

KSRO Wine Guy & Owner, Simoneau Vineyards, Healdsburg, CA

Tyler Weiper

Tasting Room Manager, Milano Family Winery, Hopland, CA

Victoria Wilson

Winemaker, Wilson Artisan Wineries, Healdsburg, CA

Label Contest Judges

Paul Tincknell

Partner, Tincknell & Tincknell, Wine Sales and Marketing Consultants, Healdsburg, CA

Brian Lobsinger

Senior Director, Brand & Web Development, A. Bright Idea, Sonoma, CA

Dave Miller

Principal & Co-Founder, PackagingARTS, Vallejo, CA.

Elizabeth Slater

Owner, In Short Direct Marketing, Windsor, CA

Jennifer Tincknell

Partner, Tincknell & Tincknell, Wine Sales and Marketing Consultants, Inc., Healdsburg, CA.

Mike Haran

Label Contest Coordinator Emeritus, San Rafael, CA