Just finished this amazing competition in the spectacular city of Valladolid, Spain and on the way home now. Concours Mondial de Bruxelles is the only touring competition in the world: Next year? China!
This year over 9080 wines from 50 countries competed for a Silver, Gold, and Grand Gold Medals. Two new categories, for old vintage and organic wines, were introduced this year.
Check out the 2017 Concours Mondial results next week at: http://results.concoursmondial.com
Take a moment to peruse this press release of the winners for Rosé Today for which I participated as a judge. You can also read up on the fabulous varietal in this article I am featured in, U.S. Producers Betting on Rosé and Challenging French Dominance published by the Wine Industry Advisor.
Heads up as well about the Rosé Today Country Garden Party to taste some of the winners on Saturday, June 17th from 11-4 at Jaxon Keys Winery & Distillery in Hopland.
Press Release:
Healdsburg, CA – Friday, March 24, 2017 —Announcing Rosé Today 2017 Competition Winners of its 2017 Competition held at Soda Rock Winery on March 22, 2017. Rosé Today’s Wine Director Bob Ecker conducted the double-blind competition judged by nine preeminent judges which included Sean Brosnihan, Francois Cordesse, Debra Del Fiorentino, Rick Farga, Denise Gill, Teejay Lowe, Lucio Matricardi, Ph.D, Christopher Sawyer, and Leslie Sbrocco. On behalf of the entire staff of Rosé Today, producers Craig Palmer and Allen Habel extend their thanks to all competition entries and their heartiest congratulations to all these exceptional winners.
Taking home Best of Show, Best of Class and Double Gold in Domestic Sparkling, for the second year in a row is Gloria Ferrer 2013 Brut Rosé.
Best of Class (with Double Gold) are awarded to: Bonterra Organic Vineyards 2016 Rosé, Domestic Dry; Mezzacorona 2016 Rosato, International Dry; Veuve Ambal NV Marie Ambal Brut Rosé, International Sparkling; and Pratsch 2016 Rosé, International Sweet; Del Rio Vineyards NV Rose Jolee, Domestic Sweet.
Double Gold awardees include: Ascension Cellars 2016 “Siren” Rosé, Benziger Family Winery 2016 Rosé, Fleur 2016 Pinot Noir Rosé, Chateau D’Esclans Whispering Angel Rosé 2016, Darkhorse 2015 Rosé, Ferrari-Carrano Lazy Creek Vineyards 2016 Rosé of Pinot Noir, Sassoferrato 2016 Rosé, Lawer Estates 2016 Rosé, Luis Felipe Edwards Loma Negra 2016 Rosé, Luis Felip Edwards Autoritas 2016 Rosé, LXV 2016 Sangiovese Rosé, Proulx 2016 Grenache Rosé, Sonoma-Cutrer 2016 Rosé of Pinot Noir, St. Anne’s Crossing Winery 2016 Rose of Zinfandel, Santa Rita Limited Release Rosé 2016, and Wollersheim Winery 2016 Prairie Blush.
Gold recipients are: Apriori 2016 Rosé, Locations NV F Rosé, Collection des Anges 2016 Rosé, Six Degrees 2016 Rosé, Phillips Dublanc NV Brut Rosé Sparkling, Cache Creek Vineyards 2016 Rosé, Chacewater 2016 Rosé, Clos LaChance 2016 Colibri, D’Alfonso-Curran Curran 2016 Rosé, Del Rio Vineyards 2016 Rosé, Domaine de Baccari 2015 Cinsault and Grenache, Domaine Serene NV “r” Rosé IX, Due Ruscelli 2016 Rosé, Ferrai-Carano 2016 Dry Sangiovese Rosé, Fess Parker 2016 Pinot Noir, Greenwood Ridge Vineyards 2016 Rosé, Black Ink 2015 Rosé, Fleur 2016 Rosé, Handley Cellars 2015 Pinot Rosé, J. Rickards Winery 2016 Rosé, King Estate Winery 2016 Rosé of Pinot Noir, Kobler Estate Winery 2016 Rosé of Pinot Noir, Dazzle Cellars 2016 Julia’s Dazzle Rosé, Matrix Winery 2016 Rosé of Pinot Noir, McCay Cellars 2015 Reserve Rosé, McPherson Cellars 2016 Les Copains Rosé, Pennyroyal Farm 2015 Pinot Noir Rosé, Peltier Winery Black Diamond 2016 Rosé, Soda Rock 2016 Rosé, St. Francis 2016 Rosé, Terra d’Oro 2016 Rosé, Coeur Clementine 2016 Rosé, Veuve Ambal NV Brut Rosé, Rivarose 2016 Brut Rosé, Wakefield/Taylors 2016 Pinot Noir Rosé, Abbazia NV Moscato Rosé, and Vinum Cellars 2016 Rosé.
Announcing the judging results from my trip to Miami over MLK weekend for The American Fine Wine Invitational (AFWI)! This year 850 wines from 230 wineries were included.
The event took place January 15 & 16 at FIU’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management. The AFWI is the most exclusive, top tier, all-American Wine Invitational in the world, and it takes place in our back yard. Over the course of two full days, 24 judges tasted and awarded medals to the invited wines. Here are the top winners:
BEST OF SHOW
Best of Show Red –
’13 Baldacci Family, Cabernet Sauvignon “Ruppert”, Napa $125
Best of Show White
’15 Chehalem Vineyards, Gruner Veltliner, Ribbon Ridge, OR $24
Best of Show Sparkling
NV Mumm Napa, “Santana” Brut, Napa (also Best Of in 2015) $50
Best of Show Dessert Wine
’11 John Anthony Vyds Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc, Napa $65
More information available at www.americanfinewinecompetition.org
Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards hosted the 2nd annual “Glorious Bites Challenge” this weekend, where three other judges and I selected Chera Little of Leander, Texas, as the 2016 winner, earning her bragging rights, a custom glass trophy and a check for $5000. Her Miso-Maple Glazed Cod Wonton-Cho’s with Crispy Bok Choy Slaw has been deemed this year’s most glorious appetizer recipe in the country to pair with Gloria Ferrer’s sparkling Sonoma Brut. Little, who lost her husband just three months ago to brain cancer, said he encouraged her to enter the competition. “My late husband was my biggest cheerleader. He loved won tons, he loved cream cheese and he loved fish. This dish was inspired by him,” said Little. “I am very excited and very humbled. This has been an incredible experience. ”
Out of more than 1800 entries from 44 states, Little’s recipe rose to the forefront, bringing her to the semi-finals and ultimately to the winner’s circle at the final cook-off at Gloria Ferrer Winery on Saturday. The judges unanimously enjoyed her recipe.
“I just loved the way the miso married so well with the Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut,” said award-winning radio show Host and Producer Joel Riddell.
“I definitely thought it was the most complex dish. There were so many layers of flavors. Every bite stood out and different elements played nicely with the wine,” said Sommelier, Wine Educator and Journalist Christopher Sawyer.
(Photos above: Three delicious entries and a bit of “ham” with colleagues Joel Riddell and Leslie Sbrocco.)
“I think we all agreed that this dish was really beautiful to look at and beautiful to taste. It had it all the elements going on – bitter, salty, sweet—just a great dish,” according to Sara Deseran, Food Writer and Editor-at-Large for San Francisco magazine.
“Having tasted all the dishes previously at the semi-finals, I had no idea who would win today,” said Jennifer Luttrell, Keynote Glorious Bites Judge and Executive Chef for Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company. “It was really tough to choose, but Chera’s dish had really bright layers of flavors and complexity and, most of all, it was delicious with the Sonoma Brut.”
All finalists’ appetizers were judged on originality, taste and ability to pair with the Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut. During the competition, the more than 200 guests in attendance were entertained by TV Host, Wine Expert and Author Leslie Sbrocco, known for her appearances on NBC’s The Today Show and as the host of Check Please! Bay Area and her newest show Taste This. Attendees also voted on their favorite appetizer from among the four finalists. Taking home the popular vote, or the “Pop Award,” was Diane Williams of Auburn, California, for her Triple “B” Won Tons with Beef, Blue Cheese and Bacon.
All recipes from the 2016 finalists are available for download from the Glorious Bites website: www.gloriousbites.com
The results are in! Check out the wines that won at SFIWC 2016 this year. Also, enjoy a few pics from my days judging at Hotel Nikko while you are at it. Cheers! Christopher
Pink Out! The start of a colorful flight of Rosé on Day 1; (clockwise from left); Taking a break with my fellow judges, wine guru Jeffery Stivers and New Orleans-based wine and spirits radio personality Tim McNally; #StrengthInNumbers: Selfie Deluxe with my fellow judges sommelier Eduardo Dingler of Morimoto Napa; wine educator Ian Blackburn of LA-based WineCloudInc; sommelier Tonya Pitts of One Market SF, author, wine personality and star of Check Please Bay Area Leslie Sbracco, and author, sommelier and proprietor of A16 and RN74 in SF, Shelley Lindgren; The magnificent menu for the Judges Dinner at Hotel Nikko International, with dazzling wines provided by Gloria Ferrer and Jaimeson Ranch wineries.
As reported in the April 30 issue of Press Democrat, federal prosecutors indicted two California men in the heist and two other Bay Area wine thefts.
This infamous 2014 burglary involved about 100 bottles of wine valued at roughly $300,000. Read the full story by Julie Johnson:
Suspects Indicted in French Laundry Wine Theft-Spree
Spectacular finish to the North Coast Wine Challenge with some of the finest wine judges in America. Our team sent the top red & white wine winners to the final round and the 2012, 2013 & 2014 vintages were brilliant.
The big winners have been published in the Press Democrat in this article by Diane Peterson:
Wine Channel TV has a new digital online wine lifestyle community called Wine Judges Corner dedicated to wine competitions, award-winning wines and wine judges!
Not only does the site provide extensive competition information for both past and future events, but it also offers the inside scoop from competition organizers, exclusive interviews with renowned judges and extensive wine reviews by experts in the field.
Start your exploration by reading up on yours truly,
follow that up with details about the site!
Follow my social media this weekend for updates from Sebastiani’s 
Pizza My Way Contest™. Participants entered their homemade pizza recipe and will be competing for the $10,000 Grand Prize!
The event is sold out, but I will be sharing posts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter of the best pizza and wine pairings done by me and my fellow judges Tony Gemignani of Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in SF, Tony’s of North Beach at the Graton Casino, and author of The Pizza Bible by Ten Speed Press; Sondra Bernstein, proprietor of girl & the fig restaurant in Sonoma; and Chef Carlo Cavali of Burgers & Vine in Sonoma.
Also look for my posts of recipes to try at home!
Christopher
The San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition is the largest competition of American wines in the world! This Saturday, February 13, is the 
2016 Public Tasting at Fort Mason Center, San Francisco.
Now in its 16th year and with more than 6,000 entries, thousands of wine lovers experience award-winning wines paired with delicious food, while top, professional wine judges have the challenging task of selecting the finest wines from a crowded field of varietals in various categories.
Join me and the other judges to learn more about delicious wine and fine food. Get your Tickets online now!
