In response to steps county officials are taking to minimize the spread of the coronavirus, the North Coast Wine Challenge has been postponed. However, organizers are still accepting entries at pdncwc.com. Past contests have drawn more than 1,000 entries from across the North Bay — Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino, Marin, Lake and Solano counties. And winemakers whose bottles have risen to the top to claim the Best of the Best title have seen their wins echo in unexpected ways. The contest is now in its eighth year. Organizers hope judging will take place in May. The gold medal-winners will be invited to pour at the North Coast Wine & Food Festival. Hosted by the Press Democrat, the event is planned to be held at a new venue this year –– Santa Rosa’s Luther Burbank Center for the Arts. Only once, in 2018, has an entry scored a perfect 100 out of 100 points in the Wine Challenge — the Kokomo 2016 Gopher Hills Block, Peters Vineyard, Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. &ldq

Afternoon Brief, June 1st

Sonoma Wineries Face Growing Permitting Burdens for Business Operations: The ongoing struggle between wineries and Sonoma County to determine the future of permitting for winery activities and events is coming closer to conclusive guidelines...

Sonoma Wineries Face Growing Permitting Burdens for Business Operations

The ongoing struggle between wineries and Sonoma County to determine the future of permitting for winery activities and events is coming closer to conclusive guidelines...

Afternoon Brief, November 14th

Argiano Brunello di Montalcino 2018 Named Wine Spectator’s Wine of the Year: Wine Spectator, the world’s leading authority on wine, announced Argiano Brunello di Montalcino 2018 as the 2023 Wine of the Year...

Afternoon Brief, July 22nd

Despite Fires, Wine's Glass Still Half Full: Although the vintage is likely to take a hit, it remains unlikely that the European fires will lead to a global wine shortage...

Afternoon Brief, January 10th

California Wine Industry Lost More Than $250 Million in Value Due to Port Disruptions: California’s wine industry lost more than $250 million in value last summer because of crushing supply chain disruptions at West Coast ports, a new economic report reveals...