Once again—and this makes a three-peat—Las Positas winemaker Brent Amos has taken Best White at the San Francisco Chronicle Competition, the largest wine competition in North America. The winning wine was Amos’s 2022 Las Positas Estate albarino.

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The 25th annual tasting featured 40 top judges from all over the country including winemakers, wine buyers, wine educators and journalists, who judged a total of 5,500 wines.

The Best Red for 2025 was a tie between the 2023 Lodi Rippey Family Vineyard Grenache and 2022 Val de Vino Barbera from Calaveras County. A Chandon Blanc de Noirs took Best Sparkling, and Eberle Winery in Paso Robles took Best Rosé for their 2024 Rosé of Grenache. All results can be viewed at winejudging.com.

We’re wishing Guglielmo Winery in Morgan Hill a happy centennial. They just celebrated 100 years as a family-owned winery, with the third and fourth generations involved in making wine the same old-fashioned way they have been since Emilio Guglielmo founded the winery at the beginning of last century after emigrating from Piemonte and moving to San Francisco in 1909. They are still using some of the original old redwood tanks, made in San Francisco, that Emilio purchased and installed in the basement of the home in which three generations of Guglielmos lived together.

Fresh roasted beans, anyone? Martin Ranch Winery on Redwood Retreat Road in Gilroy has a novel approach to expanding its portfolio beyond wine: it’s called The Ranch Store, and it’s a curated selection of artisanal goods and branded merchandise to enhance the good life.

Owners Dan and Therese Martin went vegan years ago and are very conscious of all things health and wellness related. In fact, if you’re looking for tips on how to ditch animal fat and protein from your diet, they are happy to help.

J. D. Hurley Coffee Roasting Company, now part of the Martin Ranch Winery family, specializes in premium, single-origin, hand-roasted specialty coffees.

Although there hasn’t been any decent rain this month so far, the Big Sur Forager’s Festival, featuring local King of Mushrooms Todd Spanier, has sold out one of its two “Wild Foraging Walk and Talk” hikes. As of press time, there were still a few tickets left for the Jan. 26 hike at 9:30 a.m. Tickets are $82 at https://bit.ly/3CE12hk.

The annual Fungus Faceoff, a lively chef’s competition, featuring 14 restaurants and chefs, will be held on Saturday, Jan 25, noon-3 p.m., at the Big Sur Lodge: a few tickets, at $125 each, remain at https://www.bigsurforagersfestival.org. Restaurants/chefs include Alta Bakery, Big Sur Lodge, Big Sur River Inn, Cafe Carmel, Deetjens, Esalen, Fernwood, Montrio, Post Ranch’s Sierra Mar, Rio Grill, Sammichd, Solstice, Ventana and Woody’s.
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Wineries pouring include Bernardus Winery, Big Sur Vineyards, Chalone, Chesebro Winery, Flywheel Wines, I Brand, Joyce Wine Company, LadySomm, Morgan Winery, Paul Lato Wines, Scheid Family Wines, Twisted Roots and Wrath Wines.

On March 30, the Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association’s Grand Tasting will be held at Saratoga’s Mountain Winery, 12:30-4 p.m. It’s a great way to check out what’s new and exciting in the Santa Cruz Mountains, all in one place.
VIP ticket holders get early access, plus a rosé tasting. Add a library wine tasting experience, . limited to 50 guests, with wines from Ridge Vineyards, Kathryn Kennedy, Mount Eden Vineyards, House Family Vineyards, Cooper-Garrod Vineyards at Garrod Farms, Thomas Fogarty Winery, Big Basin Vineyards and more. VIP Early Entry and VIP library tasting start at 12:30 p.m., with general admission at 1 p.m. Grand Tasting Tickets are $68-$160 at https://winesofthesantacruzmountains.com/events/grandwinetasting2025.

Pebble Beach Food and Wine is without doubt the culinary event of the year in our back yard. This year’s event starts Thursday, April 10, with a golf tournament followed by the opening night reception at the Inn at Spanish Bay, hosted by Nancy Silverton, a James Beard Award winner and Michelin-starred chef. More than 20 acclaimed chefs will present specially crafted bites, complimented by premier wines from over 40 distinguished wineries and offerings from more than 10 spirit brands.

The next day there are seminars featuring the wines of Promontory in Napa, as well one with the wines of Abacus ZD, along with a lunch called “American Table,” hosted by Aaron Bludorn, Elizabeth Falkner, Mawa McQueen, Camari Mick and Chris Shepherd and featuring Favia wines. There’s also a “Mediterranean by the Sea” lunch hosted by Stephanie Izard, Maria Loi, Marc Murphy, Ayesha Nurdjaja, and Caroline Schiff, accompanied by Brooks Wines from Willamette Valley.

If you just have to pick one event, choose from one of the two grand tastings on Saturday and Sunday; they’re a great way to graze and sip your way through some of the best food and wine you’ll ever experience. For tickets and event information, visit https://www.pebblebeachfoodandwine.com/events.