Judges explore Coyote Sonoma at annual dinner

“The judges have a tough job with all that tasting, so a big meal with great flavors is probably welcome.”

It’s tough work, but as the saying (sort of) goes… somebody has to be lucky enough to do it.

That, it seems, was the mantra for the 65 judges who gathered for the annual San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition this Jan. 8-11. During the four days, the experts tasted and evaluated thousands of wines in broad categories spanning sparkling, whites, rosés, reds, dessert and fortified.

More than 6,800 wines

Katie Ambrosi, marketing director at Wilson Artisan Wineries

were submitted for the competition this year from 1,132 wineries across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

To keep things even more interesting, after full days of tastings, the judges were treated to two wine parties. First, they went to a welcome reception and dinner on Jan. 8, hosted by the Yorkville

Highlands AVA and The Trading Post in Cloverdale.

Second, they gathered for the Official Judges Dinner on Jan. 9, hosted by Wilson Artisan Wineries at Wilson’s new wine bar and beer pub, Coyote Sonoma in Healdsburg.

For the judges’ dinner alone, Wilson poured eight different wines at the recep-

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL SHORT Coyote Sonoma, a new wine bar and beer pub in Healdsburg, hosted the 2019 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Official Judges Dinner on Jan. 9.

From left to right: The competition’s public tasting sponsor and food coordinator Kelly Klaver, judge Tony Lawrence and judge Sarah Holt Mullins attended the judges dinner at Coyote Sonoma.