San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
20th public tasting showcases awardwinning wines
At the judging, Vercelli’s team is manned with clipboards for supply inventory (thousands of glittering wine glasses line the judging tables) and myriad details down to making sure the judges have the proper food to clean their taste buds and keep their bellies full at hearty breakfasts, lunches and dinners (“no spicy food to interfere with the judges’ palates,” Vercelli said).
She also coordinates the mammoth public tasting held after the competition each year. That includes managing wine transfers from Cloverdale to San Francisco, setting up for the massive venue and supporting multiple staff from security to photographers.
One of the most innovative tasks she handles is the trainee schedule and also the SFCWC College Wine Student Intern Program.
“To the best of my knowledge, this competition is the only one that has an internship program,” Vercelli said. “Interns volunteer 40 hours preparing for the judging, working the judging week and working at the Fort Mason tasting. We rotate the interns with various job duties so they will experience all aspects; there is no better way to learn about wine competitions than to work one and be involved.”
Some of the competition’s sponsors can boast lengthy track records, too. Presenting sponsor BevMo! has been funding the event for 16 years, and some of its management attends annual insider events like the judges dinner, to connect with professional tasters as well as their guests.
“We love the outreach the competition has with the general public, showcasing more than 5,000 medal winners, and the great variety at the public tasting in San Francisco,” said BevMo! Category Lead Olivier Kielwasser.
BevMo! puts such stock in the competition that it enters its own collection of private label portfolio wines, reflecting bottlings