Judges evaluate 6,000 wines

Monterey Bay, Los Gatos, Calif.

winemaker and managing partner at McNab Ridge Winery,

Ukiah, Calif.

master blender at Gold Bar Whiskey, San Francisco, Calif.

sommelier and wine educator. Founder of NP Wine ConEdible sulting, Los Angeles, Calif.

proprietor of William Gordon Winery, Cloverdale, Calif.

tasting room supervisor at Landmark Vineyards,

Healdsburg, Calif.

wine steward at Safeway Stores, Campbell, Calif.

food and cheese broker, Los Angeles, Calif.

senior wine consultant at Vintage Wine Estates, Santa Rosa, Calif.

winemaker at Rock Wall Wine Company, Alameda, Calif.

sommelier and consultant, Petaluma, Calif.

president of Hallcrest Vineyards and founder of the Organic Wine Works, Felton, Calif.

winemaker at Carol Shelton Wines, Santa Rosa, Calif.

wine and beer director at Barons Market, San Diego, Calif.

winemaker at Gilt-Edge Wines, Middletown,

Calif.

professional packaging executive to the wine industry, Windsor, Calif.

director of winemaking and vice president of Trentadue Winery. Owner and winemaker of Miro Cellars, Cloverdale, Calif.

retired sommelier and radio talk show host, Rohnert Park, Calif.

owner at Vergari Wine Consulting, Forestville, Calif.

tasting room host at Brian Arden Wines, Calistoga, Calif.

executive director of Lake County Winery Association, Kelseyville, Calif.

senior alcohol beverage buyer at Target, Pleasanton, Calif.

chief storyteller at Wine.com, San Francisco, Calif.

director at Delicato Family Vineyards, Manteca, Calif.

senior director of brand and web development at A. Bright Idea, Sonoma, Calif.

art director at Bergin Screen Printing and Etching, Napa, Calif.

partners at Tincknell & Tincknell, Healdsburg, Calif.

founder and senior publicist at Adams Walter Communications, Napa, Calif.

owner at M. J. Wickham Photography, Santa Rosa, Calif.

Greg Richtarek, Tom Roberts, Marty Sychowski, Miro Tcholakov, Wilfred Wong,

PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEULNER Above: Amanda Garland, estate host at Matanzas Creek Winery, evaluates a wine at the competition. Right: Denise Gill, tasting room manager at Alexander Valley Vineyards, judges a red wine category with 10 to 14 wines of a single varietal.

Bill Pesonen, proprietor of William Gordon Winery, was one of 55 judges at the annual competition. Each judge tastes between 100 and 130 wines per day.