TASTE Kicked-Off with Taste Our Terroir, the Annual Livermore Valley Food and Wine Competition, Where Five Winery and Restaurant Pairs Came Away with Top Honors
Livermore, CA, October 28, 2024 – Livermore Valley Wine Community held TASTE: The Livermore Valley Wine Experience from October 17-20, 2024, in which hundreds of wine and food lovers from across the region and world attended 13 events featuring Livermore Valley’s award-winning wineries. The weekend kicked off with the Taste Our Terroir food and wine competition that paired fifteen Livermore Valley wineries and restaurants to compete for the perfect pairing. The event was followed with a weekend of experiences including winemaker dinners, vertical tastings with multiple wineries, gourmet food and wine pairings and outdoor activities among the vines.
(L-R) Jonathan Cristaldi, Wine Critic for Decanter magazine; Reem Assil, chef and founder of Reem’s California; Tonya Pitts, writer-at-large for Wine Enthusiast magazine / Photo Credit: Ron Essex Photography
This year’s Taste Our Terroir judges were Tonya Pitts, writer-at-large for Wine Enthusiast magazine; Jonathan Cristaldi, Wine Critic for Decanter magazine; and Reem Assil, chef and founder of Reem’s California. These highly esteemed judges selected the following winners:
- Judges’ Best Pairing: Sakura Winery and Kiseki for their 2023 Petit Verdot Rosé with poke bites made with tuna, salmon & ono sashimi in a creamy & slightly spicy poke sauce.
- Best Classic Pairing: Pruett Farms Winery and The Cheese Parlor for their 2022 Reverie Reserve Chardonnay with pasteurized water buffalo milk cheese, wrapped in bresaola, topped with local livermore honeycomb, crushed candied pecans, & finely chopped tarragon.
- Most Innovative Pairing: Darcie Kent Estate Winery and Zephyr Grill & Bar for their 2022 Triska Vineyards Pinot Noir and Pani Puri Wellington, Wild mushroom foam, Veal demi consume, duck confit & mushroom duxelles, topped with crispy prosciutto and micro beet greens.
Guests at the event also voted for their favorite’s in the “People’s Choice Awards” for both red and white wine pairings. The winners were:
- People’s Choice Best White Wine Pairing: Las Positas Vineyards and The Lounge @ LPV for their 2023 Estate Reserve Albariño with Ahi Tuna Tartare on a Crispy Wonton: Ahi tuna tossed in tropical fruit salsa, topped with chipotle and wasabi aioli, served on a crispy wonton.
- People’s Choice Best Red Wine Pairing: Wood Family Vineyards and Sons of Liberty Alehouse for their 2021 Big Wood Zinfandel with a lamb ragu with creamy parmesan polenta, focaccia crouton & micro basil.
“We are so thankful to the wine community and all of the guests that attended over this unforgettable weekend. TASTE: The Livermore Valley Wine Experience was a complete success with guests enjoying all that the Livermore Valley Wine Community has to offer,” said Heather McGrail, Chair of TASTE and President of McGrail Vineyards and Winery. “From kicking off with the Taste Our Terroir food and wine competition to a weekend full of events celebrating all the unique terroir that binds our community, we’re already looking forward to next year!”
For more information about Livermore Valley Wine Community and their wineries, visit https://www.lvwine.org/.
ABOUT LIVERMORE VALLEY WINE COMMUNITY
The Livermore Valley Wine Community is a 501(c)6 organization that supports the wineries, growers and members in the Livermore Valley American Viticultural Area through educational and marketing programs. For more information, please visit www.LVwine.org.
