August 29, 2025 (Hopland, CA) — Mendocino Winegrowers, Inc. (MWI) announced the results of the 46th annual Mendocino County Fair Wine Competition at a special event at Ukiah’s California Welcome Center earlier this week.
For the first time ever, the competition – held on Saturday, August 16 at Brutocao Winery in downtown Hopland – comprised simultaneous People’s Choice and professionally judged competitions.
“There are very few other competitions anything like this,” says MWI Executive Director Diego Mendoza. “A chance for wine-loving consumers to taste and rate wines that have been double blinded, alongside professional judges, is as unique an experience as one can have in the wine world.”
This year, 124 wines across 49 different winery labels were entered into the competition, all within the Mendocino County AVA. Awards were given in 14 categories, or classes. As in years past, Gold+ wines will be poured at MWI’s booth at the Mendocino County Fair and Apple Show in Boonville from September 12-14.
Three exceptional wines won Best in Class in both the People’s Choice and the professionally judged competitions: Girasole Vineyards 2023 Pinot Noir, Rustic Ridge 2023 Zinfandel, and Husch Vineyards 2024 Late Harvest Gewurztraminer in the Dessert Wines category. Event organizers noted that there was also a lot of crossover in wines earning Gold and Double Gold in both competitions. “It’s extremely gratifying, as a producer, to know that professionals and consumers all rated our wine so highly,” says Zac Robinson of Husch Vineyards, whose family has been making this particular wine in Anderson Valley since the 1970s. Their Late Harvest Gewurztraminer also won Best in Class in the 2024 competition.
“We will always evolve what we do to best serve our members and to promote Mendocino County,” says Archer of the unusual competition format. “What will never change is our commitment to supporting and promoting Mendocino County, not just our grapes and wines but the broader community as well.” Archer explained that wherever possible, the competition sourced from local businesses including The Thatcher Hotel, Ukiah Natural Foods Co-Op, Schat’s Bakery, Flora Quest Farm, Creative Workshop, Ukiah Paper Supply, and Lake Event Design.
There were nine industry judges who participated: Sarah Doyle, wine & beverage reporter at The Press Democrat, WSET Level 3; Chris Sawyer, Master Sommelier; Laura Ness, wine journalist with the San Jose Mercury News and Wine Industry Network; Diane Baccaro, certified sommelier and owner of Rendezvous Mendocino; Bernadette Byrne, former executive director of MWI; Charles Brock, wine buyer at Surf Market; Bekah Burnett, wine sales; Bob Blue, retired Mendocino County winemaker; and John Buechsenstein, enologist, adjunct wine faculty at The Culinary Institute of America, and recipient of the 2025 Rhone Rangers Lifetime Achievement Award. “We’re so grateful to these industry experts for sharing their time and considerable expertise with us, especially within our non-traditional format,” says MWI President Elizabeth Archer. “They were all very good sports!”
In addition to voting, attendees of the People’s Choice competition had the opportunity to provide comments on their favorite wines. The winner, George Swain, received two VIP tickets to the annual MWI Harvest Party on November 8 for his comment about Greenwood Ridge Vineyards 2023 Mendocino Zinfandel: “With more notes of baking spices than Grandma’s house on a Sunday, this wine is a crowd pleaser.”
For a full list of competition results, including links to all the winning wines, visit mendowine.com.
