TASTE Kicked-Off with Taste Our Terroir, the Annual Livermore Valley Wine and Food Competition, Where Five Winery and Restaurant Pairs Came Away with Top Honors
October 20, 2025 (Livermore, CA) — Livermore Valley Wine Community held TASTE: The Livermore Valley Wine Experience from October 16-19, 2025, 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 wine and food competition that paired 20 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.
This year’s Taste Our Terroir judges were Keith Beavers, Tastings Director of VinePair and Host of VinePair’s Wine 101 podcast; Chef Emily Lim, owner of Dabao Singapore in San Francisco and James Beard Award nominee for Emerging Chef; and Clive Pursehouse, Decanter Magazine’s US Editor. These highly esteemed judges selected the following winners:
- Most Innovative Pairing: Garre Vineyard & Winery and Garre Cafe for their 2024 Chardonnay and Alaskan halibut marinated in lime juice, tiger nut milk, with diced sweet potato, minced garlic and ginger & red onion slivers topped with toasted pumpkin seeds and micro greens.
- Best Classic Pairing: Murrieta’s Well & Provisions at Murrieta’s Well for their 2023 Zarzuela and Smoked Duroc pork tenderloin with Marcona almond romesco and patatas bravas.
- Judges’ Best Pairing: Almost Famous Wine Company and Demitri’s Taverna for their 2023 Loyal to the Soil Cabernet Franc, Lemmons Vineyard and Charbroiled Aegean lamb with citrus, olive oil & herbs – alongside sourdough infused rustic potatoes and a fresh mint lift.
Guests at the event also voted for their favorites in the “People’s Choice Awards” for both red and white wine pairings. The winners were:
- People’s Choice Best White Wine Pairing: Pruett Estate Winery and The Cheese Parlor for their 2024 Austenitic Chardonnay and Marcel Petit Selected Comte, Uncured Wagyu Beef Salami, Pineapple Jalapeno Jam, a Long Sweet Pepper, Marcona Almonds, and Herb/Chive.
- People’s Choice Best Red Wine Pairing: The Steven Kent Winery and Wingen Bakery for their 2023 Cabernet Franc, Livermore Valley, and Italian beef Sandwich with Italian roasted beef, Corno di toro giardiniera, hoagie roll & cabernet franc au jus.
“What an incredible weekend! I’m so thankful for our amazing wine community and everyone who came out to celebrate with us. TASTE: The Livermore Valley Wine Experience was such a special showcase of everything that makes our region shine — great wines, delicious food, and wonderful people” said Heather McGrail, Chair of TASTE and President of McGrail Vineyards and Winery. “From the excitement of the Taste Our Terroir competition to a weekend packed with fun, flavor, and community, it truly captured the heart of Livermore Valley wine country. I can’t wait to do it all again 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.
