On April 7-8, 2026, a collection of esteemed wine professionals will gather in Santa Rosa, Calif., to evaluate entries in the 2026 Press Democrat North Coast Wine Challenge. Competition managers are now accepting entries for the 14th annual NCWC, considered among the most prestigious wine challenges in the United States. This regional competition rates wines exclusively produced and bottled in Northern California’s premier winegrowing region to determine which wines are considered the Best of the Best. Eligible wines must be made from fruit sourced in the North Coast AVAs of Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Sonoma, Marin and parts of Solano counties. This includes any bottled wine labeled with these AVAs as their main source of grapes and whose winery is in California. “The Press Democrat North Coast Wine Challenge is unique in that only wines made from grapes grown in the six North Coast counties are allowed to enter,” says Daryl Groom, chief judge of NCWC. “With that, t

Domaine Della 2023 Soberanes Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir Takes Top Prize  November 18, 2025 — Winners have been announced in the 2025 Harvest Challenge Wine Competition. After two spirited days of judging, Domaine Della 2023 Soberanes Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir took the top prize. It was also awarded Best of Show Red Wine and Best of Monterey County AVA. Coming in at 98 points, judges praised the wine as “warm and spicy” with “fig and nutmeg.” Other descriptors included “meaty,” “prosciutto,” and “dried rose petal.”  With entries from across the globe, the Harvest Challenge bases judging on a group of vineyards (or even vines) from the same region, belonging to a specific appellation and sharing the same type of soil, weather conditions and grapes that combine to give personality to the wine.  In other competitions, this terroir is ignored. At the Harvest Challen

Bottling day is more than just a finishing step - it’s a defining moment. The wine you’ve nurtured through harvest, fermentation, and aging is finally ready to meet the world. At Peregrine Mobile Bottling, we don’t just understand that moment - we respect it. We know how much time, labor, and heart goes into making great wine. That’s why we’ve built a mobile bottling service focused on three core values: advanced technology, uncompromising cleanliness, and genuine care. These aren’t just buzzwords to us. They guide everything we do - from the moment we pull up to your winery to the last case we help you stack. Let’s take you behind the scenes of what makes Peregrine Mobile Bottling different - and why more wineries across Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, and San Joaquin counties are choosing us as their trusted bottling partner.Technology That Protects Your Craft Our bottling lines are designed with today’s winemaker in mind: precise, efficient,

Introduction: Raising the Bar for Quality and Efficiency in Winemaking In today’s competitive wine industry, producing a high-quality product is no longer optional - it’s essential. Wineries of all sizes are constantly looking for ways to optimize their processes and improve quality. With Pall Crossflow Filtration, KH Tec Gas Management and Krones / Kosme Bottling Equipment, Peregrine is at the forefront of technology. In today’s report we want to focus on the critical area that often gets overlooked: filtration. At Peregrine Mobile Bottling, we believe the right filtration technology operated by an experienced technician can be a game-changer. That’s why we’ve invested in the latest crossflow filtration systems to ensure your wines maintain their integrity, clarity, and taste from tank to bottle. In this article, we’ll explore the transformative power of crossflow filtration technology and how our services can help wineries in Napa, Sonoma, Mendoci

Two K Farms Cidery and Winery 2022 Bubbly Riesling Takes Top Honors November 15, 2024 — Winners have been announced in the 2024 Harvest Challenge Wine Competition. After two spirited days of judging,Two K Farms Cidery and Winery 2022 Bubbly Riesling took the top prize. It was also awarded Best of Show Sparkling Wine. Coming in at 97 points, judges praised the wine for its “Mouth watering citrus and honeysuckle”; “Lingering tropical finish”; and “Perfect bubbles.” They also called it “Well balanced.” With a record number of entries from across the globe, the Harvest Challenge bases judging on a group of vineyards (or even vines) from the same region, belonging to a specific appellation and sharing the same type of soil, weather conditions and grapes that combine to give personality to the wine. In other competitions, terroir is ignored. At the Harvest Challenge, judges taste wines alongside other wines of the same appellation. W

Afternoon Brief, June 24th

New Tariffs Threaten Europe's Winemakers: After a period of alarming flat-lining and decline, the wine industry is finally showing signs of strength, vitality and growth. Two storm clouds on the horizon threaten that success though...

Lula Cellars 2020 Rescue Block Pinot Noir Takes Top Honors November 17, 2023 — Winners have been announced in the 2023 Harvest Challenge Wine Competition. After two spirited days of judging, Lula Cellars 2020 Rescue Block Pinot Noir took the top prize. It was also awarded Best Red Wine and Best of Anderson Valley AVA (Mendocino County, Calif.). Coming in at 98 points, judges praised the wine as “rich, ripe” and for its “Bing cherry,” and “hint of orange peel.”  Lula Cellars is a boutique winery located in California’s Anderson Valley. Its focus is on world-class Pinot Noirs both from its estate and across Anderson Valley, as well as other single-vineyard offerings from the greater Mendocino County. When preparing to plant their own vines, Lula owners discovered some-1,000 old vines “literally lying down, as if waiting to be rescued.” Lots of TLC later, these mystery Pinot Noir grapes have thrived. There’s no in

Afternoon Brief, October 10th

Son Arrested on Suspicion of Murdering Father in Champagne: Yann Vadin, 33, has been arrested after allegedly admitting to killing his father, local winemaker Jean-Luc Vadin, 57, of Champagne Vadin-Plateau, and staging a burglary...

The Annual North Coast Wine Industry Expo (WIN Expo) is the largest trade show and conference focused exclusively on Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake counties, and is the second largest wine industry show in North America. By Barbara Barielle When I approached Wine Industry Network President & CEO George Christie for a story about the 10-year anniversary of WIN Expo, I asked about exhibitors that have been involved in the event. He replied, “The industry’s best suppliers exhibit year after year and they have been since the beginning.” George Christie, Wine Industry Network President & CEO  That, in a nutshell, demonstrates the success of the North Coast exhibition, which brings industry suppliers together with  winery and vineyard professionals during the down time between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Still intimate (but not small, by any means), this one-day event in the heart of Wine Country is now the second largest wine trade show in the coun