1 Wine Dude

A Serious Wine Blog For the Not-So-Serious Drinker

Menu
  • Home
  • About
    • New? Start Here!
    • PR & Samples
    • Press & What-Have-You
  • Wine
    • by badge
      • crowd pleaser
      • elegant
      • kick-ass
      • overachiever
      • sexy
    • Full Reviews
    • Mini-Reviews
  • Stalk
    • Follow me on News Break!
    • facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • pinterest
    • twitter
    • YouTube
  • Sign Up
  • Books
  • Services
  • Contact
Menu
1 Wine Dude

Smoke Gets In Your… Sinuses (San Francisco International Wine Competition 2018 Results)3 min read

Posted on January 9, 2019January 9, 2019 by 1WineDude

in on the road, wine industry events

Have lab coat, will judge (at the 2018 SFIWC)

Late last year, I had the pleasure (once again) of pretending to be an all-growed-up wine pro judging alongside some very notable palates at the 38th annual San Francisco International Wine Competition.

Judging the SFIWC almost always ends up being one of my favorite events of the entire year, and despite quite a bit of behind-the-scenes personnel changes, the competition didn’t skip a beat; I had a blast, with the only downer being the inundation of the city streets by the ominous smoke from the nearby Camp Fire (terribly, California’s deadliest and most destructive to date).

The results of the 2018 SFIWC have been announced, so I am officially allowed to share them with you. Here are some thoughts on the Best In Show winners, which are determined after going through 1) two days of normal judging panels, 2) “super tastings” of judges from multiple panels (meant to whittle down the field of wines deemed excellent enough to potentially vie for Best In Show ), and finally 3) a lively and spirited sweepstakes round in which the the most awarded wines are pitted against one another…

Up the Irons! (Number of the) Beast Mode enabled walking the streets of San Fran in November, 2018.
  • Best in Show Red (and Best Syrah): 2015 V. Sattui Winery Syrah (Napa Valley, USA, $50) – This spicy, deep, and concentrated little number edged out a field of tough competitors that included some killer Pinots; that a Syrah took top honors is, I think, indicative of the scientifically proven fact [ editor’s note: this is not factual and has never been proven clinically ] that hating on Syrah makes you boring and stupid.
  • Best in Show White (and Best Riesling): 2018 Winemaking Tasmania Artisan Riesling (Tasmania, $NA) – Well… I didn’t even pretend not to be relieved that a more marketable grape took top White honors in 2018, after a run of a few, uhm, more obscure varieties garnering the top spot in the last couple of SFIWC results. Perky and focused, this one will be difficult to find but well worth seeking.
  • Best in Show Sparkling (and Best Blanc de Noir): NV Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards Blanc de Noir (Carneros, USA $25) – Yes, they basically always win; Yes, they deserve it… and for 2019, maybe we can save time and just forward some medals to them now? Just a thought…
  • Best in Show Dessert (and Best Ice Wine): 2017 Inniskillin Niagara Estate Riesling Icewine (Niagara Peninsula, Canada $80, half bottle) – Holy f*ck, this is soooooo good. Look, Canadian Ice Wine is usually a safe bet for those who like their dessert wines to amp up the volume on sweetness, fruit purity, and natural acidity, but when Riesling gets the Great White North Ice Wine treatment, something magical happens… floral, candied, lip-smacking, succulent magic…
Hard work during the 2018 SFIWC Sweepstakes round

Cheers!

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

Related

Dude’s New Books

Wine Taster's Guide Now Available!

“Bravo! Wine Taster's Guide is a perfect primer for both wine novices and learning enthusiasts." ―Evan Goldstein, Master Sommelier

Wine Taster's Journal Now Available!

"Wine Taster's Journal belongs in everyone's cellar… preferably wine-stained, dog-eared, and well-used.” ―Brian Freedman, wine/spirits/travel columnist

Get Some Wine

Popular Stuff

  • Wine Reviews: Weekly Mini Round-Up For December 21, 2020
    Wine Reviews: Weekly Mini Round-Up For December 21, 2020
  • Wine Reviews: Weekly Mini Round-Up For January 18, 2021
    Wine Reviews: Weekly Mini Round-Up For January 18, 2021
  • Wine in the Time of Coronovirus, Part 21: Touchable (Tasting Untouched By Light)
    Wine in the Time of Coronovirus, Part 21: Touchable (Tasting Untouched By Light)
  • The Ugly Truth, The Pretty Bubbles (Mailly Champagne Recent Releases)
    The Ugly Truth, The Pretty Bubbles (Mailly Champagne Recent Releases)
  • Carignan, My Wayward Son (Chile's Carignan Renaissance for NVWA)
    Carignan, My Wayward Son (Chile's Carignan Renaissance for NVWA)

About + Contact

Joe Roberts

Joe Roberts

Certified Specialist of Wine & WSET Advanced
Author, speaker, consultant, wine judge, & critic.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS Feed

Find Stuff

Sign up, lushes!

Join 36,559 other subscribers

Fine Print

This site is licensed under Creative Commons.

Code of Ethics and Privacy Policies.

Play nice!

Get The Guide

Wine Tasters Guide Footer
#1 New Release in Amazon's Wine Tasting category
This site uses cookies. Duh. Cookie Policy
©2021 1 Wine Dude
Yo yo YO!

Wine Tasters Guide InstagramWell, hello there!

If you like what you’re reading (and want to like more of what you’re drinking), consider subscribing.

If you’re up for a more immersive wine learning experience, check out my books and other services.

Cheers!

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.