Dating San Francisco

The San Francisco International Wine Competition (SFIWC) was started in 1980. The competition is a member of The Tasting Alliance organization which focuses on 3 key elements to ensure top quality: Legacy (the reputation of the competition), Integrity (how the competition is conducted, impartial judging), Experience (esteemed judges with impressive resumes). The SFIWC has its roots as a State Fair Competition, but grew to become one of the largest and most influential competitions, and one of the oldest in the world. 

Anthony Dias Blue ran the competition when it was a State Fair and launched it into the competition it is now after the state of California decided not to fund the competition any longer. Anthony has over 70 years of tasting experience and was the wine and spirits editor of Bon Appetit Magazine for 26 years. SFIWC continues to grow by 10-15% every year and looks to connect with the consumer more and more in the years to come. The appeal for wineries to submit wines is in the hopes to win a high medal, not simply to add the award sticker to their bottles, but to be listed in The Somm Journal and asked to join the Tasting Alliance for events throughout the year.

 

Located in San Francisco, California, USA, this competition accepts wine entries from around the world, many coming from the Czech Republic! The first International Wine Competitions were developed because wineries wanted to see how they held up against other wines of the world. The most notorious being the Paris showdown nicknamed the “Judgement of Paris” in 1976 that rocked the wine world and put California, Napa in particular, on the map. Today, they continue to be successful for the same reason, it’s pretty impressive when wines from Central Europe sweep at an American competition. 

This was my first time judging at the famous San Francisco International Wine Competition and I was honored to have a seat. Having now judged at some of the world’s most prestigious and influential competitions, I couldn’t help but make comparisons. This competition did not disappoint! Being Covid times, they kept the competition local, meaning they had only California judges. So how did a woman from New Mexico end up there? I was invited only if I would “be in the area”; I made sure I was. Composed of elite judges that are old hat when it comes to this competition, some having judged there for 30 years, it was clear this was a tight group, a family even. You can imagine, in these strange times how surprised they were to have a new face at the table. I had more “I don’t know you, how did you get here?'' than ever before, and I hear that A LOT. The wine world is a small place, we expect to know everyone especially when the competition is as illustrious as SFIWC is. I got a good dose of how small the wine world is on day 4 of the competition. My new friend Toshio Ueno joined us for judging! I met Toshio at Le Mondial des Vins Blanc Strasbourg (another amazing competition that is more like family), then saw him again at the phenomenal Berliner Wein Trophy a couple weeks later. A few weeks after Berlin, Toshio and I were both slated to teach classes at The American Wine Society National Conference in Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA. And then in San Francisco, the Las Angeles, California resident, Toshio joined me in judging at the SFIWC. 

12 judges gathered each day at the sublime One Market Restaurant (an icon among foodies), located in the Embarcadero area of San Francisco. Possibly the best area of the city that remains somewhat reminiscent of the once charming San Francisco. Despite the city’s rampant homeless and excessive trash, the competition manages to bring warmth, comradery and a love for the wine industry together even in covid times. Each judge was carefully selected; the resumes of the people in the room would impress even the most accomplished wino, and vetted. We started at 9am and worked hard to get through 12 or more flights of wines, many having 13 wines per flight, to analyze, discuss, and award them. It sounds ridiculous to say, but this is incredibly exhausting work. The intense focus of each judge on their senses as we examine, swirl, smell, smell again, taste, spit, taste and swish, spit, evaluate, rate, then discuss… and then do it all again… some 120-130 times in a day. When was the last time you were asked to focus that diligently on something for that long? As you can imagine personalities are as much a part of creating a great competition as the resumes the judges carry. Collaboration, understanding and respect are mandatory in the conversations held around the wines. All of us are dedicated to giving that hard working winemaker the time and energy they deserve.It is a pretty amazing aspect of a great competition.

Wearing my new favorite t-shirt that proudly says “Czech out the beauty of Czech wines”, I had a natural conversation starter. Many of the judges were eager to talk about their 1st experience tasting Czech wines, at this very competition. Eyes were wide as they talked about how impressive the wines were, a tough crowd to impress, but the wineries of Czech Republic were clearly making their mark. 

The competition had 3000 entries from 20 countries this year. The director of the competition, Maddee McDowell, oversaw the 25 volunteers and staff that busily arranged and poured the samples. A well oiled machine, the tables would be flipped with a new flight set before you had a chance to put your mask on and exit the space to be out of the way. Maddee is a walking symbol of the competition, exuding warmth and happiness no matter what problems arose. 

 

Maddee started her career in the wine industry working as Anthony Dias Blue's assistant and took over as the SFIWC Director 2 years later, she has been in charge for 3 years now. Being one of the biggest competitions, I asked Maddee what problems she faced hosting in 2021. She said “The pandemic and restrictive trade policies has been our biggest challenge over the last year”, something we can all relate to. And what is it that stands out about this competition in the eyes of the Director?  “What makes our Competition the best is the diversity of our judges and post competition support. We pride ourselves on recruiting the industry's best! “ words that inspire pride to have been a part of it this year.

As my last day of judging came to an end, I had a full appreciation of why it is so difficult to find an open seat at this competition. The people, the execution of the technicalities of a large scale competition, and the bohemian city all roll together and before you know it, you are 100% in love. 

Visiting with a job at hand is a different way to "see" the city, but it is also true that the city has changed a lot in the last handful of years. Locals are eager to tell you how “this isn’t our city anymore”, a real shame for anyone that visited in its heyday. Unfortunately the nicest areas are outside of the city. Staying near the airport and taking the local train into the city to sight-see is an option you might want to think about. I spent one night at the San Francisco Airport Marriott on my way to the competition. The hotels near any airport are usually cheaper and surrounded by seas of pavement and the sound of airplanes. This hotel is a welcome surprise! Bay-side with a wonderful walking path adjacent, the hotel is elegant and well manicured. My room was spacious and had a wall of windows looking out over the bay. The bar in the lobby showcased an incredible chandelier of lights that gave the large space a lovely ambiance. Being in the backyard of Napa Valley, the wine list did not disappoint. I enjoyed the Marriott Burger (complete with bacon and American Cheese) and paired it with a Hess Allomi Cabernet Sauvignon, iconic and perfect. The view over the gardens stretched to the bay with the city skyline a whisper beyond that. Burlingame is the name of the area, it is clean and safe and has a ton of restaurants and shopping available. 

During the competition, I stayed at a historic place called The Andrews Hotel. It is located rather close to the Tenderloin, a district that all tourist books warn you about, but it is a perfect location for walking to a lot of the top attractions and the rate is very friendly. A short walk down the hill takes you to the best shopping areas of the city where you can find Gucci, Salvatri Ferragamo and Saks. A quick sidetrack from there is Chinatown and if you continue past the shopping you find yourself in the Embarcadero and seaside. The hotel rooms are small and decorated shabby chic. The history of the building is intact and charming with some obvious improvements to make sure you are comfortable. The standard room is best for a single person. If you are traveling as a couple I suggest you splurge and upgrade to a suite. The restaurant, Fino, located in the hotel lobby, is a San Francisco gem. They have a wonderful wine list and every single dish I tried on their Italian menu was delicious. The Andrews Hotel welcomes you with a glass of wine each night in Fino’s bar and starts your day with a lovely spread of fresh pastries, coffee and fruit just outside your door. 

In a city of artists, made for artists, there are amazing options of exhibits to see. I opted for the Michelangelo Sistine Chapel installation. I have been lucky enough to stand in the actual Sistine Chapel myself, twice. It is truly remarkable and nothing can substitute for that experience, but this exhibit does offer something unique, the opportunity to get close! I opted for the audio tour which takes the time to describe the meaning behind the images represented, the painting technique used and what some of Michaelangelo’s feelings were, garnered from personal letters written to loved ones. As someone who labors over a glass of wine and what I can extrapolate from those swirls and sniffs, it makes sense that I also want to geek out on art in a more intense way. If that isn’t your gig, you can simply enjoy the beautiful art and read the small plaques. The interactive Van Gogh exhibit is currently in the city as well as several modern art exhibits and plenty of live theatre. 

The city still has a lot to offer, fantastic food, amazing wine with day trips to Napa and Sonoma easily arranged, boat cruises and fun themed city tours no matter what your interests are. Sure you might encounter homeless people screaming on the streets and need to sidestep  someone’s discarded meal, but you will also see the kindness of the locals ushering the crazed individuals back to their safe corner of their world or helping you find a safe corner of your own. California is all about individuality and acceptance, so strap on your walking shoes and explore!