The last time I was writing my BRG column I was doing so from the Best Western hotel in Cloverdale, California. I was there to join 49 other wine experts from around the world as a judge of the 2010 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. The event started 10 years ago as the Cloverdale Citrus Fair Wine Contest and is held in the cozy small town of Cloverdale, which is in Sonoma County, just north of Healdsburg and about 2 hours from San Francisco. In 2000 the West Coast newspaper lent its name and credentials to the event. Since then the competition has become the largest wine competition in the country. This year 4,813 wines were entered. Wow--that's a LOT of juice. And a LOT of spitting for judges.

My panel of 5 was comprised of 2 other wine judging veterans and 2 first timers. Each day we judged about 125 wines including sparkling, white hybrids, red native american varietals, dry roses, chardonnays priced between $20-$30 and tempranillo. The sparklings were a delight. The chardonnays were a challenge. 73 to taste and all but 2 were oaked. I have a sensitivity to oak aging in wine and by the end of that afternoon my tongue was weary from all of the liquid lumber. But that is what judging wine is all about. Checking for flaws, concentrating on flavors and overall structure. The wines are awarded medals of bronze, silver and gold. And if the wine is judged gold by all on the panel it becomes a double gold, or a truly WOW wine. Our panel had two of those, and both went on to the Sweepstakes round and were determined to be the best of the best in their categories. For 3 days we spit from 9:30am to 4pm. The nights were filled with great dinners and visits with local friends in the Sonoma county area.

Our judges dinner was hosted by Trione Vineyards. The old Canyon Road Winery building was constructed in 1908. The stone building with beamed ceilings and wood floors was both elegant and rustic and the perfect setting for a sumptuous meal. Starters included tuna carpaccio mini tacos and fried goat cheese with cayenne pepper. Wines with appetizers were the Trione 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, 2008 Pinot Noir and barrel samples of the 2008 Zinfandel. Dinner started with a "mac and cheese" like no other. Durum penne pasta with bechamel sauce, toasted breadcrumbs and caramelized bay scallops. Uni, a sea urchin, was added to the sauce making it extra rich and earthy. Trione Chardonnay was served with this course--a bit toasty but balanced out with the rich sauce. Main course, a grass fed beef filet in coffee infused gravy along side a layered gratin of portobello mushrooms and potatoes. Cream sauced swiss chard made this meal a true "comfort food" classic. The Pinot Noir and a Cabernet Sauvignon were perfect additions.

Dessert, as if we needed one after this feast, banana bread pudding with chocolate chunks and an orange custard. I am still swooning. www.trionewinery.com

My last night I dined with a wonderful friend who first introduced me to the wines of Argentina when I traveled there in 2002. Marie Gewirtz is a marketing whiz (www.mgpr.com) and a great cook. She pan seared sea bass, zucchini, oyster mushrooms and onions, topped them with capers and tomatoes, and served along side a baked yam slathered in organic butter and salt. A cleansing red cabbage and greens salad accompanied. We started with a glass of Gloria Ferrer sparkling brut then tasted something very special: the 2004 Salentein Reserve Pinot Noir. We had barrel tasted this red during our trip to Argentina so to see how it had developed after aging and bottling was a delight. It was superb. Packed with juicy wild strawberry and current aromas and flavors, it blossomed with the addition of the food. We finished the bottle with "dessert" of Port Salut and Dry Jack cheeses from Sonoma county. Good friends, great wine.

Here are the top winners of the competition. Find ALL of the medal winners at www.sfgate.com

2010 SWEEPSTAKES WINNERS:

Red Sweepstakes Winner: Pinot Noir-$40-49.99: Graton Ridge Cellars 2007 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, Paul Family Vineyard Estate, $40

White Sweepstakes Winner: Gewurztraminer: Keuka Spring Vineyards 2008 Gewurztraminer, Finger Lakes, $16.99

Pink Sweepstakes Winner: Dry Rose: Bray Vineyards 2008 Barbera Rosato, Shenandoah Valley, $17

Sparkling Sweepstakes Winner: Sparkling/Dry: J Vineyards & Winery NV, J Brut Rose, Russian River Valley, $35

Dessert Sweepstakes Winner: Late Harvest White Dessert: Watermill Winery 2008 Gewurztraminer, Walla Walla Valley, Late Harvest