NORTH OF THE GATE WINE COMPETITION

Congratulations to our 2019 Award Winners

Best of Show & Best of Show Red –  Carol Shelton Wines 2016 Oat Valley Carignane.

Best of Show White – Imagery Estate Winery’s 2018 Albarino

Best of Show Dessert – Carol Shelton Wines 2017 Black Magic

Best of Show Sparkling – Idle Hour Winery Blanc de Blanc

For a full list of this year’s award winning wines click here

sponsored by…

Annual Taste of the North Gate:

On Saturday, June 27 from 4-8PM come and enjoy a special Taste of the North Gate. We will feature wines earning the highest of honors at the 2020 North of the Gate Wine Competition while also offering guests the opportunity to taste local bites and enjoy live music.

Tickets are $15 and include 3 Wine tastes, a Commemorative Glass and unlimited food tastes. Additional Wine tastes can be purchase for $3.00 ea.

ENTRY FORMS FOR 2020 NORTH OF THE GATE WINE COMPETITION

2020 NOTG RULES
2020 NOTG ENTRY FORM
2020 JUDGE BIOS

North of the Gate Wine Competition!

The mission of the North of the Gate Wine Competition is to promote and highlight the world-class wineries of Northern California. Wines entered in this competition highlight the uniqueness of the region between the Golden Gate Bridge and the Oregon border, while the winners represent world renowned wines produced by farmers and winery professionals that call this bountiful landscape home.

  • Award winning wines will be printed in an award booklet offered to the public in the Wine Garden and the Fair wine
  • Media releases announcing Online, social media, and print outlets will all be utilized.
  • The benefits of participation are many and provide invaluable exposure for your winery.
  • Exposure to professional judges representing trade, education, media, and/or retail.
  • Medal Winners are featured in a display during the 5-day annual Sonoma-Marin Fair.
  • Best of Show, Sweepstakes, Best of County, Best of Class, Double Gold, and Gold Medal wines are featured in the Wine Garden at the Sonoma-Marin Fair, June 24-28, 2020. We only pour NOTG wines, and wineries will be invited to pour their wines and promote their wineries for an evening.
  • Award winning wines will be printed in an award booklet offered to the public in the Wine Garden and the Fair wine display.
  • Media releases announcing winners through online, social media, and print outlets will all be utilized.

ENTRY INSTRUCTIONS

Entry Information: There is a $60 per entry fee. Please enter online at www.enofileonline.com or you may send the entry fee and forms to Sonoma-Marin Fair at 175 Fairgrounds Drive, Petaluma, CA 94952. Entry deadline is April 13, 2020.

Wines: Send six (6) 750 ml bottles per entry and a copy of the entry form to the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds, 175 Fairgrounds Drive, Petaluma, CA 94952. Wines are to be delivered to the Administration Building between the dates of April 13 & April 17, 2020. No wine will be accepted for which carrier charges have not been prepaid. All wines become the property of the Sonoma-Marin Fair. Surplus bottles will be used in the North of the Gate Fair display and poured in the Wine Garden. After the Fair, unused bottles are donated to charitable organizations for their fundraisers and auctions. Organizations selected support youth athletics, the arts, education, and youth development.

Your wines continue to receive exposure after the Fair.

RULES

  1. Eligibility: commercial wines that are made in the counties of: Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Marin, Mendocino, Modoc, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Tehama, Trinity, Yolo and Any bottled wine labeled with the above counties as their main source of grapes, even if bottled out of the area, is eligible for entry.
  2. A copy of the completed entry form with the fees must be received by the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds by Monday, April 13, 2020.
  3. All wines must be received at the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds at 175 Fairgrounds Drive in Petaluma between April 13 and April 17, 2020. Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, we are closed from 12-1 p.m. for lunch
  4. All Best of Show, Sweepstakes, Best of County, Best of Class, and Double Gold winning winery brands are required to pour or send one case of the winning wine (sent wine becomes the property of the Sonoma-Marin Fair and will not be returned) to be poured during the NOTG Wine tasting at the 2020 Sonoma-Marin Fair. Gold Medal Wines are encouraged to participate; additional information to follow. Wineries must comply with this requirement to receive recognition for their award. Wine to be provided by winery at their

ENTRY QUALIFICATIONS

  • There is no limit to the number of entries per
  • There is no limit to the number of vintages of the same variety a winery may
  • The same wine (although marketed under a different label) may not be entered in more than one category. However, a winery may submit multiple entries in the same
  • Wines entered must be available for commercial sale prior to the start of judging, Thursday, April 23, JUDGING OF WINES
  • Wines will be evaluated and scored blind by a panel of qualified judges; the judges’ decision is
  • The competition reserves the right to re-classify wine
  • The competition is not responsible for errors in

AWARDS

Judges will award Double Gold, Gold, Silver and Bronze awards as well as Best of Show/Sweepstakes: Best Red, Blush/Rose, Sparkling, White, Sweet and Fortified; Best of Class, Best of County and Winemaker of the Competition Awards. Best of Show and Winemaker of the Competition will receive plaques. Certificates will be awarded to Sweepstakes: Best Red, Blush/Rose, Sparkling, White, Sweet and Fortified; Best of Class, Best of County. Bottle medallions will be awarded to Double Gold, Gold, and Silver wines. Best of Show is awarded to one wine recognized to possess characteristics of the highest quality overall. Following the judging, wineries will be notified of any awards won.

For specific wine or entry questions contact: Dr. Valery Uhl, Wine Competition Director, 510-421-7808
For delivery or payment questions contact the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds staff: 707-283-3247 or email: info@sonoma-marinfair.org

Back To Top