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Two
Days to Judge Record-Breaking Number of Entries
Grand Cru judges arrive from throughout the State of California to participate in the international wine competition. We have a list of professional judges that includes local wholesalers, wine merchants and restaurateurs, as well as wine industry leaders and wine columnists who are skilled in judging under the American Wine Competition System developed for us and a few other forward-thinking competitions. Dan Berger, wine columnist and contributor to Gourmet magazine, is continuing as Chief Judge for the tenth year in a row. The competition takes place over two days.
Over 1,900 wine entries are anticipated for 2007. Hundreds and hundreds of cases of wines are received from March through June, in the storage facility and loaded on pallets. In June they are then moved to the competition prep site and a day before the competition they are moved to the Long Beach Petroleum Club site.
The Competition will be held on Saturday and Sunday, July 19 and 20,
2008. The competition is closed to the public.
For information on the LBGC's judging process, please visit Judging Process.
To meet the demands of another record-breaking year, the Grand Cru is completely computerized to provide results more quickly and efficiently. Judges are selected by a Steering Committee chaired by Dan Berger and recruited from a pool of winemakers, restaurateurs, wine store representatives, noted wine writers, educators and recognized wine connoisseurs.
(as of January 26, 2008)
Dan Berger, Chief Judge
Wine Columnist & Contributor to Gourmet Magazine
Andy Alba, Dierberg/Star Lane Vineyard
Steve Bloom, Tesori Wines
Joe Borrello, Tasters Guild, International
Lance Bowling, Casa Barranca Winery
Rene Chazottes,The Pacific Club
Christopher Cook, Michigan State Fair
Wine Group
Mitch Cosentino, Cosentino Winery
Mike Dunne, Sacramento Bee
Traci Dutton, Culinary Institute of America
Bob Foster, California Grapevine
David Friedenberg, California
Grapevine
Donald Galleano, Galleano Winery
Ron Gillies, Lone Cypress Importers
Jane Goodnight, Young's Market Company
Wes Hagen, Clos Pepe Winery
Joe Hart, Hart Winery
Randy Kemner, Wine Country
Ellen Landis, Landis Shores Oceanfront Inn
Anne Littlefield, New Vine Logistics
Douglas Lumgair, Windsor Oaks Vineyards
and Winery
Julie Hagler Lumgair, Windsor Oaks
Vineyards and Winery
Michael Martini, Louis M. Martini Winery
Dr. Fred Nury, Emeritus Professor of Enology CSU-Fresno
Coke Roth, Vinagium
Jeff Slankard, Barons The Marketplace
Robert Small, Cal Poly Pomona
Bill Smart, Dry Creek Vineyard
Clark Smith, Vinovation
Mike Stepanovich, Bakersfield Californian
Tom Sweet, Mandevilla Restaurant
Jim Trezise, New York Wine & Grape Foundation
"All of the entries are of premium status, which puts the tasters on their mettle," observed Chair Judge Dan Berger. "Every wine in every entry becomes a challenge," he added.