2024 North Coast Wine Challenge Best of the Best award goes to Trentadue La Storia red blend

An Italian-inspired red blend from Alexander Valley took top honors at the 12th annual North Coast Wine Challenge when Trentadue’s 2021 La Storia Cuveé 32 was named Best of the Best.

Calling it a “crowd favorite,” Daryl Groom, chief judge and organizer of the competition, added, “It is the first time we had a wine of this type to win the Best of the Best in the sweepstakes. So, that’s exciting. Normally, it’s a pinot noir or a chardonnay — so it’s really good to have a newcomer.”

The two-day competition concluded Wednesday morning with the announcement of this year’s sweepstakes award-winning wines on Facebook Live.

The 2024 North Coast Wine Challenge top winners are:

– Best of the Best: Trentadue 2021 La Storia Cuveé 32, Alexander Valley (47% sangiovese, 31% merlot, 22% Montepulciano)

– Best of Show Sparkling: Scharffenberger Cellars 2019 Blanc de Blancs, Mendocino County

– Best of Show White: Pennyroyal Farms 2023 PinoTrio, Anderson Valley (40% pinot noir, 40% pinot blanc, 20% pinot gris)

– Best of Show Rosé: Imagery Estate 2023 Aleatico Rosé, Sonoma Valley

– Best of Show Red: Trentadue 2021 La Storia Cuveé 32, Alexander Valley (47% sangiovese, 31% merlot, 22% Montepulciano)

– Best of Show Dessert Wine: Carol Shelton 2023 Black Magic, Late Harvest Zinfandel, Sonoma County

– Best of Sonoma County: Trentadue 2021 La Storia Cuveé 32, Alexander Valley (47% sangiovese, 31% merlot, 22% Montepulciano)

– Best of Napa County: Black Stallion 2021 Collector’s Edition Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

– Best of Mendocino County: Pennyroyal Farms 2023 PinoTrio, Anderson Valley (40% pinot noir, 40% pinot blanc, 20% pinot gris)

– Best of Lake County: Brassfield Estate Winery 2021 Grenache, High Valley

– Best of Solano County: Vezér Family Vineyard 2020 Blue Victorian Sangiovese, Suisun Valley

Presented by The Press Democrat, the competition brought together 30 esteemed judges to taste and assess 1,094 wine entries — close to last year’s record number.

Eligibility was limited to wines produced and bottled in the North Coast AVA (American Viticulture Area), which includes Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino, Marin and Lake counties, as well as parts of Solano County.

The full competition results will appear in The Press Democrat’s Feast & Wine section on April 10.

To sample this year’s gold-medal and above winning wines, plus bites from 30 of the region’s top chefs, check out the North Coast Wine and Food Festival at the Luther Burbank Center on June 15.

Tickets are $95 general admission ($50 for designated drivers).

The VIP tickets, which provide early admission at noon, cost $160. For tickets and information, visit northcoastwineandfood.com.

You can reach Staff Writer Sarah Doyle at 707-521-5478 or sarah.doyle@pressdemocrat.com. Follow Sarah on Instagram at @whiskymuse.