San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

The 2012 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition has set a new American wine competition record with an astounding 5,500 entries, surpassing its previous number of 5,050 last year. For nine consecutive years, this prestigious competition holds strong as the “Largest Competition of American Wines in the World.”

One of the 65 judges — and the only one from Oregon — was Jennifer Cossey, a certified sommelier and monthly contributor to the Oregon Wine Press.

“Being a judge at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition was an amazing experience,” Cossey said. “Judging panels consisted of sommeliers, winemakers, wine writers and other industry professionals. Everyone’s input was valuable, and everyone came from a slightly different perspective and different understanding of wine.”

The wines were judged in categories grouping them by variety and price points.

Find the complete list of winners at http://winejudging.com/medal_winners.htm.