BY WRITING ESSAYS ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS. WINERIES IN SACRAMENTO, SAN JOAQUIN AND YOLO COUNTIES WERE RECOGNIZED FOR THE 2026 COMMERCIAL WINE COMPETITION. THE CALIFORNIA STATE FAIR ANNOUNCED THOSE WINNERS, WHICH SHOWCASE CALIFORNIA GROWN GRAPES. IT’S A 172 YEAR OLD COMPETITION THAT HIGHLIGHTS CALIFORNIA’S WINE INDUSTRY. MORE THAN 1500 WINE BRANDS PARTICIPATED. AMONG THE TOP WINNERS WERE A RED WINE FROM MICHAEL DAVID AND LODI, A WHITE WINE FROM ACQUIESCENCE WINERY AND VINEYARDS, AND CAMPO AND GRAPE VINEYARDS. WON FOR BEST MICRO WINERY AND WINE COMPANY IN CLARKSBURG. ONE GOLDEN STATE WINERY OF THE YEAR. WE HEARD FROM TWO OF THE WINNERS WHO HOPE THIS BRINGS MORE PEOPLE TO TASTE THEIR LOCAL WINES. IT’S A GREAT HONOR. I DON’T KNOW IF YOU KNOW THE CALIFORNIA STATE FAIR IS THE OLDEST WINE COMPETITION IN THE US. DATES BACK TO 1854, AND IT’S ONE OF THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS. SO IT’S A REAL HONOR TO BE AWARDED BEST MICRO WINERY. PEOPLE YOU KNOW, ARE MORE FAMILIAR WITH NAPA AND SONOMA. AND SO ANYTIME WE CAN BRING PEOPLE TO LODI EVEN MORE, IT JUST HELPS NOT, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE RIGHT, THE RIGHT, THE TIDE RISES TOGETHER. SO IT HELPS NOT ONLY US, BUT LODI AS A WHOLE.
California State Fair wine competition celebrates local wineries
Wines in Sacramento, San Joaquin, and Yolo counties showcased some of the best of California’s wine industry
Updated: 5:49 PM PDT May 20, 2026
Editorial Standards ⓘ
The California State Fair Commercial Wine Competition, one of the most historic wine competitions in the country, has announced its 2026 winners, honoring wineries in Sacramento, San Joaquin, and Yolo counties for their exceptional wines. The California State Fair is the oldest wine competition in the U.S. dating back to 1854 during the Gold Rush era.Among the winners, Great Bear Vineyards received the award for Best Micro Winery Rosé for its 2025 Fleur Rouge Rosé. “It’s a great honor,” said Marcus Meadows-Smith, co-owner of Great Bear Vineyards. “It’s one of the most prestigious, so it’s a real honor to be awarded Best Micro Winery.”Other top winners included Acquiesce Winery and Vineyards in Acampo for its white wine. Their eight entries ranging from an 87-point score for its 2024 Lucina to 99 points for its 2025 Grenache Blanc. Silt Wine Company in Clarksburg was named Golden State Winery of the Year.Michael David Winery in Lodi earned recognition for its first-ever 100-point wine for its 2023 Cabernet Franc under the Inkblot brand. “Excited about it because it’s the first hundred-point wine that the winery has ever had,” Michael Phillips of Michael David Winery said. “It’s hard to get 100-point wine.” Winemakers acknowledged the challenges facing California’s wine industry, including softer sales and rising costs. “Our wine sales are only increasing very slightly, but we’re able to increase the business by having these additional parties,” Meadows-Smith said. “We grow everything by hand, we grow organically, we do everything by hand, so our costs continue to rise because salaries for farmworkers have gone up, the cost of our pouring staff, their salaries have gone up, so we have to keep working, staying ahead of the game.” Melissa Phillips of Michael David Winery highlighted the importance of promoting local regions. “People are more familiar with Napa and Sonoma, so anytime we can bring people to Lodi even more, it just helps — the tide rises together,” she said. “It helps not only us but Lodi as a whole.” Winemakers hope these honors will encourage more visitors to explore and enjoy local wines, further boosting the region’s reputation in the wine industry. “Every time we get some award or some promotion, we get more people coming, and it just helps — word of mouth, it really helps,” Phillips said. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
The California State Fair Commercial Wine Competition, one of the most historic wine competitions in the country, has announced its 2026 winners, honoring wineries in Sacramento, San Joaquin, and Yolo counties for their exceptional wines.
The California State Fair is the oldest wine competition in the U.S. dating back to 1854 during the Gold Rush era.
Among the winners, Great Bear Vineyards received the award for Best Micro Winery Rosé for its 2025 Fleur Rouge Rosé.
“It’s a great honor,” said Marcus Meadows-Smith, co-owner of Great Bear Vineyards. “It’s one of the most prestigious, so it’s a real honor to be awarded Best Micro Winery.”
Other top winners included Acquiesce Winery and Vineyards in Acampo for its white wine. Their eight entries ranging from an 87-point score for its 2024 Lucina to 99 points for its 2025 Grenache Blanc. Silt Wine Company in Clarksburg was named Golden State Winery of the Year.
Michael David Winery in Lodi earned recognition for its first-ever 100-point wine for its 2023 Cabernet Franc under the Inkblot brand.
“Excited about it because it’s the first hundred-point wine that the winery has ever had,” Michael Phillips of Michael David Winery said. “It’s hard to get 100-point wine.”
Winemakers acknowledged the challenges facing California’s wine industry, including softer sales and rising costs.
“Our wine sales are only increasing very slightly, but we’re able to increase the business by having these additional parties,” Meadows-Smith said. “We grow everything by hand, we grow organically, we do everything by hand, so our costs continue to rise because salaries for farmworkers have gone up, the cost of our pouring staff, their salaries have gone up, so we have to keep working, staying ahead of the game.”
Melissa Phillips of Michael David Winery highlighted the importance of promoting local regions.
“People are more familiar with Napa and Sonoma, so anytime we can bring people to Lodi even more, it just helps — the tide rises together,” she said. “It helps not only us but Lodi as a whole.”
Winemakers hope these honors will encourage more visitors to explore and enjoy local wines, further boosting the region’s reputation in the wine industry.
“Every time we get some award or some promotion, we get more people coming, and it just helps — word of mouth, it really helps,” Phillips said.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
Dining and Cooking