San Francisco Chronicle Wine Tasting Returns to Fort Mason March 7

Senior Wine Critic Esther Mobley and Wine Reporter Jess Lander led curated tasting classes when the San Francisco Chronicle mounted its large annual Wine Competition Public Tasting at Fort Mason Center Gateway Pavilion on Saturday, March 7, 2026, returning the event to Pier 2 at 2 Marina Boulevard. The Chronicle billed the gathering with the slogan, "One day. Hundreds of award‑winning wines," and Marketing SFGate urged wineries and consumers to "Join us for the return of the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Public Tasting."

The public tasting ran in a single four-hour session, with the ticketing page listing the event time as 12:30 PM to 4:30 PM. Entry rules were explicit: the Chronicle ticketing materials stated, "This event is 21+ and will be verified for entry." The ticketing terms also repeated a strict policy on sales: "All items are non-refundable, all sales are final," and underlined that "Refund Policy: All items are non-refundable under any circumstances."

Jess Lander’s curated class was billed as "Beyond Napa & Sonoma: Discover California’s Underdog Regions with Jess Lander," described in marketing copy as a 45-minute guided tasting that would "explore what these areas do best, why they’re rising in prominence, and the signature flavors to expect, all while sampling 4-5 award‑winning hidden gems from the 2026 SF Chronicle Wine Competition." The Chronicle materials noted that "Senior Wine Critic Esther Mobley and Wine Reporter Jess Lander will each host a curated tasting class and discussion on current trends in the wine industry." Marketing copy cautioned that the Lander session required a "Separate ticket required for participation; seating is limited and only available on a first-come, first-serve basis at checkout."

Organizers invited award-winning entrants to pour at the Fort Mason tasting; Marketing SFGate called on producers to "Showcase your wines to thousands of enthusiastic consumers and industry professionals on Saturday, March 7, 2026, at Fort Mason Center." That outreach also reported that "Table registrations are now closed with a waiting list!" Among wineries publicly confirming participation were Adobe Road Winery and J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines. Adobe Road posted that it was "excited to participate in this year’s San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Public Tasting," and listed its Petaluma tasting-room contact details as Adobe Road Winery, 6 Petaluma Blvd. N – Suite A1, Petaluma, CA, email info@adoberoadwines.com, phone (707) 774-6699. J. Lohr’s event copy invited guests to "Join thousands of fellow wine lovers on San Francisco Bay for an unforgettable afternoon at the nation’s largest showcase of American wines" and said attendees could "Sip through the country’s top selections, including gold-medal wines recognized by expert judges."

The Chronicle competition’s scale was given additional color by a first-person judging account: Jamie Knee of Petite Wine Traveler wrote, "In January 2026, I returned for my fifth year as a judge, joining more than fifty industry professionals to evaluate over 5,500 wines from more than 1,000 wineries." Knee described the Cloverdale Citrus Fairgrounds setup where judges convene, calling the competition "the largest and most influential wine competition in the United States" in that piece.

The Fort Mason Gateway Pavilion session combined public tasting stations, winery tables, and Chronicle-produced programming under the banner "One day. Hundreds of award‑winning wines." With table registration already full and curated classes by Mobley and Lander emphasizing emerging regional trends, the March 7 tasting reaffirmed the Chronicle event as a major Bay Area showcase for American winemakers, even as the Chronicle’s ticketing terms made clear that purchases were final.