Author Michael Cervin Invited to be Official Wine Judge at California State Fair

Santa Barbara, CA, May 26, 2013 --(PR.com)-- The California State Fair Wine Competition is the oldest and most prestigious judged wine competition in the nation dating back to 1855. For 2013 there are more than 2,500 entries from more than 600 California wineries.

Gathering with other notable wine-industry veterans, Cervin will spend three days smelling, tasting and evaluating wines from across the Golden State. “One of the reasons for a wine competition is to expose and promote wines from a variety of grape growing regions across my home state,” Cervin says. “The other great thing about a competition like this is to give consumers an opportunity to hear about and even sample wines that may be totally new to them, from areas they are not familiar with,” he adds. “My goal is to be a signpost for consumers to find and try new wines from pockets they don’t know and to support the California
wine business.”

Mr. Cervin’s wine writings have appeared in top wine magazines like Decanter (London), Fine Wine & Liquor (China) Wine & Spirits, Wine Enthusiast, Sommelier Journal, The Tasting Panel, Food & Beverage World, Palate Press, Westways, and more than 80 publications. He also compiles the annual IntoWine.com Top 100 Most Influential People in the Wine Industry list. He is the restaurant critic and travel writer for the Santa Barbara News-Press, and author of the book “California Wine Country.” Other professional judging events Mr. Cervin has been involved with include the Best of Vinho Verde Awards in Portugal, the Taste of Rum Festival in Puerto Rico, the Central Coast Wine Competition in Paso Robles, The El Dorado County Fair Wine Competition, and the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting. He also judges at many wine and food charity events.