Stop Whining

It's not a stylish event, per se. It originates at the Cloverdale Citrus Fair, so you know the organizers aren't exactly image-conscious. The affiliated Web site, www.winejudging.com, is corn right off the cob, featuring cartoon wineglasses with purple and yellow gobbets jauntily sloshing over their rims. That said, the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Public Wine & Food Tasting doesn't need any fashion tips — it has award-winning wine from around the U.S. All the slick graphics in the universe can't compete with that, and you know it. Get to know, really know, the Rodney Strong 2005 Pinot Noir Reserve Jane's Vineyard in the red division, the Merryvale 2005 Chardonnay Carneros in the white, and the Barnard Griffin ’07 Sangiovese Rose in our favorite division, the pink. Meaty munchies, a free Schott Zwiesel Tritan Crystal wineglass, and the increasingly relaxed companionship of your peers – who needs to worry about style?
Sat., Feb. 16, 2 p.m., 2008