The Rotary Club of Paso Robles held their 26th wine, beer, and food fundraising event here on the Central Coast of California – the annual Winemakers’ Cookoff in Paso Robles, California. The Winemakers’ Cookoff is the largest fundraiser put on by the Rotary Club of Paso Robles and all monies raised after expenses go directly into the Scholarship Fund for local high school seniors at Paso Robles High School and Liberty High School. Last year alone, Paso Robles Rotary Services, Inc. gave out $100,000 in scholarships to students preparing to attend trade schools, colleges, and universities.
The Winemakers’ Cookoff gives local wineries and breweries a chance to showcase more than what they can pour, but their culinary skills as well. The event offers four competition categories for participants: the People’s Choice Award, Judges’ Award, Professional Chef Award, and Spirit Award. Attendees are able to sip and savor throughout the event and use their tickets to cast their vote. The wineries and breweries make every attempt to impress participants by pouring great pairings with the food they offer and often go above and beyond to delight attendees with fun themes to show off their fundraising spirit. Many wineries and breweries return year after year to vie for the top awards, but each year brings new competitors to the event as well, leaving no shortage of food, wine, and beer to sample.
In addition to the lineup of generous wineries and breweries which can be previewed on the Winemakers’ Cookoff website, the Rotary Club of Paso Robles is able to support this tremendous fundraiser thanks to the generosity of other local businesses through sponsorships. This year, Stifel is returned as the title sponsor. Thank you!
Here are the 2025 winners by category:
PEOPLE’S CHOICE
1st Place Daou
2nd Place Derby
3rd Place Eberle
Honorable Mention Hoyt
JUDGES’ AWARD
1st Place Sextant
2nd Place Bovino
3rd Place J. Lohr
Honorable Mention Ecluse
PROFESSIONAL CHEF
1st Place Vina Robles
2nd Place Bianchi
3rd Place Cal Coast
Honorable Mention Ancient Peaks
SPIRIT AWARD
1st Place Hoyt
2nd Place Derby
3rd Place My Favorite Neighbor