Hundreds savor and sip at the Paso Robles Rotary Winemakers’ Cookoff
By Stephen Ellison · Thu Aug 13 2026
Cal Coast Beer and first-timer V1no Juan shine in 27th annual fundraiser for high school seniors
PASO ROBLES — When it comes to entertainment, it’s tough to beat the tempting combination of great food, fine wine and a good cause. Toss in music, dancing and a friendly competition, and it’s no wonder hundreds showed up for the 27th annual Paso Robles Rotary Winemakers’ Cookoff.
The Aug. 8 fundraiser at the Paso Robles Event Center featured local wineries serving up their best dishes and matching them with signature vintages, all to raise tens of thousands of dollars in scholarship money for local high school seniors — and, of course, to vie for Top Chef-style bragging rights.
The big winners, aside from the future scholarship honorees, were V1no Juan, which took first place in the Judges’ Choice category for its barbacoa and mole tacos, and California Coast Beer Co., which snagged the People’s Choice top award for its West Coast cheesesteak sliders (see the full list of awards below).
It was V1no Juan’s first time in the Winemakers’ Cookoff, and owner Juan Contreras had a good feeling going into the competition his grandmother’s recipes would stand out. He was grateful the judges enjoyed his team’s offerings and recognized the work and passion that went into them.
“We take great pride in sourcing only the freshest ingredients available. Our Barbacoa and Mole recipes are treasured family recipes passed down through generations,” Contreras said, adding that he hopes V1no Juan will become a regular fixture in the event. “We believe that using the best ingredients, combined with our family traditions and love for the food, is what makes our dishes truly special. When I was invited to participate in the Winemakers’ Cookoff, I knew I wanted to share these special family recipes with our guests.”
Meanwhile, Cal Coast Beer had to switch gears on its food offering just a few days ahead of the event, opting to go with West Coast cheesesteak sliders instead of Shotgun Shells. Director of People Zack Devlin said the team’s initial choice was good but perhaps not good enough to win it all, and that’s what they set out to do. The sliders prevailed, and in the end, Devlin said it was an honor to be recognized among such quality vendors.
“Giving people an experience they never saw coming is one of our commitments to action here at the brewery, so to extend that to a charitable event speaks volumes,” he said. “I was extremely confident in the dish itself, but what was clear to me was pairing our team up with Tobin James Cellars and Negranti Ice Cream … it was the combination of all three of our mindsets plus the dish that led me to believe we were not leaving Saturday night empty-handed.”
Organizers estimated that the event drew nearly 1,000 attendees, about the same as last year, and that included about 60 or more volunteers who worked to make it a seamless and memorable evening. The Rockin’ B’s Band provided live country and rock music, and as is customary, dozens of corporate and community sponsors also contributed to the cause.
“The smooth running of the event can be directly attributed to our dedicated committee members and the Rotarians that volunteered to work the event,” said Vicki Silva, one of the Rotary Club’s organizers. “It takes a lot of people to put something of this size together, and our Rotarians go above and beyond to make this a success. And we cannot thank the participating wineries, restaurants and caterers enough. Without their participation, there would be no event!”
The food samplings ranged from mouth-watering barbecue tri-tip and tender pork belly skewers to savory plum-sauced meatballs and tasty poke tacos. And while the quality of wine was pretty much a given, some of the participating wineries went the extra mile — or more to the point, engaged in the art of shameless persuasion — with themes, gimmicks or bonus offerings to guests in exchange for People’s Choice votes on their food offerings.
Here’s a full list of the 2026 Paso Robles Rotary Winemakers’ Cookoff winners and their dishes:
People’s Choice: First Place, Cal Coast Beer Co. and Tobin James, tri-tip slider; Second Place, Hoyt Family Vineyards, Kryptonite pork taco; Third Place, Derby Winery, poke taco; Honorable mention, V1no Juan, barbacoa taco.
Judges’ Choice: First Place, V1no Juan; Second Place, Sextant Wines & Paris Valley Road Winery, Mexitalian Wine Country Stack; Third Place, Dubost Winery, wine jelly pork belly skewers; Honorable mention, Bovino Vineyards, Thai red curry fried chicken.
Professional Chef: First Place, Booker/My Favorite Neighbor and Ava Hotel, posole rojo (Chef Casey McMinn); Second Place, Absolution Cellars and Primal House, Fat Cap & Bone Slap (Chef Randi); Third Place, Bianchi Winery, wine-infused sorbetto (Chef Greg Wangard); Honorable mention, Kukkula Winery and Paso Robles Inn, smoked merguez and potato salad (Chef Michael Freeman).
Spirit Award: First Place, Hoyt Family Vineyards; Second Place, Derby Winery; Third Place, Eberle Winery.
Altogether, 27 wineries appeared in the event, 17 of which participated in the cookoff, with the remainder limited to pour only.
Julie Opheim, one of the lead organizers from the Rotary, said in the years to come, she would like to grow the event to about 1,200 attendees, but probably no more than that. She added that there were just a few challenges on the day of the cookoff, but nothing major.
“We had a misunderstanding on our linen order for the tables. We solved that issue quickly,” Opheim said. “We also had a state fire marshal inspection for the first time ever this year. It was announced, and we met him at 3 o’clock to go over safety issues for the event.”
Tickets were $100 a head (or $50 for designated drivers), and proceeds went to the Harlow Ford Scholarship Foundation, a perpetual fund that has raised more than $1 million in support of higher education for Paso Robles high school students over the years, according to the Rotary. This year, the fund provided $116,000 to graduating seniors, and the Rotary hopes to top that total next June.
While the fundraising always has been the event’s top priority, the amusement factor was unmistakable.
“When we started this event 27 years ago, Gary Eberle insisted that it not only be a fun event for attendees but also for the participating wineries,” said Silva, who recalled that one of the judges told her the wineries really stepped up their entries this year. “The interaction between the wineries and the participants is a big part of its success. It’s also very much a locals’ event where friends greet friends and everyone is welcome. I think it represents the spirit of Paso Robles in a very good way.”
Feature Image: The group from Sextant Wines & Paris Valley Road Winery won second place in the Judges' Choice category, with its Mexitalian Wine Country Stack, at the 27th annual Winemakers' Cookoff on Aug. 8 at Paso Robles Event Center. Photo by Derek Luff Photography