Livermore Valley Winegowers Association
Wood Family Vineyards Wine and Pizza Pairing Competition
Wood Family Vineyards with nine unique pizza restaurants held their 2nd Annual and Pizza Pairing Competition at Wood Family Estate in the vineyards. When you combine creative and unique pizzas with Wood Family Vineyards wines you combine two of life’s greater pleasures elevating the experience to an art form. Here are just a few pictures of the pizzas served:
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Original Anthony’s Pizza featuring 2024 Sauvignon Blanc
Extreme Pizza featuring 2022 “Especial” Cabernet Sauvignon
La Matix Pizza featuring 2023 Grenache
Dino’s Pizza Kitchen featuring 2023 “The Runway” Red Blend
Melo’s Pizza & Pasta Livermore featuring 2022 “Muy Bueno” Zinfandel
Tio’s Pizza featuring 2022 “Big Wood” Zinfandel
Much Ado About Pizza featuring 2023 “Para Mas Amigas” Chardonnay
Swirl On the Square Inc featuring 2024 “Pink Pearl” Rose of Grenache
Hearth Wood Fired Pizza & Catering featuring 2023 Cabernet Franc
The competition took place on Labor Day, Monday, September 1st, at the Wood Family estate surrounded by picturesque vineyards. Guests enjoyed a mouthwatering experience as they sampled expertly crafted artisanal pizza and paired with various Wood Family Vineyards selected wines by the pizza owners. The participating pizza vendors paired with Wood Family Vineyards wines, included:
Each vendor presented their signature creations alongside select Wood Family wines, offering a fun and delicious journey for the palate. Guests then got to vote on their favorite pizza and pairing combinations all while enjoying great music by Sugar Bear.
Additionally, a panel of judges with wine and gastronomical experience also voted on specific categories. The judges were:
Fran Cunniffe – WSET Level 4 and Certified Sommelier
Jeremy Troupe-Masi – Sommelier and Founder/Owner of JTM in the Kitchen
Brandon Wood – Cheese monger and Founder/Owner of The Cheese Parlor
Alexander (Sasha) Burdujan- Winemaker at Wood Family Vineyards
Michael Kelly – Owner of https://californiawinesandwineries.com/ and Founder of the International Cabernet Franc Competition
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Approximately 300 folks joined the event tasting the creative pizzas, pairing it with various wines and listening to great music! Harrison Wood, Executive VP presided over the event.
The judges’ four awards were the following:
The Most Classic Pairing was awarded to Dino’s Pizza Kitchen, Sicilian and New York style called The Bruschetta consisting of fresh mozzarella, basil, garlic, Parmigiano Romano cheese and extra virgin olive oil. Paired with Wood Family Vineyards 2023 “The Runway”.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
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The Most Original Pairing awarded to Original Anthony’s Pizza for their Hawaiian Pizza. The zesty acidity of Sauvignon Blanc cuts through the richness of lightly smoked pork, while its passionfruit and lime notes complement the sweetness of charred pineapple. A hint of honey and cilantro adds herbal brightness, creating a refreshing and balanced pairing. Paired with Wood Family 2024 Sauvignon Blanc.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
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The Best Pizza was awarded to La Matrix Pizza called the Kekou consisting of honey garlic sauce, fresh shredded mozzarella, pork potstickers fillings baked and finished with house-made chili aioli and green onions. Paired with Wood Family Vineyards 2023 Grenache.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
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The Best Pizza Pairing was awarded to Hearth Wood Fired Pizza called Bazaar Superstar consisting of garlic oil base topped with shredded mozzarella, kafta, thinly sliced red onions and finished with pomegranate seeds, fresh parsley and a lemon mint yogurt drizzle. Paired with Wood Family Vineyards 2023 Cabernet Franc.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
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The People’s Choice Awards were three pizzas:
The Best Pizza was awarded Tio’s Pizza for their Blossom & Smoke pizza. This was a Detroit-style pie that brought heat with smoky bacon jam, whole milk mozzarella and creamy stracciatella. Apricot preserves add a sweet, juicy twist, balanced by a burst of color from edible flowers. Paired with Wood Family Vineyards 2022 “Big Wood” Zinfandel.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
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The People’s Choice from participants awarded Best White Wine Pairing to Much Ado About Pizza with their sourdough crust, featuring garlic sauce, fresh spinach, mozzarella, smoked cheeses, topped with smoky chicken sausage, bacon, sweet onion and tart green apple for a savory bite. Paired with the 2023 “Para Mas Amigas” Chardonnay.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
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The Best Red Wine Pairing was awarded Tio’s Pizza (2nd award) for their Blossom & Smoke pizza. This was a Detroit-style pie that brought heat with smoky bacon jam, whole milk mozzarella and creamy stracciatella. Apricot preserves add a sweet, juicy twist, balanced by a burst of color from edible flowers. Paired with Wood Family Vineyards 2022 “Big Wood” Zinfandel.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
It was a wonderful event on a triple digit warm day, still the food and enjoyable wine with a solid band made it a great day! The Wood Family Vineyards motto is “It is always good at Wood’s!” and it certainly was on Labor Day!
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
2023 Wood Family Vineyard “The Captain” Named for a Reason
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Background On Rhonda Wood
Photo from Wood Family Vineyards
Rhonda Wood, winemaker extraordinaire in Livermore Valley, produces twenty plus different wines. One of her favorites is “The Captain”, a “Bordeaux style blend” with a reason. Rhonda started her career as one of the first woman pilots for US Airways. Thus “The Captain” is for her previous career before making award winning wines.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Below are listed a few comparisons between Rhonda as a winemaker and key traits of captaining a commercial plane and now a recreational aircraft.
Attention to details: The Captain knowing all aspects of flight planning, aircraft operation, documenting aircraft performance & maintenance, operational compliance, adhering to government standards & regulations, managing emergencies, coordination with mechanics, ground crew and air traffic control. Rhonda Wood: knowing the vineyards for pruning, shoot thinning, cluster thinning, water strategy & compliance, cover crop management, details to county, AVA and government regulations. A complex matrix with experience and a keen eye being key!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Awareness: The Captain understands optimal aircraft performance and ability for various aircraft being flown. Rhonda Wood: Knowing when and what to do in the vineyard(s) from Brix checks, ordering supplies for the winery (yeast, So2, etc.), scheduling harvest with vineyard manager, soil nutrition, timing on picking, pressing, sending juice panels to ETS, punch down timing & frequency, selecting yeasts and additives (if necessary), tank temperatures. All of these functions for each and every varietal and winery blend.
Documentation: The Captain records all aspects of aircraft operations, fuel, temperature, oil pressure, hydraulics, weather, turbulence, aircraft avoidance and airspace incidents, noting functions outside of prescribed government regulations, flight plans, etc. Rhonda Wood: pre-ordering bottles, labels and corks for upcoming harvest and bottling, testing during fermentation, compliance and documentation for ABC laws, tasting room notes, pairing & technical sheets, shipment compliancy, etc.
The above only scratches the surface of the broad characteristics of being a Captain and Winemaker. In addition, self-confidence, humility, clear communication skills, desire to learn and most importantly, the ability to remain calm under pressure. This is Rhonda Wood!
The Winery
Photo from Wood Family Vineyards
Wood Family Vineyards, located in eastern Livermore Valley with Rhonda Wood owner & winemaker, has been producing award winning wines for almost three decades.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
To tie in the aeronautical theme in describing this tasty “Bordeaux style” blend this wine is more straight forward. Each year the percentage varies based upon growing conditions and resulting taste. Thus, requiring a critical eye from ripening of the fruit to harvest to production. Or as PC or “Pilot in Command” (designated individual that is responsible for the safe aircraft operations during flight). Rhonda uses her use of “aircraft feathering” (the act of adjusting variable pitch propellers so that the blades are in with airflow and don’t create air resistance) utilizing the optimal mix of key varietals. A few small changes for the 2023 vintage. For 2023 the blend of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot. The higher percentage of Merlot is likened to “empennage” (another phrase for the tail of an aircraft which provides stability during flight) providing the base for the wine. The Cabernet Sauvignon provide the “horizonal stabilization” (preventing up and down movements, pitching, motion of the airplane nose). The small percentage of Petit Verdot provide inertia preventing the wine to “stall” (a condition that occurs because of an aircraft exceeding its critical angle of attack and experiencing decreased lift) and adding a deeper color to the wine. These components provide an optimum “center of gravity” (CG-the longitudinal and lateral point over which the aircraft is balanced).
This is a mellower “Bordeaux style blend” with Merlot representing such a large portion of the blend alluding back to the Captain analogy, insuring “stability” (as an aircraft is subject to static, dynamic, longitudinal, lateral, and directional stability). The wine is a nice medium-to-dark purple with red hues. Lots of floral characteristics and red fruit with raspberries, cherries and strawberry aromas. On the palate a soft landing (again appreciated by airline passengers) with tannins and the fruit intermingling in the mouth. Still having structural integrity with a medium length finish. This vintage 2023 with 15 barrels produced and aged 18 months in French and Hungarian oak barrels being a mixture of new, used and neutral. The wine comes in at 13.7% alcohol and pricing and the wine will be released in November.
Her 2021 “The Captain” received a Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition and the 2020 was awarded 94 points and Editors Choice by Wine Spectator. Rhonda’s masterful skills on The Captain show no signs of “drag” (a parallel and opposing force to an aircraft through the air).
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The wine was chosen this evening to go with a filet mignon steak. Seared and then BBQ’ed at 1500 degrees to lock in the flavors and juices, then served medium rare with Danish Blue cheese sprinkled on top. Accompanied by baked Russett potato wedges cut into eighths with olive oil, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, sea salt, black pepper and grated parmesan cheese. Also, a Roma tomato salad cut into slices, with fresh Mozzarella balls with Italian spices and dressing.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This wine provided enough “thrust” (a force which opposes aircraft drag and is created by the engines to propel the aircraft forward) to engage with the meat. The wine took us safely to our end destination with a delightful taste and smooth landing!
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
2023 Wood Family Vineyards Cabernet Franc – Strong, Bold and Wonderfully Intense!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Livermore Valley has undertaken a strategic direction to focus on Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc wine varietals. Wood Family has been producing Cabernet Franc for two decades and their experience shines wonderfully with their varietal of Cabernet Franc.
First on the eyes a radiant purple/maroon coloring with clarity. On the nose, upon pouring into the glass, a bouquet of violets and cherries burst into the olfactory senses. With anxious anticipation of the first sip, one is pleasantly rewarded with raspberries and red cherries being dominant flavors. Secondary flavors of subtle strawberries and pencil shavings. On the finish, peppery notes and slight moist forest floor notes complete a wonderous and filling sip. This vintage provides stronger tannins than previous years and yet the balance of fruit, acidity and tannins provide a long lasting and intense finish. Truly a great representation of the quality of Livermore Valley’s Cabernet Franc.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This wine will be released on August 23rd, 2025 and will sell for $45/bottle. Twenty-five barrels were produced using three vineyards in Livermore Valley with the majority from their estate vineyard. Barrel treatment includes new French oak and new Hungarian oak. The alcohol level is 14%.
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This wine was chosen to go with baked Pork Tenderloin this evening. We generally enjoy Pinot Noir wine mostly with Pork Tenderloin but decided to try this Cabernet Franc. This evening used a dry rub on the Pork Tenderloin consisting of brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, sea salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning and a pinch of Chili powder. The pork tenderloin with the rub was first seared in a skillet and then baked. The pork slices were drizzled with Cherry Pepper Sauce. Accompanied by a fresh homemade macaroni salad with black olives, purple onions, and diced Serrano peppers. A fresh garden salad with green onions, cherry tomatoes and roasted pepita seeds was served.
The Winery
Photo from Wood Family Vineyards website
Wood Family Vineyards, located in eastern Livermore Valley, with Rhonda Wood owner & winemaker, has been producing award winning wines for over two decades. You can read more on her background from airline pilot to award winning winemaker at:
https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2016/02/10/wood-family-vineyards-2/
and
Her awards are extensive and too numerous to list here in this article and would refer you to their website at the bottom of this article.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
2018 Wood Family Vineyards “One Oak Vineyard” Merlot and a New Food Pairing
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This 2018 Merlot is one fierce wine and not a weak or wimpy Merlot. The color in the glass is your first clue this is a different Merlot. The color is dark purple/maroon and intriguing with a medium heavy viscosity on the eyes. On the nose, chocolate covered berries, ripe plum and vanilla waft into the senses. On the palate, it is a bit of a paradox as this is both your warm and cuddly drink that is relaxing and comforting to sip yet with some grippy tannins. Yet you are awakened with the first sip to an explosive mouthful of Bing cherries, plums, with subtle earthy tones of bramble and minerality. The finish has a textural feel, and a complex layered structure continues to enhance the wine experience. The words chewy and masculine almost come to mind in describing this beautiful wine. While having so many brawny characteristics, it still presents at the conclusion as elegant and charming. This is a Merlot to absolutely enjoy today, with or without food. Alcohol is 14 % with 242 cases being produced. The wine is 100% Merlot and aged 20 months in French oak barrels. This is worth seeing if they have any additional bottles for sale! This wine will make my annual list of Best Wines Tasted for 2025! The current vintage is their 2022 and is $38/bottle.
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
When your neighbors surprise you and drop off their just picked garden bell peppers and tomatoes, it seems only natural to make stuffed bell peppers! So, tonight’s meal was a new recipe calling for the bell peppers to be filled with beef, rice and veggies for an all-in-one meal. A slight twist was adding Italian sausage for more flavoring. The ingredients were olive oil, sea salt, black pepper, ground beef, chopped purple onion, minced bell pepper, finely chopped garlic cloves, diced zucchini, diced fresh tomatoes, white rice and shredded pepper jack cheese. Accompanied by a fresh garden salad with cherry tomatoes, green onions and candied almond slices. This combination was great with the wine’s smooth fruity notes and the stuffed meat (ground beef and Italian sausage) in the bell pepper. This recipe will be a standard this coming winter as “comfort food” on a cool night.
The Winery
Picture from Wood Family Vineyard, Rhonda and Harrison Wood
Over 20 years ago, I believe this was one of Rhonda Wood’s first wines produced and continues to be a crowd pleaser. Now her 2022 Wood Family Vineyards “One Oak Vineyard” Merlot will most definitely be an award-winning wine. Located in eastern Livermore Valley with Rhonda Wood owner & winemaker. You can read more about her background from airline pilot to award winning winemaker at:
https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2016/02/10/wood-family-vineyards-2
Sláinte,
Michael
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