Last night was Food & Wine Magazine’s American Wine Awards, which honors the best and brightest wines and wineries of the year. The wines are broken up into two categories — under $20 and over $20 — and judged by a panel that includes local wine writers and bloggers. 

The 11th annual bash was quieter than in the past, but the De Young still measured up as a world class venue showcasing these wineries. The format could use some freshening up — perhaps a new varietal category — and despite the fact that it’s called the American Wine Awards, all nine of the winners in the over $20 category came from California. The under $20 category recognized one Oregon and one Washington wine among its seven winners.

Here is a list of the winners. My favorite in the Under $20, hands-down, was the 2006 A to Z Wineworks Pinot Noir from Oregon. It was soft on the palate, light ruby in the glass and smelled of earth and mushrooms, just as it should. It’s a reminder of how Oregon is kicking our butts right now. 

My favorite wine in the Over $20 category was the 2005 Shafer Merlot Napa Valley. Silky as velvet, smooth and round with dark cherries and a tobacco finish that went on and on. A truly gorgeous wine and a reminder that Merlot never went away — you just have to put it in the hand of people who care, and pay for the good stuff.