Judges’ Best Pairing at Taste Our Terroir

On October 15, Occasio and Sabio on Main took Judges’ Best Pairing at Taste Our Terroir—our second award together, following an earlier win for Most Innovative. Chef Francis Hogan’s shrimp in coconut curry with aromatic herbs and roasted squash was finished with green apple infused with Sidewinder’s six-year Sauvignon Blanc brandy. Alongside it, we poured our 2025 Sunol Highlands Sauvignon Blanc. Same grape, two different lives: one fermented and bottled, the other distilled and patiently aged, then folded back into the dish so the glass and the plate were already talking to each other before anyone took a bite.

Presenting the award, Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein spoke about the way the layers kept opening, each making the next one better. That’s the part we care about: a brandy from the same vineyard finding its way into a curry and helping the wine reveal more of itself. Familiar culinary foundations, a little experimentation, and enough curiosity to follow the flavors somewhere unexpected. Wine Without Rules. Not Without Roots.