The seventh annual Wizards of Elixirs Cocktail Competition raised a record $19,000 for charity last month during a lively public tasting at Brewsters Beer Garden in Petaluma.

This year’s beneficiaries were Petaluma Active 20-30 and Una Vida, a nonprofit that supports community members in need.

Seventeen local bars and restaurants threw their cocktail shakers into the ring, with Sebastopol’s Fern Bar winning first place and $1,000 for their popular OJ Beet the Case cocktail — and an extra $500 for earning the People’s Choice Award.

Created by Fern Bar’s Jake Carlson and Tommy Cracraft, the standout cocktail featured cinnamon-infused Charbay Blood Orange Mandarin Vodka and The Perfect Purée Peach Ginger (two event sponsors), with golden beet kvass, ginger syrup and a charred pickled beet.

As one of the judges, I can attest that it was an unusual pairing of ingredients that came together with precision and ingenuity. The resulting cocktail was invigorating, delicious, and not too sweet — the pickled beet garnish offering a tangy zip.

Second place went to Dylan Martini of Napa’s 1331 Cocktails, who earned $750 for his Ghoul Aid, while third place was awarded to Jeffrey Henrie of Healdsburg’s Lo & Behold, who took home $500 for his Krog Grog.

Jed Steele, early winemaker behind America’s bestselling Chardonnay, dies

Jed Steele, an early winemaker at Kendall-Jackson winery in Santa Rosa and a Lake County vintner, died Oct. 31 of bladder cancer. He was 80 years old.

In 1982, Steele collaborated with vintner Jess Jackson and winemaker Ric Forman to create Kendall-Jackson’s iconic Vintner’s Reserve — the country’s bestselling Chardonnay for over 30 years.

Born in New York City in 1945, Jedediah Tecumseh Steele was 5 years old when his family moved to San Francisco. After majoring in psychology, Steele took a turn toward wine, working his first two harvests at Stony Hill Vineyard in Napa Valley.

While earning his master’s degree in enology at UC Davis, he was scooped up by Edmeades Winery in Mendocino County’s Anderson Valley, where he made wine for the next eight years.

At Kendall-Jackson, his slightly off-dry Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay was an immediate hit, with production exceeding one million cases per year within a decade.

When Steele left in 1991, tensions escalated between him and Jackson, whom he sued for money he felt he was owed. Jackson countersued, accusing Steele of stealing Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay’s trade secrets, with Jackson ultimately winning the case.

Lake County became Steele’s focus starting in the early 1990s, launching his eponymous wine label and eventually purchasing 81 vineyard acres. He became a champion of the little-known region, where land and quality fruit could be obtained at a decent price.

After a stroke in 2020, Steele sold his winery and inventory to Shannon Family of Wines in Kelseyville. Steele is survived by his partner, Paula Doran; his children, Mendocino and Quincy; and his granddaughter, Astrid.

Half a century of sparkle at Iron Horse Vineyards

Iron Horse Vineyards, Sebastopol’s sparkling wine superstar, will be celebrating its golden 50th anniversary in 2026 with a limited-edition Spirit of ‘76 jeroboam.

Only 76 of the large-format bottles (equivalent to four 750mL bottles) were produced and will include a signed certificate of authenticity.

Considered as a “tete de cuvée,” — a term often used to represent premier quality Champagne — the 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir blend is a 2019 late-disgorged brut that spent six years on tirage.

The wine also honors the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, co-founder Audrey Sterling’s 95th birthday and winemaker David Munksgard’s 30th vintage at Iron Horse. (Rumor has it, The Press Democrat’s wine reporter will be celebrating a significant birthday, too.)

“Certificate No. 1 bears Audrey Sterling’s name — a fitting tribute to her vision and legacy, reaching back to when she and my father founded Iron Horse in 1976,” said owner Joy Sterling in an email. “The Spirit of ‘76 is more than a celebration. It’s a bridge between past and future.”

The certificates are being issued in time for the holidays, with the wine available for pickup or delivery in the spring.

Next year, a 750mL bottling will also be available for purchase.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit Disabled American Veterans.

Price: $499 per jeroboam; $459 for wine club members. To reserve yours, visit ironhorsevineyards.com