Attending the California Family Winemakers Tasting - Your tips and recommendations are appreciated!

Hi All,

Longtime lurker, first time poster on this sub - I'm a former wine retail salesperson in San Francisco (a short stint) and currently an amateur enthusiast constantly looking to expand my knowledge. My father-in-law and I will be attending the California Family Winemakers Tasting this coming weekend, and I'm overwhelmed by my options: 125+ small-production wineries serving 500+ wines.

*Here is the tasting booklet, which has a list of all of the participating wineries and what they'll be pouring (PDF): https://familywinemakers.org/upload/WinemakerBooklet_WEB.pdf

Obviously I won't be able to taste everything (and I'm familiar with only a handful of the wineries pouring), so I'm coming to you folks for suggestions of wines that are, in your opinion, must tries.

My tastes are varied and while I am beginning to appreciate spot-on representations of a style, I love to be surprised by a wine that transcends those expectations. My father-in-law is a bit more conservative in his tastes, primarily drinking Napa Cabs and Bordeaux blends, so we'll definitely want to hit some of those producers as well.

I appreciate the community here helping us out. Let me know if I can answer any questions for you.

Cheers!