The silver anniversary edition of the Home Winemakers Classic was not only well attended, it also featured a number of outstanding wines from dedicated northern California garagistas.

The popular cult wine event was staged on the lawn of St. Supery Vineyards and Winery last Saturday, raising funds to benefit the Dry Creek/Lokoya Volunteer Fire Department.

It’s fun to wander around the  grounds, tasting the fruits of the labor of a bunch of dedicated enophiles. There’s also a serious competition, and this year 81 wines were judged by a panel coordinated by Artesa Winery’s Linda Champagne.

We find that a visit to the stand manned (or should that be womanned?) by the Valley Girls is always rewarding. The year, the team produced a blend of mostly merlot, with some malbec, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc added for good measure, called Whatever. Whatever — ripe red fruit and great texture are the talking points of this wine.

But they also offered a syrah rosé, Make Me Blush, a spritzy summer wine deserving a second and third sip. When asked about the effervescent aspect of this one, the blushing ladies admitted the wine was “a mistake” – but I think to our benefit. However, with some residual sugar continuing to do its thing, this one’s still fermenting in the bottle.

“Maybe next year we’ll do it on purpose,” cooed partner Kasandra Weinerth.

The Borreson family – which makes wine and limoncello under the Salutti Per Tutti label — was all smiles. They’d taken both first and second places in the Miscellaneous Reds category and one of the wines had been nominated for Best of Show.

The first place ribbon went to Wedding Cuvée, a blend of mostly Alexander Valley cabernet sauvignon, zinfandel and merlot made by Jon Borreson. The more refined of the two wines, the Wedding Cuvée was indeed blended for family nuptials. Although no one was talking about its alcohol content, the Atomic Chart Red had more zinfandel in a blend of the same three grapes. It tasted of ripe fruit, peppery spice and, frankly, a little hot.

Jim Simpson’s Simone Vineyards poured tastes of a food-friendly cabernet sauvignon blended with a little merlot and cabernet franc – loads of lush, ripe black and red fruit. I’d buy this one.

Henry and Lenore Spoto have been taking part in this event for years. Henry’s 2004 Meritage was a blend of fruit from the UC Davis vineyard on the Oakville Grade and Richard Steltzner’s vineyard in the Stags Leap District. A blend of cabernet sauvignon (78 percent), cabernet franc (15 percent) and malbec (7 percent), it tasted of ripe blackberries, a balance of fruit, acid and tannin. Spoto’s 2004 UC Davis cabernet sauvignon was lighter in body but had intense blackberry and cassis flavors.

Ebenezer Yamoah, a native of Ghana, is an ear-nose-and-throat specialist at UC Davis Hospital. And he loves to make wine. His intense Oakville merlot — big red fruit, intense finish — incorporated 5 percent lots of cabernet franc and sauvignon, each.

Here are the winners of the 25th annual Home Winemakers Classic judging:

• Chardonnay: Wheaten Palm, 2nd Place; JFD Vineyards and Stave 28, 3rd Place-tie.       

• Miscellaneous Whites: Glass Mountain Sauvignon Blanc and Mockingbird Cellars Gewurztraminer,     1st Place-tie: Dylans Reach Semillon, 2nd Place; J & P Vintage Wines Pinot Grigio, 3rd Place.

• Pinot Noir: Clos Valmi    , 1st Place; Serene Cellars, 2nd Place; Mockingbird Cellars, 3rd Place.

• Zinfandel: Bella Corsa, 1st Place; Mt. Pisgah, 2nd Place; Moonlighter, 3rd place.

• Syrah: Nathan Cellars and Forester Vineyards, 1st Place-tie.

• 2001-2003 Cabernet Sauvignon: Clos Valmi, 2nd Place.

• 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon: Spoto Wines, 1st Place; Darlings Leap, 2nd Place; Gonsalves Family and G & G Private Cellars, 3rd Place-tie.

• 2004-2006 Merlot: Mevany Wines, 1st Place; Fourth Avenue Winemakers and Chateau Plaisant, 3rd Place-tie.

• Meritage: Spoto Wines, 1st Place; Nathan Cellars, 3rd Place.

• Miscellaneous Reds: Salute Per Tutti A & K, 1st Place; Salute per Tutti K & J, 2nd Place; Bentley Cellars, 3rd Place.

• Sweet- Dessert: Bentley Cellars, 2nd Place.

• Best of Show: Mockingbird Cellars Gewurztraminer.