Esther Mobley

I’m the senior wine critic at the San Francisco Chronicle. Since joining the paper in 2015 to cover California wine, beer and spirits, my beat has involved reporting on California wildfires and the impacts of climate change on winegrowing, reviewing Bay Area bars and restaurants, profiling undocumented vineyard workers and analyzing the movements of California’s $55 billion wine industry. I also publish a free weekly email newsletter called Drinking with Esther.

I’ve been named Feature Writer of the Year in the Louis Roederer International Wine Writers’ Awards. My work has been recognized by organizations including the California News Publishers Association, the Society for Features Journalism and the Association of Food Journalists. If you only read one story by me, read this one about a winery created by a California doomsday cult.