# Loser!



## bkisel (Jun 26, 2016)

Yep, that's what I am. *LOSER!* 3rd bottle from the right. Not even an honorable mention like... "Oldest Entrant", "Tried the Hardest" or "Whatever".






Joking aside I'm actually a winner. Got to meet a young couple that entered two bottles of wine, the first two bottles you see on the left, and had a very interesting and enjoyable conversation with the young couple between our commiserations over our being losers. Spoke to them about WMT and the fellow said he'd check it out. 

Festival (Canton [PA] Wine and Cheese) itself was fun especially having the company of some PA friends that we made several years ago before our move to PA from CT. I was designated driver so can't post to you about any of the wine tastings.


----------



## JohnT (Jun 27, 2016)

Some days you are the bug, and some days you are the windshield. 

Keep plucking away at it!


----------



## BernardSmith (Jun 27, 2016)

Despite that would- be presidential blow-hard, those who don't win are NOT losers. They are competitors. Losers are another category entirely and many winners are nothing other than losers...so while you may not have won, Bill, you are anything but a loser...


----------



## bkisel (Jun 27, 2016)

BernardSmith said:


> Despite that would- be presidential blow-hard, those who don't win are NOT losers. They are competitors. Losers are another category entirely and many winners are nothing other than losers...so while you may not have won, Bill, you are anything but a loser...



Thanks Bernard... 

The post was written with tongue-in-cheek. Though I must admit there was a tinge of disappointment at not having my apple wine awarded a ribbon of some sort I definitely do not consider _myself_ a loser. If the festival were to grow to include more home wine making participants and it added a separate category for fruit/country wines there'd be a better chance at a ribbon.

My only regret now is that I didn't think to give my bottle of wine to the couple to which I had spoken.


----------



## AZMDTed (Jun 27, 2016)

Bill, I gave you a 'like' so that you can get something positive out of this 

Here is one of my favorite quotes of all time, from Teddy Roosevelt:

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

Besides, for me while 'winning' is nice, some things don't lend themselves to objective standards and repeatable ratings. Wine is among the top of that list for me, along with art. So as long as my wife and I enjoy it I won't seek confirmation from others. Or at least that what's I say today


----------



## Boatboy24 (Jun 27, 2016)

Looks like the deck was stacked in favor of Windy Hill Winery.


----------



## wineforfun (Jun 27, 2016)

Yet another reason not to enter a "contest". They are all subjective, to the judges on hand. Are the judges dry red fans? sweet fans? anti-fruit wines? only like the "locals" fans?

I would have your "contest" be those that are drinking your wines. If you, your friends and others like your wines, then score. Gold Medal. If not, then give yourself a Bronze Medal and tweak accordingly.


----------



## bkisel (Jun 27, 2016)

Boatboy24 said:


> Looks like the deck was stacked in favor of Windy Hill Winery.



You know I didn't even notice that until reading your post and going back to look at the photo.

I'm a happy camper or should I say wine maker... My wines, for the most part, both kits and country, have been well received by family and friends.


----------



## Johnd (Jun 27, 2016)

Boatboy24 said:


> Looks like the deck was stacked in favor of Windy Hill Winery.



I guess I just assume that in a wine competition, the judges are judging wines in unlabeled containers, was that not the case? If so, wouldn't it be hard to stack the deck??? If not, it's not a fair competition in my opinion.


----------



## bkisel (Jun 27, 2016)

Johnd said:


> I guess I just assume that in a wine competition, the judges are judging wines in unlabeled containers, was that not the case? If so, wouldn't it be hard to stack the deck??? If not, it's not a fair competition in my opinion.



I'm betting everything was above board and that the winning entries were simply some really well made and well aged wines.


----------



## AZMDTed (Jun 27, 2016)

bkisel said:


> I'm betting everything was above board and that the winning entries were simply some really well made and well aged wines.



That's not the current American way! It had to be someone else's fault ::


----------



## jswordy (Jun 27, 2016)

AZMDTed said:


> Bill, I gave you a 'like' so that you can get something positive out of this
> 
> Here is one of my favorite quotes of all time, from Teddy Roosevelt:
> 
> ...



That is my favorite quote of all time. 

I agree, no human-judged event can be objective. However, if you enter a few contests in various areas of the country, it can give you insights through the judges comments into what other unbiased (i.e., not your friends who are getting free wine) and wine-savvy people think of your wine.

Make sure before you enter that all judges scoresheets and comments will be returned to the competitor - win, lose or draw. That is not always the case, and I do not enter when they are not returned. They are invaluable guides, or at least for me they have been. Entering wine contests can get spendy, so I want as much feedback as possible. I entered a slew of contests across the country all in one year, and learned a lot in that time about my winemaking strengths and areas I could change if I wanted to be more pleasing to a wider palate.

I also learned about the human side. One contest lost one of my entries and did not tell me until a day before it was to be judged. It happens.


----------



## ceeaton (Jun 27, 2016)

bkisel said:


> You know I didn't even notice that until reading your post and going back to look at the photo.
> 
> I'm a happy camper or should I say wine maker... My wines, for the most part, both kits and country, have been well received by family and friends.



Bill, I think you have the most important part down pat. If we can make a wine that impresses our friends and family (and especially our wives/husbands) what more could we possibly want? Anything more than that is just an ego trip in my opinion. When my wife likes a wine we opened for the first time, it makes it worth all that time cleaning/racking/bottling our wine. Her opinion is what keeps me striving to make better wine.


----------



## ceeaton (Jun 27, 2016)

jswordy said:


> ...(i.e., not your friends who are getting free wine)...



Humm, maybe that is why I've never heard a disparaging comment about my wines? Maybe they aren't as good as I think they are!


----------



## jswordy (Jun 28, 2016)

ceeaton said:


> Humm, maybe that is why I've never heard a disparaging comment about my wines? Maybe they aren't as good as I think they are!



That is EXACTLY why I entered several contests across the country in a 1-year sweep that promised to return judges' comments. If you can only enter one, I recommend Cellarmasters in LA. The fees are reasonable.

http://cellarmastersla.org

Sometimes, you will get a score sheet back from a lazy judge and it has nothing or a few chicken scratches. The judges in LA were extremely helpful, detailed and encouraging. 

*Disclaimer: By recommending Cellarmasters, I am NOT saying other contests are inferior in any way.* If I had the money to enter just one, though, that would be it.

Contrary to what others have said about contests being an ego thing, I was in them for these judges' sheets. Now, it is a huge ego boost to medal, don't get me wrong, and those things should be celebrated at any medal level awarded. I know I celebrated mine. But it is the nitty gritty of how I was doing that I wanted to know. Sometimes I was entering wines in areas where the variety and grape were unknown, too. That made for great judges' comments.

The comment that I liked to see best was "Well made."


----------

