# 44th Annual US Amateur Winemaking Competition & 1st Annual Wine Label Competition!



## acorad (Aug 18, 2017)

*The 44th Annual US Amateur Winemaking Competition 

&

1st Annual US Amateur Wine Label Competition
*
will be held on

*November 18, 2017*

*Entries must be received between October 1 and November 8, 2017. *

*International entries may be received earlier.*

Please send entries c/o: The Home Beer, Wine and Cheesemaking Shop, in Woodland Hills, CA. 
(www.HomeBeerWineCheese.com)

Entry forms and rules are posted on the club website at: http://www.CellarmastersLA.org.

Cellarmasters has been sponsoring the US Amateur Winemaking Competition
since the club was founded in 1973.

As always, the Competition is an all-volunteer endeavor and is the oldest home wine competition in the US.

Good luck to all!

Questions? 

Please email: [email protected]

Andy Coradeschi​


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## joeswine (Aug 18, 2017)

This is the year for me to enter.


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## Boatboy24 (Aug 19, 2017)

joeswine said:


> This is the year for me to enter.



Maybe I'll finally get off my butt and enter this year.


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## jgmann67 (Aug 19, 2017)

I looked on the website and couldn't find the rules and entry form. Is it just me?


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## ibglowin (Aug 19, 2017)

Here is the link to last years entry form and the competition rules. I have entered twice. Well run, reasonable entry fees, good feed back, nice medals. The only drawback is that at least for me and depending on where you live is that many wines will travel by ground and go right through Phoenix, AZ which can be 100 degrees still in October. I have always watched the weather forecast and timed the shipment for a "cooler" week if possible.


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## salcoco (Aug 19, 2017)

I could not find them either. looking for rules not entry form


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## ibglowin (Aug 19, 2017)

They are listed on the competition rules link I posted. Scroll down towards the bottom of the page.



salcoco said:


> I could not find them either. looking for rules not entry form


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## ibglowin (Aug 19, 2017)

OFFICIAL RULES FOR THE U.S. AMATEUR WINEMAKING COMPETITION

Entries must be received between October 1 and November 11, 2016. International entries may be received earlier.

1. All entries must be in standard 750ml wine bottles. Dessert wine entries may be submitted in 375ml bottles. No other exceptions.

2. All bottles must be labeled with the following:

– Name of winemaker

– Class & Subclass, and Wine Variety

3. Classify your wines correctly. Dry wines are typically 1% or less sugar.

Fortified wines greater than 16% alcohol belong in the dessert category.

Dessert wines can be sweet, but sweet wines are not necessarily dessertwines.

4. Winners will be invited to present their wines to the Cellarmasters general membership at the “post-fest” Cellarmasters club meeting in January, 2017.

5. Judge’s score sheets and comments will be returned to you after January 10, 2017

6. Please read the competition rules carefully. If you need more information than provided herein, e-mail the Contest Chairperson at [email protected], or call the club at 818-923-1361.



INTERNATIONAL ENTRANTS, PLEASE ALLOW ADEQUATE TIME FOR CUSTOMS CLEARANCE

COMPETITION RULES

1) This competition is open to persons 21 years of age or older from any nation.

2) Entries are limited to wines produced by amateur winemakers only. An amateur shall be considered as:

• An adult not employed by a commercial winery in a winemaking capacity.

• An adult who is not an owner of a commercial winery. This does not excludepeople who own stock in a commercial winery, provided they are not involvedin the winemaking process.

3) No wines may be produced with the help or facilities of a commercial winery (crushed grapes and unfermented juice from a commercial winery are OK).

4) All wines, entry forms, and fees must be received by the due date. All wines entered must be on the entry form, and all fees must accompany the entry forms. Wines become the property of Cellarmasters and none will be returned. Late entries will not be judged or returned.

5) Please ship all wines to:

The Home Wine, Beer, and Cheesemaking Shop
22836 Ventura Blvd #2
Woodland Hills, CA 91364

(818) 884-8586

6) Wines must be in standard 750 ml wine bottles. They must be clearly labeled with the winemaker’s name, wine class, subclass, and wine variety (grape varietal or wine description) exactly as it appears on the entry form. You may also include appellation and vintage. It is the entrant’s responsibility to select the proper category. The judging chairperson reserves the right to reclassify the wine.

7) The neck of the bottle must be free of labels, shrink-seals, wax, or any other identifying mark. The bottle may have an additional standard wine label as long as it is not significantly larger than a standard commercial wine bottle label and nothing appears on or near the neck.

8) Judging will be conducted on November 19, 2016 and the award winners will be posted on the Cellarmasters web site (http://www.cellarmastersLA.org) promptly. Awards and/or judging score sheets will be mailed in approximately eight weeks.

9) Award metals will be presented for gold, silver, and bronze wines based on the modified Davis 20 point system. Only one award will be given per entry, regardless of how many winemakers worked on the wine.

10)Competition fee is: $10 per bottle for any number of bottles entered. An “entry” is a single 750 ml. bottle of wine. Make money order or check payable in U.S. Dollars to “Cellarmasters.”

11)Cellarmasters reserves the right to change terms & conditions at any time. While great care is exercised in the handling and storage of entries, Cellarmasters is not responsible for the safety of entries, including but not limited to shipment, fire, vandalism, and acts of God.

ENTRY CLASSIFICATIONS

Enter wines by: Class – Subclass – Wine Variety

Example: “1 – d – Cabernet Sauvignon” OR “2 – b – Chardonnay”

Note: Varietal Wine (wine made from a specific grape or fruit) should be 75% or more of the listed varietal.

Note: “Estate” wine must be 95% or more fruit grown on the same property.

Class 1: DRY RED GRAPE – VINIFERA

Subclass:

a – Blends

b – Barbera

c – Cabernet Franc

d – Cabernet Sauvignon

e – Carignane

f – Grenache

g – Malbec

h – Merlot

i – Mourvedre

j – Nebbiolo

k – Petite Sirah

l -Pinot Noir

m – Sangiovese/Brunello 

n – Syrah

o -Zinfandel

p – Other Varietal

q – Kits and concentrates



Class 2: DRY WHITE GRAPE – VINIFERA

Subclass:

a – Blends

b – Chardonnay

c – Chenin Blanc 

d – Gewurtztraminer

e – Viognier

f – Muscat

g – Pinot Grigio

h – Reisling

i – Sauvignon Blanc

j – Other Varietal

k – Kits and concentrates



Class 3: DRY ROSÉ / BLUSH GRAPE – VINIFERA

Subclass:

a – Varietal (please list)

b – Kits and concentrates

c – Other



Class 4: DRY OTHER

Subclass:

a – Stone Fruit

b – Berry Fruit

c – Other

Class 5: SWEET

Subclass:

a – Vinifera Grape

b – Non-vinifera Grape

c – Stone Fruit

d – Berry Fruit

e – Fruit & Wine blends

f – Other

Class 6: SPARKLING

Subclass:

a – All Sparkling Wines

Class 7: APÉRITIF and DESSERT

Subclass:

a – Grape Wines

b – Other



Class 8: DRY COUNTRY WINE & NON-VINIFERA GRAPE

Subclass:

a – Red Native American Grapes (e.g. Concord, Norton), please list

b – Red French-American Hybrid Grapes (e.g. Chancellor, Chambourcin, Baco Noir), please list

c – White Native American Grapes (e.g. Scuppernong, Niagara), please list

d – White French-American Hybrid Grapes (e.g. Aurora, Baco, Seyval Blanc), please list

e – Rosé / blush Native American Grapes

f – Rosé / blush French-American Hybrid Grapes

Class 9: HONEY

Subclass:

a – Mead

b – Melomels, Pyment & Cyser

c – Other Honey-Based Wines

Class 10: UNIQUE

Subclass:

a – All not identified in any previous class or subclass


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## salcoco (Aug 19, 2017)

I was looking for the label rules. I visited your suggest site three times still did not see competition rules, just carboys for sale, newsletter, 12 responses to hello cellarmasters. Sorry I must be goofing it up somewhere


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## ibglowin (Aug 19, 2017)

I copied and pasted the rules and posted them about two post up. Note: These are last years (2016) rules.

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showpost.php?p=658602&postcount=8



salcoco said:


> I was looking for the label rules. I visited your suggest site three times still did not see competition rules, just carboys for sale, newsletter, 12 responses to hello cellarmasters. Sorry I must be goofing it up somewhere


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## acorad (Aug 21, 2017)

ibglowin said:


> I copied and pasted the rules and posted them about two post up. Note: These are last years (2016) rules.
> 
> http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showpost.php?p=658602&postcount=8



Thanks IB! 

The 2017 rules are the same as the 2016 rules that IB so kindly cut-n-pasted above, and they will be uploaded to our website soon along with the 2017 entry forms.

Sorry for the delay, and good luck to all!

Best,

Andy


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## acorad (Aug 21, 2017)

salcoco said:


> I was looking for the label rules. I visited your suggest site three times still did not see competition rules, just carboys for sale, newsletter, 12 responses to hello cellarmasters. Sorry I must be goofing it up somewhere



Hi Sal, it's not you, it's us. 

The rules will be up on our website soon, sorry for the delay!

Best,

Andy


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## Jasper24 (Sep 14, 2017)

I may be new but I want to give my hand a try in this. Sending two bottles down looking for good feedback from the judges.


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## Amanda660 (Oct 31, 2017)

Sending a few out tomorrow


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## Kraffty (Oct 31, 2017)

I've got mine ready to go but have one wine I can't really figure how to classify. It's a Pinot blush that's been sweetened very slightly, not really what you'd call sweet but not completely dry. So 5-A sweet vinifera or 3-A Dry?? Any thoughts before I guess? (I'm leaning towards 5-A)


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## acorad (Oct 31, 2017)

Hi Kraffty, I'd suggest 5-A. In 3-A they'd probably score down a little because of the residual sugar. Or, if they thought of it, maybe they'd just kick it over to the 5-A table. Either way, sweet wines should be in 5-A.

Good luck to all!

Andy


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## Kraffty (Nov 28, 2017)

Results are posted, 2 silver, 1 bronze and an HM for the blush that really didn't fit a category. All in all about what I expected or maybe even slightly better than expected.
Mike


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## Kraffty (Nov 28, 2017)

can't find the wine label results though, I entered a few labels in that too.
Mike


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## cmsben61 (Nov 29, 2017)

My results were, 4 silver, 2 bronze and a BOS for my Vermentino .

congratulations Kraffty!


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## Boatboy24 (Nov 29, 2017)

Congrats, guys!! 

@cmsben61 was the Vermentino the LR kit from last year? Any tweaks?


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## cmsben61 (Nov 29, 2017)

Thanks Boatboy. It was from last year LE kits. I will have to check my notes. I believe I changed the yeast.


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## Boatboy24 (Nov 30, 2017)

cmsben61 said:


> Thanks Boatboy. It was from last year LE kits. I will have to check my notes. I believe I changed the yeast.



You inspired me to open one of mine last night. Excellent wine. And it went very well with my "Tuscan Style" flank steak - marinated and basted with olive oil, lemon, garlic and rosemary.

I made mine by the book, aside from subbing in QA23 yeast.


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## cmsben61 (Nov 30, 2017)

I also used the QA23. Were you trying any of the new LE kits? I am getting the petit ruby cab and will be deciding on one of the whites.


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## Boatboy24 (Nov 30, 2017)

cmsben61 said:


> I also used the QA23. Were you trying any of the new LE kits? I am getting the petit ruby cab and will be deciding on one of the whites.



Haven't even looked at them yet. I've been doing fewer red kits of late (more from grapes), but will be taking a good look @ the white wine kits.


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