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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