Big and Bold Competition (unofficial)

[sour_grapes]

Great job, everyone!

 

[tonyt]

First, thanks to JohnT and Josewine for organizing this for us. Thanks also to their volunteer judges.

Wow congrats to everyone for outstanding showings. Rocky - two golds and a silver - you win! How about sharing the recipe for the Recieta? And I would never think to blend Brunello and Barolo. Enologo, one entry and one gold, impressive.

I have to honestly say that I am prouder of standings in this "Unofficial" Big and Bold Competition than any of the highfalutin competitions I have entered in the past. Friends who know and make wine in their kitchens just like me tasting and judging my wine. I have goosebumps. This is a testament to the community that is Wine Making Talk.

Thanks again for everyone who organized and entered.

 

[ibglowin]

Well done everybody and a special thanks to all the judges!

 

[Rocky]

A big thank you to the organizers and the judges of The Big and Bold Competition. I am humbled by the results for my wines.

TonyT, Ricetta di Stefano (in Italian, Steve's Recipe) is named in honor of my father-in-law who made his wine this way. He mixed Zinfandel and Muscat grapes in a 3:1 ratio. He and I made wine together for about 6 years. When Bev and I moved out of Pittsburgh in 1976, we no longer could make it together. It is very similar to what we made at home with my grandfather, father and uncles but we would use either Zinfandel or Alicante with the Muscat, depending on the quality of the grapes and the price. (When a 42 pound box of grapes went from $.75 to $1.00 I thought my grandfather was going to destroy the Pittsburgh Strip. Dannati ladri!)

For my version, made from kits, I used three Cellar Craft Old Vine Zinfandel with crushed grape pack and one Williams Brewing Company Muscat concentrate. The wines were fermented to dry, bulk aged for about 6 months and then blended. The blend was then aged for another 6 or so months.

 

[tonyt]

TonyT, Ricetta di Stefano (in Italian, Steve's Recipe) is named in honor of my father-in-law who made his wine this way. He mixed Zinfandel and Muscat grapes in a 3:1 ratio. He and I made wine together for about 6 years. When Bev and I moved out of Pittsburgh in 1976, we no longer could make it together. It is very similar to what we made at home with my grandfather, father and uncles but we would use either Zinfandel or Alicante with the Muscat, depending on the quality of the grapes and the price. (When a 42 pound box of grapes went from $.75 to $1.00 I thought my grandfather was going to destroy the Pittsburgh Strip. Dannati ladri!)

For my version, made from kits, I used three Cellar Craft Old Vine Zinfandel with crushed grape pack and one Williams Brewing Company Muscat concentrate. The wines were fermented to dry, bulk aged for about 6 months and then blended. The blend was then aged for another 6 or so months.

Thanks for the recipe. I actually tasted your Recieta a while back and I agree with the judges it's golden.

 

[Boatboy24]

Congrats everyone!! Great showing!

Thanks to the judges and to John for putting the whole thing together.

 

[pjd]

Thanks for a fun contest!

 

[joeswine]

Big bold red

first of all let me say thanks to all of you for saying you would be there and then showing up.(no crickets ),then let me add that the quality of the wine on this forum can compete with and forum out there on a even playing field, that's a fact. Form the top to the bottom there wasn't that great a distance so for the ones on top watch out some good wine makers are directly behind you ,keep up the excellent standards that your wines have shown. until the next time. Nice show guys and gals, nice show

 

[Runningwolf]

Congratulations to everyone who entered and thanks to all the judges who traveled great distances to make this happen. Now the big question, Which person is Johnt?

 

[JohnT]

Congratulations to everyone who entered and thanks to all the judges who traveled great distances to make this happen. Now the big question, Which person is Johnt?

i would tell you, but that would spoil the mystery...

 

[Kraffty]

I was wondering the same think. Maybe picture 4 - blue hawaiian shirt?
Mike

 

[Boatboy24]

I was wondering the same think. Maybe picture 4 - blue hawaiian shirt?
Mike

I'm thinking solid blue shirt, next to Hawaiian shirt. Hawaiian shirt is his brother?

 

[tonyt]

I'm with Jim, solid blue shirt. Hawaiian shirt could be his brother.

 

[peaches9324]

THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER! Although I didn't get silver or gold (I wasn't expecting to) My first tweaker won bronze I see more tweaks in the future! Can't wait to read the notes! Although I know where my weakness lay. Thanks joe and john for the kind and encouraging words! Also congrats to all the silver and gold medalist! Way to go!

 

[Enologo]

The results are in. Congratulations to all!

Well you could have knocked me over with a feather when I saw this. I need to double thank Joe for convincing me to enter and for the advice on the tweaks that made this wine so good. I knew this was well received by those who got it as part of the favor at my sons wedding but you know in the back of your mind you're thinking do they really like the wine or do they like it because it's free wine but a couple of unsolicited comments convinced me to submit it. Wow I'm blown away.

 

[Enologo]

John and Joe, plus the other judges,

thanks for putting all this together, I hope the hangover is now over....

I also want to add my thanks to John and Joe and the other judges for going through the trouble of putting the whole thing together with the goal of helping everyone to make better wine and to continue to improve our knowledge and technique. Ok I'm finished gushing now. Or maybe not.

 

[vacuumpumpman]

I would like to thank everyone who had their hand in this !!
It took alot to make this happen - done very professionally -

I am waiting on the results as I took 2 Bronze metals - Hopefully we can move up even higher next year ? I did learn alot this year about fermenting nutrients and such.

 

[heatherd]

That was fun to enter. I really didn't expect to win... Congratulations to everyone and thanks to the judges.
Heather

 

[sour_grapes]

It's not so much what I am but what I aspire to be.

Enologo -- Maybe it is time to retire your signature line?

 

[Enologo]

Enologo -- Maybe it is time to retire your signature line?

Still a work in progress.