Entries for WineMaker Magazine's 2009 Competition

[Joanie]

That would be an interesting experiment but wouldn't it be awful to "spend" 3 or 4 bottles of great wine that way?

 

[grapeman]

It looks like there was 42 judges involved. Here is the list of them.
http://www.winemakermag.com/competition/judges

 

[joeswine]

Well you know tepe I did win,because all the knowledge that was passed on with fpac,extracts and simple syrup,layering flavors ,discoveringhow different yeasts change the characteristics of wine,helping Ms.t & Ms. m. making wine in my cellar,you and me with the blueberry and strawberry fpac, passing the clubs knowledge on watching bob mat learn and become a good wine maker,you have improved thinking out side the box,bob t. just excels no matter what,and the rest,for if anyone of us winI win,thats the greatness of our goup...we take and give to-each other freely................

 

[maize]

Appleman:


I would love to know more about the non-kit varietal wines that won all of those awards. Can you post your description on each.

 

[FineWino]

It looks like there was 42 judges involved. Here is the list of them.
http://www.winemakermag.com/competition/judges

Good link...so much for my speculation. That is a lot fewer judges than I thought. I had assumed 3 judges/panel and 5 wines/flight from looking at the pics in the program.


For comparison, the California State Fair last year had 40 judges for 800 entries.


In reviewing the Winemaker Magazine judges page, only 6 of the 42 write-ups indicated that they actually had some form of certification as a wine judge. That is intended not to be a criticism, but an observation. I believe there is a diffeence in the way a trained judge evaluates a wine as opposed to an experienced winemaker/taster, and that can account for a lot of variability.


You can find the AWS judging form at: http://www.americanwinesociety.org/web/downloads/Wine%20Evaluation%20Chart.pdf


It was also suggested in our conversation that the WM Mag competition targets a limit on the percentage of wines receiving awards. That would also be a factor that will introduce variation.

 

[vcasey]

Here is an interesting blog about judging consistencyhttp://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/wine/detail?blogid=54&entry_id=35402 There is a link in the blog regarding the study he references.

Personally I think on any given day you will notice difference nuances in wine, food, or anything else, so you'll never be able to honestly compare or judge anything with consistency other then you like it. All you can do is hope for the best when you enter these type of competitions. And just keep making what you like, you are the best judge for that and a gold medal doesn't mean a whole lot if you don't like wine.
Along that same line at hubby's beer club they judged several beers so everyone could see how it was done as well as for some to see how their beers stacked up. They didn't like my husbands beer, he tasted the "winning" beer and was not fond of it at all.
Make what you like, drink what you like.
VPC

 

[JimCook]

By rough counts, here's what the medal totals look like (numbers not guaranteed, void where prohibited)...


RJ Spagnols: 373
WinExpert: 279
Cellar Craft: 181
Vineco: 43
Heron Bay: 19
Mosti Mondiale: 10
Wine Kitz: 9
U.S. Elite: 3


- Jim

 

[joeswine]

let me give you a exampleellarmasters//Isent (Italian plum wine enter)
1st judge gave me a 4 for aroma and flavor& taste
2nd judge also gave me a4 for flavor and taste
3rd judge gave me a 0 and stated there was no flavor nor taste? go figure.................this score took me from 1st. to 2nd using the Davis system......................on over all avg.

 

[grapeman]

Appleman:


I would love to know more about the non-kit varietal wines that won all of those awards. Can you post your description on each.

I will try to get a description or at least a link to one I already gave when I get a bit of time. I just got back from Willsboro taking care of the Cold Hardy Grape trial there. I have a client coming to view there house plan in 30 minutes and I need to go work in my own new planting of 2 acres of grapes- so it may take a bit. I described most of them under the Home Vineyards section- Champlain Valley Vineyard - only 97 pages of posts to go through LOL. I will do a search in the next day or so.

 

[dragonmaster42]

A bit late here, but bravo and congrats to allthat entered and those that got medals.

 

[Jackie]

I had trouble trying to download the file with my extremely slow internet but I got medals in the mail today with the scoresheets. I was thrilled. I submitted 5 and got 4 medals--2 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze.

 

[grapeman]

Congratulations on all the medals Jackie!

 

[Scott B]

I just now did the math:
4474 entries at $ 25.00 each = $ 111,850.00 Total.


I think I will have a Wine Competition next year.


To have people pay you to drink their wine, what a job!!!!

 

[Wade E]

Jackie, that would be 5 for five! Good job!

 

[grapeman]

Wade she did win 4 for 5.
SILVER
Jackie Baker • Big Sandy, TN
100% Winexpert Selection Estate
Washington Columbia Valley Riesling
2008





BRONZE
Jackie Baker • Big Sandy, TN
100% Winexpert Selection Limited
Edition Australian Riesling 2007


GOLD
Jackie Baker • Big Sandy, TN
100% Cellar Craft Limited Release
Yakima Synergy 2007


GOLD
Jackie Baker • Big Sandy, TN
100% Cellar Craft Limited Release
Cabernet Sauvignon Quartet 2006





Those are really a nice selection of wines you won with Jackie.

 

[Wade E]

Okay, I was just going by what she posted! (2 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze)

 

[Jackie]

Sorry for the confusion Wade. I got carried away (or forgot how to count).


Anyone know how the kit companies handle the free kits when it's a limited edition--will they let you get a LE the next year or does itcome from their regular lineup.

 

[geocorn]

Once the manufacturer receives the lists from WineMaker Magazine they will send certificates to medal winners. The certificate will be for kit of the same type such as an All-Juice for an All-Juice or Limited Edition for a Limited Edition. Winexpert limits medal winners to two certificates. I will be handling the certificates for the Mosti Mondiale medal winners.


In addition, once I have received the list from WineMaker Magazine of medal winners listing me as retailer, I will be sending out my $100 certificates.

 

[grapeman]

I got the medals, certificates and tasting notes back today. A few interesting findings. The notes could be useful , but lack a bit of consistency. One judge will say- nice aromas, very pleasant and the next will say lacks any aromas, a bit sour. The four White French/American Hybrids that won medals were all good in my opinion and the judges liked them - but they were all in the same flight of judging against each other. I think there are 5 wines per flight if I remember right and the four that medaled were all in the same one. All of them had been sweetened to between 1.002 and 1.004. I had one other White French/American Hybrid entered- my Chardonel- which I rate very highly. It finished just a bit lower in points and probably was very close to a bronze- but it was in a totally different flight. It also was finished totally dry to let it's flavors and characters remain on their own. Two things, it would have been interesting to sweeten it the same as the others, and the second would have been interesting to have it in the same flight as the other 4. One judge even said it tasted of paper, probably the filter used- it had never once been filtered and was racked only twice but brilliantly clear. I think I will sweeten it and enter it again next year!Heck, I may even run it through a newspaper!

Obviously different judges like different amounts of oak. My Sabrevois that didn't medal - the first judge comments the oak overshadows the fruit. The next two judges say good oak and pleasant oak with a good oak finish. Wade should have judged this one- he likes oak LOL


When I get some time to organize all the stuff in a decent display, I will get a picture.

 

[Wade E]

Send over a bottle for judging!