Maybe you can figure this out - I can't

[jswordy]

We have had people on this forum win a gold medal at one judging event and not even place at another. Very frustrating to say the least.

Yeah, the old saying is if you want more wine contest medals the best practice for your winery is to enter more wine contests!

 

[JohnT]

JS,

Keep in mind that this is just a state fair! You do not know how the wine was handled or what the conditions were when the judges tasted your wine. I would also question the judges qualifications (after all, they are judging in a state fair that also judges pigs).

My NJ state fair experience was about as frustrating as hell. It was held outside in 95 degree weather where they kept the entries in full sun for several hours before opening them up tasting them. The judges also did not spit the wine out, so they were good and drunk about 1/3 the way in to the judging. In one entry, they moved my PORT over into the Cabernet category because they only had 1 entry. (how in the hell can one compare a cabernet to a port????).

It was so bad and they had so many complaints that the fair organizers brought in the AWS to do the actual judging and run the event. I, for one, will NEVER enter a state fair again.

Do not feel bad. When it comes to these competitions, sometimes you are the windshield, and sometimes your are the bug.

No matter how much these morons screw things up, they can't take away the fact that you have an award winning wine that you are proud of and greatly enjoy. No matter what they say, you are still a winner!

 

[jswordy]

Thanks JohnT, but the contest was done by the Florida Grape Growers Association and I really can't gripe at the qualifications of the judges:

http://www.fgga.org/results/2014/booklet_judges_2_6_14.pdf

I was just really worried because to get that result it could mean I have sent out lots of bad bottles to contests that have yet to post results. I think I have assuaged that worry now.

Pretty wild contest year, between this deal here and the other contest actually losing a bottle I had entered. It's generally all-volunteer, I know, so these things happen.

 

[jpike01]

Just had a thought, I know...., but here it is.

Have you ever tasted the water in Florida?

 

[JohnT]

JS,

Didn't I read somewhere that they were going to judge the wine contest right after they judge the limburger cheese contest? Residual stinky cheese could be why they were so far off on your wine...

 

[jswordy]

JS,

Didn't I read somewhere that they were going to judge the wine contest right after they judge the limburger cheese contest? Residual stinky cheese could be why they were so far off on your wine...

John, you've been so supportive I really feel I should send you a bottle of Welch's.

 

[dralarms]

Jim,

You and I both have got to corrupt John some way.

 

[Julie]

Thanks, Julie and dralarms. The same wine won silver in Los Angeles, about as far from muscadine territory as possible. I have it in 2 more contests, so we'll see what happens.

Julie, my scuppernong that won silver in Florida was judged "stemmy." I thought that was interesting since the grapes are picked individually.

"Stemmy"?????? What the hell is that?

 

[dralarms]

Too many stems left in?

 

[Julie]

Lol, but and you know Dr. Alarms, there really is no stems in muscadines.

 

[dralarms]

Well, that's true, they'd be like tree trunks. Only grape I've seen that they grow that close to the actual vine.

 

[Davolous]

Number glasses theory

Maybe the judge drank too much, and mistakenly swapped your score with another bottle of wine, or was eliminating good wines so one of his buddies could score higher.

 

[garymc]

I'd bet money they mixed up your bottles with someone else's.

 

[wineforfun]

Jim,
I have the answer to all your troubles. I will be your official judge. Send me all the wine you want. I will label the contest a new name each week and I guarantee you will get rave reviews. It really is a win-win for both of us.

Seriously though, I assume it was from the muscadine batch you sent me, and that was an awesome wine. After reading through the thread, my take is either a. yes, there were some inexperienced judges that were thrown off by the taste of the muscadine grape or b. your bottles got mixed up with someone else (which would be my guess, especially since that wine has scored well everywhere but there).

 

[Arne]

I am with the crew that says you got caught with the ol switcheroo. We all know your wines are good. (At least the ones you send to other folks. LOL.) Arne.

 

[kevinlfifer]

Tastes good from here