WMT (Unofficial) Strawberry Coastal White Wine Competition

[Dend78]

im still trying not to drink it all before october

 

[dangerdave]

Ours is still not in the bottle either. Still sitting in carboys in the cellar waiting for it to clear. We do not filter so it will be awhile. A question though IF the bottles are labeled then the judges will know whose bottle they are tasting. Takes away from the anonymity of the contest in our opinion.

Oh, Sammy. I like making labels.

This is a completely unofficial, totally unregulated, thoroughly un-anonymous, and wholly uncomplicated contest. Shoot, the only thing we're struggling to win is a short period of annoying bragging rights. I completely trust our two esteemed judges to be impartial in their choices, regardless of whether they know who made the wines or not.

Regardless, no one told them they had to be impartial. I just asked them to taste the wines and tell us which one they think is best. It's all for the fun of making wine and comparing results. Since I "organized" this thing, I actually hope I don't win. I'm just enjoying the process...with all of you!

I'd like to ask the judges to pick a first place, second place, and an honorable mention. Does that sound good to the rest of you?

 

[Kraffty]

On a sad note, I lost my father last month and have been slow in getting back to the day to day ins and outs of normal living. He was diagnosed about a year ago with multiple cancers and my entire family and I were fortunate enough to take advantage of knowing he only had a limited time left. To you Sons here I say tell your parents you love them anytime you can. To you Fathers and Mothers do the same for your children. My father was never a touchy-feely kind of guy but once I knew he had cancer I told him "like it or not I'm hugging you hello and goodby every time I see you"-and we stuck to that till the end. At the Cabin, a few nights before he died we stayed up late and had the chance to tell each other how much we loved and meant to each other. We both cried a bit but there was more joy than sadness to it. Here's my Dad on the 4th of July (he died on the 9th), Dad at the center as usual, surrounded by family.


He went on his terms, at home, after a 5 day weekend of family and all his closest friends. He laughed, joked and put on the bravest of faces as only he could. Don't waste time if you have it. I knew time was short and if not for Dad asking me to set down and chat that night I might have missed my last chance to let him know all those years and years of sharing his knowledge, coming down hard when needed and being so patient made me what I am today.

On a happy note, I plan on bottling this weekend. I think Dad would say it's about time to get back to living and Mom expects a case of award winning wine added to the cabin cellar next month.

Mike

 

[dangerdave]

Thanks for sharing that, Mike. You are indeed very fortunate to have had that time with your father. Mine left us when I was only nine years old, never to return. Earlier this year, I learned he had died six years ago.

But don't you start thinking that menas the rest of us are going easy on you! Get that wine in the bottles!

 

[jswordy]

Ours is still not in the bottle either. Still sitting in carboys in the cellar waiting for it to clear. We do not filter so it will be awhile. A question though IF the bottles are labeled then the judges will know whose bottle they are tasting. Takes away from the anonymity of the contest in our opinion.

There's a label contest, as well. Best way may be to require everyone to wrap the bottle in brown paper before sending. After the sampling, paper comes off and labels get judged.

Any bottle where the label is not completely obscured when package is opened is disqualified.

Whew, things getting a mite competitive in here. Mine's forgotten in the carboy right now. Shrug.

 

[Kraffty]

I just assumed judges would have someone pour the wine into glasses marked a-b-c or some other "secret agent type coding" before or after labels had been compared. Let's not get too complicated, it's not "rocket vintnering"
Mike

 

[dangerdave]

I just wanted someone to try my wine and tell me how good I know it is!

Sorry, folks. Anyone who was looking for a sophisticated competiton did not read the rules. No instructions for the judges (who are reading this) except to taste the wine and choose the best---based on their opinions.

That's right, Jim. I forgot about our label contest as well. So, best label and best wine. Let's not get too carried away from our basis for a fun, uncomplicated competition.

 

[Sammyk]

So, ours will be the masking tape label..........! Should be an original label unless some one else uses masking tape.
Most we gift to, could care less about the label and as long as we and they know what it is, the masking tape works best for our busy life.
No shrink label either. Just a bottle and a cork and a masking tape label with the name of the fruit and a start date.

 

[Kraffty]

Sammy, Just write a note on the tape saying , "see other side for "Emperors New Label". Dare them to find a finer label in the land. Besides, there's always a chance you could ace the "Best Cork Insertion" part of the contest.
Mike

 

[Sammyk]

Kraffty NOW that is funny!

 

[Runningwolf]

Even though you guy's don't stand a chance against me in winning this competition with my Kool Aid flavored wine and a color to die for you'll probably kick my a$$ in labels, except for tacky masking tape. I have an idea keeping it simple but it's all up to our leader. Dave. I propose Dave starts a new thread marked "Label competition". Everyone that enters the competition can post there label on that thread. There should be no comments posted in regards to any label. Members of the forum can pm the designated person with their vote for best label. A date to post would be posted early.
This way one person tally's up the votes. Everyone votes once but everyone has a voice in the winner. Simple and Fun. What do you think Dave?

 

[Sammyk]

Hmmmm. tacky masking tape? Yah we resemble that remark. LOL Would Duct tape be a better choice? I think you can buy them in colors?

 

[dangerdave]

What do you think Dave?

Sounds like more work on my part. Ok, we'll see what we can do.

I was hoping to pawn all this off on you, Dan.

 

[Arne]

Hmmmm. tacky masking tape? Yah we resemble that remark. LOL Would Duct tape be a better choice? I think you can buy them in colors?

Sammy, Use the blue painting masking tape. Easy off, does not leave any glue. Quick clean, what more do you want?? Arne.

 

[Dend78]

labels? we dont need no stinking labels!! thats just somethin someone has to peel off later bad enough i gotta cork em

i may go with a super shifty duct tape label

 

[Sammyk]

So glad we are not the only one who does not make and use labels. Making labels is just as much of an art as making wine. Not something we know how to do or have the time and patience to learn to do.

 

[jswordy]

Well hell, I have to be serious for once.

Mike, I did not see your post about your father until just now, and so my earlier post that followed yours may appear insensitive to what you had written. I'm sorry for your loss and I know what it is like to get restarted again after something like that. My wife has lost both parents and I have lost my mom. Cool thing is, he'll always be with you in ways you'll increasingly notice as time goes on.

On the labels, heck, I make labels all the time. I have a template and it takes me about 5 minutes to make one and about 15 minutes to print them and cut them and another 15 minutes to affix them, so I'm into it for 35 minutes.

They are not real artsy labels, but I figure if I have gone to all the work of making the wine, I want something on the bottle when I give it away.

My fancy label-making software is Microsoft Word, and my fancy label paper is plain old Wal-Mart printer paper. I glue them on with milk, and they wash off quickly with a rinse of hot water when the bottle is empty. If it's a special wine, I will maybe spray the label lightly with hobby spray before affixing it to give it a sheen. Doesn't happen often.

Don't care either way on a label contest along with the wine contest. That's something that got dreamed up by somebody along the way, and it is as easily dropped as it was dreamed up.

Still concerned about this newly competitive turn, which seems to me in reading the posts to be different than a fun lark contest kind of thing. I signed up for the fun lark contest. I would hate to damage forum relationships by getting overly serious about all this.

What I really would appreciate out of this are judge's comments on my wine. Those would be way more important to me than winners and losers. On the other hand, I could ask the judges to comment on my wine but not have it entered into the contest.

 

[Sammyk]

I am with Jim on this. We are more for "comments from the judges" on how to improve our wines than we are in entering. It appears that the contest has become way to competitive to us.

 

[Kraffty]

Hey guys, Unless I'm just naive I'm not reading any serious competitive mindset from anyone - just a bunch of smack talk meant to be fun.
I am bottling this weekend and also looking forward to seeing some type of "scorecard", truth is I've never even tasted a strawberry wine except mine, which is why I can honestly say "MY WINE IS THE BEST I'VE EVER TASTED!"
Pics on monday hopefully.
Mike
Jim - thank you, I sense there's truth in what you said.

 

[dessertmaker]

I am with Jim on this. We are more for "comments from the judges" on how to improve our wines than we are in entering. It appears that the contest has become way to competitive to us.

Is the fly one of the judges? Because if so I'd like his comments to be clearly marked. I don't know that I trust judgement on a wine from anyone who can take a nap on a rotten piece of steak and be okay with it. What if he drinks my wine while he's sitting on the steak and gets his notes confused?

A comment like "Great aroma of decay. It reminds one of an exposed septic pipe in the midst of a summer heat wave. Ah the childhood memories." Would REALLY confuse me and make me want to rethink several of my processes.