Do Wine Competitions Really Matter?

(A short sabbatical is in order - So, for the next few weeks, we'll take a look back at some older posts: This one is from 2012 about wine competitions.)

 

 

A wine competition is an organized event, usually held by a state, an organization, the media, or the wine industry.  Wines are entered by the producing wineries, which pay a fee, usually from $40 to over $100 PER entry, and send anywhere from 2 to 12 bottles of each wine to be judged.

 

To submit a wine for consideration in these competitions, a winery fills out a competition form indicating the grape variety or proprietary name, where it was grown, the year made, the percentage of residual sugar and the current price charged for the bottle.  This helps the competition staff to place the wine in the correct categories for judging.

The wines are judged by professionals in the industry, peers, or consumers.  Awards are given and may include medals or ribbons to signify bronze (3^rd place) silver (2^ndplace) and gold (1^stplace.)  A double or Concordance gold means that every judge at the competition gave that wine a gold medal.  These competitions usually have a “Best of Class” category and a “Best of Show” award, as well.

Wineries enter what they consider to be their best wines in these competitions, hoping to medal so that they can claim a Gold, Silver or Bronze in that competition.  It’s an impressive selling point for the wine and is a great marketing tool for the winery.

Judging for wine competitions are done ‘blind.’ This means that the judges do not know who made the wine, where it was produced or the price it sells for.  This is done to prevent any bias, so that the wine is judged on its merits alone.

Wines are usually arranged in flights.  A flight will include wines from the same vintage year or same type of grapes but made by different wineries. A tasting flight is a selection of wines, usually three to twelve, to be reviewed.  Judges at the same table are served the same wines in each flight.  They use a judging form to evaluate each wine in its own merits.  Each judge scores the wine, signs the form and turns it in.  After the forms are picked up, judges can discuss their opinions.

Wines may be judged on a combination of the following elements:

1)  Appearance – The wine should be clear and bright without dullness or particles.

2)  Color – The color of the wine will depend on the type of grapes used.  A white wine that shows amber tones or a red with bronze edges indicated oxidization.

3)  Aroma & Bouquet – This can include many things but a wine that smells moldy, dirty or corky will loose points.

4)  Volable Acidity – Does the wine smell like vinegar? If so, 0 points.

5)  Total Acidity – This is felt in the mouth.  If the wine is judged to be too flat or too sharp, points are deducted.

6)  Sweetness/Sugar – Sugar and acid should be balance.

7)  Body – This is the mouth-feel.

8)  Flavor – It should correspond to the grapes used.  Anything metallic is not good.

9)  Astringency – This accounts for bitterness.

10) General or Overall Quality – This is the one category that is subjective.

Wine judges may use a 20 point scale when judging a wine.  This scale was developed in 1959 by Dr. Maynard Amerine at the University of California at Davis.  The UC Davis scale allots points in the following categories:

Appearance – (Up to 2 points)

Color - (Up to 2 points)

Aroma & Bouquet - (Up to 4 points)

Volable Acidity - (Up to 2 points)

Total Acidity - (Up to 2 points)

Sweetness/Sugar - (Up to 1 point)

Body - (Up to 1 point)

Flavor - (Up to 1 point)

Astringency - (Up to 1 point)

General Quality - (Up to 2 points)

Each wine is sampled and the judge scores it in each category from 0 to the maximum number of points allowed, based on a theoretical standard.

The UC Davis 20 point rating is scored as:

0 - 5 points - Objectionable

6 - 8 points - Deficient

9 - 11 points -  Acceptable

12 – 14 points – Average (Bronze)

15 – 17 points – Above average (Silver)

18 – 20 points – Outstanding (Gold)

After years of using this system, the American Wine Society created a different version of the 20 Point Scale.  The AWS version assigns points in these categories:

Appearance  (Up to 3 points)

Aroma & Bouquet - (Up to 6 points)

Taste & Texture - (Up to 6 points)

Aftertaste - (Up to 3 points)

Overall Impression - (Up to 2 points)

The AWS 20 point rating is scored as:

12 – 14 points – Good  (Bronze)

15 – 17 Excellent  (Silver)

18 – 20 Extraordinary (Gold)

The AWS scale is now being used by more and more competitions as the standard.  Wine judges are told to try to be objective, and somewhat restrained in their negative evaluations. 

Wine competitions are held around the world.  In the United States, there are several wine competition held annually, including:

Critics Challenge International http://www.criticschallenge.com

Dallas Morning News http://www.dallaswinecompetition.com

Finger Lakes International http://www.fliwc.com/

Indy International http://www.indyinternational.org

International Eastern www.vwm-online.com

San Francisco International http://www.sfwinecomp.com

Tasters Guild http://www.tastersguild.com/

Wine Lovers Consumer Wine Judging http://www.tastersguild.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=94&Itemid=74

Most competitions are sponsored by those in the wine industry, state fair associations, or newspapers and magazines.  The Finger Lakes wine competition is different.  It is sponsored by Camp Good Days and Special Times, a not-for-profit 501 corporation that provides a camping experience and other benefits for children with cancer.

There is also a unique competition that is judged by select wine loving consumers. The Wine Lovers Consumer Wine Judging participants attend seminars on how to judge wine objectively, and are guided by an experienced advisor. This competition is held annually and sponsored by the Tasters Guild.

Keep in mind that small and medium sized wineries, those not located on the West Coast, and those that craft non-standard wines will probably be hard pressed to ever get a wine rating from a wine critic.  Wine competitions however are open and available to all commercials wineries to enter.  This is a chance to level the playing field for the small wineries and give their wines a chance to be noticed and shine.

So the next time you’re selecting a bottle of wine, don’t be so quick to look for the big name wines or the wine rating numbers. Instead, check out some of the wines offered by local and regional wineries.  See what awards they have won and take a chance on that gold, silver or bronze medal winner.  I think you will be pleasantly surprised with what you find.  Enjoy!

~ Joy

Wines of the Titanic

(A short sabbatical is in order - So, for the next few weeks, we'll take a look back at some older posts: This one is from 2012 about the Wines of the Titanic.)

This Saturday, April 14^th will mark the 100^th Anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, the largest vessel afloat in 1912. Registered under the British White Star Line, R.M.S. Titanic set sail from Southampton, England on April 10 with 2,207 passengers, including 885 crew members.  The ship struck an iceberg around 11:40 P.M. April 14^th and sank just before 2:30 AM, April 15^th in the North Atlantic.  Over 1,500 people were lost.  Only seven hundred people survived, mainly first class passengers.

The Titanic was launched in 1911, but a formal naming ceremony was never held.  Nor was she christened with a bottle of Champagne, although that was the wine of prevalent choice for passengers.  When the Titanic pulled out on her maiden voyage, she was carrying over 1,500 bottles of wine, 20,0000 Champagne glasses, 20,000 bottles of beer and stout, and over 850 bottles of liquor.

The White Star Line preferred to offer passengers white wines like Champagne and Moselle, wines that could be served chilled.  Red wines presented a problem since the vibration of the steam engines could dislodge sediment in the older wines and make them unappealing to guests.  According to a 1910 White Star Line Wine List for first class passengers, included on a trip were ten different Champagnes, along with Sauternes, Moselle, Claret, Port, Sherry, Burgundy, and Vermouth.  This is probably similar to the types of wine the Titanic was carrying.

The one wine we do know that was on board was   Heidsieck Gout Americain (Ameican Taste) Champagne.  The R.M.S. Titanic, Inc. salvaged unopened bottles of Heidsieck Champagne from the wreckage. Corks were also discovered in the wreckage from Moet Champagne.  Rumor has it that 6 bottles of the Titanic Champagne were sold to a private Asian buyer in 2004 at an undisclosed price. 

Interestingly enough, this is the same Champagne that was on board the Swedish ship, Jonkoping, when she sank in 1916.  Unopened bottles were discovered in the wreckage, off the coast of Finland, in 1997.  When bottles of this rare Champagne were opened, tasters said that the sweet flavors of the wine took time to develop in the mouth, but the light-bodied wine had a nice, mellow character.  One bottle sold for almost $300,000.

Last month, a Nova Scotia resident reported that she has a bottle of wine that supposedly came from the Titanic.  Betty Thomas of Halifax told reporters that the bottle of Jeanne d’Arc Vin Mousseux, Cuvee Reserve, was rescued by one of her ancestors, floating in the wreckage from the Titanic.  Although this wine was never shown on wine lists for the ship, it could have come from a passenger’s luggage.

Wine was served with each course of the first class passenger’s ten-course banquet dinner that fateful night and included Champagne, white wines, red wines, Madeira, and Cognac.  Most of the wines served were European.

What follows is the first-class menu as served in the first-class dining saloon of the R.M.S. Titanic on April 14, 1912:

First Course: Hors D'Oeuvres or Oysters

Second Course: Consommé Olga or Cream of Barley Soup

Third Course: Poached Salmon with Mousseline Sauce and Cucumbers

Fourth Course:   Filet Mignons Lilly, Sauté of Chicken Lyonnaise, or Vegetable Marrow Farci

Fifth Course: Lamb with mint sauce, Roast Duckling with apple sauce, or Sirloin of Beef; green peas, creamed carrots, boiled rice and Parementier & boiled new                                              potatoes.

Sixth Course:        Punch Romaine

Seventh Course:    Roast squab and cress.

Eighth Course:      Cold Asparagus Vinaigrette

Ninth Course:       Pate de Foie Gras, celery.

Tenth Course:      Waldorf pudding, Peaches in Chartreuse Jelly, Chocolate and Vanilla Éclairs, and French ice cream.

Actual wine bottles from the ship, along with other items are being auctioned today in Manhattan by Guernsey’s Auctioneers & Brokers. 

Over 5,000 salvaged items are to be sold as one lot. The artifacts are owned by the American company, RMS Titanic, Inc., which has the salvaging rights to the site.  The collection was appraised in 2007 at $189-million.

Other items included in the auction are a bronze cherub that once adorned the Grand Staircase, table settings, jewelry and watches, clothing, and money.

The items cannot be sold individually by order of the court.  The court issued 19 pages of rules the buyer must agree to before the collection can change hands.  The buyer must also agree to properly maintain the collection and keep a portion of the artifacts on display for public viewing.  The final sale is subject to court approval.

So tonight, I believe I will pour a glass of Champagne and toast the memory of the Titanic, her passengers and crew.  After one hundred years, we are still captivated by this ship.

~ Joy

 

6 Secrets For a Winning Wine Tour

Over 30 million travelers in the U.S. have taken a professional food or wine tour since the turn of the 21st century. If you’re a wine lover, chances are you check for any wineries located close by whenever you travel. But have you thought about taking a professional wine tour? Here are five reasons to consider "taking the bus."

A Fun Tour Guide

1) A wine tour is only as good as the people leading it, so if the guides are good, you may get all kind of extra perks like behind the scene tours, a bit of wine history, even tips on which wines to try.  Find out if the tour guides are knowledgeable about wine. Do they have personal wine experience?  Have they been involved in the industry? Few people get involved in the tour business unless they want to share a memorable and fun experience to others who have a similar interest.

Winery Production Area

2) Know what YOU want a tour to cover.  Do you want to see where and how the wine is made, or do you just want to taste the wines?  Would a trip through the vineyard be interesting, or would you rather have time in the gift shop?  Hiring a profession wine tour company is a bit like having a personal shopper.  You need to know your basic requirements to be satisfied and then find a tour that meets those needs.

3) Visit the tour company’s web site or Facebook page; check their TripAdvisor reviews. If you like what you read, call them and ask some questions. If they don’t or won’t take time to talk with you on the phone, they probably won’t on the tour either.

4) Ask relevant questions:

What is included in the tour and price?  Is it a winery tour or a wine tasting tour? Is the tour company independent of any winery? Will you meet the winemakers or winery owners?  Do you get a souvenir glass to taste with and keep?  Is a meal or snacks available on the route?  Is food included in the price?  Is bottled water available?  Who pays any tasting fees?  Is tipping of the winery staff expected?  Is there a discount on wine purchased on the tour? Will your tour vehicle be locked during destination stops? Is there an age restriction for tour participants? Are ID’s required in order to be served? Are you limited to the number of bottles/cases of wine you can purchase on the tour? Will the tour company assist you in shipping the wine back home? What is the cancellation policy?

Meet the Winemaker

A winery tour may include a trek through the vineyards, a quick trip through the production facility, a chat with the winemaker, or just tasting at the bar. Know ahead of time what to expect.

A Tasting Flight

5) Do your homework to get the maximum enjoyment from the trip. Take a few minutes and familiarize yourself with the wineries you’ll be visiting. Have an idea what you’d like to taste at each stop and find out how long each stop will be. 

6) Dress for the occasion: If you will be entering the winemaking facility on your tour wear flats or sneakers (No heels!) because the floor may be wet and slippery, and there will be drains in the floor covered with grids. Be on time to the designated meeting area, relax, and have fun.

A wine tour company should allow you to experience the local wines and get a little taste of its terrior, wines, and hospitality. Wine tour companies are in this business because they love sharing the winery adventure with others. Your job is to just sit back, sip and enjoy!

~ Joy

6 Suggestions For Storing Wine

Ancient Wine Jars

Storing wines to their best advantage has always been a concern among wine lovers. Just last year archaeologists unearthed the remains of a 1700 BC Canaanite palace in northern Israel and discovered the remains of 40 large ceramic jars: Three-foot tall vessels that were once used for the storage of wine.

 Modern Wine Room

Today, our choices have expanded from clay jars and wine skins to state-of-the-art wine cellars, and temperature controlled wine rooms. But for the everyday wine drinker, there are a few tricks of the trade to keep your wines distinct and ready to drink. Here are 6 tips: Three for short-term preservation, and three for the long haul storage.

Short Term Preservation:

1) Put a cork in it! If you find yourself with a half bottle of wine left over, you have a few options.  You can recork a bottle of white wine bottle and place it in the fridge. For red wines, cork it and store the bottle upright in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight. This should buy you another 2 to 5 days on the remainder of the wine.

Wine Vacuum Pump

2) Vacuum pumps specially made to remove the air from the bottle are another option. With the pump, you remove the excess air, and then insert a special cork to maintain freshness.

Inert Gas

3) Inert gas sprayed into the bottle will act as a blanket over the wine and prevent oxidation from occurring. This is one of the methods commercial wineries use to keep wines from oxidizing in tanks.

 

Long Term Storage:

Wine Library

Depending on the wine, most may be kept from 2 to 5 years: some for up to 10 years. If you’re storing wines for 20 years or longer, you are considered a serious wine collector (and probably have your own wine cellar with temperature controls.) 

Metal Wine Rack

4) Rack’em up. There are multitudes of wine racks out there; metal, wooden, plastic, in counter, above counter, on the counter: The choice is yours. Just consider how many bottles you will be storing and how long you'll want to store them – a couple of weeks, a month, a year. Quality wine racks are made so that the bottles are lying down with the neck tilted down a bit more so the cork stays wet.  (A wet cork stays sealed in the bottle.  A dried out cork allows in air that oxidizes the wine.)

Wine Fridge

5) Wine refrigerators can be a great investment for the white and fruit wine lover. These units come equipped with built-in wine racks to keep your wines at the perfect temperature for serving: 59 – 65º F for dry whites, Roses and blush. For Champagne and sparking wines, serving temp is 43 – 47º F

 

Wine Cellar

6) Wine cellars and caves are the trend in new homes. A walk-in room that is kept cool, quiet, dark and dry is the perfect spot for aging red and white wines. Ideal temperatures for long-term storage range between 50 and 55º F with 70% humidity being optimal. Invest in a climate controled unit that measures temperature and humidity. Fluctuations in temperature can ruin a wine, as can too high of humidity, which causes mold to grow; but too dry and the cork can shrink, letting air into the wine.

Red wines that cellar well include robust, dry reds made from Cabernet, Zinfandel, Syrah, Bordeaux; wines with heavy tannins.

Red wines that don’t cellar well include Pinot Noir, Merlot and Grenache, along with any wine labeled as “light and fruity.”

For most white and fruit wines, it’s normally suggested not to store them over two to three years.  These wines don't improve with age, so buy them now to enjoy soon.

Wine Closet

Wine storage doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. Space in your basement or a spare closet might be adequate for short-term storage – five years or less.  If wine has become a passion instead of a hobby, you might want to go for a wine fridge, or a basement wine cellar.  Just remember to keep your long-term wines labeled with the purchase date and drink-by-date for maximum enjoyment.

~ Joy