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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us February 21, 2006 Off The Vine Judging is a rewarding experience Lorn Razzano One of the joys of the wine world is that of commercial wine judging. I just returned from the very prestigious Newport Seafood and Wine Festival held on the beautiful Oregon coast. This is the finest commercial wine competition in the pacific northwest and features wines from Oregon, Washington and Idaho. I have been a commercial wine judge at this fair for many years, and I find the process illuminating and rewarding on many levels. To be considered for a judgeship in commercial wine competitions does not mean that you have to be in the wine business on any level. There are many judges who have professions very remote from the wine scene but have a passion for understanding and evaluating wine with all of its complexities and nuances. Many judges are nominated by those already at the competition level with an eye for folks who cannot only understand wine but are able to (this is very important) explain in detail to the other judges what exactly they are tasting in each wine. These explanations can be told from a chemist-scientist point of view, an artistic point of view or both. The value of each wine must be explained so that other judges can get a handle on what it is a judge is trying to get across in a group setting. It is important that the other judges can agree or disagree on this wine with some sort of rational, group agreed-upon basis. A person who simply states, “Boy, I really like this wine,” without some sort of qualifier will not be asked back to judge. All wine competitions feature an odd number of judges at each panel, so there is never a “tie” or gridlock on any one wine. In most instances, a chief judge sets the speed and tone of the judging and is usually deferred to in cases of very difficult or gridlocked decisions on a specific wine. Obviously, there can be heated discussions between judges on wines to be up for medals or those to be eliminated from the competition altogether. A strong chief judge is very important for a competition to move well. Commercial wine competitions can be sponsored by chambers of commerce, nonprofits of all kinds, municipalities, counties and state fairs. The competitions are almost always followed by a festival where all are invited to taste the winners and losers of the competition. Many wineries will have booths open at this festival and talk about the winery, what the new releases are out and the wines ready for immediate sale. From time to time there may be a “People’s Choice” competition held at the festival where folks will be asked to drop a slip of paper in a box indicating their favorite wine of the festival. Wines are put into categories called “flights.” Thus, all Chardonnay, Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon will be put into their own flights and tasted anonymously as the day progresses. There may be 50 different Chardonnay in a flight, split in two groups of 25 being tasted in the morning or there may be only five Syrah (a small flight) entered in the competition to be tasted in the afternoon. In Newport, we tasted about 140 wines in 10 hours, including the Best in Show category at the end of the competition, which featured some of the gold medal winners to be reviewed for the single top prize of the competition. Next week I will give you a list of the gold medal winners for the 2006 Newport Seafood and Wine Festival. Stay tuned! DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Deep Muscle Stimulator Ceramic Piggy Banks FREE Entertainment Guide Women's & Men's Slippers Accelerate Weightloss Products Backpacks Online Pharmacy Vegas Travel Guide Search Engine Optimization Student Loans Hotel & Airline Reservations Hammocks Water Filter Helzberg Diamonds Online Casinos Community Bonus Casino Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Mailing Lists Click Here Advertisement .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams