Below is the first few pages. If interested the full MSWord.doc is
available he

http://www.vinic.com/files/MWS.doc

or if you'd like it in another format, email me.
(Their site is down at the moment)

clyde

Missouri Winemaking Society
2004 Wine Fair - Quick Reference


Fair:

Sunday, February 15, 2004
Judging begins at Noon

Entries:

$8 per bottle for first three bottles, then $6 per each additional
bottle
No limit on number of entries
Max. 2 categories for the same wine

No label on bottle except wine fair label
Cork (still wines) or wired stopper (sparkling wines)

Label competition is $1.00 per label

Deadlines:

Deadline for entry form/fee: January 30, 2004
Deadline for shipped entries: Arrive by February 11, 2004
Deadline for delivery of entries: February 15, 2004, 10 am to
11 am

More Information:

Our Web page: http://www.mowinemaking.org
Email to: info@m...
MISSOURI WINEMAKING SOCIETY
2004 Wine Fair
EXHIBITOR'S GUIDELINES
1. WINE SECTIONS:

Wines will be divided into Sections and Classes. There will be five
main Sections of wine based on usage as defined by the Missouri
Winemaking Society bylaws. The winemaker is responsible for entering
the wine in the correct Section, especially according to sweetness.

I. DINNER (TABLE) WINES - Used to accompany main course dishes and
are usually dry. They have less than 0.5% unfermented sugar and
less than 14% alcohol. These are commonly known as "dry" or "off-
dry" wines.

II. SOCIAL WINES - Primarily enjoyed in the evening or afternoon
with snacks, but may be used with meals or any time. They typically
have 0.5% to 3.0% unfermented sugar with less than 14% alcohol.
These are commonly known as "semi-dry" or "semi-sweet" wines.

III. SPARKLING WINES - White, pink or red effervescent
(carbonated) wines sometimes referred to as champagne.. The
classifications of sweetness a (1) natural (completely dry); (2)
brut (up to 2.0% sugar); and (3) sweet (more than 2.0% sugar).

IV. DESSERT WINES - Full bodied, very sweet wines that are
normally served at the end of a meal or with desserts or snacks.
These wines contain more than 3.0% sugar and may contain over 14%
alcohol. These are commonly referred to as "sweet" wines.

V. SPECIALTY WINES - Includes appetizer or cocktail wines (such as
sherry, vermouth, Madeira and port), honey-based wines, and other
wines which do not fit the other categories. A fortified wine (Port,
Sherry or Madeira) is a wine that uses distilled spirits to increase
alcohol level.
2. WINE CLASSIFICATION:

Each Section will be further subdivided into Classes as defined by
the primary ingredients and/or color of the wine. Wines may be
entered for judging in any of the classes defined (See Section
11, "Judging Classifications").

A. The winemaker is responsible for entering the wine in the
correct classification, especially according to sweetness. The Wine
Fair Committee reserves the right to cancel, subdivide, consolidate,
or reclassify any class.

B. A minimum of three entries is usually necessary for a class
to be judged. Additional classes may be added if a sufficient
number of a particular type or style of wine is entered.

Clyde wrote in message
>. ..
>Sunday, February 15, 2004
>Judging begins at Noon
>Entries:
>
>$8 per bottle for first three bottles, then $6 per each additional
>bottle
>No limit on number of entries
>Max. 2 categories for the same wine
>
>No label on bottle except wine fair label
>Cork (still wines) or wired stopper (sparkling wines)
>
>Label competition is $1.00 per label



Just when we get comfortable with our new found hobby of viticulture
and wine making someone comes along with an idea aimed at destroying it
all. Here's my experience with wine competitions: They're
characterized by insider wheeling and dealing, favoritism, cheating,
and control by a small group of professionals using the "contest" to
promote their OWN wines. Invariably, the blue ribbons go
to the sons, the buddies and the cronies of those who run the contest.
I'd advise anyone to save themselves a lot of time and grief by
pounding the $8.00 down a rat hole.

BMc

"Bill McCarty" > wrote in message
...
>
> Clyde wrote in message
> >. ..
> >Sunday, February 15, 2004
> >Judging begins at Noon
> >Entries:
> >
> >$8 per bottle for first three bottles, then $6 per each additional
> >bottle
> >No limit on number of entries
> >Max. 2 categories for the same wine
> >
> >No label on bottle except wine fair label
> >Cork (still wines) or wired stopper (sparkling wines)
> >
> >Label competition is $1.00 per label
>
>
>
> Just when we get comfortable with our new found hobby of viticulture
> and wine making someone comes along with an idea aimed at destroying it
> all. Here's my experience with wine competitions: They're
> characterized by insider wheeling and dealing, favoritism, cheating,
> and control by a small group of professionals using the "contest" to
> promote their OWN wines. Invariably, the blue ribbons go
> to the sons, the buddies and the cronies of those who run the contest.
> I'd advise anyone to save themselves a lot of time and grief by
> pounding the $8.00 down a rat hole.
>
> BMc

Hi Bill,

Here is a different perspective. I judge at several commercial and homewine
competitions each year. These are large competitions (several hundred
entries). Each of these competitions use a similar procedure.

Each wine is judged by a panel of five judges, and the larger competitions
may have 20 to 30 panels of judges. The wines are received weeks before the
competition. As each bottle of wine is received, it is placed in an opaque
bag and the bag is tightly taped to the neck of the bottle. A number is
placed on the outside of the bag and the number is recorded in a log book.

On judging day, stewards (usually 2 per panel) pull the corks, pour some of
the wine into glasses and place the number on the bag on the glasses. (1)
Please note that the stewards never see the wine bottles and they do not
know who made or entered the wine.

The glasses are then taken to the judges in an adjoining room. The judges
rate the wine and use the number on the glasses to record their scores.
(2) Please note that the judges never see the corks or the covered bottles.
They only see numbered glasses and they do not know who made or entered the
wine.

Several days after the judging is completed, the log book is used to
identify the wines. These competitions are called "double blind"
competitions. More than a hundred people are involved as recorders,
stewards and judges. I am not aware of any "insider wheeling and dealing,
favoritism, cheating."

Regards,
lum

Does the term "Sore Loser" spring to mind? :-)

"Lum" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Bill McCarty" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > Clyde wrote in message
> > >. ..
> > >Sunday, February 15, 2004
> > >Judging begins at Noon
> > >Entries:
> > >
> > >$8 per bottle for first three bottles, then $6 per each additional
> > >bottle
> > >No limit on number of entries
> > >Max. 2 categories for the same wine
> > >
> > >No label on bottle except wine fair label
> > >Cork (still wines) or wired stopper (sparkling wines)
> > >
> > >Label competition is $1.00 per label
> >
> >
> >
> > Just when we get comfortable with our new found hobby of viticulture
> > and wine making someone comes along with an idea aimed at destroying it
> > all. Here's my experience with wine competitions: They're
> > characterized by insider wheeling and dealing, favoritism, cheating,
> > and control by a small group of professionals using the "contest" to
> > promote their OWN wines. Invariably, the blue ribbons go
> > to the sons, the buddies and the cronies of those who run the contest.
> > I'd advise anyone to save themselves a lot of time and grief by
> > pounding the $8.00 down a rat hole.
> >
> > BMc
>
> Hi Bill,
>
> Here is a different perspective. I judge at several commercial and
homewine
> competitions each year. These are large competitions (several hundred
> entries). Each of these competitions use a similar procedure.
>
> Each wine is judged by a panel of five judges, and the larger
competitions
> may have 20 to 30 panels of judges. The wines are received weeks before
the
> competition. As each bottle of wine is received, it is placed in an
opaque
> bag and the bag is tightly taped to the neck of the bottle. A number is
> placed on the outside of the bag and the number is recorded in a log book.
>
> On judging day, stewards (usually 2 per panel) pull the corks, pour some
of
> the wine into glasses and place the number on the bag on the glasses. (1)
> Please note that the stewards never see the wine bottles and they do not
> know who made or entered the wine.
>
> The glasses are then taken to the judges in an adjoining room. The judges
> rate the wine and use the number on the glasses to record their scores.
> (2) Please note that the judges never see the corks or the covered
bottles.
> They only see numbered glasses and they do not know who made or entered
the
> wine.
>
> Several days after the judging is completed, the log book is used to
> identify the wines. These competitions are called "double blind"
> competitions. More than a hundred people are involved as recorders,
> stewards and judges. I am not aware of any "insider wheeling and
dealing,
> favoritism, cheating."
>
> Regards,
> lum
>
>
>

Bill McCarty wrote "Here's my experience with wine competitions: They're
> characterized by insider wheeling and dealing, favoritism, cheating,
> and control by a small group of professionals using the "contest" to
> promote their OWN wines. Invariably, the blue ribbons go
> to the sons, the buddies and the cronies of those who run the contest.

Hi Bill - Here's my experience with wine competition. It's a whole lot of
work but a lot of fun. My wine club puts on an amateur wine contest every
year. Too bad about your experience. We have no interest in rigging the
contest. May the best wine win. Wines are labeled with a number and judges
never know who made the wine they are tasting. Only after the contest are
winemakers matched up with results. I really don't care about ribbons or
medals...I think the best thing about wine contests is the feed back you get
from the judges. This may help you make better wine in your new found
hobby.

Bill Frazier
Olathe, Kansas
Greater Kansas City Cellarmasters

>
> Just when we get comfortable with our new found hobby of viticulture
> and wine making someone comes along with an idea aimed at destroying it
> all.

Gotta make you wonder!!


clyde

Bill,

You obviously had some bad experiences somewhere. So have I, but mine
were with enology students who didn't know enough about wine to be
judging but were doing just that. On the whole, I find competitions
to be most rewarding, both as a competitor (from the feedback from the
judges and in interaction with other winemakers) and as a judge (you
get to taste a lot of really good wines and a few really bad ones --
both extremes can be insiring, although in quite different ways).

If you REALLY feel the competitions you've entered are as you have
described, my advice is to stop entering those particular competitions
and start entering others. There are plenty out there to enter.

Jack Keller, The Winemaking Home Page
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/