Bill Gates said once, “success is a menace, it makes smart people think they can’t lose”. I do this for fun and try not to let winning make me believe anything more about my skills. My eye would be off the ball if I did.

Jason

First, On many occasions I make a wine that I would not enter into a competition. Is it bad? No not necessarily, actually many tasting it could like it. But for me it might not meet the standards that I set for myself. When I do enter a wine in a competition I am fairly confident it will win a medal. In fact I often beg guys to enter a wine they have made after I have tasted it. With my own wines , on a percentage basis I am over 90 percent calling a winner prior to the competition, with other guys wines I am at 100%. Then on those occasions when I am wrong , it is then I am interested in reading the judges notes , and it is here where I see the weakness in the caliber of judging. Yea I know it might sound like when I win they are right and when I lose they suck. But the point is consistency. If you have Brett all judges should note that. If your wine is Dark in Color , you don’t expect a judge to say it lacks color. Any progress that can be made to improve judging is welcome. And any contest rules that combine kits, juice , and grapes into one category are a waste of time.

As for the second part, finding people who don’t like your wine and would rather drink something else is part of understanding what it is like to be an Amateur Winemaker. For example, countless times someone will say this wine is too strong. So I put the Cab Sav down and open a bottle of Grenache or Syrah Blend. Guess what? More times than not they are very happy with the second wine. If you don’t have a cellar with diversity then doing that is difficult. So then you must open a bottle of commercial wine of the type you think your guest wants. Too many times Amateurs get insulted and that is a mistake. Imagine if you were a commercial winemaker and a “fly on the wall” when your Uncle Harry tells you the wine you are drinking tastes like shit.

To find qualified judges from all parts of the country in multiple contests to recognize a wine you have made that is what makes competitions worthwhile. For example Ernie Gerrard a member has a 2008 66/33 Cab Sav/ Merlot blend wine. This wine has been entered 3 times has won medals in 3 competitions so far this year. That is the consistency that validates your wine at least with experts even if they have their limitations. So we compete and complain as well. That boulder you talk about is the striving to make that wine.

Make a wine you like to drink. Enter competitions (or not) for fun end enjoy the opportunity. Everything else is pushing a boulder up hill.

Jason