As you visit wineries across the Midwest, many times they'll be proudly displaying numerous medals and awards they have accumulated from wine competitions across the country. I'm not bashful to say we do the same thing here at James Arthur Vineyards. In fact, we were recently awarded another prestigious Jefferson Cup from the
Jefferson Cup Invitational Wine Competition for our 2011 Vignoles. We enter a number of competitions throughout the year, but the Jefferson Cup is one I personally hold near and dear to my heart. It's probably because the competition is held in the Midwest (Kansas City) and was founded by Doug Frost. Doug is one of only three individuals in the world to have achieved the titles of both Master Sommelier and Master of Wine. He is, hands down, the most knowledgeable and respected individual I've met when it comes to the wonderful world of wine. Yet, the thing I appreciate most about Doug is that he has a very down-to-earth demeanor, and that he appreciates wine based on it's own merit, and not by the variety, region, winemaker, or other factors that may influence his thought on a particular wine or winery. I value his opinion very much, and to earn a major accolade from a competition with his name associated to it is a great honor. Of course, we will "toot our horn" loudly that we've been recognized for producing such a solid wine.
Having said that, I also realize that competitions can be very subjective. I've personally had wines earn a gold medal in one competition, and then draw a goose egg in the next. i think a number of factors go into this. It comes down to when the wine arrived at the judging venue, the order in which it was judged or even the day it was judged. Most of these competitions have the best-of-the-best when it comes to the panel of wine judges. However, I'm sure even their palates can get fatigued, or in some cases, the judge may not be familiar with the types of grapes we grow and the styles or flavors we create from theses grapes. Judging between hybrid and vinifera wines is like comparing apples to oranges. However, I do believe that if you have a highly awarded wine from competition to competition (Double Gold and Best of Shows) on a consistent basis, you know you have a very good wine. When that happens here in Nebraska, it allows for great marketing opportunities and reinforces the fact that we indeed can make very good wine in this part of the country. That's important to us, because many times wines are judged by certain wine writers and critics in very well-known publications. We've all seen those ratings, which are commonly based on a 100 point scale and greatly influence the public when purchasing wine. However, many times, for whatever reasons, wines produced in the Midwest are ignored by these folks. To be fair, there are hundreds of thousands of wines in the world today, and only so many can be tasted and rated. But, it seems most of the recognizable critics rarely venture outside of their traditional wine region comfort zones. I will give props, however, to many wine bloggers who seem to be a bit more open minded and adventurous when it comes to trying rogue wines from outside the well known wine regions of the world. Again, this is why wine competitions can be very important. It gives wineries, such as JAV, a chance to showcase to showcase ourselves on a larger stage. I often state (and truly believe) that when it comes to producing sweet...especially sweet white wine here in the Midwest, we can hold our own against anybody in the world. This has been proven a number of times in competitions when a Midwestern wine has garnered a "Best of Show" honor.
This leads to another topic I've read or heard about. There's a perception that winemakers sometimes pander to certain wine writers, and their publications, by trying to produce a wine to earn a 90+ rating. I can understand this, intrinsically, I want to make wine that represents who I am and the grapes I grow. However, many of us also have a business to run, and that can only be done by a little thing called "cash flow." To earn a high rating usually leads to big sales. I believe there is a fine balance that we need to achieve in this arena. If my main objective were to create another 90+ rated
(insert name of wine here), what a homogeneous wine world we would live in. My philosophy as a winemaker is not to appease those critics by creating the idealistic 90+ wine, nor is it to make a wine that suits my personal palate. If I'm fortunate to earn a medal in a wine competition, that's gravy. My whole objective is to grow or buy the very best grapes possible, and then create a wine that is well balanced and full of character...but, above all, a wine our customers can enjoy. If I do that, I've accomplished my mission.
