How important are wine competitions? You need only read a brochure describing a winery or visit a winery and you are likely to see reminders of any medals won (at least recently). There are quite a few wine competitions on a state, regional, national and international level. Below, I will discuss several of the most popular and prestigious competitions that many New Jersey wineries have participated in recently. I will also try to explain some of the terminology used in many of these competitions. It should be noted that not all wineries enter competitions. They are expensive and some folks feel that they don’t need to compete in them and rely on tastings and word-of-mouth. It should also be noted that the examples pictured above are just a few bottles I happened to find in my cellar that are award winners. I’m sure a more exhaustive search would turn up several others.
Pictured above from left to right:
- Amalthea Cellars 2015 Legends Edition Europa I-Platinum Medal, Cellar Selection and 2018 Best NJ Red wine; Best in Show; and Governor’s Cup 2018; 2015 Legends Edition Europa IV-God Medal; and 2014 Legends Series Europa VII-Gold Medal.
- Next is Plagido’s Winery 2016 Coeur d’Est Red Blend-Double Gold winner at the 2019 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition
- Bellview Winery 2017 Gruner Veltliner-Best of Class at the 2019 San Francisco Chronicle International Wine Competition
- Sharrott Winery NV Pinot Grigio-Gold Medal winner at the 2019 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition.
Here are a few of the most prominent competitions and a few words about each of them:
New Jersey State Wine Competition
The first year that I could find a reference for this competition via the Garden State Wine Growers Association (GSWGA) website was in 2013. This is probably the most popular and the one the majority of our state’s wineries have entered at least one or two wines in recent years. It is not open to other states or areas. However, results are helpful in making comparisons with other wineries around the state. Keep in mind, however, not all NJ wineries enter this competition. It should be noted that beginning in 2018 the competition was conducted by the Beverage Tasting Institute (BTI), a respected and objective wine reviewing/rating agency.
New Jersey State Fair Annual Commercial Wine Competition
New in 2016, it is only open to commercially produced wines from licensed winemakers. As with several of the competitions mentioned on this post, you can find results of this competition on the GSWGA Website.
Beverage Tasting Institute World Wine Competition
In addition to doing the honors for the New Jersey Wine Competition, the BTI also conducts this competition yearly.
Finger Lakes International Wine Competition
It is located in New York, but they receive entries from all over the world. It has become one of the most renown and respected wine competitions in the world and one which New Jersey wineries increasingly enter and bring home medals. Started in 2000, it is the third largest wine competition in the nation and the sixth largest in the world. In 2015 there were 3,700 entries from 48 states and 26 countries.
San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
One of the oldest and historically important wine competitions (think Bottle Rocket and Judment of Paris). This is another competition where NJ wineries have performed well. This is the largest competition of American wines. There were over 7,100 entries in 2016.
Indy International Wine Competition
This is another wine competition that a number of New Jersey wineries have entered over the years and done very well there.
Atlantic Seaboard Wine Competition
They have been judging wines since 2005 from 17 states from Maine to Florida, which border the Atlantic Ocean. Obviously this is one in which NJ is included.
American Wine Society Competition
Established in 1986, they accept entries from all over the United States. The American Wine Society is a well-respected organization. Anyone can join. I am a past member myself (time to update my membership).
International Eastern Wine Competition
Started in 1975, it is the oldest wine completion in America.
Taster’s Guild International Wine Judging
Established in 1987, the competition is open to other countries, but it is predominantly represented by American entires. There are 30 chapters across the country.
Below are a few terms for which I have offered a brief explanation.:
- Double Gold Medal-We all know what a Gold Medal is. If you have seen one Olympic event or highlight from one-it is the first place finish, the highest score. Likewise, a Silver is second place and Bronze is third place. A Double Gold Medal signifies that a wine was selected unanimously as winning a Gold Medal by all judges.
- Best in Class-Highest rated within the category.
- Best in Show-Best overall wine in the competition.
- Governor’s Cup-Best in Category at the NJ Wine Competition.
Cheers!
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- Wining and Dining in South Jersey
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Hi David-
Actually, I don’t think everyone knows what a Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals mean in wine competitions. I think there are plenty of consumers who assume that like the Olympics, as you say, there is one gold medal winner, one silver, and one bronze per category (or “event” in the case of the Olympics). That isn’t how wine competitions award medals, with several golds, silvers, and bronzes being doled out for each category, depending on the specific competition’s criteria.
I find the practice of marketing wine as “medal winning” misleading and the competition model therefore farcical. At Unionville, we participate in the NJ Wine Competition only for the chance to be recognized by the local press and for the photo op at the governor’s mansion. The competition is otherwise a marketing ploy- pay a few hundred dollars in entry fees, wine samples, and shipping, and hope to win some medals to help sell wine to tasting room guests who are none the wiser to how it works. Getting a medal is in some cases a literal coin flip, with up to 50% of wines evaluated earning a medal in some of the competitions you mentioned.
-John Cifelli, GM, Unionville
John, Thanks for your comment. I definitely oversimplified how medals work in wine competitions. Despite their flaws, I do think that they are one useful measure of the quality of a wine, especially if you have not tasted a wine before or visited a given winery before. Some competitions are certainly more prestigious than others. I do place more value on wines that have been highly rated by some of the noted wine critics, as mentioned in the article. But in the end, tasting for yourself is always the best bet in my book. Thanks again for your comment. You have a unique perspective on this topic and I certainly respect your experience and knowledge.