Maybe you can figure this out - I can't

[jswordy]

Just got my judging results from the Florida State Fair, and I am confused. Maybe you can figure this out.

I submitted two entries - a newly made scuppernong that took silver there and an already award-winning muscadine. In this competition, you must submit 2 bottles of each entry, and the rules say that if one is opened and found to be badly flawed, the second will be opened and judged.

The judges' results for my muscadine were "brown, bad smell, sauerkraut, oxidation." The wine was fine when it left here, a deep purple hue, and every bottle I drank of it was also fine. I sure wouldn't bother sending bad wine to a contest.

I can't seem to get this out of my head, because the judging result means that BOTH bottles of this wine had to be really bad. If so, they would be the first bad bottles I've ever had. They were all corked with #9 natural corks that had been spritzed with k meta before insertion, as I do with all my bottles.

I don't think I have any of the wine left, as I sent the last of it way to contests. Have to see and open one of those if I have any.

Any idea how that could have happened, while the scuppernong in the same shipment was fine? It's got me scratching my head, but I sure want to prevent it from happening again if I can figure it out! I actually lost some sleep over this last night.

I also have the muscadine entered into two other contests, so it will be interesting to see if it gets the same result in those.

All theories welcome!

 

[cintipam]

Jim, that's awful! Can't really offer any ideas except that it's hot in fla. Of course if the storage is not up to par there should have been problems with more than just your wines. Be interesting to hear other folks ideas and if anyone else who entered that competition had similar results.

Pam in cinti

 

[Turock]

Jim--the thing that comes to mind is that it is possible that the muscadine wasn't actually stable, and that the free SO2 was low. How long had you bulk aged this wine before bottling---AND did you SO2 test it? What was the PH on the muscadine?

 

[grapeman]

A lot of these contests use volunteer judges. Some competitions have up to 50 individuals juging flights of wine. It is possible that the two wines had different judges. Maybe one of them really doesn't like Muscadine wine and was biased. I have run into such things before and you just shake your head. Wait and see what it does in the other competitions.

 

[Turock]

I know exactly what you're saying,grapeman because I've run into comments like "sulfite taste" when that was totally untrue!! But no one can escape from comments like "brown and oxidized and tastes like sauerkraut."

 

[dralarms]

I agree with grapeman and turock,

My wife hates Muscadine. But my Muscadine was tried by a former winery owner and he said it was very well balanced and was "most excellent"

 

[jswordy]

Today I did manage to locate a bottle that was right next to the ones I sent, out of the same batch, bottled at the same time and aged in the same environment. The cork was well-sealed. I tasted it. Smells and tastes fine to me. This wine had won silver and bronze before and is about a year and 4 months old now. The color has changed from when it was bottled but it doesn't appear to me to be brown, although there was a rusty hue to it even when first made.

I found I have two bottles left - the one I opened and another that has been resting in my Vinotemp and so would not be a good camparison bottle.

The contest requires the bottle to be sent in just shortly before the judging. I'll wait and see what happens at the other contests. Total mystery to me. I'll likely never know really what is what.

I can understand if they didn't like the wine, but the sauerkraut comment seems odd. The list of judges for this event is impressive, so that just adds to the mystery.

 

[jswordy]

Pics from the bottle that laid right beside the two I sent!

 

[Runningwolf]

Jim it's hard to tell from the pictures. You really want a solid white background. The picture on the bottom definitely has a brown hue to it but it's unfair to make a determination by just looking at a picture and not knowing what other factors are contributing to the color.

 

[BernardSmith]

Jim, I wonder how the contest asked you to label your wine and how confident you are that bottles and their owners don't ever get mixed up and confused in contests.

 

[SmokeyMcBong]

how confident you are that bottles and their owners don't ever get mixed up and confused in contests.

This was my first thought when I read the opening post as well.

 

[Wade E]

A lot of these contests use volunteer judges. Some competitions have up to 50 individuals juging flights of wine. It is possible that the two wines had different judges. Maybe one of them really doesn't like Muscadine wine and was biased. I have run into such things before and you just shake your head. Wait and see what it does in the other competitions.

Kind of like if John T was a judge and they made him do some Welches taste tests! LOL

 

[Wade E]

Ive only ever had 5 bottles Of Muscadine in my life and every bottle was from a different batch and a few different people and every bottle was of that exact color, its just how Muscadine comes out I believe. I was a judge once in a pretty good sized Ct. wine comp. and yes there can definitely be some people who just dont judge a wine by what it is instead of what they prefer themselves. Its 1 reason I just will not bother to ever send any of my hard work out and pay to do it on top of that!!!!

 

[Runningwolf]

I agree with you Wade and I am not familiar with Muscadine.

 

[jswordy]

Ive only ever had 5 bottles Of Muscadine in my life and every bottle was from a different batch and a few different people and every bottle was of that exact color, its just how Muscadine comes out I believe.

You are correct, Wade.

The possibility of a mix-up was the first thing that came to my mind. I also realize that I am making wines that are not looked upon favorably by most of the wine world (and perhaps, judges). Ah well, I have my open bottle and one more out of that batch left until to enjoy until those grapes come in again.

But then again I may end up entering that last bottle in a contest closer to home where muscadine is a known and popular wine.

Thanks to everyone for your help! I doubt it will ever be solved. I'm just glad now that I can be confident in my own mind that the wine I sent was NOT spoiled.

 

[Julie]

I agree, Jim, you need to enter your muscadine only in muscadine territory but I would have thought Florida would know about muscadine. I think you had a judge that has no clue on Muscadine wine!

 

[dralarms]

I agree Julie. Muscadine is a wine you either like or don't. If you don't then every thing that makes Muscadine what it is would be considered. A flaw.

 

[jswordy]

Thanks, Julie and dralarms. The same wine won silver in Los Angeles, about as far from muscadine territory as possible. I have it in 2 more contests, so we'll see what happens.

Julie, my scuppernong that won silver in Florida was judged "stemmy." I thought that was interesting since the grapes are picked individually.

 

[JohnT]

Kind of like if John T was a judge and they made him do some Welches taste tests! LOL

Me after tasting the very first entry....

 

[ibglowin]

We have had people on this forum win a gold medal at one judging event and not even place at another. Very frustrating to say the least.