Red Faces

[Mark Sommelier]

Wine Competition

[Andre]

Supposedly shocking, may have meant to be amusing yet thoroughly disapponting.

How sad...

[Carolyn Tillie]

Reserving judgement until the final list is published....

Who knows what was being tasted REALLY?

[Chad]

There were 32 judges, including this reporter, along with winemakers, other writers, restaurateurs and enology and viticultural specialists who smelled, sipped, swished and spit so many wines in the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, N.Y., that our lips turned purple, gums were parched and teeth actually hurt when we brushed them. By the close of the event, we each rated more than 300 wines.

Indeed, it will be a while before the competition organizers -- the owner and editors of Vineyard & Winery Management magazine, the largest wine trade publication in the country -- reveal the final results, but stories started flying Monday night after the last round of judging: There was either a so-called “box” wine, as Aussies package everyday wines, or a “2-Buck Chuck,” aka Charles Shaw wine, mass-produced and sold for $2-$3 at Trader Joe’s, that made the final cut to be judged in the sweepstakes round for reds.

This could certainly end some careers. And jump-start others.

Chad

[Craig Camp]

Two-dollar wines are not expected to score big at elite competitions

This is an elite tasting?

the prestigious 28th International Eastern Wine Competition

Prestigious where? Corning Liquors? Has anybody ever heard of this before or more importantly made a buying decision on the results?

3 days + 300 wines a judge = this kind of meaningless result. What a waste of time.

[Craig Camp]

There were 32 judges, including this reporter, along with winemakers, other writers, restaurateurs and enology and viticultural specialists who smelled, sipped, swished and spit so many wines in the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, N.Y., that our lips turned purple, gums were parched and teeth actually hurt when we brushed them. By the close of the event, we each rated more than 300 wines.

Indeed, it will be a while before the competition organizers -- the owner and editors of Vineyard & Winery Management magazine, the largest wine trade publication in the country -- reveal the final results, but stories started flying Monday night after the last round of judging: There was either a so-called “box” wine, as Aussies package everyday wines, or a “2-Buck Chuck,” aka Charles Shaw wine, mass-produced and sold for $2-$3 at Trader Joe’s, that made the final cut to be judged in the sweepstakes round for reds.

This could certainly end some careers. And jump-start others.

Chad

Never trust anyone who writes, "Including this reporter" in their article.

[Carolyn Tillie]

Prestigious where? Corning Liquors? Has anybody ever heard of this before or more importantly made a buying decision on the results?

3 days + 300 wines a judge = this kind of meaningless result. What a waste of time.

This was my immediate thought... I don't know of any wineries that particiapated, but then again, I don't have any buddies at Sebastiani, Gallo, or Almaden...

[Craig Camp]

Prestigious where? Corning Liquors? Has anybody ever heard of this before or more importantly made a buying decision on the results?

3 days + 300 wines a judge = this kind of meaningless result. What a waste of time.

This was my immediate thought... I don't know of any wineries that particiapated, but then again, I don't have any buddies at Sebastiani, Gallo, or Almaden...

Hey that's a great point. If only those kind of wineries entered maybe Two Buck Chuck WAS the best wine there. Looks like the judges where right on the mark.

[Mulcahy]

This is who won best of category last year.

This is who won for particular varietals.

I am a rank amateur at this stuff, but there seem to be a lot of very respectable houses missing.

[Craig Camp]

World Riesling Champion 2002

Peninsula Cellars Riesling 2002, Old Mission Peninsula (MI) - also Best White Wine

...who could argue with this - everyone knows the finest riesling in the world comes from Michigan.

[Mulcahy]

...who could argue with this - everyone knows the finest riesling in the world comes from Michigan.

[Mark Sommelier]

On another forum, a notorious wine geek referred to Corton-Charlemagne as "Corton Chuck", which I promptly re-named "2 Hundred Buck Chuck".

[DonRocks]

On another forum, a notorious wine geek referred to Corton-Charlemagne as "Corton Chuck"

Thank you very little

[NeroW]

Oh my God! Old Mission! I don't even drink that shit.