Wine Competition GuideWine Competition Guide

CONTACTOrange County Wine Society, IncOffice (714) 708-1636 Fax (714) 546-5002 office@ocws.orgPO Box 11059 Costa Mesa, CA 92627

2017 IMPORTANT DATESCommercial Wine Entry Deadline .........................Saturday, May 6

Home Wine Entry Deadline ....................................Monday, May 22

Commercial Wine Entry Delivery ..........................April 1 - May 6

Home Wine Entry Delivery .....................................April 14 - May 22

Online registration opens March 1st.

2017 OC Fair

2017

Wine Competition Guide

Wine Competition The OC Fair Wine Competition consists of the Commercial Wine Competition, Home Wine Competition and Wine Label Design Competition. All of these events are organized, staged and staffed by volunteer members of the Orange County Wine Society, Inc., a non-profit organization whose purpose is to promote the knowledge and understanding of wine, including winemaking and viticulture.

The Orange County Wine Society, Inc. is the co-sponsor of the competition, and is responsible for obtaining and classifying the wines, staging and conducting the actual competition.

Orange County Wine Society, Inc.Founded in 1976 by Brant Horton, an Orange County wine retailer, the Society rapidly grew with the OC Fair Wine Competition to where it is probably the largest local, independent, non-affiliated organization of its type in the coun-try. As a non-profit corporation, the Society’s purpose is to promote the knowledge of winemaking, viticulture and the appreciation of wine. In addition to co-sponsoring the OC Fair Commercial Wine Competition, the Society conducts the OC Fair’s Home Wine Competition. Throughout the year it is active in programs and projects that contribute to the educa-tion and knowledge of wine, including the granting of scholarships to deserving students in enology and viticulture.

Membership is open to adults who are interested in learning more about wine, winemaking and viticulture. The Society has one or two meetings per month and welcomes inquiries from interested potential members at any time. The Society is an educational, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization; therefore, contributions are fully tax deductible. Contributions may be earmarked for any number of beneficial purposes or activities.

Orange County Wine Society Board of Directors• Jim Beard, President• Bill Redding, Vice President• Fran Gitsham, Treasurer• Rich Skoczylas, Secretary• Liz Corbett• George Craven• Brian McDonald• Terry McLean• Stacey Taylor

Wine Steering CommitteeThe Wine Steering Committee serves at the pleasure of the OC Fair & Event Center Board of Directors to oversee the Commercial Wine Competition. The committee approves the categories of wines to be judged and makes the final selection of award winners based on the judges’ scores. The committee is composed of persons from various professions and considered by their peers as wine-knowledgeable.

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Wine Competition Guide

THE COURTYARD & WINE DISPLAYThe purpose of The Courtyard during the OC Fair is to promote the knowledge and appreciation of California wines and winemaking and provide an opportunity to taste and discuss current award-winning wines. Award-winning wines from the Commercial Competition are displayed in The Courtyard. Tastes of these wines are also sold in The Courtyard.

The Courtyard will also sell non-award-winning wine by the glass. The Courtyard and Wine Display are staffed by volunteers from the Orange County Wine Society who are happy to discuss the wines served, wine-making or wine-appreciation in general. Educational wine seminars are presented each Saturday and Sunday of the OC Fair for an additional fee. Funds raised at The Courtyard are used to offset the cost of the Commercial and Home Wine Competitions and support the Orange County Wine Society’s scholarship program.

A display of the Home Wine Competition winners is also located in The Courtyard along with exhibits of Orange County Wine Society events.

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Wine Competition GuideWine Competition Guide

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Commercial Wine competitionHow to Enter .....................................................................................1Guidelines .........................................................................................1Judging & Awards ...........................................................................1-2Entry Delivery ...................................................................................2Division 600 Commercial Wine ........................................................3

Commercial wine Label & bottle competitionHow to Enter .....................................................................................4Guidelines .........................................................................................4Judging & Awards .............................................................................4Division 601 Commercial Label .......................................................4

home Wine competitionHow to Enter .....................................................................................5Guidelines .........................................................................................5Judging & Awards .............................................................................5Entry Delivery ...................................................................................6Division 602 Home Wine ..................................................................7

Home Wine label competitionHow to Enter .....................................................................................8Guidelines .........................................................................................8Awards ..............................................................................................8Division 603 Home Wine Label .......................................................8

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how to enter Online Entry Deadline: Saturday, May 6, 20171. Review the Commercial Wine Competition Guidelines below.2. For complete rules and entry forms, visit www.WineCompetition.com or contact Orange County Wine Society at

(714) 708-1636 or office@ocws.org.

Guidelines• Eligibility: Only wine produced from grapes grown in California and commercially available for sale in Orange

County by July 1, 2017, in the following categories are eligible to be entered: – All varietal wines – All sparkling wines – All dessert and aperitif (fortified) wines – All proprietary wines – All Italian-style, Meritage-style, Iberian-style and Rhone-style blends – All California-Rhone-style blends (may contain 25% of other varietals along with traditional Rhone grapes)

• Commercial availability requires that the wine be readily available for sale to Orange County merchants or consumers on July 1, 2017. The wine does not need to be present in Orange County for direct purchase at retail stores on that date to qualify. Wine sold online are eligible.

• Only the most current release (as of July 1, 2017) of any wine is eligible. Multiple entries of the same varietal should only be entered if there are distinct differences reflected on the label, for example: appellation, reserve, vintage vs. non-vintage, vineyard, etc.

• Entry Size: Please submit six (6) 750 mL bottles or equivalent of each wine entered. • Entry Fee: There is no entry fee in this competition.• All wines entered must meet BATF regulations and conform to applicable State of California laws regarding label

terminology and designations. • Wines not used for judging will be poured for the public tasting at the OC Fair Wine Courtyard July 14th through

August 13th.

Judging• The judging will take place under rigidly controlled conditions on June 3 and June 4, 2017, based upon guidelines of

the OC Fair Wine Steering Committee.• All judging will be performed by wine professionals including vintners, winemakers or winery principals, all of who

travel to Orange County for the Competition. • Judging is conducted “double-blind” wherein the judging panel and stewards will have no knowledge of who

produced the individual wines being judged. Scoring will be on the recognized 100-point system.• Each wine will be judged in appropriate price classifications: low, medium, high, or premium, for the purpose

of consumer-comparison benefit. Each classification will be judged separately on the basis of entries in that classification alone, without reference to other wines in the same general category but in separate price classifications. There is further separation by residual sugar content so that dry and sweet wines are judged within their own category.

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AWARDSAward-winning commercial wines will be displayed at the OC Fair and will be available for tasting by the public for a nominal fee.

Featured on Website Personalized Trophy4-STAR Best of Class, RedGOLD Best of Class, WhiteSILVER Best of Class, SparklingBRONZE Best of Class, DessertCHAIRMAN’S AWARD *Awarded in each category

Chairman’s Award Personalized PlaqueAwarded to wines that have scored Wines receiving gold recommendationssignificantly higher than other gold from four or more judges.award recipients in the same classand price range.

Judging Results• The results can be found on the website www.WineCompetition.com which includes information about each award

winning wine, label, and bottle competition as well as a link to the winery’s website. • Every attempt is made to judge all commercial California wines that will be readily available at retail stores,

restaurants or online delivery in Orange County as of July 1, 2017.

Entry deliveryDelivery Dates: April 1 - May 6, 2017

Ship Entries to: OC Fair Wine Competition88 Fair DriveCosta Mesa, CA 92626

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DIVISION 600

whiteClass 01: ChardonnayClass 02: Chenin BlancClass 03: French ColombardClass 04: GewürtztraminerClass 05: Meritage-Type WhiteClass 06: MuscatClass 07: Pinot BlancClass 08: Pinot Grigio/Pinot GrisClass 09: Sauvignon (Fume) BlancClass 10: White Rhone BlendsClass 11: ViognierClass 12: White RieslingClass 13: Any other white varietal

FortifiedClass 14: SherryClass 15: PortClass 16: Any other fortified wine grape

redClass 17: BarberaClass 18: Cabernet FrancClass 19: CarignaneClass 20: Cabernet SauvignonClass 21: Iberian BlendsClass 22: TempranilloClass 23: Italian Style BlendsClass 24: Meritage Type RedClass 25: MerlotClass 26: Mouvedre (Mataro)

Class 27: NebbioloClass 28: Petite SirahClass 29: Pinot NoirClass 30: Rhone-Type RedClass 31: Rhone-Type Red (California Style)Class 32: SangioveseClass 33: Syrah (Shiraz) lClass 34: ZinfandelClass 35: Any other red varietal

sparklingClass 36: Sparkling Blanc de BlancsClass 37: Sparkling Blanc de NoirsClass 38: Sparkling RoséClass 39: Sparkling WineClass 40: Sparkling Rouge

blanc/roséClass 41: Rhone-Type Rosé/BlancClass 42: White ZinfandelClass 43: Any other white wine made from red grapes

proprietary winesClass 44: Blanc WinesClass 45: Red WinesClass 46: Rosé WinesClass 47: White Wines

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how to enter The annual Commercial Wine Label and Bottle Design Competition will take place again this year in conjunction with the Commercial Wine Competition. The intent is to give recognition to the outstanding labels and bottles designed for wines that have been entered.

Guidelines• Eligibility: Labels and bottles from all entries to the Commercial Wine Competition will automatically be entered in the

Label and Bottle Design Competition.• Entry Limit: The number of entries is limited to the number of wines entered. • Entry Fee: There is no additional fee for this competition.

Judging• Preliminary selection of labels will be made by a committee of Orange County Wine Society members with backgrounds in

art and design.• Labels will be chosen on the basis of visual appeal, easy recognition, and promotional value. Each of the chosen labels will

be placed in a category based on its design, regardless of type of wine.• A 1st, 2nd and 3rd place award will be chosen in each category by a vote of the judges and members of the Orange County

Wine Society participating in the Commercial Wine Competition. The Best of Show is then determined by popular vote of those in attendance. Additionally, a bottle design competition will be held and three winners (1st, 2nd, 3rd) will be selected.

AWARDSAward-winning labels and bottle designs will be displayed at the OC Fair.

Ribbons Personalized Plaque1st PLACE Best of Show2nd PLACE3rd PLACE

Judging ResultsThe results can be found on the website www.WineCompetition.com which includes information about each award win-ning wine, label, and bottle competition.

DIVISION 601 Commercial labelClass 01: Architecture Class 05: Flora Class 09: Special EffectsClass 02: Best of Color Class 06: Figurative Class 10: WhimsicalClass 03: Contemporary Design Class 07: Lettering Class 11: Thematic SeriesClass 04: Fauna Class 08: Name Representation

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HOW TO ENTERThe purpose of this competition is to promote the knowledge and understanding of winemaking, viticulture and the appreciation of wine by encouraging amateur winemakers to enter their wines for critical evaluation and to recognize outstanding efforts through awards.

Online Entry Deadline: Monday, May 22, 20171. Review the Home Wine Competition Guidelines.2. For complete rules and entry forms, visit www.HomeWineCompetition.com or contact Orange County Wine Society

at (714) 708-1636 or office@ocws.org.3. After submitting your entry, please pay the $12 processing fee online.4. Refunds will not be issued for failure to deliver entries.

Guidelines• Eligibility: Competition is open to any amateur home winemaker residing in California age 21 and older. • Entry Size: Submit one 750 ml or two 375 ml bottles per entry. • Wines are to be made from grapes or other fruit grown in California.• Any wine remaining after the event will be disposed.

Judging• Judging will take place on Saturday, June 10th and is not open to the public.• Judges will be selected by the Orange County Wine Society for their knowledge of wines, winemaking and wine

judging experience.• Judging is conducted “double-blind” wherein the judging panel and stewards will have no knowledge of who pro-

duced the individual wines being judged. Scoring will use the modfied UC Davis 20 point scale. • Categories will be determined by the Orange County Wine Society. Whenever three or more wines in the same cate-

gory are of the same variety, they will be judged as a separate group.

AWARDSAward-winning wines will be displayed at the OC Fair. All award ribbons, certificates and judges’ critique sheets will be mailed to each winemaker after the competition. *These places will receive ribbons but are not displayed in the Courtyard.

Ribbons Personalized PlaqueDOUBLE GOLD Best of Show, RedGOLD Best of Show, WhiteSILVER Best of Show, FruitBRONZE* Best of Show, DessertHONORABLE MENTION*

Judging ResultsThe results can be found on the website www.HomeWineCompetition.com which includes information about each award winning wine, label, and bottle competition.

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Entry DeliveryDelivery Dates: Between April 14 and May 22, 2017

Where to Delivery Entries• Bring your entries to one of these delivery locations with paperwork.• Late deliveries will not be accepted.

Home Winemaking Shop The Brewmeister Vintner’s Vault22836 Venture Blvd. Unit 2, 802A Reading Street 27941 Diaz Rd.Woodland Hills, CA 91364 Folsom, CA 95630 Temecula, CA 92590(818) 224-3656 (916) 802-4801 (951) 587-8900www.homebeerwinecheese.com www.shopbrewmeister.com www.thevintnervault.com

Beer, Beer & More Beer Engelmann Cellars Curds & Wine991 N. San Antonio Rd. 3275 North Rolinda 7194 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.Los Altos, CA 94022 Fresno, CA 93723 San Diego, CA 92111(650) 949-2739 (559) 274-9463 (858) 384-6566www.morebeer.com www.engelmanncellars.com www.curdsandwine.com

Beer & Winemakers of America Oak Barrel Winecraft Delicato Family Vineyards755 E. Brokaw Road 1443 San Pablo Ave. 12001 S. Hwy 99San Jose, CA 95112 Berkeley, CA 94702 Manteca, CA 95336(408) 441-0880 (510) 849-0400 (209) 824-3504www.beerandwinemakers.com www.oakbarrel.com www.dfvwines.com

O’Shea Brewing Company Doc’s Cellar 28142 Camino Capistrano 855 Capitolio Way #2 Laguna Niguel, CA 92677 San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 (949) 364-4440 (805) 781-9974 www.osheabrewing.com www.docscellar.com

Fermentation Solutions Home Brew Shop2507 Winchester Blvd 1570 Nord AvenueCampbell, CA 95008 Chico, CA 95926(408) 871-1400 (530) 342-3768www.fermentationsolutions.com www.chicohomebrewshop.com

The Beverage People Napa Fermentations1845 Piner Road Ste. D 575 3rd StreetSanta Rosa, CA 95403 Napa, CA 94559(707) 544-2520 (707) 255-6372www.thebeveragepeople.com www.napafermentation.com

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DIVISION 602

whites, dry or sweet75-100% Varietal

Class CH: ChardonnayClass GT: GewürtztraminerClass SB: Sauvignon BlancClass VG: ViognierClass RS: White RieslingClass VW: Other varietal White

white blendsLess than 75% Varietal

Class WB: All White Blends

sparklingClass SW: All Sparkling Wines

desserts & othersClass LR: Late Harvest - RedClass LW: Late Harvest - WhiteClass MD: MeadClass PO: PortClass SH: SherryClass OF: Other Fortified

red, dry or sweet75-100% Varietal

Class CF: Cabernet FrancClass CS: Cabernet SauvignonClass GR: GranacheClass MB: MalbecClass ME: MerlotClass PN: Pinot NoirClass PS: Petite SirahClass PV: Petit VerdotClass SN: SangioveseClass SY: SyrahClass TP: TempranilloClass ZN: ZinfandelClass VR: Other Varietal Red

meritage styleBlend of only tradition Bordeaux grape varietals (CS, CF, ME, MB. PV)

Class MR: Red *1

red blendsClass RB: All Red Blends

rhone style - redClass RR: Rhone StyleA blend of wine from two or more grapes traditionally grown in the Rhone Valley of France (SY, GR, Mourvedre, Carignane, Cinsault, Counoise for Red; and VG, Marsanne, Roussanne for whites)

Class RZ: California StyleSimilar to a red Rhone style blends, except may include less than 25% non-Rhone grapes

other italian varietalsClass BR: BarberaClass NB: NebbioloClass RE: Refosco

rosé & blushClass V2: Varietal BlushClass V1: Varietal RoséClass T1: Other Blends

fruit, dry or sweetClass BY: Berry FruitClass SD: Seed FruitClass ST: Stone FruitClass OT: Other Fruit

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HOW TO ENTERThe annual Home Wine Label Competition will take place again this year in conjunction with the Home Wine Competition. The intent is to give recognition to the outstanding labels designed for wines that have been entered.

Guidelines• Eligibility: Participants must have entered wine in the Home Wine Competition to be eligible for this competition. • Entry Limit: The number of entries is limited to the number of wines entered. • Entry Fee: There is an additional $4 fee for this competition.• Labels may be sent with entry forms or separately.

Judging• Preliminary selection of labels will be made by a committee of Orange County Wine Society members.• Labels will be chosen on the basis of visual appeal and easy recognition. Each of the chosen labels will be placed in a

category based on its design, regardless of type of wine.• A 1st, 2nd and 3rd place award will be chosen in each category by a vote of the judges and members of the Orange County

Wine Society participating in the Home Wine Competition. The Best of Show is then determined by popular vote of those in attendance.

AWARDSAward-winning labels will be displayed at the OC Fair.*These places will receive ribbons but are not displayed in the Courtyard.

CertificatesGOLDSILVERBRONZE*HONORABLE MENTION*

Judging ResultsThe results can be found on the website www.HomeWineCompetition.com which includes information about each award winning wine, label, and bottle competitions.

DIVISION 603 home wine labelClass 01: Classic Class 04: HumorousLabel reflects a classical standard such as buildings, streams, Expresses a whimsical relationship to the bottle mountains, trees or cityscapes. May also be related to the of wine - could be cartoon-like.winemaker or just a nice picture for the label.

Class 02: Viticulture/Enological Class 05: Abstract/Non-ObjectiveEmphasizes portraits, processes, or production practices Artistic designs or that are obliquely related to related to grapes growing and winemaking such as grapes, the wine. It could be an abstract, artistic rend-grape leaves or winemaking equipment. ition of people, places, or things similar to Picasso-type artwork.Class 03: FigurativeEmphasizes a portrait of a person or animal such as a loved pet.

home wine label competition