Many wine bottles to taste, but the judges don’t drink

Press, 12 November 1985, Page 44

Many wine bottles to taste, but the judges don’t drink

Tasting almost 200 bottles of wine might be one of the most enviable tasks for judges at this week’s Canterbury show, but by no means is it an excuse for a big party. The four judges of the home-made wines and beers will each have to taste about 40 entries to determine the winners.

To ensure they retain a clear, head and remain sober, the judges will take only a small sip from each

wine, swill it around their mouth and spit it out. Judging will start with white wines’ delicate flavours and move on to the thicker, red wines. Premier ribbons will be awarded to the best sweet and dry wines in both red and white sections. Points will be awarded first for the standard of presentation, including correct labelling, clean corks and bottles, and whether the bottles have been filled to the right level. Judges will then assess the wines in the manner that commercial wines are judged. Colour and clarity will be considered and then the bouquet (or smell), which can be a major fault in home-made wines.

Next, the wine is tasted and judges decide whether it has the correct balance (or if the smell matches the taste). Acidity and sweetness are considered also. The South Island Amateur Wine Judges Guild was formed recently to standardise the criteria for judging home-made wines. Eighteen people from Nelson to Oamaru have expressed interest in joining the guild and a set of qualification guidelines is being drawn up.

The Canterbury Amateur Winemakers’ Club is one of about 20 wine clubs in New Zealand and caters for all types of wine enthusiasts, from beginners to experienced amateurs.

The club meets monthly and every year has a session where home-made wines are compared with commercial wines. Members are sometimes disappointed with the quality of commercial wines whereas there are some outstanding wines produced by amateurs.

On the other hand, some home-made wines are of

very poor quality. Club members can take part in about 12 competitions each year and there is a regular national contest. Other club activities include talks by leading commercial winemakers and a newsletter is produced. The president, Mr Graeme Cloughly, said beginners could make their first batch of wine using equipment available in most kitchens. There were plenty of books on how to make wine and fancy equipment was not really necessary. Mr Cloughly urged wine makers to keep a diary of their steps when making wines so the same methods could be followed if a good wine was produced. Club members will be pleased to offer advice on winemaking to people attending the show. The aims of the club are:— ® To foster and improve the skill of home winemaking and brewing; @ To assist beginners in the art; • To encourage the showing and judging of homemade wines and beers; @ To promote the appreciation of wines, beers and the like; ® To create and expand fellowship among winemakers and brewers.