The American Wine Society Invites all Wine Appreciators, Winemakers & Wine Novices to the 2018 2016 Co-Sponsored by: and On behalf of the American Wine Society Chapters of Western Pennsylvania, it is my pleasure to invite you to our 35 th annual wine conference and amateur winemaking competition on Sunday, March 4, 2018 from 10:00am to 6:00pm at the Masonic Center 3579 Masonic Way, off Cemetery Lane, North Hills, Pittsburgh, PA 15237. The American Wine Society is all about the appreciation of wine through education and that is what this conference is all about. We are glad once more to serve the surrounding Pittsburgh area with what has become a Spring tradition for wine lovers and winemakers! We also welcome back CFP Winemakers and Presque Isle Wine Cellars as co-sponsors. This year we changed a few things and have some new seminars to enhance your winemaking skills. In response to attendee s comments in the past, we will have a new two-session seminar learning how wine judges evaluate wines. It will cover basic tasting skills that identify faults, as well as learning the AWS process of evaluation. The next session you will then Be the Judge using what you learned to compare anonymous amateur wines against a benchmark commercial wine. This addresses many requests we had to understand how judging is done. Plus, we have other great seminars on winemaking, wine appreciation tastings. Time is short so register for seminars and enter your wine right away. Do it now so you don t get shut out of a seminar or your wine doesn t get entered in time. Don t forget too, to enter your wines now to make sure you can garner that coveted gold, silver, or bronze medal to boast about. Time is running out fast. Fill out the form below as soon as you can and turn in your wines. There are new presenters, new educational tastings, and vendors and of course it all ends with the Showcase of Wines, commercial winery walk-around tasting. All of this at a great price. We look forward to seeing you. Richard Ryba, RVP American Wine Society Chairman, Pittsburgh Wine Conference and Amateur Wine Competition
CONFERENCE and WINE REGISTRATION Mail in reservation forms must be postmarked by February 28, 2018. No refunds after March 1, 2018. Name Seminars will be filled on the first-come-first-served basis of the postmark on the reservations. One name per form. PLEASE PRINT (This form may be copied if you have additional wine entries.) Address Email: Phone: ( ) PART 1. Newsletter Circle which AWS chapter tastings newsletter you would like to receive. -Alle-Kiski Chapter (meets at Hillcrest C.C. in Lower Burrell, PA) -Eastern Lake Erie Chapter (meets at Arundel Winery, Northeast, PA) -Pittsburgh Chapter (meets at Evergreen Community Center, North Hills of Pittsburgh) -Pittsburgh East Chapter (meets in Level Green near Murrysville, PA) -Washington County Chapter (meets at J n D Wine Cellars, Eighty Four PA.) -Beaver County Chapter (meets at members homes currently) -I am interested in starting an AWS Chapter in my location, contact me. PART 2. Seminars I wish to attend: (Enter the seminar code letter.) 10:00-11:00am 1 st choice 2 nd choice 3 rd choice 11:30am-12:30pm 1 st choice 2 nd choice 3 rd choice 1:30-2:30pm 1 st choice 2 nd choice 3 rd choice 3:00-4:00pm 1 st choice 2 nd choice 3 rd choice PART 3. Wine competition registration. (THESE ARE NOT THE BOTTLE LABELS) Make sure the numbers of each entry align with the numbers on the bottles you entered! Wine Entry #1 Grape/Fruit% if a blend Wine Entry #2 Grape/Fruit% if a blend Wine Entry # Grape/Fruit% if a blend Wine Entry # Grape/Fruit PART 4. Payment - Conference Seminars fee $60 per person ($68 if postmarked after 2/28/18) $ -Wine Competition Entry: $15 each bottle #Bottles x $15=......$ Competition payment must be included on this conference registration- Wine only must be dropped off at designated sites by February 28, 2018 TOTAL DUE: (Do Not send cash or Money Orders)...$ Check is payable to: AWS, Pittsburgh Wine Conference Mail to: AWS, Pgh. Wine Conference, c/o R.Ryba, 2777 Leechburg Rd., Lower Burrell, PA 15068 FOR CONFERENCE USE ONLY: Date received or postmarked Check# Sessions assigned: 10:00 11:30 1:30 3:00 Bottles entered
2018 CONFERENCE SEMINAR SCHEDULE 10:00- A. Better Wine through Chemistry Winemaking 11:00am Tom and Jan Cobett. Wine Educators and Winemakers, AWS national officers. Have any wine that doesn t look, smell or taste as good as you would like? Working with a few imperfect wines, you will learn how to use safe and simple chemical additions to improve the quality of the wine. The presentation will cover adjustments that can be done before, during and after fermentation. B. Blends: Music To Your Palate! Tasting/Educational Ryta Mirisciotti, Owner of NG Wine Services & Importing, Explore the world of blends and learn why blending is to wine what composing is to music. We will sample a variety of wines and learn how to choose blends that you will enjoy even if you haven't tasted them. You will leave with an appreciation of winemakers who blend and the versatility that these wines bring to great food and wine pairing. C. Making Bucket Wines, Better! Winemaking Terry Germanoski AWS member, wine judge and award-winning amateur winemaker. The quality of kit wines and juice, aka bucket wines, has improved over the years. Learn how to take what is a good homemade wine and make subtle adjustments and fixes to take it to the next level as a great wine. 11:30am - D. Making Bucket Wines, Better! (Repeat) Winemaking 12:30pm Terry Germanoski AWS member, wine judge and award-winning amateur winemaker. The quality of kit wines and juice, aka bucket wines, has improved over the years. Learn how to take what is a good homemade wine and make subtle adjustments and fixes to take it to the next level as a great wine. E. The Rhone Pyramid Tasting/Educational Kristin Kraft National President, American Wine Society France's Rhone Valley is one of the most diverse wine-producing regions, with an abundance of grape varieties and blends. Explore the Rhone Valley, its grapes and its wine rules, and taste three red wines from different appellation levels, from widely produced Cotes du Rhone to a more limited production cru. F. Better Wine through Chemistry (Repeat) Winemaking Tom and Jan Cobett. Wine Educators and Winemakers, AWS national officers. Have any wine that doesn t look, smell or taste as good as you would like? Working with a few imperfect wines, you will learn how to use safe and simple chemical additions to improve the quality of the wine. The presentation will cover adjustments that can be done before, during and after fermentation. 12:30 to 1:30pm LUNCH BREAK
1:30-2:30pm G. Discovering Porto! Tasting/Educational Walter Rachele, Winemaker, Certified Wine Judge & Instructor, Officer AWSEF, Master Knight-IKoV. If you are a consumer or a winemaker this is a foundation level session. This will be a comparative tasting with background of styles available. H. Are You Over a Barrel? Basic Thoughts on Barrels. Winemaking/Educational Jeff Murphy, Winemaker, Johnson Estate Winery, Westfield, New York. Considering buying a barrel? This is a foundation level session for a winemaker, or wine appreciator. Why use a barrel, or just oak your wine in a carboy? See how they are made, the different types, how they work, buying, treating, and using a barrel. Plus, the many alternative oaking methods. I.(&J). Evaluating Wine: Like a Wine Judge PART 1 Winemaking/Educational. Kym Antonelli, American Wine Society Wine Judge. This is a two-part seminar designed to assist you in improving your winemaking by recognizing the characteristics in wine that enhance wine quality and recognizing faults in the wine making process that affect the judged quality of wine. There will be an explanation of the AWS methodology of judging to assist attendees in understanding the process of wine judging including the role varietal character, acid, sugar, and balance play in the wine judging process. Signing up for this seminar automatically signs you up for part 2 next hour. 3:00-4:00 pm J.(&I.) Evaluating Wine: You Be the Judge PART 2 Winemaking/Educational. Kym Antonelli, American Wine Society Wine Judge. This second of the two-part seminar will involve judging a commercially made wine using the AWS aroma wheel and scoring sheet as explained in the first seminar. Attendees will also have the opportunity to judge anonymous amateur wines of a similar varietal and then compare their evaluation with the evaluation of actual wine judges. K. Late Harvest Wines: They re Not Just For Desserts Anymore Tasting/Educational Thom Harding AWS Pittsburgh Chapter Chair and award-winning winemaker. Late harvest wines like ice wine are wonderfully sweet wines that we think of only as a desert wine. Find new and exciting pairings you may not normally consider with that delicious glass of wine. L. The Ups & Downs and Ins & Outs Of Cold Stabilization Winemaking/Educational. Bob Green, Consulting Enologist, Adjunct Instructor Mercyhurst University/ Harrisburg Comm. College. An in-depth discussion of the theory, mechanics and practice of cold stabilization to help guide winemakers in this important process. Included will be information on additives that may help achieve stability in the wine. 4:15 5:30pm SHOWCASE OF WINES: Sample wines from commercial wineries and distributors 5:30-6:30 pm Amateur Wine Awards, Announcements and Q&A with Commercial Winemakers
AMATEUR WINE COMPETITION RULES & FORMS 1. Deadline for entries is Wednesday, February 28, 2018. 2. Entry fee is $15 for each wine entered. Only one (1) bottle per entry is required. Checks are to be made payable to: Pittsburgh Amateur Wine Competition and included with your entry form. 3. An amateur winemaker makes wine either alone or in collaboration with other amateur winemakers. If there is collaboration, all persons are considered as one entrant. No individual or any member of the group shall be directly involved with a commercial winemaking establishment. 4. Wines may be dropped off at the following locations but no later than February 28, 2018. -IT IS IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE YOUR BOTTLES ARE PROPERLY LABELED BEFORE YOU DROP THEM OFF. - ONLY DROP OFF WINE AT THESE LOCATIONS. DO NOT drop off your registration and wine entry forms or money. THOSE MUST BE MAILED! Failure to follow those instructions may cause your wine to miss being judged and you to miss your seminars. CFP Winemakers (at Consumer Produce) Presque Isle Wine Cellars One 21 st Street 9440 West Main Road Pittsburgh, PA North East, PA Phone: (412) 232-4507 (EXT. 632) Phone: (814) 725-1314 Monday-Friday 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM Monday-Saturday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Saturday 7:00AM to 11:00AM Castle Wines-North Hills (call for hours) J & D Cellars Winery (call for hours) 495 Lowries Run Road 290 Roupe Road Pittsburgh, PA 15237-1230 Eighty Four, PA 15330 (412)-364-0800 castlewines@verizon.net (724)-579-9897 Alternately, wine may be mailed or delivered to: Amateur Competition, LeRoy Dastolfo 233, Fairhaven Dr. Lower Burrell, PA 15068 5 Amateur winemakers may not use the products, other than juice (which may be sulfated) or facilities of a commercial winery during any stage of wine preparation or wine storage. 6 Wines entered must be free of artificial coloring and/or flavor enhancers other than oak. 7 Gold, silver and bronze medals will be awarded to those wines meeting the judging criteria. All gold medal wines will be eligible for best-of-show. 8 Wine should be clear (no haze) and free of visible debris. Wine should be in standard 750 ml Burgundy, Bordeaux or Rhine shaped bottles. Screw capped bottles are permitted, but will be disqualified if sealed with a cork. Sparkling wines must be entered in a 750 ml champagne bottle and sealed with a cork or plastic closure secured with the proper safety wire or crown cap. Port and sherry may be entered in fortified wine bottles with a T cork. Bottles must be free of labels, wax, capsules, etc. other than entry name information. 9 Fill out the Wine Competition registration form completely and legibly. Your name and the corresponding wine name MUST BE on each bottle using the BOTTLE LABELS below. Include the name of grape or fruit used and percentages of each for blends. DO NOT DROP OFF CHECKS WITH YOUR BOTTLES, send in money with your seminar registration. If entering more than five wines, duplicate the entry form. All wines must be turned in by February 28, 2018. 10 Awards will be presented at the end of the conference. Medals and score sheets will be mailed to those not present. All results will be e-mailed or mailed to all participants.
AMATEUR WINE COMPETITION WINE CLASSIFICATIONS If you have any questions as to the class a wine should be entered into, please e-mail LeRoy at pghwinecomp@comcast.net. A mislabeled wine could have it judged incorrectly and maybe lose a potential medal award. Class 1 A Class 1 B Class 2 A Class 2 B Class 3 A Class 3 B Class 4 A Class 4 B Class 5 A Class 5 B Class 6 A Class 6 B Class 7 Class 8 Class 9 Class 10 Class 11 Class 12 Class 13 A Class 13 B Class 14 Red Vinifera Varietal i.e. 75% of one grape Red Vinifera Blend White Vinifera Varietal White Vinifera Blend Red Hybrid Varietal Red Hybrid Blend White Hybrid Varietal White Hybrid Blend Red Native Varietal Red Native Blend White Native Varietal White Native - Blend Rosé/Blush Fruit Sparkling Red or White Concentrates or Kits Cider Mead Red Mixed Species Blends (i.e. Native/Hybrid, Hybrid/Vinifera, etc.) White Mixed Species Blends (i.e. Native/Hybrid, Hybrid/Vinifera, etc.) Novelty/Specialty/Dessert (i.e. Port, Sherry, sugar levels greater than 5% and nontraditional, i.e. tomato wine) Sugar Levels Dry = Less than 1% residual sugar Semi-Dry = 1% to 2% residual sugar Semi-Sweet = 2% to 3% residual sugar Sweet = Over 3% residual sugar
BOTTLE LABELS FILL IN YOUR NAME AND TAPE TO THE BOTTLE WHICH CORRESPONDS TO WINE BOTTLE NUMBER ON THE ENTRY FORM. BE SURE THE ENTRY NUMBER ON YOUR BOTTLE MATCHES THE SAME NUMBER ON YOUR REGISTRATION FORM!!! Please PRINT clearly. Wine Entry #1 Registrant s Name Wine Entry #2 Registrant s Name