Page 21 - Grapevine May-June 2020

In The Winery

at the same time, bring visibility to the quality of equal number as table captains.
Finger Lakes wines,” said Bob Madill, head judge of
the competition. “With the support of wineries and Madill told The Grapevine Magazine the award-win-
wine judges from around the world, over 90% of ning Finger Lakes wines are being compared with
the funds raised go directly to the residential camp- others from well-known wine regions and that the
ing programs that are provided free of charge to awards are given by panels of “exceptionally expe-
the participants.” rienced judges on the basis of merit.”

Winning entries receive special POS material “About 20% of the FLIWC judges are local wine-
detailing the event’s mission, so, “wine lovers can makers. This provides them with the opportunity
choose a quality wine with a heart,” he said. “I to interact with other judges from all over the U.S.
worked in the high tech world for over two decades and Canada—who in turn place all of the wines that
and in the world of wine for even longer. Nothing they taste within a broader perspective,” he said.
I’ve done professionally has given me so much “Conversely, it provides the other 80% of partici-
honor, pleasure and satisfaction as being Head pants with the opportunity to become familiar with
Judge for the FLIWC and working alongside my col- Finger Lakes winemakers and later, in social situa-
leagues and hundreds of volunteers at Camp Good tions, with their wines. This networking has proven
Days.” invaluable over the past two decades.”

FLIWC judges are selected to represent the major Madill advises winemakers to consider three
wine regions in the U.S. and have varying profes- points when submitting to a competition:
sional industry backgrounds—sommelier, media,
educator, winemaker, trained/accredited/experi- 1. Place the beverage in the appropriate category
enced judge and so on. Madill pointed out that, in and provide all of the information requested.
2019, a change in the selection process ensured an Reach out to the head judge for assistance if in
equal number of men and women judges and an doubt.

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