Competition for Home Winemakers
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If you enjoy making your own wine, why not get competitive? An amateur wine competition has been an integral part of the American Wine Society (AWS) national conference for almost as long as the Society has existed. However, you must be an AWS member to participate. Membership to AWS is open to any interested wine enthusiast, professional wine maker, amateur wine maker, grape grower, or curious novice. It costs anywhere from $30 to $52 a year, depending on if you join before or after July and whether you want a full year's subscription to the publication. There are lots of membership benefits, such as participation in local, regional and national events, receiving the Quarterly American Wine Society Journal and Quarterly AWS Newsletter, technical manuals, bulletins, videos, and vintage charts among other privileges. The competition has become a great opportunity for AWS home winemakers to showcase their creations and have them judged by their peers. In a two-tiered system of judging, hundreds of wines in dozens of categories are evaluated. Medals and other honors are awarded to makers of wines deemed worthy. The winemaking event also provides a learning opportunity for AWS members wanting to know more about evaluating wines. They may participate in judging sessions by observing the process, and by tasting and rating the wines for their own education.
