July 19, 2005
Third largest U.S. wine competition to be held at State Fair
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The 2005 Indiana State Fair International Wine Competition will be held in the Blue Ribbon Pavilion on the state fairgrounds in Indianapolis July 28-30.
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More than 3,600 wines from Indiana and 41 other states, in addition to 17 other countries, including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand and Australia, will be judged during this 14th annual event. The number of entries in this year's contest is expected to exceed the record number of entries submitted last year. Eighty judges from the United States, Canada and Europe will lend their expertise in selecting wines for top honors.
The event takes place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. The public may view the judging at no charge. Recommended viewing times are from 10 a.m. to noon and 1:30-3 p.m.
"The majority of wine entries include the classic red and white table varieties," said Ellie Butz, Purdue University wine technologist. "However, the Indy International is the largest competition in the country for fruit wines and the country's second largest for amateur winemakers,"
Wine entries are housed in the Purdue Department of Food Science, where they are coded and placed in categories prior to the contest. Once at the competition, a team of volunteers, called the Pit Cru, places bottles into rows, pours and serves the wine to the judges. All this is done behind curtains so at no time will judges view the wine in bottles.
The wines are judged individually based on the five Ss: sight, swirl, smell, sip and spit. Precautions are taken to make sure nothing interferes with the judges' ability to taste the wines, Butz said. All glasses are sanitized, washed and polished with a linen cloth to make sure there are no water spots after every taste.
Judges taste, analyze and score approximately 120 wines each day. After each tasting, every judge on a five-member panel is polled, and awards are determined by majority opinion. Placings consist of bronze, silver and gold, though it's possible not every wine will place.
If all five judges on the panel vote for a gold medal, the wine receives the Concordance Gold designation and the opportunity to compete for one of five Best of Show trophies.
The major award winners are announced at the Taste of Indiana Agriculture Wine Reception that will take place 6-9 p.m., Aug. 3 in the Exposition Hall at the state fairgrounds. Admission is $20 at the door and $3 for parking. Each attendee will receive an etched wine glass for sampling different wines, and a number of agricultural commodity groups, including livestock groups and the Soybean Board, will serve food.
Founded in 1992, the goal of the Indy International Wine Competition is to identify, reward and promote excellence in winemaking. The competition is the largest in the United States outside of California.
The Indy International Wine Competition is sponsored by American Airlines, Lallemand Inc., Phil Leisure Family, Indianapolis Wine Enthusiasts Club, Indiana Beekeepers' Association, Indiana Winegrowers Guild, Marsh Supermarkets, Graber Olives, Purdue Department of Food Science, and Rawles and Associates.
Writer: Jennifer Culy, (765) 494-8402, jculy@purdue.edu
Sources: Jeanette Merritt, (765) 496-3842, jkmerritt@purdue.edu
Jill Blume, (765) 494-1749, blume@purdue.edu
Ellie Butz (Harkness), (765) 494-6704, harkness@purdue.edu
Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
Agriculture News Page
Note to Journalists: Journalists covering the event may take a tour and sit in with a panel of judges to go through the sampling process. A one-day notice is recommended to make arrangements for covering the competition. Contact Jeanette Merritt at (765) 496-3842.
Related Web site:
Indiana Wine Grape Council
PHOTO CAPTION:
Judges such as Nancy Bandy are up to their noses in the thousands of wines entered each year in the Indianapolis International Wine Competition. The 2005 Indiana State Fair International Wine Competition will be held in the Blue Ribbon Pavilion on the state fairgrounds in Indianapolis July 28-30. (Purdue Agricultural Communication Service photograph/Tom Campbell)
A publication-quality file photograph is available at https://www.purdue.edu/uns/uns/images/+2005/wine-comp.jpg
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