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SALES & MARKETING these days to get the attention because there is so much information out there, but that is one thing to try to work on: To make sure that wines that win awards get some sort of support for their results." Judgment of judges The topic of judging reliability gained traction in fall 2008, when the results of retired professor and winery owner Robert T. Hodgson's study of judge consistency at the California State Fair was released in the Journal of Wine Economics. By placing triplicates of the same wine sample within flights of about 30 wines, Hodgson revealed that only about 10% of judges were able to consistently replicate their scores when the same wine was placed within a single medal group. Another 10% scored the same wine awards ranging from bronze to gold. nia's North Coast region by the fair.) When Korbel's wines win big awards like the California State Fair honor, the winery tries to mobilize trade and press by distributing news releases, its sales force by circulating point-of-sale information and consumers by publicizing awards on social media and displaying honors in the winery tasting room in Guerneville, Calif. "There are so many wine competitions now that wineries are forced to make choices as to which to enter," Korbel vice president of communications Margie Healy told Wines & Vines. "We look for well-known competitions that have a history, include judges that are primarily wine writers and/or buyers and have affordable entry fees." But the méthode champenoise sparkler wasn't finished yet. The following day the bubbly selection claimed the title Best of Show among all white wines. "It took lots of awards," Pence, the competition coordinator, said of the wine, "and it really is delicious." Staying close to home When it comes to choosing competitions to enter, Keuka Springs' Wiltberger said he enters several contests in California but also has a fondness for those closer to his home vineyard in New York's Finger Lakes region. "We're working against wineries that have vineyards with the same soils and the same climatic conditions," he said. "It's a good way to see how you stack up against your competition, and that's important to us." The California State Fair Wine Competition is multi-layered to the same effect: The state is divided into 11 growing regions, and for regions submitting more than 30 of the same varietal, a winner is chosen as best varietal representation of the region. Judges also select Best in California for each varietal or wine category and Best of Show red, white, dessert and value wine (bottles that sell for less than $10). EntEr thE 30 x 60 DimEnsion NTO ME 327 RA SAC OTh # BO Wine competition standoff As for the stalemate over best sparkling at the California State Fair, after several rounds of blind tasting and voting, judges selected a wine that also earned a gold medal at the Los Angeles Wine & Spirits Competition and took home the Best of Class award for semi-dry sparkling wines in the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. The winner? An $11 nonvintage Blanc de Noirs from Korbel, which narrowly beat out Bryter Estates' $38 'Le Stelle' from the North Coast to take the best-of California title. (The Bryter wine, a non-vintage sparkling Brut, was named best white wine from Califor- www.jansoncapsules.com See us at Unified booth #327 Win es & Vin es ja n ua ry 20 14 101