Dear Wine making friends,
Your patience has been nothing short of heroic and i thank you for staying with us.
I am happy to announce that we will be judging the submissions for the 47th Annual US Amateur Wine Competition that was postponed last fall, on the weekend of June 26 and 27th. We are confident that Ventura County will be relaxed enough to allow our judges, stewards and support staff to conduct the overdue judging at that time. If there is yet again another delay, I will let you know but I believe we will pull this off at last.
I want to reassure all of you that your wines have been stored in climate controlled storage through the generosity of a couple of Cellarmasters. We will still be following all of the health protocols to keep everyone safe and we decided that a two day judging period with a reduced footprint would be the best way to accomplish this.
However, no Best of Show results or medal results are expected until after June 27th. We will be processing all the judging results and post the results within several days. I will be personally contacting the BOS winners after the event is concluded.
I know that several of the emails we’ve received expressed some concerns on behalf of their fellow wine club members. I would ask that those of you with these concerns share this email with your clubs and contact me with any other questions and issues. We appreciate your sticking with us and hopefully you will be submitting entries for our regularly scheduled competition in November 2021.
So, until the end of June, please stay safe and take care of each other and we’ll be raising our glasses together shortly.
Sincerely,
Michael Holland 2021 President, Cellarmasters Home Winemaking Club of Los Angeles
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Competition Notice
Timing is everything.
Please be advised that due to the ever-increasing health and safety risks associated with the recent significant increase in local pandemic infection rates in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, the Board of Directors of the 47th Annual US Amateur Home Winemaking Competition has voted unanimously to postpone the Competition until spring/summer 2021.
This is a decision that was difficult to make and undoubtedly will be disappointing to many, although we are confident it is appropriate under these unique circumstances.
Ultimately, the health and well-being of everyone associated with the Competition led us to this decision. We believe this postponement puts us in the best position to safely host the US Amateur in 2021.
All wines that have been received will be carefully stored in climate-controlled facilities and they will be judged in the postponed Competition.
If you entered a wine into the Competition and do not wish to wait until spring 2021 for feedback on it, we can assemble a panel to evaluate the wine outside of the Competition. If you wish to do this the deadline to contact Andy Coradeschi is December 15, 2020. (President@CellarmastersLA.org)
Your patience as we make every effort to communicate effectively and efficiently is appreciated, and we will share any additional information as soon as it becomes available. Updates also will be posted to our website, www.CellarmastersLA.org.
As COVID-19 continues to impact the lives of people everywhere, we seek your understanding of this decision and know you share our concern given these trying times. Thank you for your faithful support.
Andy Coradeschi
President
Cellarmasters of Los Angeles Home Winemaking Club
Newsletter:
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Cellar Masters,
I received my Medals from the 2015 Wine Making Competition in January and want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Yes, the medals are nice, but my great thanks goes to those who organized and ran the competition and to those who judged. I have been involved in organizing officials for sporting tournaments and understand the work involved. Thank you for your dedication to promoting Amateur wine making.
To the judges, I was very disappointed by the results of a contest that I had entered previous to yours. Zero info! I can’t begin to thank you enough for the feedback sheets. I had no idea what was right with my wines, what was wrong or most importantly what I could do, if anything, to improve my wines. Thank you for reinvigorating my “juices”, pun intended. PLEASE continue to judge and share the detailed feedback for those of us learning the art. I for one will continue making, and now refining, my wines. Thank you for such constructive support!!!
George A. Anderson IV
George, thanks SO much for the great feedback. We pride ourselves on the notes and comments from the judges because as winemakers, that’s what we would want too. Objective feedback is invaluable and is hard to get from friends and loved ones. Thanks for entering and keep making wines.
GreggO
Cellarmasters
I received my ribbons from the 2016 Wine Making Competition today! I want to thank everyone – those that planned to those who judged. Thank you for promoting the amateur wine making world I love so much.
To the judges – I can’t begin to thank you enough for the feedback you gave me. Seriously the constructive feedback is priceless and from the comments you took your task very seriously. I thank you ten-fold!
Have a blessed year!
Dear Cellarmasters,
Two years ago I entered your amateur contest and was thrilled with the feedback received. This years I came back and tried again and AGAIN am delighted! What a great treat to receive ribbons and feedback on my wines from you and your slate of judges. I am inspired to send my port to the 2018 Wine Maker international Amateur contest in March. I was also very encouraged by your label contest this year to receive recognition for my 5 labels. I am anxiously waiting on those ribbons as well. I would love to share a photo with you but do not see a way to do so. Please advise if I can. Thank you again!
Extremely Encouraged Again,
George A. Anderson IV
IV Vintners
North Little Rock, AR
Was wondering if the judging sheets have been sent out yet February 25 2019
Donny, yes they were sent out last week so you should be seeing them soon. Thanks for entering.
Cellar Masters one & all,
My Thursday last week sucked! Until, that is, I got home. I ran to the mail and threw open the box. What to my wondering eyes appeared, a huge yellow envelope and 8 tiny other bills. My apologies to Clement C. Moore! Once a gain the thrill of a little boy opening a Christmas gift shivered through my body! It probably helped it was 39 degrees at the time & I wasn’t wearing a jacket. Thank you, Thank You, Thank You! The feedback sheets that you return to us are so very helpful and encouraging. It is impossible to try to improve with out knowing the good and the areas that need improvement. I was also please to find you returned to awarding Medals. It is just one more way you elevate your competition to make us amateurs feel like pros! I will continue to enjoy and recommend this competition for years to come! thank you and all of the judges so very much!