Organized by the Purdue Wine Grape Team since 1991, the Indy International Wine Competition is the largest scientifically organized and independent wine competition in the United States, now the world's largest wine market. "The Indy results are a crucial guide for wineries who need to swiftly respond to every-changing consumer preferences and global winemaking trends," said Christian Butzke, professor of enology at Purdue University and chief judge of the competition.

Major trophies for the commercial wines include Wine of the Year, White Wine of the Year, Red Wine of the Year, Sparkling Wine of the Year, Rosé Wine of the Year, Dessert Wine of the Year, Winery of the Year and Winemaker of the Year. This year the Indy introduces a paperless judging panel that will allow judges to enter wine aroma descriptors and scores on tablet computers to provide feedback to the winemakers.

The competition will be held at the historic ballrooms of the Purdue University Memorial Union in West Lafayette, Indiana. The general public is invited to come and watch August 3^rd and 4^th from 10 am to 3 pm, and Friday, August 5^th for the Wine of the Year taste-off from 11 am to noon. Entry information and a listing of all award-winning wines is available at www.indyinternational.org.

An article posted on the New York Cork Report website last week took a bold stand on the subject of wine competitions: The website's writers and editors will no longer accept invitations to judge them. After much deliberation, the NYCR crew came to the conclusion that competitions don't provide any real value to the consumer -- and it's calling on other would-be wine judges to join the boycott.

Before I go any further, I should tell you that the company I work for organizes three major wine competitions: the West Coast Wine Competition, the International Eastern Wine Competition and the Grand Harvest Awards.

That said, I must admit that I have some mixed feelings about wine judgings. They are not perfect. I have judged in competitions where we were called upon to make medal declarations in less time than it would take to pick up the glass and take a sniff -- let alone actually taste the wine. Why? Because we each had to taste through 147 wines before lunch, and there simply wasn't any time to spare on frivolous activities like thinking.

And yes, some organizers pressure judges to "be generous" when awarding medals, because when wineries do well, they're more likely to enter their wines in that competition next year. Some judges have even told me that they were not asked to return the following year because they were "too tough" on the wines.

But that's not to say that all competitions are run that way. The folks I know who organize these events -- not only my work colleagues, but respected fellow wine writers like Dan Berger and WRO publisher Robert Whitley -- do so with great care and integrity.

Last month, I judged at the Indy International Wine Competition at Purdue University, one of the country's largest competitions. I was actually a bit wary of participating in such a giant contest -- there were more than 2,500 wines entered, and only about a dozen judging panels to taste through them all in less than three days. But I was pleasantly surprised at the pace of judging; we were given as much time as we needed to taste and re-taste the wines in front of us. At no point did I feel rushed or pressured.

I think I can speak for my panel -- highly qualified wine pros representing wine education, retail, and winemaking perspectives -- when I say that we took our job seriously. If we felt that a particular wine was not medal-worthy, it did not get an award. We didn't agree unanimously on every wine, but the best wines had a way of transcending individual palate differences to rise to the top.

Who Benefits?

While wine competitions are designed to help lead consumers to wines that they'll enjoy, they are not organized entirely as a public service. Here's a breakdown of the various parties who benefit from them:

Wineries: Winning medals helps wineries sell bottles. When a shopper is choosing between two similar wines on a shelf, the one sporting a medal from a major wine competition has an advantage. Competitions also allow wineries the opportunity to get their products in front of influential wine judges -- writers, retailers and sommeliers -- who could end up placing an order or praising their wines in the media. I know many wine writers -- myself included -- who have gone on to write about a particular wine or producer that they encountered in a wine competition.

Organizers: Wine competitions make money, whether it's for a company, educational institution or a charity. The more wines entered, the more money the organizers make in entry fees. But it's not all gravy; there are plenty of organizational costs involved: administration, site fees, glassware rentals, travel expenses for the judges, etc.

Judges: They're not doing it for the money. Some competitions will pay judges a small honorarium -- say, $100 -- for their time, but many pay only to reimburse them for their travel expenses. So why do it? It's just plain fun to spend time discussing and tasting wine with professionals from all aspects of the industry, and you inevitably learn something interesting or valuable in the process. I've tasted thousands of wines in my life, but until I judged the Indy competition, I can't say that I'd ever sampled eight rhubarb wines in a sitting. I also had the opportunity to taste wines made from native and hybrid varieties that I never would have come across in California. It's that sort of thing that keeps judges coming back.

Consumers: Here's where the debate comes in. Wine competition detractors contend that because the various contests are conducted in different ways and the quality of judges varies from competition to competition, they are too confusing to have any value for consumers. But the same thing could be said of wine reviews, whether they're published in Wine Spectator or posted on a personal blog. Like wine competition organizers, individual wine reviewers and publications take different approaches, and some have more integrity and skill than others. But that doesn't mean that all wine reviews are worthless.

Regardless of the differences between competitions, competent professional judges can tell the difference between a so-so wine and a terrific one -- and this is ultimately reflected in the medals awarded.

The problem comes in, however, when wineries or salespeople are selective in how they present their award information to the public. In the past few years, many competitions have bumped up the number of categories in which wineries can win medals. Producers of high-end wines didn't want to risk having some $7 Merlot beat their $45 Merlot, so some organizers responded by dividing the wines into several categories by price-point. Once medals are awarded, it's up to the winery or retailer to let consumers know not only that this $7 Merlot won a gold medal in the competition, but that it won a gold medal in the under-$10 category. That context is very important. Otherwise, someone might buy that wine and wonder why it's not the best Merlot they ever tasted; when you specify the category for the gold medal -- whether it's based on price, region or some other factor -- it's no longer misleading.

Sifting Through the Clutter

As with wine reviews, finding the value in individual wine competitions involves a little knowledge about the source. Look for competitions that are run by reputable organizations or individuals, and that are transparent about their judging process. Credible contests have websites that list the names and credentials of their judges, and stats on the number of entries in the latest competition vs. the number of medals awarded. If 85% of entries in a competition received medals, the judges are probably being too generous (even a 15% gold medal rate is high). You'll also find listings of the most recent competition's medal winners, which will give you an idea of the caliber of entries and how the wines you enjoy were rated.

While I respect NYCR's decision to bow out of judging wine competitions because of the flaws in the system, I would argue that by doing so, its editors are missing out on some great opportunities to educate themselves -- and their readers -- about unfamiliar wines and producers, and to broaden their perspectives through interaction with other judges.

It is those aspects of wine judging -- and the thought that I might just help a thirsty wine lover find a new favorite -- that will keep me from joining the boycott.

http://www.winereviewonline.com/Tina_Caputo_on_Wine_Competitions.cfm

Bellhurst Winery of Geneva, N.Y., received the Wine of the Year award for its 2009 Riesling.

Bellhurt's winning entry was among nearly 2,700 wines in the competition. Wines from 15 countries as far away as France, Australia, Chile and Spain were judged on appearance, aroma, taste and aftertaste by 14 panels of judges. In all, 52 judges from the United States and Canada evaluated the entries.

"Our 52 international judges picked some truly exceptional wines to receive recognition as Wines of the Year of the Indy International Wine Competition," said Christian Butzke, associate professor in Purdue's Department of Food Science. "Fifteen countries entered a fascinating range of wines that represent an amazing diversity that makes tasting and judging wine so enjoyable vintage after vintage."

Other wine entry awards included:

* White Wine of the Year - 2008 Traminette, French Lick Winery, French Lick, Ind.

* Red Wine of the Year - 2006 Artist Series Meritage Red, Chateau Ste. Michelle, Woodinville, Wash.

* Rosé Wine of the Year - Simply Pink, St. Julian Winery, Paw Paw, Mich.

* Sparkling Wine of the Year - Blanc de Noirs, Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards, Sonoma, Calif.

* Dessert Wine of the Year - 2008 Icewine Express, Debonne Vineyards, Madison, Ohio.

* Fruit Wine of the Year - Strawberry Rhubarb, Maple River Winery, Casselton, N.D.

* Honey Wine of the Year - Winehaven Winery & Vineyard, Minnesota.

* Honey Wine Blend of the Year - Mango Harvest Flavors, Oliver Winery, Bloomington, Ind.

* Indiana Wine of the Year - Vidal Blanc Ice Wine, Satek Winery, Fremont, Ind.

E&J Gallo Winery of Modesto, Calif., was awarded the Winery of the Year Trophy, sponsored by the Leisure Family. The trophy honors the best international brand of the competition. E&J Gallo won double gold, gold, silver and bronze medals.

Oliver Winery won the Winemaker of the Year Trophy, honoring the winery that won the most gold medals by brand at the competition.

Indiana was well represented in the competition, with 31 of the state's wineries entering. Hoosier wineries took home 21 double gold, 22 gold, 89 silver and 94 bronze medals.

"The Indiana wineries went head-to-head with wines from throughout the world and brought home 226 medals," said Jeanette Merritt, marketing director for the Indiana Wine Grape Council. "This shows that Indiana wines are of high quality and can be judged well against any wine in the world."

Huber Orchard & Winery won the Indiana Winery of the Year, the Governor's Cup, recognizing the winningest Indiana winery.

The Indy International features a special award division for Indiana-grown wines. Wines must be composed of more than 85 percent Indiana grown fruit to be eligible. French Lick Winery won Indiana-Made Traminette of the Year, honoring Indiana's signature wine and grape. Oliver Winery won the Indiana-Grown Fruit Wine of the Year for its 2009 Beanblossom Hard Cider. Huber Orchard, Winery & Vineyard won the French-American Wine category for its 2009 Vignoles and the Indiana-Grown Vinifera Wine of the Year for its 2008 Knobstone Blaufrankisch. Easley Winery of Indianapolis won the Indiana-Grown American Wine of the Year for its Pink Catawba.

The Indy International Wine Competition began in 1973 as an Indiana-only event. The competition began admitting entries from around the world in 1992 under Richard Vine. Butzke took over the leadership of the competition in 2006.

The Indy International is held at Purdue and run by the Indiana Wine Grape Council. For a list of all medal-winning wines, log onto http://www.indyinternational.org

The Indy International Wine Competition is the largest scientifically organized and independent wine competition in the United States, the world's largest wine market. Commercial entries from 12 countries and 39 US states will be evaluated by our distinguished judges. Wine writers and winemakers, winegrowers and enologists, chefs and sommeliers, wine distributors, retailers and consumers meet every year in Indiana, the heart of America, a truly central place for wines to be seen and recognized.

Competition categories include commercial and amateur entries. Amateur winemakers and commercial fruit winemakers will find the Indy International appealing since the Indy International provides special trophies and recognition for both of these categories. Trophies for the commercial wine class include Wine of the Year, White Wine of the Year, Red Wine of the Year, and a Pacesetter Trophy, awarded to the winningest winery at the competition.

The competition will be held at the Purdue University Memorial Union in West Lafayette, Indiana. Judging will take place from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and from 11:30am-1pm on Friday.

Cheers,

Prof. Christian Butzke, Chief Judge

Wines from 10 countries as far away as France, Australia and Spain were judged on appearance, aroma, taste, and aftertaste by 16 panels of judges. In all, 72 judges flew in from the United State and Canada to evaluate the wines.

Rancho Zabaco Winery of Healdsburg, California was awarded the Wine of the Year award for its 2007 Reserve Zinfandel. White Wine of the Year honors went to Stone Hill Winery of Hermann, Missouri for their 2008 Vignoles. Barrel Oak Winery of Delaplane, Virginia won Red Wine of the Year for their 2008 Norton. Rosé Wine of the Year was awarded to Butler Winery of Bloomington, Indiana for their 2008 Chambourcin Rosé.

The Sparkling Wine of the Year was awarded to Chateau Frank of Hammondsport, New York for their 2002 Brut and Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery of Canada took the Dessert Wine of the Year honors for their 2007 Minus Nine Icewine.

Ertel Cellars of Batesville, Indiana won Fruit Wine of the Year for their Strawberry. The last two categories, Honey Wine of the Year and Honey Wine Blend of the Year were awarded to Winehaven Winery & Vineyard of Minnesota and to Oliver Winery of Bloomington, Indiana, respectively.

E&J Gallo Winery of Modesto, California was awarded the Winery of the Year Trophy, sponsored by the Leisure Family. The Pacesetter Trophy honors the Best International Brand of the entire competition. E&J Gallo Winery won two double gold, 17 gold, 38 silver and 32 bronze medals.

Huber Orchard & Winery of Starlight, Indiana won the Winemaker of the Year Trophy, honoring the winery that wins the most gold medals by brand at the competition.

The Indiana State Fair Wine Competition began in 1973 as an Indiana-only event. The competition began admitting entries from across the world in 1992 under Richard Vine, PhD. Dr. Christian Butzke took over the leadership of the competition in 2006.

"It is gratifying to see the Indy International's continued success," says Butzke, Chief Judge. "Wineries from all over the world value the medals they receive from this competition."

Indiana was well represented in the competition, with 25 of the state's wineries entering. Hoosier wineries took home a total of 10 double gold, 36 gold, 108 silver, and 120 bronze medals.

"The Indiana wineries went head to head with wines from throughout the world and brought home 274 medals," said Jeanette Merritt, marketing director for the Indiana Wine Grape Council. "This shows that Indiana wines are of high quality and can be judged well against any wine in the world."

Huber Orchard & Winery also won the Indian a Winery of the Year, sponsored by the Indiana State Fair. Adding to their medal count, Huber's also took home Indiana Wine of the Year for their 2007 Knobstone Chambourcin.

The Indy International has a special award division for Indiana grown wines. A wine must be composed of more than 85% Indiana grown fruit to be eligible. Huber Orchard and Winery of Starlight won the Indiana-grown Fruit Wine of the Year for their Raspberry Dessert Wine. Butler Winery of Bloomington the French-American Wine category for their Chambourcin Rosé. Oliver Winery the Indiana-grown American Wine of the Year for their 2007 Creekbend Catawba. Huber Orchard & Winery won the Indiana-grown Vinifera Wine of the Year 2007 Knobstone Cabernet Franc.

Each year more than 9,000 bottles of wine are sent from around the world. The INDY International is one of the five largest wine competitions in the United States and the largest outside of California.

Wine

Wines are judged on appearance, smell and taste. Wines may win a double gold, gold, silver, or bronze medal. The Wine of the Year winners are selected from double gold wines.

Judge Cru

Winemakers, restaurant managers, wine shop owners, wine writers and trained consumers evaluate more than 100 wines each day - smelling, tasting and spitting out each sample. To cleanse their mouths between wines, the judges consume:

• 450 bottles of water
• 120 boxes of crackers
• 75 cans of Graber olives
• 100 pounds of Fair Oaks cheese
• 50 pounds of roast beef
• 600 pieces of Wolf's dark chocolate

Pit Cru

More than 70 wine enthusiasts work behind the scenes at the competition. Each of them uncork, pour, and serve more than 300 wines, utilizing more than 17,000 wine glasses in all.