Home Winemaker's Competition

Vineyards of Concord and Niagara grapes once filled the entire Naples Valley and all the surrounding areas. In the fall, stacks of boxes lined the rows of grapes ready for pickers to fill them and the air was thick with the sweet smell of grapes being harvested. Today, the Finger Lakes Region is home to many grape varietals and produces over 54,000 tons of grapes each year. The region now boasts 130 wineries and has been recognized both nationally and internationally. So, it should be no surprise that home winemaking is on the rise. This year we are bringing together our local home-based winemakers in a friendly competition to see who will be named Judge's Choice, Vintner's Choice, and People's Choice at the recently opened Engine 14 Brewery. Located on the site of the old Widmer's Winery, now the home of Hazlitt Winery, owners Greg and Kate Borden are sharing their newly renovated space to host both the Home Winemaker's Competition and the Chili Cook-off.

---

When

Sunday, September 18, 2022

Where

Engine 14 Brewery
52 West Avenue, Naples, NY

Time

1:00pm

Cost

FREE to all spectators to come and enjoy
Come and support our local winemakers. Your vote will determine who receives the People's Choice award. Everyone gets their first ticket free! Please note that there will be no public tastings of wine submitted to this event due to very limited quantities. (If you want to stay longer you can support the Chili Cook-off contestants too! Go to the Chili Cook-off page for more information).

Prizes

• Judge's Choice and Vintner's Choice Awards will be presented.
• People's Choice Award - You get to choose your favorite winemaker @ $1.00 per ticket.

General Rules

• All competitors must be amateur winemakers. Upon entry, the competitor declares that his/her entries were made in a home winemaking situation and not by a winery or commercial entity.
• All competitors must reside in Ontario County.
• Wines must be made from grapes grown in the Finger Lakes exclusively.
• All judging will be blind tastings. No labels on the bottles. They will be numbered and tracked by the event chairperson.
• All wines submitted will be judged on Appearance, Aroma, Body, Taste, and Finish.
• There is a limit of two (2) entries per competitor.
• One (1) 750 ml bottle of each wine entered must be submitted for judging. The only exception will be Dessert wines which will be accepted in 375 ml bottles.
• Judging to be completed on-site and awards presented at the end of the competition - Judge's Choice, Vintner's Choice, and People's Choice Awards.
• By entering, your information and picture may be used to promote current and future events.

Deadlines

• Entry Deadline with Entrance Fee: Friday, September 2nd, 2022
• Download Home Winemaker's Competition Entry Form
• Wine Delivery Deadline: Monday, September 12th, 2022
  Wine MUST be delivered by Monday, September 12th, in order to be judged.

Entry Fees

• Early Entry (Now through August 2nd): $10 per entry
• Regular Entry (August 3rd - September 2nd): $15 per entry
  Payments must accompany entry form. In the case of Venmo, payment will be on record.

Go to either the Venmo account or mail a check to the address below.

 

For more information, contact Lisa Messineo (Event Chairperson) at lmessineo@naplesgrapefest.org

---

Community Events 2022 Sponsors

---

Prospective Community Events Sponsors

If your organization would like to donate $100 or more to our new Community Events, we want to recognize you by listing your organization (and link to your website) on our the Community Events pages of our website.

Show your community support by donating $100 or more and sending your organization's logo, website address, mailing address and contact information to Tom Hawks II at thawks@naplesgrapefest.org

You can a make your donation by either going to the Venmo account or mail a check to the address below:

Contact Tom at 585-704-7210 with any questions you might have.

Our NEW Naples Grape Festival Community Events cannot happen year after year without your generous support. Thank you!.

---

Naples Grape Festival 2022 is Proudly Presented by the Naples Grape and Arts Festival LLC
All donations and proceeds from Community Events and the Grape Country Gala go toward supporting present and future Community Events. The goal of these events is to bring families and friends together by providing positive, fun and enriching experiences for Naples community residents!

---