It isn’t bragging should you can again it up. ~ Muhammad Ali
Nicely, isn’t that particular. ~ Church Woman
A Cowboy Cuvée and a Glamorous Gal
I hadn’t actually deliberate on posting this weekend however then two fantastic moments of affirmation occurred that after once more fanned my sometimes smoldering oenological fireplace into flames of gratitude and inspiration. So, please bear with my shameless show of self-inflicted again patting—it’ll be brief, however oh so candy…
Solely in Texas are you able to win a Platinum Medal for the standard of your wine. Isn’t a Gold Medal or a Double-Gold Medal—like in different wine competitions—sufficient to acknowledge a wine nicely made? Nah, not large enough for the Texas Worldwide Wine Competitors, which introduced its 2025 winners this previous week. Tiny Vineyards Wine Firm took house a disc of that rarest of components for our 2025 Vino Tinto Rústico, and “simply” a primary gold metallic medal for our 2024 Vermentino.
Conversely our Vermentino received Better of Class, a Gold Medal, and a 95-point rating within the Los Angeles Worldwide Wine Competitors—additionally introduced this previous week—whereas our Vino Tinto Rústico secured a Silver Medal.
That numerous treasured metallic for the start of the awards season. Sheesh!
However I don’t suppose these awards have been anomalies. Each competitions have been blind (that means the judges knew nothing in regards to the wines they have been about to attain, and so they by no means noticed the bottles / labels). And each wines scored nicely in each competitions. Whereas the Vermentino has solely been in two competitions thus far (garnering gold in each!), the Vino Tinto Rústico has stood on the Platinum Podium, received a Better of Class, a Double-Gold Medal, and three different Silver Medals within the 5 competitions it’s been in so far.
If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck…
I do know, I do know. I’m blowing my horn fairly loud right here. However these two wines are important for therefore many causes, not the least of which they each emerged from difficult circumstances and compromised fruit to evolve into two of the most well-liked wines I’ve ever made. It’s an excellent attestation of what can generally go proper when every little thing appears to be going mistaken, if solely you place confidence in nature, belief the science and keep open to a couple miracles.
Isn’t that the purest definition of winemaking?
