I know much gossip and debate has been had since the Press Democrat article “Harvest Fair's top red wine loses its medal” came out a few days ago.  It has been less than a week since the awards night gala, and it turns out the main sweepstakes winner for REDS, Adler Fels didn’t meet the 75 case requirement for their winning 2007 Russian River Pinot Noir. The word around the interwebs ranges from people boycotting the Kenwood winery, to a debate about the Harvest Fair itself to if this will actually create better sales from the publicity.

I honestly didn’t know much about them before and this controversy brought them to my attention and I would like to visit their winery, but I still have a negative attitude about them.

I posted the link on my Facebook page and below is a shorten transcript (the names have been shortened to protect the guilty) of the debate that happened.   WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS???  

Mike

75 case requirement?!? That's three barrels! I make more than that at home. Damn right they should lose the medal. Any mid-sized winery can come up with a three barrel ringer. What's the point of the competition if nobody can try the winner. And they poured a different wine at the trade event? Bad form.

Brian

If ya can't play by the rules then what's the point of walking onto the field, damn straight they stripped the medal, in a competition that everyone gripes about being unfair or biased, it's nice to see some integrity! It's on Adler Fels for not following the rules.

Shana

I wonder why they didn't give the award to the runner up... We all know how Miss. America works. The winner gets caught with topless photos and the runner up gets the crown!

Grant

This is an interesting situation and will certainly be debated to the end. My personal opinion is that if the mission of the Harvest Fair is to find the best wine in certain categories then so be it. Whether or not a winery has enough of that wine to satisfy distributers, retailers and consumers should not be part of any criteria. But, one thing is certain, the winery should not have poured a different wine/vintage to consumers...that was misleading... Shana, LOL, love the comparison to the Miss America, topless photos...maybe the runnerup wine should peel its label off!

Craig

The winery knew how much they produced, and how much they could allocated between national accounts, on-site tastings and direct sales, and what their return is from each channel... this feels a bit like selling more stock than your company issues. Credit to the fair.

Shana

That might be how you do things in Sonoma Valley... But here in Healdsburg, we don't peel our labels off. ;)  The rules state that a winery has to make over 75 cases to wine the sweepstakes and they broke that rule (without knowing much else then what the article states and some gossip).

Mike

Grant I don't agree that the mission of the competition should be to find the best wine in a given category regardless of the consumer's ability to obtain the wine. I think the mission of the fair is to have a team of reliable people filter through the literally thousands of wines offered every year to help guide consumers to some hidden gems. I ... Read Morecan't tell you how often I've been introduced to a promising upstart or, more often, reintroduced to a winery I'd written off years earlier because of the harvest fair. When these competitions are no longer useful to the consumer they just become self-gratifying entertainment to an industry that already needs it's ego checked.

Grant

Michael, sounds like you may have issues with the industry as a whole? There are hundreds of wine tasting events around Napa/Sonoma where consumers can find those hidden Gems...or just spend some time visiting those hidden gem tasting rooms that are everywhere...

Shane

Grant, I think you're forgetting that the consumers are the ones who run the table not the wineries. You shouldn't enter a wine that nobody can purchase, what's the point of entering a wine that you can't sell or distribute, how's that benefiting anyone?

Shana

I agree with both of you. Maybe separate categories for larger production (I am talking 300 cases, not just the big guys) and then one for truly smaller boutique wineries. What we are ALL trying to do here is to sell more wine.... Isn't that PART of the point of the competition in the first place? Bringing attention to Sonoma County wines. If ... Read Moreconsumers cannot get the winning wine, then ultimately what is the point? Great wine in small lots should be a part of the competition, but usually they are only available to wine club members.. Which perhaps sells them more wine clubs. GREAT. But the average consumer isn't necessarily part of a wine club.

Grant

Shane, believe me, I am with you, 100%..

Mike

There are hundreds of tasting events, and hidden gems everywhere, that's what's so challenging. The harvest fair is one of the more comprehensive and reliable competitions and is therefore useful in helping consumers focus their search. I like to look at the award winners in my price range and category that I like, then head out to tasting rooms to check them out. As for me personally, I adore the wine industry, I just get a kick out of insulting my own family.

Shana

Which reminds me- Shane/Mike I have not tried any of your own wines... When do I get to?  Maybe that should be part of the awards... Home wine markers that don't sell to the public (yet). Is there something like that already?

Grant

Michael, LOL, now I see your motivation...good points, and I have to agree...consumers seek to get educated in finding the "right wine" for them and competitions like this help...that's why we started our own competition in Sonoma Valley...

Shane

Grant, thanks. I just hope Adler Fels made an honest mistake and unfortunately has to pay for it. But, yes to you Ms. Ray, the harvest festival is to showcase our beautiful county and show the people of sonoma/ nation/world that we kick ass at making wine.

Shane

Let's hug now

Craig

Perhaps there's a VIP opportunity here. Wineries enter "micro availability wines" in an segmented part of this competition. 50 cases of those wines would be allocated to a Harvest Fair wine club, and "consumers with means" could chose to pay a premium for one annual case assortment of these wines. 150 people pay $750 and get 4 bottles each of ... Read Morethe red and white sweeps winners, as well as 4 other individual gold medal winners. The wineries gets their tasting room story and a little gold sticker for the bottle, "regular" consumers have awareness of a winery's award-winning methodology, the fair board gets a cut of club revenues to keep the Friday family day sponsored, and the hoi polloi can have access to something limited and special.

Mike

Shana there is a home winemaking part of the Harvest Fair competition but you can't enter it if you work in the wine industry....which sort of means you can't enter it if you live in Sonoma County. Which is fine since the whole reason guys like Shane and I make our own hooch is because we can't afford the good stuff. If we won a medal we'd have to share.

Grant

Could point Craig...that is why we added a "Reserve area" at the Showcase event at MacMurray Ranch this past Labor Day weekend...wineries with limited allotments could not pour to thousands but were willing to pour their "hidden gems" to a smaller crowd....

Cellars Wine

I'm glad you brought up the Harvest Fair taking back their award. It's very clear in the rules. It isn't fair to those that play by the rules. Maybe there should always be a runnerup in case of this happening again. Also there should be a separate category of limited production. Like they do in the LA comp.

Ziggy

Word UP from the Wine Gal...I've judged hundreds of wine competitions. The rules are clear. I also know that many times if not more often than not, there is always 2 wines, sometimes even 3 wines that you just can't choose between for top pick. Next wine up should get the award. GAME OVER.