The NC Wine Competition – Commercial Submissions

Entry submissions are OPEN – from April 20, 2023 to June 30, 2023
Judging – July 10 & 11, 2023

(Pre-Registration is required) 
Deliver or ship entries to:
Windsor Run Cellars
ATTN: NC Wine Competition
6531 Windsor Road
Hamptonville, NC 27020
(336) 468 – 9274

Call before delivery to ensure you arrive during open business hours.

Competition Contact:  Brianna Burns – brianna.burns@ncagr.gov

GENERAL RULES

ENTRIES

• Entrants must be the producer of the wine, cider, or mead.
• Please review the categories and category types for the correct placement of your entries.
• Residual sugar must be entered in percentages (%) on the entry form. Failure to submit varietals/fruits/honey and/or residual sugar percentages may result in disqualification.
• Only federally and NC ABC-permitted producers may enter the NC Wine Competition.
• Entrants must submit two (2) 750ml bottles, or three (3) 375ml bottles, of each entry. Faulty wines will be discarded after the competition. Any unopened wine will be used for educational and promotional purposes at the NC Wine and Grape Council’s discretion. Wines sent to the competition incorrectly will not be returned.
• Only wines made from at least 75% NC-grown fruit are eligible to compete. Each entry is required to list:
  *Contents by percentage
  *Harvest Date for each component
  *Where these components were harvested

Example Entry:
“ABC Wine” from 123 Winery
– Merlot (60%), October 12, 2014, Surry County NC
– Cabernet Franc (40%), October 20, 2014, Yadkin County NC

• By submission of your wines, you are verifying the information entered is correct. Winning wines may be subject to verification by the NC Wine and Grape Council prior to the announcement of awards. Wines entered falsely will be disqualified.
• Entry fee: $25.00 per wine entered. Entries may be shipped or delivered to Windsor Run Cellars, see address above.
• All entries must be processed through Enofile Online – Click on the button above. If needed, please create an account and build a profile for each of your entries. Then, choose the “EASY ENTER” tab at the top of the page and select “2023 THE NC WINE COMPETITION” then select your entries from the profiles you created. The last step is to review and pay – all payments must be made online and paid with a credit/debit card.

MEDALS / AWARDS

• Medals are Double Gold, Gold, Silver, and Bronze. There is no limit to the number of medals awarded in each category. Judges measure wines based on overall quality. Wines entered will not be judged against other entries. Not all entries will receive a medal.
• Highest scoring entries will be judged by a second judging panel to determine the “Best of” winners in each category & the NC Governor’s Cup award in the Vinifera Wine, Muscadine Wine, and Fruit/Cider/Mead categories.
• All wines eligible for an “NC Governor’s Cup” award will be reviewed and verified to ensure they are made of a minimum of 75% NC fruit/honey prior to judging.
• Entrants may visit NCWINE.ORG for competition results. Medals and judges’ notes will be mailed after the competition.

JUDGING

Entries are judged blind. Judges only receive information on content percentages and residual sugar. All categories are eligible to win the following awards: Double Gold, Gold, Silver, and Bronze.

Judges evaluate entries using the American Wine Society 20-point scale:
     Appearance 3 points max
     Aroma 6 points max
     Taste 6 points max
     Finish 3 points max
     Overall 2 points max
     Total Score 20 points max

MEAD Categories

• Traditional Mead – Single Honey & Honey Blends
• Melomel Mead (w/ Fruit)
• Metheglin Mead (Spiced)
• Hydromel Mead (Sparkling Session)
• Mead – Other

CIDER Categories

• Traditional Cider – Apple & Multi-Apple Blends
• Perry Cider – Pear
• Specialty – Apple & Fruit Blends
• Specialty – Apple & Grape/Wine Blends
• Cider – Other