The Daily Sauce :: A Daily Sip of Hip

May 20th, 2008 edition of The Daily Sauce: Food and Wine. Visit Our Food and Wine Archive.

Judge Wine Like a Pro

Sure, you sniff, swirl and sip, but think you’ve got the nose – or stomach – to be a real wine judge? Find out May 31, when you motor up to Des Moines, Iowa, to take the Judges Qualifying Exam for the Mid-American Wine Competition held in July. Do well and you can evaluate Midwest wines with experts like master sommelier Doug Frost of Kansas City, Californian Bob Foster – co-founder of the San Diego National Wine Competition and director of the Mid-American event – and our own Glenn Bardgett, Sauce contributor and wine director at Annie Gunn’s. Unlike the exams that masters of wine and master sommeliers must take to test their wine knowledge (Frost is one of three people in the world to hold both qualifications), as a non-professional, you’ll be tested on your tasting ability, consistency and recognition of wine faults.

The July competition is unusual because some of the wines will be judged with food. In fact, it’s the first U.S. wine competition using this judging format; smart move because although most wines are judged alone, we usually drink them with food. And who amongst us has not offered an opinion about how the Chardonel paired with the catfish?

Sauce pick: Wine Judge Qualifying Exam
Where to get it: Sat., May 31 – 10 a.m. at Des Moines Area Community College, Ankeny, Iowa
Price: There is no charge to take the exam.
Info: For information on the qualifying exam, contact Bob Foster at winecompetition@dmacc.edu or rfoster2@san.rr.com. For information on the July wine competition, visit www.dmacc.edu/ici/winecompetition.asp.

Advertise • Terms of Use • Privacy Policy • Contact Us
Sign Up • About Us • Home Page