Breaking News - Mountain Meadows Mead Wins Big at Planet Buzz!
November 13, 2002 -- Mead makers battle in Chicago for top honors in honeywine showcase
America’s meadmakers sent their wares to Chicago recently for the first international competition of honey wines held during Planet Buzz!, a celebration of mead and cider. A total of twelve awards were given across four categories of mead with nine different producers earning accolades. Mountain Meadows Mead, the only producer to win more than one award, took home a total of three, including two firsts and a second.
At the top of Mountain Meadows Mead’s accomplishments was the first place showing with "Honeymoon Nectar" in the Traditional Mead category, the most competitive classification with 19 entries. Their "Spice Nectar" took first place in the Metheglin (spiced mead) and Specialty category and their "Cranberry Mead" captured second place in Melomel (fruit mead). Full results of the competition and judge comments are given on the attached sheet.
"We were thrilled to win top awards for our most popular products," said Ron Lunder, founder and meadmaker at Mountain Meadows. "We hope that this recognition will help us with marketing and help us to secure wider distribution." Lunder added that the festival offered a great opportunity to taste some marvelous meads and ciders and to meet and "talk shop" with other meadmakers, both professional and amateur.
Veteran beer judge and competition organizer Ray Daniels created the Planet Buzz event and the associated competition. "We are very pleased with the results of the mead judging in this first-time competition," said Daniels of the blind tasting. "Three different panels of judges selected products from the same producer for top awards. That kind of consistency is what you expect from knowledgeable and competent evaluators."
Judging was supervised by Master Judge Jeffrey Sparrow and conducted by a team of nine independent and experienced mead and cider makers and judges, many of whom are also highly ranked in the judge certification program. All judging was blind so that the judges had no idea of the identity of the brand or maker. Judges came from Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota and Colorado.
Polish meads took home two awards with products entered by their US importer, Stawski Distributing Co., Inc. of Chicago. "Jadwiga" from Apis in Lublin, Poland finished second in Traditional Mead behind Mountain Meadows and then the tables were reversed with "Koronny" from Milejow beating out Mountain Meadows to grab first place in Melomel.
On the cider side of the competition, Bulmer’s was the big winner, taking home the first and third place awards with Woodchuck Raspberry and Woodchuck Pear respectively. The Boston Beer Company took second place with Hardcore Traditional Cider.
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For additional information on Mountain Meadows: Ron Lunder, Mountain Meadows Mead, Westwood, CA 96137. meadman@citlink.net, 5302563233
For additional information on Polish meads, contact Joey Stawski-Wood, joey@stawskidistributing 7732784848
Planet Buzz! 2003
Winners of the First Chicago International Mead and Cider Competition
For further information, contact Ray Daniels 773-665-1300
Traditional Mead
1st Place Mountain Meadows Mead - Westwood, CA - Honeymoon Nectar
2nd Place Stawski Distributing Co. - Chicago, IL - Jadwiga
3rd Place Pirtle Winery - Weston, MO - Pirtle Sparkling Mead
Varietal Mead & Braggot
1st Place Spurgeon Vineyards & Winery - Highland, WI - Mead (Apple Blossom)
2nd Place White Winter Winery, Inc. - Iron River, WI - Oak Brackett
3rd Place Desi's Dew Meadery - Rougemont, NC - Desi's Wildflower Sparkling Mead
Melomel
1st Place Stawski Distributing Co.- Chicago, IL - Koronny
2nd Place Mountain Meadows Mead - Westwood, CA - Cranberry Mead
3rd Place Redstone Meadery - Boulder, CO - Black Raspberry Nectar
Metheglin & Speciality
1st Place Mountain Meadows Mead - Westwood, CA - Spice Nectar
2nd Place T&A Vintners, LLC - Canton, MI - Mead Harbor West Coast Reserve
3rd Place Smokehouse Winery - Sperryville, VA - Honeysuckle Metheglin
Cider
1st Place Bulmers America - Wadsworth, IL - Woodchuck Raspberry
2nd Place Boston Beer Company - Boston, MA - Hardcore Traditional Cider
3rd Place Bulmers America - Wadsworth, IL - Woodchuck Pear
Total judged entries: 41 meads, 14 ciders.
Judge comments about Mountain Meadows Mead’s "Honeymoon Mead":
(These comments are taken directly from the score sheets prepared by the judges.)
"Appealing! Honey and some sur lie with notes of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and juniper. Thoroughly inviting."
"Spice notes, sweetness and floral impression balance well with an appropriately acidic finish."
"Cinnamon quality. A bit sawdusty, reminiscent of noble rot botrytis. Woody. Fruity. Grape & Raspberry."
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