I didn't know where to put this post, so I guess that this section is as good as any.
I have decided to enter a few bottles of my Home-made Mead into the Suffolk Smallholder's Mead competition, but I have no idea on how to present my Meads in that competition.
Any and all help and suggestons would be welcome from those of you who have entered produce and preserve exibits into similar shows and competitions.
I have emailed the organisers for a copy of the rules and other advice, but so far none has been forthcoming.
fish
WINE CLASSES - OPEN
Wine should be exhibited in CLEAR or only slightly tinted glass bottles of approximately 26fl oz with rounded shoulders. Bottles should be filled to leave an airspace between the bottom on the cork and the surface of the wine of between 1⁄4” to 3⁄4”. Plastic flanged corks to be used.
this is an example from our local show , however it would seem that the top can vary greatly , wookey flower show requires a white plastic cork , but the mid somerset county show requires a natural cork.
if i was you ide ask at your local wine making supplies shop , they will invariably supply those that enter the show.
Gareth
I received the show schedule and the class entry forms today.
The Mead competition rules are pretty straight forward; any clear glass bottle of 70 cl or over. Two categories; Sweet Mead and Dry Mead. As my New Years Mead is reasonably dry, 1 litre of it in an Ikea flip top bottle will be entered.
The flavoured Meads presented a little problem, but a quick phone call to the show's secretary cleared that question up. I can enter the flavoured Meads into the class for any Home-made product containing honey as an ingredient, providing the recipe is also included. Therefore I have chosen the following; Orange Mead, the Dark Grape Mead and the Sparkling (as it is still fermenting ) Fruits of the forest Mead. I will also include a 500 ml bottle of My "Fruits of the Forest Vinegar," as I still have one bottle of the original batch left. This was the batch where I ran out of Sugar, and bunged in a jar of honey to make the recipe up to the correct volume.
Absolutely no preconceptions upon my part, but it would be very nice to walk away with at least one Rosette. .
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froggyfagan
Love it Gareth have you ever made wine with tinned fruits ?Tinned strawberry makes an excellent wine,just throw the lot in and ferment,you can even make'cooked'wines by adding pure alcohol before the end of fermentation
Gareth
I was Knobbled!
My entry into class 9; Dry Mead was disqualified because I had displayed in the wrong type of bottle. Now, the rules stated a clear glass bottle of no less than 70cl was to be used. Well, I have 20 X 1 litre (100cl) glass, wire flip top bottles especially for for my Meads. According to the Judges, this type of botle did not meet the show requirments. :smt093
The dark grape Mead entered in Class 16 was also disqualified......... Someone had ripped my recipe sheet in two and had stolen the half with recipe, leaving only the half with the method, and therefore my entry did not meet the full requirements when the Judges arrived to do the Judging.
The fruits of the Forest Vinegar was also disqualified from class 16. All of the exhibits had stood out over night in a tent. Obviously it had been cold enough for some of the Honey used as an Ingredient in the Fruit Vinegar to crystalise, and this was the reason for disqualification.
The Orange Mead, also entered in class 16 won first prize.
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fish
kin well done!!!!!!!!!
codfather
well done on the win sorry to hear about all the others better luck next time mate
Gareth
Class 9 Dry Mead,
My bottle of the New Year's Mead entered in the show is the one the right hand side of the top shelf. It got disqualified for being in the wrong kind of bottle.
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It should have been in this type of bottle; Clear glass of 75 cl with a white plastic top fixed upon a standard cork...... ..... ...... I'll know better for next time.
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Class 16. Best Home-made produce, with Honey as an ingredient.
My entries;
Top shelf left Fruits of the Forest Vinegar (Disqualified because some of the honey had crystalised.
Top shelf right Dark Grape Mead (Disqualified because someone had ripped my recipe sheet in two, and nicked the half with the ingredients on it, look carefully and you can see the remaining half of the recipe sheet).
Middle shelf Left, Grapefruit Mead. Middle shelf right, Fruits of the Forest Mead.
Bottom Shelf Right, Orange Mead.
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The Class 16; Home-made produce, with honey as an ingredient winners;
Highly commended (4th place) Honey toffee shaped like a hive. 3rd place a Jar of clear Honey. 2nd Place Honey sponge cake, 1st place My Orange Mead
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I didn't mind too much about the disqualification for the fruit vinegar. The crystallisation of the Honey was just pure bad luck due to the coldish overnight conditions.
I wasn't very happy about the "incorrect bottle" fiasco as I had enquired about bottles, and was informed that any clear glass bottle of over 75 cl was acceptable.
I was bdooly fuming over the stolen half of my recipe sheet for the Dark Grape Mead. In my opinion this the best Mead that I have yet made, it has an absolutely divine taste (subject to the smoked Walnut Mead yet to be bottled). To have the ingredients section of my recipe ripped off (literally) just prior to judging was very inconsiderate to put it mildly.
After the judging many members of the public were seen to be copying down my recipes, and I also handed out a few printed copies
fish
welldone good pictures.as i said the wine classes are a real dificult one!
) Fruits of the forest Mead. I will also include a 500 ml bottle of My "Fruits of the Forest Vinegar," as I still have one bottle of the original batch left. This was the batch where I ran out of Sugar, and bunged in a jar of honey to make the recipe up to the correct volume.
Love it 
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