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Major Changes to the Virginia Governor’s Cup – An Interview with New Head Judge Jay Youmans
In my non-wine, 9-to-5 world I am well known by colleagues for my aversion to social events and the great lengths I go to avoid them. Though I’m not a fan of the standard ‘how about this crazy weather‘ corporate grip-and-grin events, I’ve come to appreciate, and even look forward to social events in the wine world.
In late October I attended one such wine event in Washington, D.C. hosted by the Virginia Tourism office and the Virginia Wine Marketing Office to celebrate Virginia Wine Month and to highlight Virginia’s wine travel experiences. The event featured wines from five of Virginia’s top wineries and was attended by Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, Secretary of Agriculture Todd Haymore, along with a host of other industry professionals and media. (Paul and Warren of Virginia Wine Time have a great recap of the event posted here.)
Not only did the reception provide an opportunity taste some nice wines and catch up with friends that I see too little of, the event also provided a great forum to pick up a few nuggets of inside information as well.
While waiting for the event to begin, I happened to meet up with Dave McIntyre and Jay Youmans, Washington DC’s only Master of Wine. During our conversation Jay mentioned his proposal to the State to revamp the Virginia Governor’s Cup Competition. Having more than a passing interest and curiosity in stories related to the Virginia wine industry, I kept this item on my radar. I heard last week that an announcement was imminent…
And today, Governor McDonnell officially announced revamped and enhanced Governor’s Cup Competition, lead by new head judge Jay Youmans. To reestablish credibility of the Governor’s Cup competition, this is a much-needed change.
As an adjunct to the official announcement from the Governor’s office, I asked Jay Youmans to share his thoughts about his role as new head judge of the revamped Virginia Governor’s Cup Wine Competition.
DWYL: According to Governor McDonnell’s press release, only Virginia wines made from 100% Virginia fruit will be eligible for the Governor’s Cup. This is a significant change in entry criteria for the competition. What were your reasons for adding the 100% Virginia fruit requirement?
To be fair, this change had been proposed before I became involved. It was an agreement reached between the Virginia Wineries Association (VWA), Virginia Vineyard Association (VVA), and the Virginia Wine Board (VWB). Governor McDonnell and Secretary of Agriculture Todd Haymore felt strongly that this competition should showcase wines produced from 100% Virginia grapes. Wine quality starts with the grapes and our job as judges is to assess the quality of grapes and the winemaking in Virginia.
Do you see the demographic of wineries entering the competition changing as a result?
The demographic of wineries will change slightly, however, I believe the total number of wines entered will remain the same. While some wines will no longer eligible for the competition, there will be some new entries. A number of wineries that have not participated in the past will submit wines in support of the new changes.
Editorial Note: Aside from bringing an overall rejuvenated tone to what is supposed to be Virginia’s flagship wine competition, raising the bar to accept only wines made from 100% Virginia grown grapes is the single most significant improvement to the Governor’s Cup. Requiring a 100% Virginia fruit commitment is a big deal and I applaud all of the decision makers!
DWYL: In years past, some of Virginia’s most notable wineries have not entered the Governor’s Cup Competition — do you expect the revised format to bring some of these wineries back to the competition?
In the past, some wineries felt they had nothing to gain by participating. I would argue that they now have everything to gain by submitting their wines. With the changes in the Methodology, and the talent that has been assembled to judge, each wine will be carefully assessed. In addition, the main objective of Virginia Governor’s Cup Competition will be to recognize the 12 best wines rather than just singling out one wine. The top 12 scoring wines will comprise the “Governor’s case”. These wines will be sent to publications, writers, educators, and other wine competitions around the country. These wines will be presented as Virginia’s best. Any wine wishing to compete commercially on a national or international level will benefit greatly from this exposure.
Editorial Note: Based on conversations I’ve had with several winemakers about the enhancements to the Governor’s Cup, it’s clear these changes are viewed as the beginning of a new era of credibility for this competition. I believe we will see several notable wineries enter that competition that have, in years past, avoided the Cup.
DWYL: Virginia ciders will also have their own category in the new Governor’s Cup format. As the number of Virginia cideries grows, this will become an important category important in future years. Can you tell us about the driver behind including ciders in the Governor’s Cup?
This is new. Ciders are a rapidly growing segment of the Beverage Industry today and Virginia has a long history of producing apples. We expect the number of entries to soar in the coming years.
DWYL: The educational component of the new format is an excellent idea — can you expand on what you hope this adds to the Governor’s Cup?
The educational component is intended to give critical feedback to the wineries. Each winery will receive tasting notes and a score on the wines they submit (based on the 100 point rating system). These notes will detail how the judges determined their scores.There will be four regional forums where we will taste the top 12 Virginia wines. We will refer to these wines as the “Governor’s case”. These forums are intended to identify the characteristics and qualities that set the wines apart. It will help to establish benchmarks for the industry.
DWYL: For the past several years, the Governor’s Cup has been conducted in two separate competitions — one for reds and one for whites. Under the new format, you’ve made this ‘one’ competition again. What are your reasons for making this a single event?
The principal reason behind two separate competition’s was to show the white wines at their peak. The problem with this approach is it diluted the promotional impact of the competition. It also makes it more challenging to attract judges. Consolidating the whites and reds will simply make the competition more meaningful.
The Virginia Governor’s Cup Wine Competition “will become the benchmark with which all other wine shows will be measured, not simply because of the quality of the judges, or the rigorous selection process, but because of the critical feedback given to each participating winery. The competition will serve notice to the industry that Virginia is serious about producing high quality wines.” ~ Jay Youmans
Thank you Jay for your time and for sharing your insights in to the future direction of the Virginia Governor’s Cup. These are exciting times for Virginia wine, and for the Virginia Governor’s Cup.
About our guest: Jay Youmans has been tasting wine professionally for nearly 30 years. He is the Educational Director and owner of the Capital Wine School, and the owner of Rock Creek Wine Merchants, a sales and marketing consultancy. Jay is an Advanced Level Sommelier, a Certified Wine Educator (CWE), and Washington, DC’s only Master of Wine (MW). Bio excerpted from Capital Wine School.
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Jim Dolphin said:
Frank,
I think you’ve hit the nail on the head. The two most important changes are (i) the 100% Virginia grape requirement (which the VVA has been pushing, rightly, for years) and (ii) having Jay organize and lead the judging panel. His participation is an instant upgrade and will give some credibility to the results which, some feel, has been lacking.. While we haven’t participated in the past, we will likely participate in the future.
Best,
Jim
DrinkWhatYouLike said:
Thank you, Jim. I appreciate your feedback. I feel the 100% requirement is a game changer in terms of credibility for the Governor’s Cup. I am glad to hear that Delaplane wines may be in the 2012 Cup. All the best!
Diane Flynt said:
Thank you, Frank, for an informative interview highlighting changes in the VA Governor’s Cup, changes that will take VA wine in a positive direction. I’m especially excited that cider has been reintroduced as a category in this competition. In 2007, Foggy Ridge Sweet Stayman won a silver medal in the Governor’s Cup—subsequently cider was removed from the competition. With these recent changes, the VA Governor’s Cup joins other wine events like the International Eastern Wine Competition and the National Womens Wine Competition in recognizing the growing cider category. The 100% Virginia fruit requirement will only highlight the difference between cider made from carefully selected cider apples, as opposed to apple wine or cider made from juice concentrate or less expensive dessert varieties from out of state. I already see promising signs of apple growers investing in planting cider apple varieties (which are ugly and hard to grow but essential for tannin and acid!).
DrinkWhatYouLike said:
Thank you, Diane. I didn’t realize the Governor’s Cup previously included a cider category. I’m glad to see cider return to the Cup – certainly a positive for Virginia cider.
When a grower plants cider apple varieties, how many years (vintages?) before the tree produces apples that can be used for cider?
Diane Flynt said:
Planting cider apples requires slightly more patience than wine grapes. Depending on the root stock used, time from planting (not grafting) to a meaningful crop is anywhere from 3 to 6 years. I’m delighted that John and Ruth Saunders of Silver Creek Orchard have invested in planting cider apples in Virginia!
Charlie Adler said:
Double thumbs up – Jay Youmans as the Head Judge gives the competition an internationally recognized Master of Wine, and the red/white wine combination tasting simplifies the whole process of judging. Alot of great things going on with Virginia wine – and the Governor’s Cup is one more way for Virginia (and frankly the DC Region – we all gain!) to attain serious respect as a wine producing region. As a serious locavore, I hope Virginia cheeses and charcuterie are served with the wines as well — afterwards, of course!
Anonymous said:
These changes are on the right track however there are a few stipulations that will preclude wineries from participating. An example is if a wine finishes in the top 12 then the winery must agree to sell 10 cases at $200. This price is below wholesale for some of the states top wines. What about those wines that are more and some that are much more? Also this leaves the marketing of these wines to the Va Vineyard Association. What if a winery doesn’t want their wine marketed by VVA? And finally if a wine finishes in the top 12 then they have to agree to setup a booth at the Wine Expo. Wineries that are very short staffed or have no interest in wine fairs wont enter either. Even with positive changes I dont think this will attract a number of wineries.
DrinkWhatYouLike said:
Thanks for commenting. I can’t speak to the requirement that wineries sell 10 cases of their wine at $200, which I imagine can be a deterrent for some of the higher priced wines like RdV, RdV Rendezvous, Octagon, Hodder Hill, Breaux Nebbiolo, et. al. I feel the Governor’s Case idea is a interesting, and could lead to more press for the Virginia wine industry as a whole, but I’m not a vintner being asked to sell 10 cases of my wine below wholesale (so it sounds like a great idea to me from the consumers/advocates perspective 🙂 ). Perhaps someone from the VVA or Jay can weigh in here with additional context behind this particular decision. I’m not sure I would want to setup a booth at the Wine Expo (assuming expo in Richmond) either. Even with these new requirements I feel we’ll see renewed interest in the Governor’s Cup. Cheers!
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William Hughes (Potomac, MD) said:
As a consumer, I appreciate the the change to highlight 100% Virginia wine and FRUIT. IT’s good to see common sense reign. This should be an exciting Gold Cup!
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