Northern and Southern Nevada Winemakers Score in American Wine Society Competition
A complete list of Amateur Wine Competition Winners from Nevada appears at the end of this story.
Five Nevada winemakers brought home medals from the American Wine Society’s 2019 Amateur Wine Competition, including two golds and a double gold. The nationwide competition is judged by industry experts who are also “current or former home winemakers,” according to the Wine Society’s website.
Debora and Jason Schultz stand before their awards display at Twin Mustang Vineyards in November, 2019. Photo courtesy of Jason Schultz
Twin Mustang Vineyard owners Jason and Debora Shultz captured a gold, a silver and a bronze.
“We were happy to see our Barbera get its first award, and gold was a nice surprise,” Jason Schultz told GBN. “They (the American Wine Society) have many entries from all over, and are a recognized wine organization. So that means a little more,” he said.
Maria Arlint spoke for a team of southern Nevadans who received a bronze award for Patriotic Bordeaux, named for a World War II veteran whose daughter, Patty Bowman, is part of the winemaking group.
“He died in 2017, a couple of months before we bottled,” Arlint said of Bowman’s dad, whose name was Julio Richard Bornino. Bornino served aboard the U.S.S. Randolph. The group decided to honor him with the name “Patriotic.” The Bordeaux is 70 Cabernet Savignon, 25 percent Merlot, and 5 percent Petit Verdot. Story continues below…
Lloyd and Maria Arlint (right) with members of their award-winning “wine family” from the Grape Expectations school. Photo courtesy of Arlint
The fruit was sourced by the Henderson-Based Grape Expectations School of Winemaking, where Arlint and husband Lloyd have been making wine for ten years. They’ve created “wine family” T-shirts to designate various sets of friends who join them in producing a barrel each year at the school.
Schultz and Arlint both have advice for home winemakers who enter competition.
“You have to find one that allows participation of any amateur winemaker to enter,” says Schultz, a veteran of numerous competitions. Many are limited to the state or locality where the wine is made. He also chooses contests with a category for hybrids, which are Twin Mustang’s specialty. “While I think I can put our wines against most any, having a hybrid class means there will be judges with hybrid experience, which helps when you get the feedback.”
Schultz enters the Twin Mustang wines in 6-8 competitions each year. “It can get pretty expensive.” He notes the fees start at $10 per entry and he’s paid as much as $30. Story continues below…
The “wine family” decided to honor Patty Bowman’s late father, a WWII veteran. Label design elements courtesy of Maria Arlint
Arlint advises eager home winemakers not to jump the gun when it comes to competition.
“Wait three years,” she says. “When we first taste them, it’s a very young wine. A year later you open it and it tastes better. Two years later, oh my God, it’s getting really good. By th third year it is really good.”
Nevada Winners at the American Wine Society Amateur Wine Competition
(Names reflect competition entry paperwork; others may have participated in winemaking.)
Jason Schultz – Sparks, NV
2015 Barbera Gold
2017 Frontenac Reserve Silver
2018 Frontenac Gris Bronze
Timothy LuCarelli -Las Vegas, NV
2016 Bombarda Double Gold
2016 Flamme Blanche Bronze
Andrew Lewis -Las Vegas, NV
2017 Legacy 2018 Gold
2017 Kaboom Bronze
2017 The Fab 5 Bronze
James Vakos – Las Vegas, NV
2018 ST Bronze
2018 Concordance Bronze
2018 Discordance Bronze
Maria Arlint – Henderson, NV
2016 Patriotic Bordeaux Bronze
