Shaw Girl Happenings

I entered 4 wines in the State Fair this year, and one of them, my Geisenheim, won a silver medal. The wines are judged by American Wine Society judges, using the same criteria as when they judge professionally produced wines. Simply put, a silver awarded amateur wine is the same quality as a silver awarded professional wine that you would buy at the local liquor store. (Although, if I sell my wine it is a federal offense!)


We enjoyed our day at the State Fair, munching on spiedies (a local favorite: a whole chicken breast, fried on a griddle, chopped while cooking and liberally doused with a seasoned vinegar sauce, then piled into a warm hoagie bun), fried eggplant (really yummy, with a home-made marinara), a local micro brewery ale, and lemonades for the kids.



We especially enjoyed the equestrian jumping event. We've never seen this except on TV during the Olympics. The riders were smooth and handled their horses with ease. One horse, baulked at a jump throwing its rider. This young rider fell with an audible thump, but popped right up, brushed the dust off her jodphers, and hopped right back on her horse.



We listened to a couple of songs from the band "America." The first tune we heard was "Tin Man" and I was impressed with the band and the singer. (I'm not up on who's who on most pop music, as I was in my neo-romantic listening period during America's heyday.) The singer still has his pipes, and the band's rendition has evolved through the years. (Nothing bores me more than a band performing covers of its own music.) The second tune we heard "Sister Golden Hair" was sung by the other singer, whose voice has not fared as well. As the singer strained, missing pitches by a mile, my cringing kids said "do we have to listen to this?" Fortunately, it was time for the amateur wine awards.

FYI: One never sees ones wine after it is sent in for state judging. After judging, all the wine is poured down a drain, and the bottles are recycled.

Labels: fair, food, wine