Grape expectations Amateur winemakers prepare to uncork their creations for competition
John and Angela Burgess, who are coordinating the Washington Wine, Jazz and Pops Festival's Amateur Wine Competition, take a moment to relax in their store, A&M Wine and Beer Supplies, Washington.
The tasting bar at A&M Beer and Wine Supplies fronts East Maiden Street, Washington.
Some of the kits available for wine-making at A&M Wine and Beer Supplies, Washington
Some of the wine-making supplies available at A&M Wine and Beer Supplies
A&M Wine and Beer Supplies produces its own wine, under The Washington Winery label.
A display of bottle top covers used in bottling wine at A&M Wine and Beer Supplies
The Washington Winery produces a variety of reds and whites.
Lonnie Rudnisky loves making – and drinking – wine.
He hopes the judges at this year’s Washington Wine, Jazz and Pops Festival enjoy the fruits of his labor, too.
Rudnisky’s off-dry white won first place at the 2014 competition – the festival’s inaugural contest – and wants to retain the bragging rights that accompany top honors.
The amateur winemaker from Amity dropped by A&M Wine and Beer Supplies in downtown Washington a few weeks ago to pick up ingredients for a new batch of German Muller-Thurgau, an off-dry white grape variety.
“That’s our favorite,” Rudnisky said, motioning to a display of wine-making kits.
Rudnisky started making wine six or seven years ago, after his kids, recognizing his affinity for wine, bought him a starter kit.
“It just evolved from that,” he said.
Since retiring from Ferro Corp. in Washington, he’s had more time to devote to his hobby.
So, how much wine does Rudnisky make?
“Oh, I don’t know how to answer that. Let’s put it this way: Sometimes the wines that I make don’t keep up with the demands. My demands,” he said with a little chuckle.
A&M employee Becky Shuster interjected: “Another way to say it is, don’t you have more friends now?”
When pressed about this year’s entries in the wine competition, Rudnisky was mum, revealing only that he would be entering “a white.”
“Becky is one of the judges,” he said, gesturing toward Shuster, who was busy arranging bottles of wine behind A&M’s tasting bar that fronts East Maiden Street. “So we shouldn’t divulge.”
Amateur wine-making has surged in popularity in recent years, with more and more aficionados opting to uncork their own creations.
“Until I started working here, I didn’t realize how many people make wine,” said Shuster, who has been making her own wine for more than eight years. “It’s huge. It really is.”
Some hobbyists make it from scratch; others, like Rudnisky, use kits, which contain juice and additives necessary for creating wine.
“It’s like making a cake from scratch or making a cake from a box,” Shuster added. “Different people do different things. None of it’s bad.”
A&M, which produces a variety of reds and whites under The Washington Winery label, carries both wine- and beer-making supplies, including kits and individual ingredients.
John and Angela Burgess, owners of A&M and The Washington Winery, have been making wine for nearly a decade, and are coordinating the competition for festival organizers.
“People come to us daily to taste their wine, provide feedback and recommendations for improvement,” said John Burgess, who also is one of the three judges. “It is a natural fit for us to judge a home winemakers’ competition. In addition to our own wine-making expertise, we know the winemakers will benefit from the remarks and comments of a trained sommelier.”
The sommelier, Danielle Dwan, is a native of Southern California and brings with her a broad knowledge of wine-making. As sommelier and event specialist for Emerald Valley Artisans in Scenery Hill, she currently can be found at multiple area farmers markets highlighting “perfect pairings of our cheeses and other vendor products.”
Dwan, who is studying to become a master sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers, doesn’t make wine, but has assisted in each step of the way, from harvesting to bottling.
When judging wine, she looks for a clear appearance, full aroma, balanced taste and texture, with a lingering aftertaste.
Rudnisky is confident his entry will win over all three judges.
“Wine-making is incredibly creative,” he said. “And it’s the hobby that keeps on giving.”
Entries for the Washington Wine, Jazz and Pops Festival’s Amateur Wine Competition can be dropped off at A&M Wine and Beer Supplies, 202 S. Main St., Washington, or brought to the event by noon the day of the contest, Aug. 2, at McDowell Shelter, North Strabane Township Municipal Park, Route 519, Canonsburg. Deadline to enter is Friday. Details and entry forms are available online at winejazzpops.org/.