Are You a Budding Winemaker? Enter the Maryland Wine Festival Amateur Contest

Do you make your own unique wine out of cranberries or cantaloupe? If you think it's good, you may want to consider entering it into the Maryland Wine Festival Amateur Competition.

According to a news release, over the years, members of the agricultural community have produced wines made from a variety of ingredients other than the standard fruits, including cranberries, parsnips and violets.

The Maryland Wine Festival will be held Sept. 21-22 at the Carroll County Farm Museum in Westminster and the Amateur Wine Judging Contest will be held on Sunday, Sept. 22, at 1 p.m.

Each pre-registered entry will receive a certificate of participation along with a copy of the judges’ rating form. The rating system is the standard AWS 20-point scale,which assesses appearance, aroma and bouquet, taste, balance and aftertaste.

Wines can be made from grapes, fruits other than grapes, and non-fruits (e.g., dandelion or parsnips). Judges are all members of the American Wine Society.

Entry forms are available at www.marylandwine.org and must be received by one week prior to the Wine Festival, with an entry fee of $1 per wine.

For more information on the contest, contact Emily Johnston at 410-848-7577. For more information about the Maryland Wine Festival, visit www.marylandwinefestival.org .