Doug Frost MS, MW
The Jefferson Cup Invitational
(913) 385-7376
September 19, 2011
To All Participating Wineries:
We are pleased to invite you to participate in the Twelfth Annual Jefferson Cup Invitational Wine Competition.
Our judges have extended this invitation in recognition of the excellence achieved by the winery and its wines. This invitation is being extended to only five hundred wineries throughout America. We believe that the output of these wineries represents the best of commercial American wine and intend to convince the American public of this as well.
This year’s Jefferson Cup Invitational takes place on November 17 and 18, 2011. Many of the wines invited will receive the Jefferson Cup Medal of American Merit because their inclusion identifies the wines as among the most important and best examples of their region, style and variety. In so doing, we wish to notify the wine-drinking public that we believe these wines to be prime examples of American agriculture as expressed in wine. Most wineries consider the Medal of American Merit to be comparable to a Silver Medal from other competitions.
Many people have begun to call the Jefferson Cup Invitational, the “Olympics” of wine competitions. This competition is not open to every winery willing to submit an entrance fee. Rather we select the best of the best, culled from tastings and competitions in America throughout 2011. The Jefferson Cup Invitational was founded in 1999 in honor of Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson fathered our constitution, helped champion the international concept of human rights and was a seminal figure in America’s cultural, culinary (including wine) and agricultural history.
Following the Jefferson Cup competition, the remaining wines are donated to ANGEL FLIGHT CENTRAL. Because of the crucial needs of charities struggling to cope with the economy while continuing to help our communities, we’re pleased to have helped ANGEL FLIGHT. A public event will be held simultaneous with the Jefferson Cup, and ticket sales to that event have already reached $50,000. All of that money will benefit children and adults in need. We have attached an information sheet, in case you would like to learn more about this worthy charity. We hope that these events reflect well upon the great heritage of Thomas Jefferson.
In the past decade the wines have been assessed by top flight judges such as: Bob Bath MS, Wayne Belding MS (Chairman Emeritus, Court of Master Sommeliers, Boulder Wine Merchant), Laura de Pasquale MS (VP, Palm Bay Imports), Bob Foster (the California Grapevine), Tim Gaiser MS, Keith Goldston MS (Charlie Palmer Steak Houses), Peter Marks MW (Icon Estates), Ryan Sciara (PBS’s The Winemakers), Joe Spellman MS, (Chairman Emeritus, Court of Master Sommeliers), Guy Stout MS (Glazers, Texas) and Madeline Triffon MS (Prentice Restaurant Group). This year’s judges will include many of these respected individuals.
I am Chief Judge and will guarantee the authenticity of the results. We will select great wines as Jefferson Cup winners and award Jefferson Cup Trophies; last year’s winners included twenty Jefferson Cup winners along with seventy Jefferson Cup Nominees for the year 2010. Those twenty winners included both vinifera and non-vinifera wines, and included wineries from fourteen different U.S. states. We will also identify a small number of wines as Medal of American Excellence and will issue medallions to those winners.
The Jefferson Cup has eschewed standard medals but many of our recipients have asked how they might publicize their successes in the Jefferson Cup Competition. Our awards can be understood as follows:
Attached to your email are documents with procedures for entering the competition along with shipping instructions. In order to participate, we request that you send three bottles each of the participating wines to EPIC Entertainment, Attn: Jefferson Cup/Lindsey Rood, 4600 Starlight Road, Kansas City, MO 64132, phone number 816-997-1111.
Please write the words “Jefferson Cup” on the outside of any package. In addition, we are charging one of the lowest entrance fees in the business, only $50 per wine entry, in order to bring together our excellent group of judges. Please let me know if you think that the winery can participate. We believe that this honor is bestowed in recognition of the great achievements of your winery and we hope to communicate this to the American public.
Best Regards,
Doug Frost MS, MW
Director, Jefferson Cup Invitational