WEST BADEN SPRINGS – The 21st Annual Finger Lakes International Wine & Spirits Competition (FLIWC) was held June 15-17 and June 21, 2021.
All proceeds from the competition benefit the children and families affected by cancer and sickle cell anemia served by Camp Good Days & Special Times.
Started 21 years ago, The Finger Lakes International Wine & Spirits Competition has become one of the largest wine competitions in the world to be run by a nonprofit organization.
Significant changes made to the competition last year remained in place to make sure that the health and safety of all involved were at the forefront due to COVID-19. More than 1,750 wines and spirits were entered and then blind judged by a distinguished group of judges composed of sommeliers, winemakers, wine writers, experienced spirits judges, and educators.
They awarded bronze, silver, and gold medals, and where it was unanimous, double gold.
The wine portion of the competition was held down at the Camp Good Days recreational facility on Keuka Lake on June 15-17, 2021, and the portion of the spirit of the competition was held at the headquarters office in Mendon, NY on June 21, 2021.
All wines and spirits were presented blind to the panel of judges with only the varietal or blend identified. No indication of geography, vintage, or price point is shared, ensuring total unbiased evaluation given to each wine and spirit.
The judges award them unanimous Double Gold, Gold, Silver, or Bronze medals. French Lick Wine & Spirits won the following medals:
- BRONZE – Heaven’s View Bella Vista 2019 and Foch 2019
- SILVER – Heaven’s View Traminette 2019, Heaven’s View Catawba 2020, Leon Millot 2020, and Heaven’s View Steuben 2019
- GOLD – French Lick Red 2020
- DOUBLE GOLD – Cherry Pie 2020 and Mon Cheri 2020
The event was a success thanks to the many volunteers, the wonderful judges, and the key people who helped make the competition possible.
The following Camp Good Days Wine & Spirits Auction Dinner is scheduled for November 6, 2021, but will potentially be rescheduled to an online auction. The Camp Good Days Auction will feature only medal-winning wines and spirits from the competition along with other valuable items.
More about Camp Good Days and Special Times:
Camp Good Days and Special Times, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for children, adults, and families whose lives have been touched by cancer and sickle cell anemia, was founded by Gary Mervis in 1979, following the diagnosis of his youngest daughter, Teddi, with a malignant brain tumor. What was started to provide Teddi and 62 other children with cancer (21 from Rochester, 21 from Buffalo, 21 from Syracuse) with a residential camping experience has grown to become one of the largest organizations of its kind, having served as a model for other organizations and cancer treatment centers around the world. Providing residential camping programs and year-round recreational and support activities and events, Camp Good Days has
served more than 50,000 campers from 22 states and 36 foreign countries.
