PALESTINE —
Neches resident Phil Swearingen has been dabbling with the art of making wine at home for the past seven years.
His practice has paid off, as two out of the three wines he entered won medals in the 2012 Wine Maker International Amateur Wine Competition recently.
“It’s touted as the biggest wine competition in the world,” Swearingen said. “This is the first time I’ve entered anything, so I was surprised to win anything.”
A total of 4,318 entries were judged recently in Manchester, Vermont, during the three-day competition, including entries from all 50 states, 8 Canadian provinces and seven countries.
Over the course of competition, experienced judging panels worked through 860 flights, examining each wine using the UC-Davis 20-point wine scale evaluating appearance, aroma, taste, aftertaste and overall impression.
The wines were entered in 50 different categories and included an array of varieties and wine styles. Kit wines competed alongside fresh-grape entries in this blind tasting. Entries were awarded gold, silver, bronze and best of show medals based on the average score given by the judging panel.
Swearingen’s lime wine won a gold medal, while his lemon-lime wine won a silver in the “Other Fruits” category.
However, he had his bets set on his cranberry and pomegranate wine doing the best in the competition.
“I would have thought out of the three that the cranberry-pomegranate wine would have won,” Swearingen said.
Swearinger first made wine years ago using mustang grapes, sugar and water but without very good results.
“When I moved here in 2001, I met a winemaker who got me straightened out so that now I’ve had pretty good luck making wine,” Swearingen said.
As an amateur wine maker, Swearingen gives the wine he makes away to friends and relatives.
“I enjoy giving my wine to others to try,” Swearinger said.
Swearingen and his wife Virgie live in Neches. He retired from Owens Corning Fiberglass in Waxahachie after 28 years of service.
“I intend to do more entering (of competitions) in the future,” Swearingen said, noting that as an amateur he has to have a licensed wine maker send his entries into the competitions.
Receiving the medals in the mail to notify him of his award, Swearingen was floored.
“I had just told my wife that if I could just win a medal it would make me so happy,” Swearingen said. “When she told me I had a package in the mail and I opened it, I nearly fainted. It was a big thrill for me.”
Swearingen labels his wine “Old Mountain” after the Maydelle area he lived around as a child.
“I was born in 1942 and lived in the Maydelle area. There was a town that used to exist there before my time called Gent Mountain that had two cotton gins and a Woodmen of the World lodge,” he said. “When the railroad came to Maydelle, the town died. I’ve always had an interest in the history of that area so it made since to name my wine after it.”
Local Scene
Related Photos
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Neches resident Phil Swearingen's lime wine won a gold medal, while his lemon-lime wine won a silver in the “Other Fruits” category in the 2012 Wine Maker International Amateur Wine Competition recently. CHERIL VERNON/Herald-Press
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Neches resident Phil Swearingen holds up the awards he received for winning two medals for his wine in the 2012 Wine Maker International Amateur Wine Competition recently. His winning lime and lemon-lime wines are pictured to his right. CHERIL VERNON/Herald-Press
Discussion
Neches man medals in amateur wine competition
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