Mike Walters' Wonderful World of Wine

Comments

2008-07-11T20:01:00.003-05:00

Let me know what you thought of my wine :)

Onion Wine

2007-08-07T10:40:00.001-05:00

This label is another I have used on other wine labels. I took it as a challenge to make some onion wine, using sweet onions and making the wine finish sweet. It doesn't sound appealing at all but tastes much better than it sounds, the trick being to not tell your guests what they are drinking until after they have tried it. I got many compliments about my onion wine. At the 2006 Indiana State Fair International Amateur Wine Competition it won a gold medal concordance, which means it was best in its class (non fruit) and was judged good enough to be entered in the best of show or best overall of all 28 categories of entered wines. And to think that I nearly threw it all out because while stirring the wine I knocked a hole in the side of the glass carboy container, spilling most of it on the floor, managing to save about 10 bottles of the wine.

Tomato Wine

2007-08-07T10:34:00.001-05:00

The tomato wine label is from the humorous art category made to fit my wine. It finished as a dry blush wine and won a gold medal at the 2005 Indiana State Fair International Amateur Wine Competition and a 2nd place silver at the 2006 Cowie Wine Festival, Paris Arkansas.

Sparkling Wine

2007-08-07T09:00:00.000-05:00

Champagne comes from the region of France, the rest is sparkling wine, but it all gets called Champagne. My wine was made for our daughter's wedding. It is off-dry which means it is slightly sweet. I custom ordered the labels. Sparkling wine isn't difficult to make, every new batch of wine I make I experiment and bottle two bottles in the heavy champagne bottles to see if it will be sparkling wine and if it will be drinkable. I also bag the bottles in case of an explosion, which has been known to happen!

Cranberry Wine

2007-08-07T08:45:00.001-05:00

Another re-print label from an example of abstract art. Cranberry wine as you can imagine is very tart tasting so I sweetened mine and it turned out to be delicious. I'll be making more very soon. This wine won a second place/silver at the Cowie Wine Cellars & Vineyards International Amateur Competition, Paris Arkansas, in April 2008.

Kiwi Pear Sauvignon Blanc

2007-08-07T08:40:00.000-05:00

This label is a copy of a still life water color I thought quite attractive, and it has a pear in it. I made this wine last winter, bottled it in Jan. and it is almost all gone. Somebody likes it!

Corvina Classico

2007-08-07T08:33:00.001-05:00

This is another label I previously used and liked so I thought I would try it again but make it just a little different. Corvina is an Italian wine, full bodied and a deep ruby red color. I'm presently aging some Corvina and plan on entering some competitions in a year. In April 2008 my Corvina won a third place/Bronze at the Cowie Wine Cellars & Vineyards International Amateur Wine Competition, at Paris Arkansas.

Muller Thurgau

2007-08-07T08:25:00.001-05:00

This label is from a business that sells decorative ceramic tiles for the home. Again I liked the old world look to it. Muller Thurgau, pronounced mooler-ter-go is another example of great tasting German wine. Slightly sweet and fruity tasting leaving a very pleasant after taste. One of my favorite wines, in April 2008 it was awarded Best in Class at Cowie Wine Cellars & Vineyards International Amateur Competition.

Gewurztraminer

2007-08-07T08:12:00.000-05:00

Ever wonder how this is pronounced? Gah-verts-trah-meener, there! This also was a pinot noir label that I liked with some fancy trim work around the edges. Each label was hand trimmed. Gewurztraminer is made from the traminer grape and has an off dry and spicy bouquet taste. Excellent with white meat, some call it turkey wine.

Amarone Wine

2007-08-06T13:44:00.000-05:00

Forgive me Mr. DaVinci for borrowing your vitruvian man but Amarone is an Italian wine. The other label is also a DaVinci sketch. Amarone is a potent red wine, about 15% alcohol. The grapes are harvested then placed on straw mats to dry out, or "raisin", concentrating the sugar content. To me it tastes like a dry but sweet wine.

Cabernet Sauvignon

2007-08-06T13:21:00.000-05:00

I googled abstract art and chose this for a label. I've gotten several compliments on this label. I donated almost all of this cab to fundraisers.

Strawberry Rhubarb Wine

2007-08-06T13:08:00.000-05:00

I grew up watching Elmer Fudd continually being frustrated by Bugs Bunny so I felt it was Elmer's turn to shine instead of being made to look silly. Elmer and his stwawbewwy woobawb wine won a third place bronze at the 2007 Cowie Wine Festival, Paris Arkansas.

Blueberry Wine

2007-08-06T13:05:00.000-05:00

I wish all labels were as easy to find as this one. I also wish I had some of this wine left.

Strawberry wine

2007-08-06T13:03:00.000-05:00

To find this picture I googled fantasy fruit. Couldn't pass it up!

Plum Wine

2007-08-06T12:57:00.000-05:00

Another of my Old World look labels. This is a deliciously sweet wine that didn't last long.

Riesling

2007-08-06T12:55:00.000-05:00

A ready made label, I only had to insert the cellars ab Michael. I like the Old World look.

Pink Muscat

2007-08-06T12:47:00.000-05:00

Another example of Debbie's computer skills in this label was inserting the pink muscat next to the grapes making it look like it had been there from the beginning. Muscat is a sweet dessert wine. When we vacationed in Spain a small glass of muscat came at the end of each meal.

Green Apple Riesling

2007-08-06T12:36:00.000-05:00

The label with the bowl of fruit has a greenish tint to it due to the printer ink cartridge being almost empty but I think it worked out OK. The other label with the grapevines and grapes is a digital picture Debbie took while we were on the SW Michigan Wine Tasting Tour. This is my most asked for wine, I have made more of this than any other wine, five batches. In 2006 it won a gold medal at the WineMaker Magazine International Amateur Competition.

Strawberry White Merlot

2007-08-06T12:32:00.000-05:00

This is the same label I used for my Sauvignon Blanc label. This wine won a first place best in class at the 2006 Cowie Wine Festival, Paris Arkansas.

Celery Wine

2007-08-06T12:16:00.001-05:00

After alot of internet searching I couldn't find a good example of celery for a label, so because it is a white wine I settled for white grapes. Celery is just boring so to spruce up the celery image, I used the French translation on the label. Celery's reputation was further boosted when my Vin de Celeri won a silver medal at the 2006 Indiana State Fair International Amateur Wine Competition. Yeah, celery!!

French Merlot

2007-08-06T12:09:00.000-05:00

This label is how grapes were traditionally harvested and still are today in many vineyards. My French Merlot won a bronze medal at the 2006 Home Wine & Beer Trade Association International Competition and a 1st Place Best in Class, at the 2005 Cowie Wine Festival.

Old Vines Zinfandel

2007-08-06T12:03:00.000-05:00

A nice landscape picture with the sun setting, highlighting the clouds and reflecting off the water, makes for a nice wine label. My "Zin" won a silver medal at the 2005 Indiana State Fair, first place best in class at the 2005 Cowie Wine Festival, Paris Arkansas, and a bronze medal at the Home Wine & Beer Trade Association International Amateur Wine Competition.

Peach Apricot Chardonnay

2007-08-06T11:34:00.002-05:00

This has been a much requested wine by friends and family. A great summer wine, chilled or on ice. These labels were entirely Debbie's creation. In 2004 this wine won a silver medal at The Indiana State Fair International Amateur Wine Competition. The 2007 vintage won a bronze medal at the Home Wine and Beer Trade Association's amateur wine competition in April 2008.

Chardonnay

2007-08-06T11:28:00.000-05:00

This label is another example from one of my favorite artists, Alphonse Mucha. There were 6 separate layers used to make this label. My Chardonnay won 3 bronze medals in 2003, The Indiana State Fair International Amateur Wine Competition, WineMaker Magazine International Amateur Competition, and The Home Wine & Beer Trade Association International Competition. Chardonnay is and has been an extremely popular wine, with hints of butter and oak flavors.

Piesporter

2007-08-05T21:39:00.000-05:00

Piesporter is an off dry white wine named after the town of Piesport in Germany. Mine had a distinct taste of honeydew melon, quite delicious. I think if a person is new to wine drinking and think most wines are dry tasting, start with a Piesporter or any other German wine and you'll be pleasantly surprised at its slightly sweet and fruity finish. The wine won a gold medal at the 2002 WineMaker Magazine International Amateur Competition, a silver medal in 2003, same competition, a silver medal at the 2003 Home Wine & Beer Trade Association International Amateur Competition, and a bronze medal at the 2003 Indiana State Fair International Amateur Wine Competition. It is my favorite tasting white wine.

Pinot Noir

2007-08-05T21:17:00.000-05:00

This label is a combination of a picture from the internet and my wife's creation, using a process called smudging. This wine won a Silver medal at the Indiana State Fair International Amateur Wine Competition in 2003, and a Bronze Medal at the WineMaker Magazine International Amateur Wine Competition, also in 2003.

Pinotage Cabernet

2007-08-05T18:23:00.000-05:00

This is a well known label that my wife altered for my Pinotage. A popular variety of grape from South Africa, it possesses a distinct tangy finish, unlike other Cabs. It was awarded a Silver medal at the 2006 Home Wine & Beer Trade Association International Amateur wine competition and a Bronze medal at the 2005 WineMaker Magazine International Amateur Wine Competition. Also a Silver Medal at the 2004 Indiana State Fair International Amateur Wine Competition. This label also won a "best label" at the Colorado State Fair in 2004.

Burgundy

2007-08-05T18:06:00.000-05:00

This is one of the first labels that my wife made that we found on the internet. I don't know the artist but it was called "lady with ewer." Bourgeron Rouge, or Burgundy is a medium bodied red wine that goes well with red meat and marinara pastas. This wine won 3 awards, Silver in the 2003 WineMaker Magazine International Amateur Wine Competition, a Bronze medal at the 2003 Indiana State Fair, and a Bronze medal at the International 2003 Home Wine & Beer Trade Association wine competition.

Riesling Icewine

2007-08-05T16:43:00.000-05:00

Two labels were made for the Ice Wine. My wife likes the grape stomper and I the grape milker. This wine won a bronze medal at the 2004 Indiana State Fair. On a 1 to 10 sweetness scale, Ice Wine is a 10. It's name comes from the fact that the grapes are harvested immediately after they are frozen solid on the vine, thus concentrating the sugar content. It is a delicious desert wine with tastes of honey, peaches, nectarines, and plums. Not many people have tasted Ice Wine as it is fairly pricey, anywhere from $20 to$80 per bottle depending on the brand. And the bottle is a "split", 375mls as opposed to a regular 750ml wine bottle. Everybody always wants to know if I have any on hand or when will I be making more Ice Wine.

White Zinfandel

2007-08-05T15:45:00.000-05:00

This label is from another one of my favorite artists, Alphonse Mucha. I have used him in other labels. White Zinfandel is an excellent starting point to be introduced to the world of wines. If you're in charge of bringing the wine to a get together, white zin matches up with either red meat or white. My white zin won a Silver Medal at the 2004 Indiana State Fair, and Silver at the 2005 WineMaker Magazine competition. It is an off-dry slightly sweet goes with just about anything wine. Enjoy!

Shiraz

2007-08-05T14:40:00.000-05:00

The artwork for this label is by the English artist Dante Rossetti. The face of the lady is the same face in most of his works, is thought to be that of his wife. If the wine is made from grapes grown in Australia or New Zealand it is Shiraz. If the grapes are California grown the wine is Syrah. I have made both. This wine won 2 bronze medals, one at the Indiana State Fair and the other at the WineMaker Magazine competition in 2003. It is a medium bodied soft red.

Sauvignon Blanc

2007-08-05T14:12:00.000-05:00

This label is an example of the artwork of one of my favorite impressionist artists, Barbara Bales, who is also an illustrator for Reader's Digest. I told her I thought her art is beautiful, and received a nice email reply from her thanking me for the compliment. I entered this wine at the Indiana State Fair in 2003 and received a bronze medal. Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp dry white wine with a herbaceous finish. Quite nice when chilled.

Blackberry Port

2007-08-05T13:35:00.000-05:00

With the help of the internet, here is how I would make movie posters! My wonderful wife is computer literate as you can see how she composed my versions of movie posters. I entered this at the Cowie Winery wine festival and competition in Paris.....Arkansas,that is, and was awarded best in class and received a 1oz silver coin for a medal along with 2 other coins for my other entries. Mr Cowie enclosed a letter along with the awards saying "you did quite well for yourself, first time entrant." I also was lucky enough to win a silver medal at the 2005 WineMaker Magazine international competition.

Chablis Rose

2007-08-05T13:07:00.000-05:00

The Chablis Rose label was made with a bargain basement printer. It turned out to be a plus however, when the printer made the label appear to be made from cloth. This was the second batch of wine I made way back in 1999. A slightly sweet blush wine that was a big hit at a block party!

May Port

2007-08-05T12:34:00.000-05:00

The Port label was designed by my wife, Debbie. She used clip art pictures for the face. I wanted something similar to the enigmatic face on the Louis Jadot wine labels. Port is a fortified wine with between 18 to 21 % alcohol content, quite potent! This makes it a good wine to age. In some cultures a bottle of Port wine is stored upon the birth of a son and then is opened for his 21st birthday celebration. The May Port won a gold medal at the 2003 Winemaker Magazine wine competition, one of the largest wine competitions in the country.

Rioja

2007-08-05T12:30:00.000-05:00

The Rioja label was designed from an old Cinzano vermouth label from the 1930's that I found on the internet. Rioja is a medium bodied red wine, very dry, some call it the national wine of Spain.

Marilyn Merlot

2007-08-05T12:26:00.000-05:00

I made this wine in 2004, it was my take on the commercial brand of white merlot. This wine won a Silver Medal at the 2004 Indiana State Fair. Indy is THE largest wine judging competition in the country, bigger than anything in California. White Merlot is a very tasty blush.

Icewine Style Port

2007-07-18T16:52:00.002-05:00

This wine started out as a Port wine which is a fortified dessert wine. The fermentation became stuck and I thought I would have to discard it but I completed the process hoping it would be at least drinkable. To my surprise, it finished like an Ice Wine, very sweet and delicious. Sometimes when you think you have completely ruined something, it turns out ok, so much so that Debbie was browsing the Indiana State Fair 2007 wine competition results and said I won a bronze medal for the entry. It was also awarded a silver medal at the Home Wine and Beer Trade Association's amateur competition in April 2008, and a Best in Class at Cowie Wine Cellars & Vineyards International Amateur Wine Competition, Paris Arkansas, in April.

Vieux Chateaux du Roi

2007-07-18T16:29:00.001-05:00

This is the picture that we used for the label for Vieux Chateaux du Roi. This wine is a medium bodied red wine. It finishes dry but I made it off dry semi-sweet. The term Vieux Chateaux du Roi means castle of the old king. This wine received a silver medal at the Home Wine and Beer Trade Association's amateur wine competition in April of 2008.