Apparently, the third time really is the charm. Although our first two contests attracted hundreds of great labels, this year the number of entries skyrocketed, and the quality of the artwork hit a high point, too. When the WineMaker staff gathered to judge the entries, it took the better part of a day — and lots of sort-of-friendly arguments — simply to cut the stack in half. Picking the winners was even harder. Though we’re always excited for the people who pull down the prizes, it’s tough to put the remaining labels in the also-ran pile. That’s because every entry represents the time, talent, creative energy and artistic vibe of someone who matters a great deal to us: a WineMaker reader. The labels offer images that are personal and sometimes poignant: baby pictures, faded snapshots, photos of people’s homes, vineyards, ancestors and friends. There are recipes for homemade tomato sauce, hand-drawn illustrations and cartoons, and jokes that made us laugh even if they weren’t really funny. You laugh just because someone tried. In the end, that’s what our contest is all about. Thanks for being a part of it.