AWSNews_2019-Feb

AWS News ISSN 1543-205X

Promoting Appreciation of Wine Through Education

Volume 33, No. 1 www.americanwinesociety.org February-March 2019

In This Issue Meet the President

AWS Educational Foundation 11 This is a very exciting time for the Ameri-
can Wine Society as we transition from
Chapter Events 8 two strong years of leadership under
Kristin Kraft to two more years of growth
and progress under the new Board. I’m
very happy to be leading such a passion-
ate group of wine enthusiasts.

Government Affairs 7 The 2019 Board brings corporate business skills to our non-
profit organization. Additionally, most members are gradu-
Member Service News 3 ates of the AWS Wine Judge Certification Program and sev-
eral have advanced wine certifications from other organiza-
National Conference 12 tions. All of our Board members are already working dili-
gently in their respective offices to further the AWS mission
National Officer Elections 11 of Promoting Wine Appreciation through Education.

National Tasting Project 4 In our National Office, David Falchek and Katie Kearney are
starting their third year as Executive Director and Member
Obituaries 3 Services Manager. David has been a champion of the AWS,
in addition to running the National Office.
Outstanding Member-John Hames 2
As your new President, I invite you to become a part of the
Seeking Perfection (Winemaking) 5 growing and evolving AWS. A special way to show your
support by taking advantage of the AWS Wine Judge Train-
Show Your AWS Spirit 4 ing Program or enrolling in the WSET Level 2 training we
will offer this year. These are both nationally and interna-
Top 50 Amateur Winemakers 6 tionally recognized wine certification programs where you
can learn more about wine and evaluating wines.

WSET Lifetime Achievement Award10 I especially urge every chapter to invite your Regional Vice
President to attend at least one of your tasting this year—
Get Certi ied! you will learn what benefits are available to make your
New Videos Available! chapter better and to stimulate growth.

This year, I made the New Year’s resolution to make no New Finally, it’s not too early to start planning to join us in St.
Year’s resolutions. Of course, by making that New Year’s reso-
lution, I failed to keep my resolution before the year got start- Pete Beach, Florida, for
ed. It is good to get the year started off right. If you made a
New Year’s resolution to start or further your wine education. the National Conference
2019 is a great time to do it!
(Oct. 31-Nov. 2). Our
Wine Judge Training—Spring Session
delightful venue is the
The AWS Wine Judge Certification Program will have a first-
year spring session in Washington D.C. on April 27, 2019. Tradewinds Resort,
Spring sessions are a great opportunity to cut a year off the
program by completing year one in the spring and year two in right on the Gulf of
the fall at the National Conference. Like the conference ses-
sion, the spring session is a one-day course including an ex- Mexico, where we’ll be
amination. The cost of the spring session is $285. There is a
lot to do before taking the class in April, so if you are interest- taking advantage of its
ed, please contact me soon.
great water views. This
Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET)
will be the furthest
This fall the American Wine Society will be offering our first
WSET course at our conference. WSET south we’ve every trav-
(Wine and Spirit Education Trust) is Cont. on Page 11
eled for a National Con-

ference.

Diane Meyer, our dynamic Conference Chair, outdoes her-
self each year and is already working hard to once again
make it truly memorable. If you want to help with the plan-
ning, contact her at [email protected].

Both the major and smaller airlines offer
bargain direct flights to nearby Tampa
airport, so the conference will be quite
accessible for most of our members.

Cheers!

Joe Broski

[email protected]

AWS National Of ice 2018 Outstanding Member
John Hames
P. O. 889
Scranton, PA 18501 We are delighted to introduce
you to our 2018 Outstanding
Phone (888) AWS-9070 Member, John Hames. He is
Fax (888) 297-9070 being honored for his long
service to the society in a
(570) 344-4825 broad variety of positions.

David Falchek Executive Director John became an AWS member
[email protected] in 1995, after meeting other
members at a craft fair in
Katie Kearney Member Services Manager Cleveland. He had a long-
[email protected] standing love of wine and
wanted to learn more. He
Website www.americanwinesociety.org found kindred souls in the
Dayton (OH) Chapter and
2019 AWS National Of icers served as their Chairperson
for several years. He went on
President Joe Broski to become Southern Ohio Re-
JoAnn DeGaglia gional Vice President from
Vice President Leanne Wheeler 2003-2008.
Tom Wallman
Secretary He was a Project Manager in his professional life and saw the
Joe Dautlick opportunity to enhance our National Conferences, so in 2008
Treasurer Aaron Mandel he became our multi-year Conference Chair. Before that we
Jay Bileti had a new Chair most every year and it was difficult to main-
Directors at Large tain consistency in our gatherings.
Competitions
Education In 2010 our group needed to quickly replace its Executive Di-
Membership rector and John stepped up to take the role. His leadership and
attention to detail brought the society out of financial difficulty
AWS News Staff and put us back on the path of growth and renewal. He also
recruited his daughter Diane, first to serve as Member Ser-
Pam Davey Editor—[email protected] vices Manager and now as Conference Chair.

David Falchek Publisher When he turned over the National Office to David Falchek,
[email protected] John didn’t stop working for AWS—he continues to recruit all
the wonderful speakers we have at our National Conferences.
Adrienne Turner [email protected] As our Historian, he also took on the mammoth task of sort-
ing, digitizing and organizing our records so they are now
Tom Cobett [email protected] searchable and preserved for posterity.

Sharyn Kervyn [email protected] The Dayton Chapter is a close-knit group and John told me a
story about a raft trip they took on the Colorado River a few
Kevin Kourofsky [email protected] years ago. They were facing 7 days at the bottom of the Grand
Canyon with no access to civilization and no glass could be
Bonnie Lance [email protected] carried on the trip. So, they saved 24 oz. plastic soda bottles,
filled them with wine and packed them. Each evening at their
Diane Meyer [email protected] campsite they enjoyed good wine together, which further en-
hanced their adventure.
AWS in Social Media
When you belong to a group, John believes it is important to
Like us on Facebook americanwinesociety give back. He said, “everyone needs something to be passion-
Join us on LinkedIn American Wine Society ate about and for me, that’s wine. AWS has allowed me to
Follow us on Twitter @AmericanWineSoc make great friends who share this passion and have given me
Follow us on Instagram americanwinesociety the opportunity to continue learning about wine along with
them. Whatever I was able to give to the AWS, I received
much more.”

Thank you John for serving the American Wine Society so gen-
erously, and thank you for being our friend.

Ocean Isle Beach Wine Page 2
Competition

Enter your wine and compete for gold, silver and bronze med-
als in various award categories. Your wine will be judged by an
expert panel of AWS wine judges. This competition will be con-
ducted in cooperation with the OIB Chapter of the American
Wine Society and Silver Coast Winery. Gain recognition for
your winemaking skills and get valuable feedback on your
wine from the judging panel. Winners will be announced at
Wine Fest 2019 on April 27, 2019. For questions, contact Stan
Barwikowski at 910-579-5235 or by email at ocean-
[email protected].

AWS News December 2019

Obituaries Member Service News

Rio Vinos (NM) Chapter member Bill Buss died on Christmas Happy New Year AWS members! We are coming to the end of
morning 2018 at UNM hospital following a crisis on Christ- the renewal period for 2019 and if you have not renewed, now
mas Eve. In the words of his friend Dick Marsden, “We feel is the time. The process is easy.
privileged to have known him, a blessing in so many ways.
He showed us how to be gracious in every moment and un- 1. Go to our website www.americanwinesociety.org
der all circumstances! I truly loved him and will miss him 2. Sign In to your account (upper right corner). Contact
very, very much. I feel we shared much about life, and
more recently in death. We talked about it and I could only me if you need help logging in.
admire his sense of balance, and in his non-religious way, 3. Click Manage Profile (upper right corner)
sense of peace. He will be greatly missed!” 4. You will see a banner that says ***Renew Your Mem-

Alton Los “Al” Long, Jr. passed aw ay peacefully on bership Now***. Click it and enter your information
January 22 at the Elizabethtown Ma- If you do not renew by the end of February, your account will
sonic Village in PA, after a long battle be put into “suspended” status, which means you’ll need to
with cancer. He was born in Liberty, TX send an email or call the National Office (888-297-9070) to
on Sept. 25, 1932, earned Bachelors renew.
and Masters degrees in nuclear chemis- We saw a lot of growth in 2018 and I’m hop-
try from Carnegie Tech, and a Masters ing to see even more new members in 2019.
in Organizational Dynamics from Penn. Thank you for being a part of our great
Don married Dorothy Morgan in 1955 in group. Call or email me if I can be of assis-
Pittsburgh, PA, where they raised their tance to you.
family before retiring to Tiverton, RI.
He served in the Army Signal Corps in Katie Kearney
intelligence and nuclear weapons ef-
fects. Al was employed as a Sr. Engi- [email protected]
neering Manager at Burrroughs/
It’s Time to Renew Your
Unisys. He helped create the ILLIAC IV computer, the larg- AWS Membership!
est in the world at that time, assisted in the discovery of the
element Aluminum 26 and was listed in "American Men of Go to www.americanwinesociety.org
Science." Log in & Manage Profile

Al was a wine educator, public speaker and certified wine
judge. He was a very active AWS member since 1973, serv-
ing as AWS President, presenting many National Conference
sessions and earning our Outstanding Member award in
1992. He was a member of the Premier Cru and Rhode Is-
land Chapters. He was a member of the Rhode Island Acad-
emy of Wine, German Wine Society, Portuguese Wine Socie-
ty, Society of Wine Educators, American Institute of Wine
and Food, and Pennsylvania Wine Association. He produced
many wine, beer and food events, and was a regular con-
tributor of wine articles to the Morning Call in Allentown, PA,
the Suburban in Philadelphia and the New England Wine
Gazette. Additionally, he served as the Vice-Conseillor of the
Rhode Island Le Confrérie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs. We
celebrate his life as he joins his beloved wife Dotty.

John M. "Jack" Johnston, 81, of Sykesville, M D died AWS Award of Merit in 2013. According the daughter Janey,
Nov. 7, 2018, at Dove House, of com- his advice to aspiring wine makers was to “proceed slowly
plications from a stroke. He was born in and lay a lot of groundwork, never stop learning and, above
September 1937 in Beaver Falls, He all, have fun! You’re making wine!”
and Emily, his wife of 50 years, were
active grape growers, owning and oper- Michigan wine pioneer Bernard C. “Bernie” Rink died on
ating Copernica Vineyards in Westmin- Nov. 29, 2018 at the age of 92. Ac-
ster for nearly 30 years. He was editor cording to the Leelanau Peninsula
of the Maryland Grape Growers Associa- Wine Trail, "Leelanau's wine industry
tion quarterly newsletter for about 15 ignited in 1970 when Bernie Rink
years. Jack and Emily established a planted 15 acres of grapevines and
local chapter of the American Wine So- opened Boskydel Vineyard, Lee-
ciety in 1980, managed AWS National lanau's first tasting room." Accord-
Conference logistics for many years, ing to MyNorth News Service, "Rink,
who closed Boskydel Vineyard last
and were responsible for the wine-education seminars at year at the age of 91, was the first
The Maryland Wine Festival since its inception. Surviving are in Northern Michigan to grow com-
Emily, 2 children, 2 grandchildren and cat Willis. mercial wine grapes and Leelanau

Richard “Dick” Naylor passed aw ay on Dec. 10, 2018, Peninsula's first bonded winery. Rink planted his vineyard in
at the age of 90. Dick started making 1964 and opened Boskydel tasting room in 1976. In his role
wine in the 1960s as a hobby. After as library director at Northwestern Michigan College, a post
winning Best in Show 3 times at the he held for 30 years, he was instrumental in bringing Inuit art
York fair, he and his wife Audrey Naylor to northern Michigan. Rink was born in Avon, Ohio, in 1926.
founded Naylor Wine Cellars in 1978. He attended John Carroll University and Case Western Univer-
He taught classes on grape growing sity, where he obtained a master's degree in library science.
and winemaking at Penn” State, was He is survived by 5 children, including AWS Wine Journal Edi-
Director of Wine America and President tor Jim Rink, and 5 grandchildren.
of the PA Wine Association.

Dick was a long-time member and con-
tributor to the AWS. He received the

AWS News December 2019 Page 3

Show Your AWS Spirit National Tasting Project 2019

Many of us enjoy wearing clothing sporting the AWS logo as It’s time to order your wines for the National Tasting Project!
we attend our chapter meetings,
wine competitions and various Chapter Chairs should have
other wine events. But do you already received everything
have any shirts, hats or bags with they need to conduct the NTP—
the new AWS logo that was intro- the PowerPoint, reporting form
duced in 2018? If you find yourself and ordering information. If you
looking to update your AWS gear haven’t received it, please reach
with the new logo and don’t have out to me or Dave Falchek at
an apparel provider you already the AWS office. If you are host-
work with, we have sourced a ing the tasting for your chapter,
please obtain the materials from
company that can provide a variety of gear to our members your Chapter Chair.
across the country.
Marketview Liquor, our online shipping source (Rochester,
With an easy-to-use online platform, you can choose from an NY) and Wineworks (Marlton, NJ) have both
expansive selection of merchandise. All purchases are agreed to stock the NTP wines for us. They
shipped directly to your home. You can purchase just one both have a tab on their home page
item for yourself, or perhaps place a larger order for the “AWSNTP” for ease of ordering the wines.
chapter. They are giving us the best price available
and no tax is added, which helps ease the
You’ve likely seen the red wine AWS logo, but as we know, shipping costs. Both retailers also offer dis-
white wines can be equally as good as red wines, right? A counts for case purchases to our
“white” wine logo option has been created to provide a better members! These wines will be allo-
contrasting visual on darker backgrounds. Both color logos cated to us for a limited time, so
are available for use, and the online platform will automati- place your orders by April 30, 2019.
cally choose the appropriate AWS logo color based on the
color of the garment you select to ensure the logo is highly Now is the time to decide who in your chapter will conduct
visible. In addition to the plethora of unique garments and this tasting and place your order before the deadline. Re-
accessories to select from, silkscreen and embroidery logo member, the wines may not be available after April 30, 2019.
options are also available on all items. The deadline to submit your scores to us for inclusion in the
final report has been extended to October 10, 2019. Unfortu-
I invite you to explore the AWS shop nately we are unable to accept any late reports. Thank you
www.logosoftwear.com/shops/AWS. for understanding.

This link has been added to the AWS website under the The PowerPoint presentation is designed for you to sample
STORE tab. Free shipping over $99. the wines as you go through the slides, and the tasting can
still be conducted blind as an additional learning opportunity
If you have questions or want to further for our members. Please maintain the integrity of this aspect
customize an order, reach out to the help- of the tasting. The wines are revealed at the
ful team at Logo Sportswear. They can end of the presentation, after the scores
assist you with any item specific questions have been tallied. A big THANK YOU to Vince
or special needs. I look forward to seeing Williams for all his hard work putting togeth-
you at the conference in November sport- er a detailed and informative PowerPoint!
ing some new threads with our fresh AWS
logo. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THE
NTP 2019!
Leanne Wheeler
Sharyn Kervyn
[email protected]
[email protected]

Members by State 1/16/2019

Did you know that AWS can receive a contribution AL 139 IL 96 NC 435 PA 1156
from Amazon every time you place an order? It
doesn’t cost you a thing … the prices are the same; AR 8 IN 53 ND 57 RI 31
you have the same selection of merchandise; your
account history, shopping cart and wish lists remain AZ 154 KS 9 NE 24 SC 220
the same. All you have to do is sign up and then go to
smile.amazon.com when you shop. It’s easy and you CA 451 KY 116 NH 15 TN 83
can help AWS with every purchase.

CO 289 MA 108 NJ 402 TX 156

CT 171 MD 208 NM 58 UT 8

DC 12 MI 433 NV 94 VA 502

DE 64 MN 39 NY 545 WA 59

FL 330 MO 37 OH 301 WI 10

GA 127 MS 18 ONT 13 Other 37

March 19-21, 2019 Syracuse, NY

Discounts available for AWS members. Contact the National HI 11 MT 68 OR 110 Total 7251

Office for more information.

AWS News December 2019 Page 4

Seeking Perfection 3.21 and he used, in separate batches, three different yeasts:
Laffort’s F-33; X5; and VLI. These are yeasts that I am not
Amateur Competition Winners familiar with, but I will seek them out.
Share Their Secrets
Lou Piancone told me that he thought red wines make them-
selves and that aromatic whites were the challenge. Steve
seemed to think the opposite, that with proper fruit and prop-
er care, the whites come more easily. I struggle with both, but
I must say that reds might be a tad more forgiving.

Steve told me that he didn’t think he did more work than oth-
er winemakers, but that he did it in a “timely” manner. He
strongly advises winemakers to “do the work,” rack the wines
more than once and as necessary, add the appropriate sulfite
and keep your carboys topped up. As an AWS certified judge,
he sees too many wines that are oxidized with an orange tint
and too many “tired” wines that are bottled too late.

“I was shocked,” John Koempel told me about his Best in
Class, white Vinifera, a 2017 semi-dry Columbard. He had

seen Columbard on a list of grapes
from California and was intrigued,
but he never thought a Columbard
could win Best in Class.

John is a resident of Pennsylvania

Re-learning something you have forgotten can be more im- and has been making wine seri-
portant than learning something new, especially if it involves a ously since 2000. He remembers
basic technique. I discovered this when I was asked to do a the difficulty then of obtaining
column featuring some of our 2018 competition “best in class” good wine grapes or juice. His first
winners. What an exciting prospect for me—a chance to speak wines were made from Finger
with some extraordinary individuals and to garner some of Lakes juice delivered by a tanker
their secrets. After speaking with these very fine winemakers, truck. When he asked what the
I learned what they thought was very important to their suc- grapes were, he was told ”red.”

cess maybe isn’t a secret after all. John fermented his Columbard to dryness using BA-11 yeast.

What each of them conveyed to me, in their own way, was But, with a TA of .8 (.75 after cold stabilization), he didn’t like
that to make good wine you must start with good fruit and the strong acids in the wine and felt he need to back-sweeten
then you must “do the work.” Each of them also continually to bring the wine into balance. Apparently, he succeeded!

seeks to take their winemaking to a new level. Important in John had made Columbard before but the difference, he told
that process is entering wine in competitions and especially me, was that he had “upped his game.” He spends more time
the valuable feedback from the American Wine Society judges. testing his wine and considering the proper yeast to best bring
As part of the competition, the judge’s comments are provided out the wine’s flavors. He keeps better records now. His ad-
to the winemaker.
vice is to “test and know what you want to get out of the

AWS wine judges are some of the best trained judges in the wine.”

country. They are only certified after a three-year course of For Bill Stefan, matching flavors and aromas is a passion. So,
study, including considerable self-study, extensive training it’s not surprising that his Best in Class, Dessert wine was
and rigorous testing. The panel that evaluates an entry are made with passion fruit as well as mango and pineapple. In
experts who use the same exacting evaluation, whether the talking with him, it also didn’t surprise me that he would de-
wine is professionally made or is an amateur wine.
cide to take on the grueling challenge of becoming an AWS

Louis and Madeline Piancone are a N ew J ersey w ine certified judge. What did surprise me, and he has agreed to
making duo. Their 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon was awarded me sharing this information, is that after he contracted a seri-
Best In Class, Red Vinifera in the 2018 competition. Lou de- ous disease in 2016—he lost his sense of smell. That is, not
scribes himself as the scientist and Madeline compared herself his ability to smell, but his ability to perceive and recognize
to a sous chef. “Madeline has a keen nose,” says Lou. what he is smelling. He told me that he is systematically re-
learning to connect an aroma with the underlying object. What

Their 2018 Cab is 80% Cabernet, 12% Merlot, 4% Petite Sirah an accomplishment to win Best in Class!

and 4% Petit Verdot. They made it as a field blend using the Bill started wine making with flavored kit wines. But after he
ICV-D-21 yeast. Interestingly, it only received a silver medal made a white wine his wife didn’t like, he realized that he
in the 2017 competition, but in 2018 a double gold and Best in could use that as a base and experiment with flavors to make
Class, a lesson in how a wine can improve with age. a dessert wine. So began his quest for the perfect flavor com-

Their advice to winemakers is to be as clean as possible and binations, though not without some errors. He discovered that
“do the testing.” Lou also revealed that they try to enter wines coconut left his wine cloudy.

in the AWS competition every year. The judges, he says, are Bill also believes success comes from good wine making prac-
hard but fair. They even enter wines that they know won’t win tices. He emphasized keeping good winemaking notes and the
medals just to receive the judges’ comments. importance of sulfite additions. Sound familiar? He doesn’t just

Best in Show is really quite a prize. In 2018 that honor went analyze his wine, but also his technique. He asks himself every
to Stephan “Steve” Kampers. I caught year, “What did I learn this year?” He also asks, “What went
up with Steve just after he finished wrong this year?” Clearly nothing went wrong with his mango,
pressing off a couple hundred pounds of passion fruit and pineapple dessert wine.

West Coast grapes. I think that is a great Anyone familiar with AWS wine competitions knows Mickey
way to celebrate the holidays! (Marion) Krauss. M any competitors receive multiple

His entry was a 2016 semi-dry Riesling. medals. Mickey receives his medals in bags. Mickey is the
Steve lives in Toronto Canada and has “winningest” amateur winemaker in AWS history. And that
access to the wonderful Riesling of the looks to continue. When we spoke, he couldn’t recount how
Niagara Ontario, Beemsville Bench re- many medals he has received, but in 2018 he entered 20
gion. In my opinion, it is one of the best wines and received 20 medals.
Cont. on Page 6
wine regions of Canada. The PH was

AWS News December 2019 Page 5

Top 50 Amateur Winemakers

The 2018 Amateur Winemaking Competition awarded 24 double gold, 8 gold, 131 silver and 172 bronze med-
als. The list below shows the top 50 winemakers over the many years of our annual competitions. Cumulative
points are calculated by giving 100 points for each double gold or gold medal, 58 for each silver and 34 for
each bronze. Points have been accumulating since 1975 when our records begin. Thanks to Mickey Krauss for
compiling this list. Congratulations to our top amateur winemakers!

2017 2018 State/ Cum. 2017 2018 State/ Cum.
Prov. Points
Rank Rank Name Prov. Points Rank Rank Name
PA 2,190
1 1 Krauss, Marion PA 10,590 28 26 Westman, Michael B. IA 2,180
PA 2,178
2 2 Oren, Rett PA 8,384 32 27 Schlachter, Mel OH 2,096
FL 2,096
4 3 Beers, Lamont NY 7,750 25 28 Mulfinger, John PA 2,034
PA 1,948
3 4 Gauntner, Donald PA 7,488 26 29 Hauser, Jeff ONT 1,934
PA 1,928
5 5 Traxler, Tim PA 7,438 27 30 Nettles, Donnie R. & Betty PA 1,892
AR 1,830
6 6 Kampers, Stephen ONT 6,240 35 31 Koempel, John PA 1,644
OH 1,582
7 7 Stopper, Edward PA 6,172 29 32 LaPointe, William NJ 1,570
NJ 1,476
10 8 Gribble, Gordon W. NH 5,750 30 33 Deman, John NY 1,432
OH 1,404
8 9 Spaziani, Gene CT 5,664 31 34 Bubb, Scott NY 1,342
GA 1,308
9 10 Fiola, Joe MD 5,630 33 35 Sperling, Leslie MI 1,304
VA 1,302
11 11 St. Pierre, Barry & Sissy CT 5,088 36 36 Frellsen, David & Betty VA 1,248
PA 1,240
15 12 Capotosto, Luke & Barbara Medeiros RI 4,136 37 37 Steinacker, Warren PA 1,230
FL 1,200
12 13 Browning, Doug & Joanne NJ 4,120 38 38 Cobett, Jan & Tom

14 14 Gower, Chuck & Cheryl DiPanfilo CO 4,112 39 39 Maimone, Thomas P.

13 15 Shulman, Eli MD 3,784 40 40 Chirichillo, Dominick

16 16 Szaro, Robert MA 3,126 41 41 Calcagni, Dominick

17 17 Piancone, Louis & Madeline NJ 3,116 42 42 Wilen, Bill

21 18 Roccograndi, Francis Jr. PA 3,072 43 43 Shively, Carl

20 19 Sperk, Jim OH 2,624 44 44 Diehl, Mark

18 20 Petuskey, Tom NJ 2,574 50 45 Carson, Frank

19 21 Mikals, Jack OH 2,542 58 46 Guber, Albert Jr.

34 22 Fisher, Jeffrey & Donna Lombardo PA 2,324 45 47 Knap, James

22 23 Klapetzky, Jan NY 2,248 46 48 Coombs, Fred

23 24 Furfaro, Darrell PA 2,238 47 49 Kirkpatrick, Jim

24 25 Seluk, Larry MI 2,210 48 50 Hastings, Charles

Seeking Perfection When Mickey told me that he said that he would be writing an

article, he said that he would be sharing his secrets there. He
Cont. from Page 5 added that they probably weren’t secrets at all. I think he was
telling me that there is no secret formula to wine making, but

His winemaking journey there is winning formula: Do the work, do it in a timely way

started when he was sta- and seek objective evaluation of your wine.

tioned in Germany in 1973.
He was attracted to German I think all the winemakers, who were kind enough to make
white wines, especially those time for me said the same thing. To find perfection do the
with some sweetness. When work. One last word of advice from John Koempel, “If you
he returned to the States, really want to know good wine, buy a corkscrew and ignore
he wasn’t able to obtain the books.”

Kevin Kourofskygrapes he liked to make

wine that he liked, so he
began to make fruit wines. Kevin is a Rochester area amateur winemak-

Over the years, Mickey has been asked to share some of his er and grape grower. He is a Certified Spe-
wine making secrets and write an article. He finally decided to cialist in Wine from the Society of Wine Edu-
sit down and write that article and he is close to completing cators. He also holds the Advanced Certifica-
his treatise in the art of making fruit wine. His secrets? Well tion, with distinction, from the Wine and
he says we’ll have to wait for the article to be completed. But I Spirits Education Trust. He can be reached
did get him to share a few tips. He grows his own fruit or through his blog at Kourofskywine.com.

sources some from people he knows and trusts. The fruit is

under his control from blossom to harvest. A further hint was Please join our winemakers forum on the

given: He plants multiple varieties of each fruit for ripening AWS website, built for you to ask ques-
time, sweetness or volume. Though he warns that it’s a never- tions and share. It’s for all levels of

ending job of pruning, weeding, harvesting, making and… expertise.

repeat. Maybe it’s not such a bad way to spend one’s time.

AWS News December 2019 Page 6

Government Affairs U.S. E.P.A. UPDATE: W hen California farmer J ohn Du-
arte plowed a wheat field north of Sacramento, he paid a
WASHINGTON, D.C.: N othing happens in W ashington $1.1 million fine to the federal government for his efforts.
any more. WineAmerica staff and lobby- The political unrest created by farmers has culminated in a
ists have been hearing reports of a victory for farmers and land developers throughout the west.
"technical corrections" amendment to The Trump administration announced a broad rollback of
the current tax bill, which they hoped rules designed to protect wetlands and other small bodies of
might fix the glitches in the alcoholic water. This decision overturns EPA regulations put in place in
beverage excise tax reform bill. It looks 2015 by the Obama administration. The regulations were
like that discussion has been kicked so part of the federal Clean Water Act known as “Waters of the
United States,” or WOTUS. The new rules will allow property
far down the road that we can no longer see it. owners to stand on their property and determine what is fed-
eral water without having to hire outside professionals.
Due to Congressional inability to fund the government, the
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau has shut down ILLINOIS: A ruling issued by the U. S. Court of Appeals
everything except their website. However, they still expect for the Seventh Circuit says a District Court
you to file electronic payments, returns for federal excise tax- mistakenly refused to hear a case involving
es and operational reports. TTB made it clear that no person- the ability of retailers to ship wine to Illinois
nel will be available to respond to any inquiries. TTB has di- residents, saying the Granholm decision only
rected employees NOT to report to work and said they are applied to wineries and was a threat to the
prohibited by federal law from volunteering their services dur-
ing any lapse in appropriations. Remind me again why should three-tier system. The District Court decision that Granholm
be paying federal taxes during a time when there are no fed- applied only to wineries (not to retailers) is now in question.
eral services?
INDIANA: The Southern District of I ndiana recently
S.C.O.T.U.S. UPDATE: The U.S. Supreme Court is consid- granted the state’s motion for Summary Judg-
ering arguments in a case centered around the 21st Amend- ment in the challenge by E.F. Transit to the
ment and the three-tier alcoholic beverage distribution sys- state’s denial of their transportation services.
tem. Oral arguments for Tennessee Wine and Spirits Retailers E.F.Transit wanted to transport liquor, despite
(TWSR) v. Zachary W. Blair et al. were heard on Jan. 16, Indiana law prohibiting the holder of a beer per-
2019. The Supreme Court has been asked to determine the mit from engaging in liquor business and vice
constitutionality of a state law that requires a retailer to be a
resident of the state of Tennessee for two years, in order to versa The court found that the federal interests, defined in
get a license to sell wine, beer or distilled spirits. the Federal Alcohol Administration Act, do not outweigh the
state interests of Indiana in this case. The court noted that
National beverage retailer Total Wine and More opened a store upholding these prohibited interests protected “core powers”
in Knoxville after the residency requirement for wine shop reserved to the state under the 21st Amendment. Really?
owners was struck down by a lower court. Doug and Mary
Ketchum are the other retailers fighting for a license for their NEW YORK: The N ew Y ork State Liquor Authority re-
small wine shop in Memphis. They moved from Salt Lake City cently fined Wegmans Food Markets and 5 of
and didn't think getting a license would be a problem since the its affiliated liquor stores $1.125 million for
TN Attorney General had published opinions in the last 4 years violations of state liquor laws. At issue is
saying that the residency requirements were unconstitutional. when someone who is not listed on a liquor

Total applied for a license at about the same time the Ketch- license owns, manages or controls the licensed business. New
ums. TWSR, a local group that didn't want competition from York law says this is illegal and regulators warned the gro-
the national chain, threatened to sue the state if it upheld the cery chain they will be watching for future violations, which
license to Total or the Ketchums. And now, all of this is due to could mean cancellation of the stores' licenses.
be decided by the Supreme Court.
The state accused the food market chain of illegally control-
There a few precedents that may be important in this case. In ling the 5 liquor stores by managing operations like purchas-
2005, the Supreme Court ruled that laws in New York and ing, dealing with wholesalers and setting prices. All are
Michigan, which permitted in-state wineries to ship wine di- owned by members of the Wegmans family and are located
rectly to consumers, but prohibited out-of-state wineries from near Wegmans food markets. State law forbids grocery
doing the same, were unconstitutional (Granholm). The 14th stores from dealing in wine or liquor and prohibits one person
amendment, adopted in 1868, may also come into play. It or corporation from operating more than one wine or liquor
guarantees equal privileges and protection to all born or natu- store. Chain liquor stores are illegal in New York.
ralized U.S. citizens residing in the state.
TEXAS: Texas liquor giant Spec's has sued the Texas
Anyone who is in the alcohol beverage industry, or con- Alcoholic Beverage Commission for "abusive"
sumes alcoholic beverages, needs to pay very close at- enforcement attempts. The federal lawsuit al-
tention to the anticipated Supreme Court ruling, some- leges that the TABC “wrongfully and malicious-
time this spring. If you want to follow all of the legal pro- ly” attempted to “extort” money from Spec’s by
ceedings related to this case, go to https://nawr.org/ threatening to effectively shut the company
issues/tennessee-v-byrd/
down or by making the family-owned business fork over
WINE EXCISE TAX REBATES: A few good things did hap- more than $700 million in civil penalties. Judges said the
pen before the government shutdown. The Trump administra- agency failed to prove dozens of allegations and chastised
tion has finalized regulations that will limit tax breaks for alco- the agency for failing to disclose evidence to their own wit-
holic beverage companies that import and export wine. Cur- ness (and the court). The judges recommended no fines be
rently, excise taxes are imposed on US-made wines, but they assessed against the liquor chain.
get tax refunds on wine imported from overseas, if they ex-
port “similar or matching” US-made products. Importers can Spec’s is seeking an unspecified amount of money for dam-
offset the tax and claim a refund when exporting US wines to ages that include lost profits, more than $1 million in attor-
overseas markets. The government is concerned that compa- ney’s fees and harm to its reputation. State lawyers argued
nies are choosing imports over domestic products to receive that the company can’t sue because the
that tax back. agency is a governmental entity that en-
joys “sovereign immunity.” They said that
The new regulations would fix this, raise around $600 million Spec’s already fought for and received
from the wine industry, prevent large spirits companies from relief from the enforcement action when
recouping billions of dollars in refunds and could benefit small- the administrative law judges ruled in its
er US wine producers and exporters. favor.

Tom Cobett

[email protected]

AWS News December 2019 Page 7

Chapter Events NV Bosco di Gica Prosecco Superiore (Italy) 20

NV Gruet Blanc de Noir (New Mexico, US) 21 (2)

2014 Domaine Carneros Brut Cuvee (California) 33 (1)

 The November meeting of the Cleveland (OH) Chapter was NV Bouvet Cremant de Loire Excellence (France)20

NV Voirin-Jumel Brut Champagne (France) 35 (2)

held at Urban Vintner. Jo Ann Solnick and Joyce Palinkas were NV Banfi Rosa Regale (Italy) 19

the hosts and organized the  The Hartford (CT) Chapter held their first event of 2019 at
Herd Restaurant in Middletown,
tasting. Ed Trebets, owner of CT. It was a two-hour Tenuta Tor-
ciano Wine Class presented by
Urban Vintner, shared his Guiseppe Tortorella from the Vine-
yard in Tuscany Italy. We followed
wines and story. Ed started up with a dinner. Everyone had a
great time and we plan on doing
his wine career at Debonne this again next year. We were able
to order wines from the Vineyard
Vineyards, where he honed in Italy at a discounted price.

his craft for 13 years. He

came up with the Urban Vint-

ner idea after visiting a

cousin in San Francisco who

showed him a winery nestled

within the city limits. Ed’s

mission was to create an ur-  The Heritage Hunt (VA) Chapter October tasting spotlighted

ban winery that sources the best grapes globally, but produc- pinot wine. Jason Wauer of Global Wines conducted a vertical

es all wines locally. The Trebets are proud of their “Muddy tasting of 3 pinot grigio wines and 3 pinot noir wines. For pi-

Paw” brand since it has been a dream to have their own label. not lovers, this was a real treat! After a New Zealand spar-

The name honors their dog Paisley and also lets them give kling wine to get members in the mood, Jason presented pinot

back to the community—for every bottle sold, Urban Vintner grigio from Italy, California and Oregon. For a second act (and

gives a donation to the Geauga County Humane Society. after a social Pinot Noir from France), Jason presented pinot

2017 Sauvignon Blanc, Clear Lake, CA $19 noir from California, Oregon and New Zealand. The 57 mem-

Muddy Paw Semillon, WA 18 (2) bers in attendance had the opportunity to experience the simi-

Muddy Paw Paisley Riesling, WA 12 larities and differences between pinot grigio and pinot noir

Muddy Paw Trigger Rouge Zin, CA 12 from various states or countries. The evening was a lot of fun!

Muddy Paw Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile 18 Highfield Elstree Cuvee, New Zealand $72

2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, Vintner’s Reserve, CA 30 (1) Bel Vento Pinot Grigio, Italy 18

2017 Carmenere, Chile 19 (3) Philo Ridge Pinot Grigio, California 45

 The Eastern Connecticut Chapter Coelho Pinot Grigio, Oregon 42
held a holiday gourmet wine dinner
at the elegant Il Pomod’Oro Restau- Scarlet of Paris Pinot Noir, France 26
rant and Pizzeria in East Lyme on
December 9. The delicious seven- Philo Ridge Pinot Noir, California 72
course meal was matched with sev-
en premium and costly wines. The Coelho Pinot Noir, Oregon 89
memorable wine dinner took over
three hours to for us to com- Highfield Pinot Noir, New Zealand 66
plete. The chapter co-chairs are
Rhonda Spaziani and her husband  On January 27, the Keuka (NY) Chapter met at Tabora
Gary Schaefer.
Farm & Winery in Dundee. Linda and Dean Schuler arranged
2014 Newton Napa Valley Chardonnay
2015 Savigny les Beaune the event. While sitting comfortably in
2016 Belle Glos Pinot Noir
2010 Ch. Costera Cru Beaujolais Tabora’s bakery/deli restaurant, we sam-
2016 Quilt Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
2016 Caymus Napa Cabernet Sauvignon pled some of their 2017 vintage, the first
2017 Castillo Banfi Rosa Regale
that winemaker Kelly Miller had ever pro-

duced commercially. Then we toured the

cellar where we barrel-tasted the red 2018

wines. All wines are made from grapes that

are estate grown and the 2017 vintage is

modestly priced $15-20. The riesling, the

first made from their 3-year old vines, was

voted the overall favorite. The 2018 reds

are expected to be bottled in the spring

 The December 9 tasting of the Emerald Coast (FL) Chapter 2019. We are looking forward to the release of the excellent
was hosted by Pam and Bill Davey in their Gulf Breeze home.
pinot noir and syrah that tied for our favorite reds.
The event featured sparkling
wines from five different coun- 2017 Semi-sweet Riesling $18 (1)
tries. Most were dry, but we
wrapped up with a sweet spar- 2017 Cayuga White 15
ker. Bill’s presentation included
information on the origin of 2017 DeChaunac 20
champagne, how sparkling
wines are made, what they are 2018 Cabernet Franc ??
called in different countries
and how to open the bottle. He 2018 Pinot Noir ?? (2)
also demonstrated using a saber to open champagne. Bill ex-
plained the special 20-point champagne-rating form that he 2018 Syrah $?? (2)
developed (evaluating sparkling wines is different!).
 On the cusp of its first major snow event, 26 members and
In addition to comparing the styles from different countries, 2 guests of the King George (VA) Chapter met at Oakcrest
we were also able to contrast a French Cremant with a real
Champagne. Although the Champagne received more votes, Winery on Jan. 11 to bring in the
the Cremant was a good value. We also re-sampled the New Year with 6 sparkling wines. The
aperitif Kirkland Prosecco after the de Gica because we all event was conducted by guest Hailey
enjoyed the aperitif. We found that the de Gica was more Lawrence, who took us through a
complex so it was hard to go back to the inexpensive wine. tour of different production methods
After the tasting, we enjoyed a selection of member-prepared for sparkling wines as we tasted bub-
appetizers—smoked trout, mini beef sandwiches, brie in phyllo bly from Italy (Prosecco), Spain
shells, meatballs and ended with Moscato cake. (Cava), France (Champagne) and
Argentina. We started with what was
NV Campo Viejo Cava Brut Reserve (Spain) $13 purported to be the first sparkling
2018 Bird In Hand Sparkling Pinot Noir (Australia) 23 produced in 1513 and she enlight-
ened us about major contributors to making of this type of
wine—the French Benedictine monk Dom Perignon and the
Widow Cliquot. Paired with Italian cheese with merlot rind,
Swiss and brie, strawberries, cinnamon brioche, truffle chips
and caviar, the group tasted the following:
2015 Saint-Hilaire Blanquette De Limoux Brut $20

AWS News December 2019 Page 8

Blanc de Blancs 13 2013 Falesco Tellus Merlot, Umbria, Italy 15
NV Isaac Fernandez Biutiful Cava 22 (3) 2014 Long Shadows Pedestal, WA 60 (3)
2017 Le Rive di Ogliano Extra Dry, DOCG 50 (1) 2014 Darioush Merlot, Napa Valley 70 (1)
NV Champagne Trouillard, La Cuvee Brut 2015 Chateau Haut Brisson, Bordeaux 40
15 2012 Lapostle Cuvee Alexandre, Chile 20
Extra Selection 14 (2) 2014 Chateau Sansonnet, Bordeaux 40
NV Jaqueline Leonne Rose 2010 Chateau Plince, Bordeaux 45
NV Gouguenheim, Malbec "Bubbles"
 Fifteen members and guests of the Princeton (NJ) Chapter
Sparkling Rose

 The Lehigh Valley (PA) Chapter’s N ovember tasting w as gathered at Joe Broski’s house on January 18 for a tasting of
“Wines to Serve with Turkey.” It was hosted by Andrea Smith
and Tom Edinger at the beautiful Steel Club in Hellertown, PA. Southern Rhône wines. Wines from 10 AOCs were sampled,

Thirty members enjoyed including the 5 Southern Rhône cru. The group followed along
a eclectic mix of wines. Ice-
breakers included rosés with an educational PowerPoint Joe made showing the ap-
from Macon and Tavel. Both
are bone dry and good val- proved grapes, wines tasted with tech sheets and photos from
ues. The winner was Marti-
nelli Red Barn Ridge Red, a his recent trip. The wines were paired with a potpourri of
blend of Zinfandel and Sy-
rah, a portion of which is homemade pâtés, Chicken Cassolette and Carrot Cake muf-
derived from 135 year-old
vines from the steepest fins.
hillsides in the county. Sec-
ond place went to the Valdez 2016 Chat. d’Aqueria Tavel Rose $10
Zinfandel, 90 pts. in Wine Enthusiast, "This soft, subdued wine
is pervasive in barbecue smoke, black licorice and toasted 2016 Dom. de Beaurenard Rasteau 20
marshmallow. It's made from mostly Zinfandel, with smaller
pockets of petite sirah and carignane. Intense, especial- 2015 Dom. Des Bosquets Gigondas 30
ly toward the finish, it finds a thread of acidity in the back-
ground to lift itself up. 2015 Dom. De la Charbonniere Vacqueyras 25 (3)

2015 Brotte Barville Chateauneuf-du-Pape (red) 40 (2)

2017 Dom. Du Pere Caboche Chateauneuf-du- 25 (1)

Pape (white)

2015 Chat. la Canorgue Luberon 14

2014 Chat. de Nages Costieres de Nimes 25

2015 Coudoulet de Beaucastel Cote-du-Rhône 45

(magnum)

2016 Dom. De la Mordorec Lirac 20

 The San Luis Obispo (CA) Chapter met on November 16 to

A big surprise was the third place wine, a white Verterra Ries- taste Zinfandels from Amador County and Paso Robles. Our

ling at 16.3 points. An even bigger surprise is it’s from Michi- guest speaker was Don Arndt, own-

gan, where this dry riesling won Best Dry White Wine in the er and winemaker at Arndt Cellars

2018 Michigan Wine Competition. Following the tasting, we in Paso Robles, which is a boutique

were treated to the Steel Club Pasta Bar, with made-to-order winery that produces 500-700 cases

pasta. each year. Don explained that one

2015 Balandras Macon $14 of the challenges to making zinfan-

2016 Marquis D'acqueria Tavel Rose 13 del is the grapes stay on the vine

2015 Bot Geyl Les Elemente Gewürztraminer 30 until late in the season to build

2014 Charles Bahr Gewurtz Pfersigberg 30 maximum flavors. This long “hang

2017 Verterra Riesling 18 (3) time” also builds the sugar in the

Donnhoff Oberhauser Leistenberg Riesling fruit, which is measured as brix level. The brix can continue to

Kabinett 32 increase after the grapes are crushed. Don had a recent expe-
rience with must going from 23o brix at crush to 26o overnight.
2018 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 11
Since there is a direct correlation between the brix level and
2015 Domaine De La Fleurie Roche Guillon 32
the resultant alcohol in the wine, it must be carefully managed
2015 La Chapelle Des Bois Grand Pre Fleurie 25
to maintain the wine’s balance. Three of the wines we tasted
2015 Harper Voit Pinot Noir Strandline 56
were grown in the Grandpere Vineyard in Amador County,
2016 D'Edouard Bourgogne Cotes D'Auxerre 40
which was planted in 1869, and is the oldest documented Zin-
2014 Martinelli Red Barn Ridge Red Russian River 30 (1)
fandel vineyard in the United States.
2012 Valdez Sonoma Zinfandel 15 (2)
2014 Scott Harvey Grandpere Vyd, Amador $45 (3)

 The Lone Star (TX) Chapter met on November 3 in the 2012 Andis Grandpere Vyd, Amador 36

home of David and Diane Szydlik with the theme “You Had me 2014 Arndt Cellars Benito Dusi Vyd, Paso Robles 34 (1)

at Merlot.” We tasted a 2014 Easton, Amador 19 (2)

variety of either single 2016 J Dusi-Dante Dusi Vyd, Paso Robles 40

varietal or merlot- 2014 Stephan Ross Dante Dusi Vyd, Paso Robles 40

dominant blends from 2015 Ancient Peaks Sta Margarita, Paso Robles 14

around the world. Our 2014 Noceto, Grandpere Vyd, Amador 32

hosts began with back- 2014 Adelaida-Adelaida District, Paso Robles 40 (3)

ground on merlot, which  The Shallotte (NC) Chapter met on January 2 at the home
of Ed & Suzanne Gurski for a tasting of Sparkling Wines. There
in French means Little
were 15 members present. We learned
Blackbird, and is the that besides France's Champagne,
there are many other regions around
second most popular the world that produce good sparkling
wines. We learned that ancient Greeks
grape in America. Known and Romans believed that bubbles in
sparkling wine represented good and
for being elegant, ripe and soft, it is a very approachable evil spirits and phases of the moon. We discovered how to chill
sparkling wines in a bucket and serve at 45 degrees—anything
grape. We learned how and why merlot has been overlooked colder will mute the flavor. On a more esoteric level, it was
revealed that there is a genre of sparkling wine, now known as
by wine consumers in recent years, yet still remains one of the pétillant natural, or pét-nat, which is made by a method so old
that the French term for it is “methode ancestrale.” We tasted
world’s greatest grapes, as exemplified by the many regions in wines from Austria, Spain, Italy, New Zealand, California and
France. We also sampled a pét-nat from Oregon (2015 Anne
which it thrives. Our evening included comparisons of merlot Amie Cuvee A Amrita, $16) but did not rate it. The wines we
tasted are listed in order of preference.
from warm and cool climates, Old and New World, and St.

Emilion vs. Pomerol. We even enjoyed a Paradigm Rosé of

Merlot. All of these differently-styled merlots display a fresh

minerality, ripe juice, big, oaky, restrained, earthy and/or

jammy flavors. This wonderful tasting for 17 members and

guests concluded with our hosts’ savory Croatian veal risotto

and side dishes that paired beautifully with the wines. Bravo

David and Diane!

2017 Paradigm Merlot, Napa Valley $30

2016 Molly Dooker The Scooter, South Australia 28 (2)

AWS News December 2019 Page 9

NV Anna Brut Champagne Rosé Codorniu $19 WSET Lifetime Achievement
2017 Villa Maria Bubbly 17 Award
NV Black Bubbles Shooting Star 18
NV Terre di San Venanzio Fortunato 16
NV Aubry Brut Champagne 45
2016 Pratsh Grűner Veltliner 13

 The Southport (NC) Chapter met on January 11, at the St.

James Community Center, for a tasting hosted by Dave and

Vicki Caruso (Co-Chairs). Our meet-

ing had 74 members in attendance.

We learned about the history, viticul-

ture, and the tasting of wines from

the Campania Region of Italy. South-

port member Alan Hess discussed the

terroir and winemaking of the region.

He reviewed the Italian wine laws

(DOCG, DOC, IGT and Vino require-

ments) as well as the wine bottle label laws. We enjoyed a Mary Ewing-Mulligan MW, leading US wine educator, owner/
President of International Wine Center and the first woman in
frizzante, 3 whites and 3 reds during our tasting. Our chefs North America to become a Master of Wine, was presented
with WSET’s Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2019 Wine &
provided Crab Dip with Crackers, Shrimp Chowder, Buffalo Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Awards and Graduation Cere-
mony in January.
Chicken Dip, Pasta with Red Meat Sauce, White Chili and Beef

Brisket to pair with the wines. The membership had a great

time tasting the wines and the food pairings were excellent.

2013 Nativ Aglianco Irpina $16

2007 Molettieri Taurasi 34 Hosted by WSET Honorary President Steven Spurrier and
2015 Terredora Lachryma Christi Rosso 18 Chief Executive Ian Harris, the event at London’s historic
2015 Terredora Greco di Tufo 19 Guildhall was attended by over 500 wine and spirits profes-
2016 Terredora Fiano di Avellino 17 sionals and industry influencers. It was the first event in
2017 Gragnano Monteleone 25 WSET’s 50th anniversary year. This year saw WSET’s largest
2017 Terredora Irpinia Falanghina 13 ever graduating class of Diploma candidates—532 new gradu-

 The Triangle (NC) Chapter met on November 11 at the ates, representing a 21% increase over 2018. There were 68
home of Fred and Kathy Brack in Raleigh for our tasting fea- graduates from the US this year, compared to 53 in 2018.

turing GSM Harris said, “We are delighted to honour Mary with this award
Wine. GSM in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the develop-
stands for the ment and growth of WSET in the USA. Today we not only con-
3 grapes gratulate all our scholarship and award winners and the larg-
found in this est ever class of Diploma graduates, but also mark the start
Rhone-style of our 50th year providing education and qualifications in wine
blended
and spirits. With over 750 Approved Programme Providers and
wine: Grena- three offices across the world, WSET’s global presence is
che (also stronger than ever. We will use our 50th anniversary to contin-
known as Garnacha), Syrah and Mourvèdre (also known as ue to inspire and support wine and spirits professionals and
Monastrell). The Syrah contributes the full body, dark fruit enthusiasts worldwide. We are confident that we will be cele-
flavors, tannins, and “backbone.” Grenache, a lighter wine, brating the success of WSET students for another 50 years
contributes alcohol (which extends the finish), warmth, red and beyond.”
fruit flavors and often a bit of cinnamon, without tannins.
Mourvèdre contributes elegance, structure, acidity, some inter- Receiving her award Mary responded, “I am honoured beyond
esting flavors and tends to extend the finish. These wines are words to receive this Lifetime Achievement Award from WSET.
generally known for bright fruit and aroma. Classically, GSMs When I introduced WSET’s courses to the US in 1994, I be-
come from the Rhone Valley in France; but GSM is now pro- lieved that the programs could change the face of wine and
duced in many other parts of the world, including Australia, spirits education in my country. After almost 25 years spent
Washington (Columbia Valley) and California (notably Paso promoting WSET’s expansion across America, my early hopes
Robles), with smaller productions in other countries. After ex- have come to fruition. I am grateful for the opportunity to
periencing our delicious welcome wine from Rickety Bridge support WSET’s mission to make academic excellence accessi-
Winery, The Foundation Stone Rosé, 26 AWS members and ble to wine and spirits professionals not only in New York but
one guest had the pleasure of enjoying this outstanding after- also across much of the US.”

noon of wine! $15 The following US candidates were also honoured with awards
2012 Burgess Cellars Grenache 12 for outstanding results on their L4 exam: Corissa Funk
2015 Vigilance Cimarron 15 (Chicago, IL), Katy Long (Santa Rosa, CA), Yuri Shima (San
2016 Gemtree Vineyards Cinnabar GSM 19 Francisco, CA) and Trent Stewart (AL).
2013 Ridgeback Winery SGMV

2015 Beckman Vineyards Cuvee Le Bec GSM 23 (2)

2013 Big Basin Vineyards Gabilan Mountain GSM 49 (3) Letter to Editor

2016 Guarachi Bacon Red Blend 22 (1)

To be included in the AWS News, e-mail your tasting results

to [email protected] I'm sorry but I must post an objection to your article. To

Please follow the format specified for Chapter Events. me it is an endorsement by AWS of Total Wine.
Download it from the AWS website-Publications-AWS News. I'm finding this article and others leading to a creeping
commercialism of AWS. I understand the benefit to AWS

Include the cost of the wines you tasted, chapters you're bringing out in your article however

plus scores or rankings. This information spotlighting only Total Wine upsets me. A broader

lets other members know what you liked article indicating many other options for AWS chapter

and what wines were good values. events would, in my mind, be appropiate.

Please also send us sharp, interesting Mike Botwin
Chapter Director
AdriennepicTtuurrensefrrom your event. San Luis Obispo
(AWS member since 1973)
[email protected]

AWS News December 2019 Page 10

AWS Educational Foundation National Of icer Elections

25th Anniversary Endowment Fund Do you know someone who would be a good AWS

Campaign Ended December 31, 2018 National Officer? How about you?

Thank you to all who donated to our 25th Anniversary Endow- This year, our membership will be electing a Director
ment Fund Campaign! With the help of individuals, AWS chap- of Competitions for a 3-year terms, which begins
ters/regions and corporations who donated, plus raffle ticket on January 1, 2020. Nominations must be received
sales at the national conference, we raised $15,000! That cou- by June 1, 2019. For more information or to submit
pled with the generous anonymous donor matching $15,000, a nomination, contact
our endowment fund just received a $30,000 boost! THANK
YOU FOR INVESTING IN THE FUTURE OF THE AWSEF AND THE Joe Broski, [email protected], or
STUDENTS WHO ARE STUDYING TO IMPROVE EVERYTHING David Falchek, [email protected]
WE LOVE ABOUT THE NORTH AMERICAN WINE INDUSTRY!

Just a side note, an endowment is a fund that is restricted. WTSO Raf le
This means that we cannot touch the principal balance, but
rather only the interest and dividends that it generates from With help from past president Kristin Kraft and a random
the fund can be used. The endowment is our legacy and pro- number generator, we selected three members who joined or
vides for the long-term future of the AWSEF. On our financial renewed before the end of the 2018 to receive a $100 Wines
statements the endowment, special scholarships (i.e. named ‘Til Sold Out gift card. Here are the winners:
scholarship accounts) and operations funds are all separate.
• Of the 1144 members who renewed: Gerald Gibson
2019 AWSEF Board of Trustees
of King George, VA
Here are the members of the 2019 AWSEF Board of Trustees:
• Of the 237 who joined or renewed for 3-years: Ken-
Bonnie Lance President
Kristen Lindelow Executive VP & VP Scholarships neth Grezlik, Sarasota, FL
Christine Murphy VP Corporate Development
Larry Jackson Secretary • Of the 272 new AWS members: John Smiljanik,
Walt Rachele Treasurer
Danny Klein VP Private Development Sarasota, FL
Joe Broski AWS President
Eric Feldhake General Counsel Thanks to everyone who participated in our renewal cam-
paign. If you haven’t renewed yet, please do so right away.
We are here to help. Please feel free to reach out to any of us
if there is anything that we can do – our contact information is Get Certi ied! New Videos!
listed on our website at www.awsef.org/Board.
Cont. from Page 1
2019 Scholarships—Applications Open
the world largest wine education program, providing educa-
The 2019 scholarship application process is now open to quali- tion to more than 90,000 students around the world each
fied candidates. Applications from graduate school students in year. WSET is a globally recognized, well respected program.
wine-related fields will be accepted through March 31, 2019. We will be offering WSET 2 at the conference on Oct. 31. You
Complete applications include: are NOT required to take level I before taking level 2. Indeed,
most students take level 2 without first taking level 1.
1. Online application with professional letter of intent and
research project importance (parts A and B). WSET 2 provides beginning to intermediate level education
regarding viticulture, winemaking, the major wine grapes and
2. Three letters of recommendation, including one from wine regions. WSET 2 also includes an introduction to WSET’s
your academic advisor. systematic approach to wine tasting, an international stand-
ard. Registration for the program will include a book, which
3. Graduate academic transcripts. must be read before attending the class in November. While
certainly there will be instruction provided at the conference,
If you, or anyone that you know, meets the criteria to be this is a course which requires extensive preparation outside
awarded a scholarship, please refer them to our website of the classroom. If you are interested, please contact me or
www.awsef.org for complete instructions on how to apply. Re- the national office.
member, you can apply more than once and can be awarded
up to two scholarships! Last year we awarded seven scholar- New Wine Video—Sparkling Wines
ships valued at $3,500 each.
We are continuing to offer our wine education videos and
AWSEF Elections – New Term Begins January 1, 2020 PowerPoints on the “American Wine Society Now” YouTube
page. I recently uploaded a new video introducing tank and
The next election for AWSEF Trustees will be held this summer traditional method sparkling wines. It explains how to proper-
via Survey Monkey for a four-year term beginning January 1, ly open a bottle of sparkling wine and the production tech-
2020. Per the AWSEF bylaws, the Board of Trustees consists of niques for traditional and tank method wines. The video can
seven Trustees, one of whom is the current AWS President. be used to learn how to tell the difference between the two
production methods based upon a wine’s taste and texture.
The following Trustees will be either completing their four-year
term and/or are up for re-election at the end of this year: Dan- We soon will be uploading PowerPoint presentations concern-
ny Klein, Kristen Lindelow and Walt Rachele. ing the Rhone Valley, to be followed by a
PowerPoint about how to read wine labels.
Nothing to do at this time except ponder These presentations will join our current
if running (or running again) for a posi- PowerPoints about Bordeaux and Burgun-
tion on our board would be something dy. Please use them at your tastings and
you would be interested in. More to fol- share them with your friends.
low on this in the coming months.
As always, I welcome any suggestions for
Bonnie Lance future video presentations.

[email protected] Aaron Mandel

[email protected]

AWS News December 2019 Page 11

AWS News
American Wine Society®
P. O. Box 889
Scranton, PA 18501

Address Service Requested

National Conference Pittsburgh Wine Experience
Oct. 31– Nov. 2, 2019
On behalf of the American Wine Soci-
ety Chapters of Western Pennsylva-
nia, CFP Winemakers and Presque
Isle Cellars, it is my pleasure to invite
you to our 36th annual wine confer-
ence and amateur winemaking com-
petition on Sunday, March 31, 2019.

BIG NEWS…We have moved! We are
now going to be at the Comfort Inn
and Suites, located in the Harmar-
ville, RIDC Park, 180 Gamma Drive,
Pittsburgh, PA 15238.

We are glad once more to serve the Pittsburgh and tristate
area with what has become a spring tradition for wine lovers
and winemakers! We also welcome back CFP Winemakers and
Presque Isle Wine Cellars as co-sponsors.

This year, we have new seminars to enhance your winemak-
ing skills. Don’t forget to enter your wines to see if you can
win one of our coveted gold, silver or bronze medals to boast
about. A new competition is being added for wine labels. So,
submit your wine and your favorite homemade label too.

As usual, we will be presenting wine tasting seminars for the
novice, as well as experienced wine appreciators. Of course, it
all ends with the Showcase of Wines, a commercial winery
walk-around tasting. All of this at the great price of $65.00!

The entire list of seminars will be posted soon on our Face-
book page (Pittsburgh Wine Experience) and the website,
www.pghwinexp.com.

We look forward to seeing you.

Richard Ryba

RVP American Wine Society
Chairman, Pittsburgh Wine Experience