AWS News December 2018

AWS News

Promoting Appreciation of Wine Through Education

Volume 32, No. 6 www.americanwinesociety.org December 2018

In This Issue 2018 Awards

Amateur Winemaking Awards 5,10 This year, our Award of Merit recipient is Paul Wagner. “Paul
has been a great friend not only to
AWS Educational Foundation 15 our organization, but also to the
wine industry,” said David Falchek.
Chapter Events 12 “Working in the background as a
marketing professional and an edu-
Government Affairs 6 cator, Paul has influenced the way
the public drinks wine and thinks
Member Service News 3 about wine. His passion and work
has aligned with the AWS mission to
National Conference Wrap Up 4 promote wine appreciation through
education.”
National Tasting Project 2018 7,8
Wagner recently retired from running Balzac Communica-
National Tasting Project 2019 4 tions, but continues to teach about wine—in Barcelona at the
WinTour Wine Tourism MBA program, leading AWS wine
New Wine Judges 5 cruises, presenting at AWS conferences, teaching at Napa
Valley College, joining the U.S. tour of the Union des Grands
Outstanding RVP & Chapter Chair 2 Crus de Bordeaux, giving the keynote address at the Van-
couver International Wine Festival, judging the California
The Truth About False Wine 9 State Fair Wine Competition, and lecturing at Fresno State
and Cambridge Universities.
Try The Wine Curmudgeon Tasting 2
Our 2018 Outstanding Member is John Hames. John
Wine Tasting Venue 6 changed the way we organize na-
tional conferences when he stepped
Wines of Slovenia 3 up to become the multi-year Con-
ference Chair. He served as AWS
Our President’s Last Word Executive Director and is currently
our Historian and Conference Pro-
Two years flies by! It seems like just yesterday I wrote my gram Chair. His award honors him
first AWS News article as our organization’s president, and by stating, “Whose dedication in
serving members and advancing our
here I am writing my last. The last mission knows no equal. For his
couple of years have been very timeless tackling of deeds from the
rewarding, and I will miss being
connected to all that goes on na- smallest to the largest, in service to the Society.”
tionally. But there is some relief at
never having to speak on stage Conference Highlights
again!
The 2018 National Conference in Buffalo, NY, was another
I came to office at a time of transi- great success! Almost 500 people attended
tion, and I’m grateful for the op- the event, which featured 2 walk-around
portunity to be a part of it. We receptions, 4 meals with wine, 50 different
opened a new National Office with wine education/tasting sessions, amateur
a new executive director and mem- and professional winemaking competitions,
ber services manager, we celebrated our 50th anniversary and and late-night hospitality rooms. Opportuni-
started forging plans for AWS 50+. We’ve ushered in a multi- ties to make new friends abounded and the
tude of other changes, some small and some significant. The
last hurrah of my tenure will be our launching of a revamped food was delicious.
website to improve members’ access to information and en-
hance our external marketing efforts. This year’s opening reception
was a Tailgate Party—we were
I’m incredibly enthusiastic about the future of AWS and be- invited to wear our favorite
sports team’s gear and the
lieve that we’re on solid footing for food included chicken wings
(Of course! It’s Buffalo!) and
moving forward. I see continued mem- Cont. on Page 9 small sandwiches. Conversa-
bership growth and a recommitment tion abounded as people discussed
their home towns and sports. It was

Cont. on Page 16

AWS National Office Outstanding RVP and
Chapter Chair
P. O. 889
Scranton, PA 18501 Outstanding RVP

Phone (888) AWS-9070 Each year we recognize one Regional Vice President for out-
Fax (888) 297-9070 standing contributions to chapter support and enhancing
membership value. This year’s winner is the formidable team
(570) 344-4825 of Jeff and Nancy Stabins in northern New York. Jeff and Nan-
cy support their region together, cruising from chapter to
David Falchek Executive Director chapter in their motor home. It’s fairly common knowledge
[email protected] that they purchased the motor home in large part to support
their RVP responsibilities. That’s commitment!
Katie Kearney Member Services Manager
[email protected] Jeff and Nancy support the largest region in the country, en-
compassing 11 chapters. Many chapter chairs and members in
Website www.americanwinesociety.org their region nominated the Stabins for this award and it’s clear
there is a lot of respect and affection for them.
2018 AWS National Officers
Outstanding Chapter Chair
President Kristin Kraft
Joe Broski Each year we recognize one chapter chair for outstanding
Vice President LeAnne Wheeler chapter service. This year’s winner is Tina Tusa, the chair of
Tom Wallman the Historic Lewiston Chapter near Buffalo, NY. Tina was in-
Secretary volved with the AWS when she lived in Denver, providing in-
Joe Dautlick valuable support to the Colorado RVP Kate Bowen. She has
Treasurer Aaron Mandel also volunteered for the challenging job of supporting the con-
Jay Bileti ference registration desk for the past six years.
Directors at Large
Competitions Recently Tina moved to New York and made quick work of
Education starting and growing her new chapter. The Historic Lewiston
Membership chapter was born in February 2018 and, as of today, has 82
members! Tina has done a terrific job of managing the many
AWS News Staff details and issues of a large and fast-growing chapter as well
as delivering interesting and educational programs.
Pam Davey Editor—[email protected]
Jay Bileti
David Falchek Publisher
[email protected]

[email protected]

Renee Jones [email protected]

Tom Cobett [email protected]

Sharyn Kervyn [email protected]

Kevin Kourofsky [email protected]

Bonnie Lance [email protected]

Diane Meyer [email protected]

The American Wine Society, Jeff Stabins, Tina Tusa, Nancy Stabins
founded in 1967, is the old-
est and largest consumer- Try The Value Wine Curmudgeon Tasting
based wine education group
in North America. We have Some of you may know Jeff Siegle, The Wine Curmudg-
almost 7000 members and eon, an irreverent and funny wine blogger who specializes
in value wines (winecurmudgeon.com). His blog is very
180 chapters across the interesting, educational and fun. He has given several well
United States. -received seminars at AWS conferences.

We are a 501(c)(3) non- The Wine Curmudgeon has selected 16 wines for us that
profit, educational corpora- he considers outstanding values. They are widely distributed and should
tion. Our members appreci- be generally available. You will also find his clever descriptions of each
wine snatched from the blog. Chapter event planners can purchase the
ate, celebrate and share wines they like or are available in their areas and hold the tasting. After
knowledge about wine. tasting the wines, the leader can either read the Curmudgeon’s com-
Our mission: Promoting ments to the group or pass out printed copies. The wine list and descrip-
Wine Appreciation Through tions are available on the AWS Website in Education & Training.

Education. Jeff has also agreed to do a few Skype events for us. If you are interest-
www.americanwinesociety.org ed, contact him at [email protected].

AWS News December 2018 I’d highly recommend doing one of his tastings because Jeff is a really
fun and educational guy—his nickname is quite apt—think of a cross
between Lewis Black and Robert Parker.

Jay Bileti

[email protected]

Page 2

Member Service News Wines of Slovenia

Whew. What a busy and fun few months we have had at the At the 51st Annual Conference in Buffalo, our organization
National Office. We’ve been exploring ways to engage with received a living piece of wine history from Slovenia.
members and new audiences, so we decided to start an Insta-
gram page for AWS. We view this as a way to broaden our A contingency of young, dynamic winemakers from Slovenia
reach and as a quick and fun platform to reach out to mem- conducted several sessions at the conference. The Slovenian
bers. We kicked the page off a few weeks before conference industry provided wines for a meal and we were joined by
and were able to give followers a behind-the-scenes look at the Slovenian ambassador to the United States, Stanislav
conference prep. Most of the images are also shared on Face- Vidoviĉ, who gave a talk about Slovenia. We learned how
book. Going forward we would like to use the Instagram page their national identity incorporates wine. Their national an-
as a tool for people to see local chapter events all over the them is subtitled “A Toast.”
country.
Unexpectedly, Ambassador Vidoviĉ offered the AWS a gift—a
Would you like to host an "Instagram Takeover" to give bottle of wine more rare and valuable than any in the room,
our followers an inside look at your chapter? What a a bottle of wine made from the oldest productive grapevine
local Chapter Chair or member would do is reach out to me in the world, a claim backed up by Guinness.
and I’ll get you a temporary Instagram password so you can
take us behind the scenes of your tasting—set up, meeting Since the middle ages, “The Mother Vine” survived every-
the speaker, selfies with your members. The great thing about thing from the Ottoman
Instagram is that it is fun—and I know that you all are having invasion and blights to
fun at your tastings. By seeing what other chapters are doing, World War II bombings.
you might find new ideas for your tastings and people may This national symbol of
even decide to start their own chapters. perseverance and prosperi-
ty originally planted out-
Speaking of chapters, this year has been GREAT for chapter side of the city wall, is
development. This is largely due to the Regional Vice Presi- beautifully trellised on the
dents and Jay Bileti, Director of Member Services, working side of a what is known as
hard to get new groups started. Our 2018 new chapters are the Old Vine House in the
Collector’s (AZ), AOC East Bay (CA), Golden (CO), South Met- city of Maribor, producing
ro Denver (CO), First Coast (FL), Chicagoland (IL-restart),
Derby Somm (KY), St. Louis Cellar Dwellers (MO), Pine Belt small amounts of fruit every year. That fruit is vinified and
(MS), Glacier Wine Guild (MT), Shallotte (MT), Historic Lewis- bottled and those bottles used for protocol purposes. I’m
ton (NY), Wines Without Borders Suffern (NY), Puerto Rico, told the AWS’s 250 ml bottle, designed by Slovenian artist
Batesburg/Leesville (SC), Northeast Tennes- Oskar Kogoj, is one of just 36 made in 2016. Festivals cele-
see Wine Lovers and Cork N’ Fork (VA). We brate the Old Vine, which has its own anthem. We want to
also have a few chapters just getting ready research the most respectful and appropriate way for our
to begin as the year closes out. organization to handle this gift.

It's been a great 2018 because of all of you. The Slovenian contingent and their wines were warmly re-
Thank you! I can’t wait to see what happens ceived by AWS members, who appreciated this survey of an
in 2019. historic, but under-represented wine-producing country.
With so many new friends in Slovenia, we
Katie Kearney are examining the possibility of an AWS-
organized trip. Let us know if you may be
[email protected] interested.

Members by State 11/15/2018 As I told Ambassador Vidoviĉ, the bottle,
nestled in straw in a wooden box, symbolizes
AL 134 IN 51 ND 52 RI 31 a connection between Slovenia, its wine in-
dustry and our members.
AR 8 KS 9 NE 23 SC 211
David Falchek
AZ 151 KY 116 NH 14 TN 76
[email protected]
CA 433 LA 4 NJ 380 TX 153

CO 273 MA 107 NM 57 U.K. 4

CT 164 MD 203 NV 88 UT 8

DC 11 MI 431 NY 538 VA 476

DE 61 MN 37 OH 295 VT 5

FL 305 MO 38 ONT 13 WA 58

GA 117 MS 17 OR 108 WI 10

HI 11 MT 65 PA 1124 Other 16

IL 68 NC 422 PR 6 Total 6982

AWS News December 2018 Page 3

2018 National Conference National Tasting Project 2019
Wrap Up

The 2018 National Conference in Buffa- We are very excited to announce that Napa Valley Vintners, in
lo, New York is officially complete and I partnership with Constellation Brands and Opici Family Dis-
have to say I’m thrilled with how won- tributing, are proud sponsors of the 2019 N ational
derfully the event went, and a little sad Tasting Project! We will explore the diverse terroir of Napa
it is over. For those of you who were Valley and sample the broad range of varietals coming from
lucky enough to attend I hope you en- the varied soils and micro-climates. Napa Valley is not just
joyed yourselves and learned about a about Cabernet Sauvignon (although there may be some Cab
few new wines along the way! in the mix)!

I have always said that you are only as strong as your team Marketview Liquor, our online shipping source out of
and this continues to be true. Thank you to this year’s confer- Rochester, New York, and Winework-
ence committee for helping put on an amazing event and be- sonline.com, out of M arlton, N ew J ersey
ing my support during this huge undertaking. THANK YOU have both agreed to stock all 12 wines for
Katie Kearney, Tom and Marj Wallman, John Hames, Nancy us. They plan to include an AWS tab on their
and Jeff Stabins, Beth Camann and Paul VanHorn, Tina Tusa, home page for ease of ordering the wines.
Denise Gibson and Tony Lawrence—I couldn’t have done it They are giving us the best price, providing
without you! case discounts, and not adding sales tax to
help offset the shipping costs. These wines
I would also like to thank all of the session speakers who will be allocated to our members for a lim-
came to the AWS Conference to teach us and let us learn ited time—they will be
something new. You gave us tasting and learning experiences available to order begin-
you can only get at an AWS Conference. I was able to have ning mid-January, and will
many wonderful conversations and thank most of you in per- remain available through
son but in case we didn’t cross paths THANK YOU so much for April 30, 2019.
sharing your knowledge and your wines with us!
Meet with your chapters and plan ahead so you can place
∗ Thank you to Wine Country Ontario for your orders before April 30. After the deadline passes, the
wines go on sale to the general public and we cannot guaran-
sponsoring the incredible meal wines at tee you will be able to get all of the wines for your tastings.
the lunch on Friday and showing us The deadline to submit your scores to us for inclusion in the
what Ontario can produce. final report has been extended to October 10, 2019. Unfortu-
nately, we are unable to accept any late reports. Thank you
∗ Thank you to the Wines of Slovenia for for understanding.

sponsoring the amazing meal wines on Tasting Details
Saturday and for making the trip from
Slovenia to come and personally repre- Early in 2019, we will send an email that includes everything
sent your wines to all of us. you’ll need to conduct the tasting: Ordering Information,
PowerPoint, Score Sheets, Reporting Form and Survey. The
∗ Thank you to Lugana wines for once PowerPoint will be designed to sample the wines as you go
through the slides and conduct this blind tasting as an addi-
again sponsoring our Showcase of tional learning opportunity for our members. Please maintain
Wines and sharing your amazing wines the integrity of this aspect of the tasting. We will also be
with us. We were glad to have you back sending out a retail order guide for the states where Mar-
again! ketview and Wineworks don’t ship so those chapters can ob-
tain the wines. We send this email only to the chapter chairs,
∗ Thank you to Balzac Communications to forward to the individual in their chapter conducting the
tasting (to respect the ‘blind’ aspect of this tasting).
and Marketing for your continued
support of our Conference. There are so How great would it be to have ALL of our
many of the sponsors, sessions and chapters participate in the National Tasting
wines that were only there because of Project! Please spread the word to support
you. these efforts, our goal is 100% participation!

∗ Thank you to Cayuga Wine Trail for THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

sponsoring our lanyards and to Bremn- Sharyn Kervyn
er Wafers for donating the crack-
ers. [email protected]

∗ Thanks also to Grand Crus de Bordeaux, Leonard Oakes

Estate Winery, Wine & Spirit Education Trust and
Wines ’Til Sold Out for sponsoring our conference.

∗ Thank you to all the wineries, importers and presenters AWS in Social Media

who supported our Welcome Reception on Thursday night Like us on Facebook americanwinesociety
and the Showcase of Wine on Friday night. You gave us Join us on LinkedIn American Wine Society
your time, your knowledge and your wines to enjoy and Follow us on Twitter @AmericanWineSoc
we appreciate it so much. Follow us on Instagram americanwinesociety

Cont. on Page 11 Page 4

AWS News December 2018

2018 Amateur Winemaking Competition

This year, 455 wines were entered in the Amateur Winemak-
ing Competition. A dedicated team of judges tasted and evalu-
ated the wines and awarded medals to 335 of the wines:

• 24 Double Gold Medals

• 8 Gold Medals

• 131 Silver Medals

• 172 Bronze Medals

Below is a list of the Best-in-Category wines. The complete list
of winemakers who won medals (96 people) is on page 10. To
see the full list of the award winning wines, please go to the
AWS Competitions website (www.awscompetitions.com).

Thanks to Larry Jackson, Melissa Bartlett, the judges and the
dedicated volunteers who organized, opened, poured and de-
livered the wines to the judges. Thanks to all the winemakers
who entered wines!

Category Wine Winemaker Best Label

Best in Show 2016 Semi-Dry Riesling Stephen R. Kampers
Best Red Vinifera 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Louis & Madeline Piancone
Best White Vinifera 2017 Semi-Dry Columbard John Koempl
Best Native Wine 2017 Semi-Dry Catawba Lamont Beers
Best Mixed Types Grape Wine 2017 Semi-Dry Aromella & Riesling Lamont Beers
Best Fruit Wine Luke Capostoste
Best Mead 2017 Strawberry Jeff Ferris
Best Kit Wine 2017 Blueberry, Rhubarb & Honey Tim C. Traxler
Best Dessert Wine 2016 Cabernet Franc Ice Wine William F. Stefan
Best Estate Grown Wine 2017 Mango, Pinapple, Passion Fruit Joseph A. Fiola
Best Label 2016 Late Harvest Chambourcin Denise Griner
2017 A Splash of Red

New Wine Judges Pierre, Bob Madill, Lorraine Hems, Dave Barber, Walt Rachele

and Nancy Slick—who really make the pro-

gram run. Their hard work in setting up the

The American Wine Society conference in Buffalo was a great classes, writing the curriculum and their

time with wonderful sessions. The Wine Judge Certification dedication to helping the students cannot

Program (WJCP) had another successful year, with a large be overstated. It takes a tremendous effort

graduating class and several past graduates re-certifying. to make the program a success and they

We also had a full class for our Super Tasting Series Level One deserve greater recognition. With their con-
wine education class. Thank you to Annemarie Morse, Leanne tinued efforts, I am certain the program will
Wheeler and Brandon Seager for doing such a great job teach- be a great success for years to come.

Aaron Mandeling that class.
We graduated ten people from the Wine Judge Certification [email protected]
Program and twelve (yes, twelve) graduate wine judges suc-
cessfully re-certified. We have already started preparations for
the next year of the program, which will likely include an April
session in Washington, D.C. If you want to participate in the
WJCP, please do not delay. The class sells out fast.

We congratulate the hard-working students who successfully
completed the judging class this year: Catherine Baltar, Donna
Fisher, Jeff Fisher, Robert Garay, Tara Hardiman, Kevin Norris,
Don Reed, Leann Stacy, Dawne Swanson and Amy Toedt. We
trust they found the educational experience they received in
the program valuable, that they will enjoy their judging oppor-
tunities, and will remain active in the AWS for years to come.

The twelve re-certs were: Mike Blake, Jane Duralia, Charles
Franklin, Rick Jelovsek Sandy Jelovsek, Richard Kaish, Charles
Landino, Rachel Peake, Ivan Riggle, Gordon Rouse, Mike Was-
senberg and Paul Zanella. Recertification is required every five
years and is completed by taking the same exam as those
completing the training program.

Of course, we could not have accomplished anything without
the instructors—Pat Valas, Betty Nettles, Kathy Webb, Barry St

AWS News December 2018 Page 5

Government Affairs Wine Tasting Venue Idea

Michigan: N early 150,000 bottles of w ine w ere illegally As the new calendar year is upon us, many chapters are ask-
shipped into Michigan between April and ing, “What events can I offer my members that are new, edu-
June, resulting in a loss of $25,000 in cational, exciting and require little planning?” Well, I have a
unpaid taxes to the state. The Michigan suggestion—check out Total Wine!
Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association
says that most of the shipments of wine Total Wine & More is a retail store with over 190 locations in
into Michigan are legal. Unfortunately, 23 states, and is self-proclaimed as America’s largest inde-
many shipments are still being made by pendent retailer of fine wine. Total Wine offers a large selec-
tion of beer, spirits and especially WINE. Yes – they offer
out-of-state retailers who aren’t licensed by the state of Michi- about 8,000 different types of wine!
gan. The MBWWA’s findings showed out-of-state retailers still
are ignoring a state law and illegally shipping wine to Michigan Many of the Total Wine locations have an educational center
residents. located within the store, and offer these well-equipped rooms
to non-profit groups like AWS, for FREE. That’s right, a FREE
The U.S. Supreme Court is currently reviewing the legality of facility where you can host chapter events. The educational
this, and other license requirements. At issue is whether or centers are equipped with tables and chairs, an LED projector
not state legislatures can create different rules for out-of-state and screen, microphone and speakers. These rooms can ac-
liquor retailers and their own local stores. A vote in the affirm- commodate group presentations in a clean, professional, pri-
ative could mean that most people in the U.S. will soon be vate environment. You can even bring our own snacks or
able to order wine from stores anywhere in the country. This other food items.
privilege is currently possible in just 14 states.
Want to make things even easier for your chapter chair or
Victoria, B.C.: The new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement program coordinator? Let Total Wine put on the presentation
(USMCA), which replaces NAFTA, will now and select the wines for your event. That’s right, it could be
allow grocery stores in British Columbia to as easy as sending an invite to your members and just show-
sell wines from California and around the ing up for an educational tasting event put on by Total Wine’s
world. These stores were previously limited team of trained professionals.
to selling only B.C. wines. Canada has fi-
nally started to abide by the World Trade Total Wine offers a variety of pre-arranged beer (AWS mem-
Organization rulings that prohibit discrimi- bers love beer too) and wine-themed educational experiences
nation in wine sales policies. The USMCA from which to select. Their educational group tastings make it
easy to just show up and satiate your thirst for knowledge as
failed to address other discriminatory wine marketing practic- their staff handles all the setup, handouts, presentation and
es in Quebec and Ontario. wine selections. Standard tastings are offered for $20 per
person, while a premium wine tasting is $30 per person. All
Tennessee: The new law , w hich allow s grocery stores to courses are 2 hours in duration. Even better, Total Wine han-
sell wine on Sunday, takes effect on Janu- dles all the money, which takes the administrative burden off
ary 6th. The law allowed liquor stores to the AWS chapter.
start Sunday wine sales back in May.
Many of the liquor stores are bracing for While it’s great to know your local Total Wine store manager,
reduced wine sales on Sunday, once the all private room bookings are done online
grocery stores start Sunday sales. I sup- through the national Total Wine website
pose that customers will go wherever the www.totalwine.eventready.com and re-
quire 4 weeks advance notice.
prices and selection are the best. Of course, a knowledgeable
wine sales person could also tip the scales. If you have a Total Wine in your communi-
ty, why not give them a try, and allow
Washington, DC: The U. S. Supreme Court case, Tennes- them to help with your next chapter event!
see Wine & Spirits vs. Byrd Clayton, will
review residency requirements for wine Leanne Wheeler
retailers and could bring about game-
changing implications for retail-to- [email protected]
consumer wine shipping. This case could be
viewed as a states’ rights issue or as a
commerce clause issue. This is going to be

a huge showdown between federal law and state law. Ulti-
mately, the states have the right to establish laws to prohibit
the importation of alcohol. The case will likely be heard in
January and SCOTUS will issue their ruling in the Spring.

Pay close attention to the SCOTUS ruling. This is likely Election Results
to be a preview of the inevitable Supreme Court case that will
determine the legality of marijuana sales and use laws in the Congratulations to our newly elected officers:
individual states.
• Vice President JoAnn DeGaglia (NY)
Illinois: The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the
Northern Illinois District court erred • Secretary Leanne Wheeler (CT)
when it dismissed a case involving the
ability of retailers to ship wine to Illinois • Director-Education Aaron Mandel (MO)
residents. The court said that not only
was the lawsuit im-
properly dismissed,
but that there is no

good reason to conclude that the U.S. Su-
preme Court’s 2005 Granholm decision ap-
plies only to wineries—not retailers.

Tom Cobett

[email protected]

AWS News December 2018 Page 6

National Tasting Project 2018  Based on overall averages, the wines scored 1 Gold, 9

Silver and 2 Bronze medals. Every wine earned a med-
al. The NTP committee likewise awarded medals to all
the wines we selected for this project.

 This effectively concludes a successful calibration

among our members, having a less than 1 point spread
in the group averages for the top 2 wines. Overall the
gap was 1.2 between the chapters judges and non-
judges scores.

There were only two reports of faulty wines. During the pre-

evaluation of the wines by the NTP team, all the wines select-

ed had no faults and all were bronze or higher ranked. Coinci-

The National Tasting Project (NTP) gives AWS chapters across dently, the top three wines in the committee tasting matched
the U.S. the opportunity to sample the same group of wines in the top three final scores! Dona Maria 20 yr. Port 17.12,
a blind tasting in an effort to calibrate our palates. This year Amantis Reserva 16.47 and the White Port 16.38.

66 chapters, representing 1465 tasters across the country The following table shows the average scores for the partici-
participated in the NTP. This year, our participation increased pants and the graduate wine judges. The last 2 columns show
by 18 chapters and 240 tasters. The wines were very well re- the percentage of the chapters that tasted a particular wine
ceived and the chapters that held tastings had larger turnouts and rated them as the favorite and the wines in the top 3.
than the previous year.
First, Second, and Third place winners are highlighted.

Each participating chapter selected from 12 wines, tasting as All wines scored a bronze or higher. Also of
many as they wished. The wines were tasted blind and scored note is all of the twelve wines had rankings
on the AWS 20-point scale. The results show that:
in the top three wines (on average) among

 The top 3 favorite wines were: #1 Porto Quinta Vale the participating chapters. Overall, the wines
Dona Maria 20 year Tawny, #2 Dona Maria Amantis were very well received and the calibration
Reserva Red and #3 Porto Quinta Vale Dona Maria was a success. Thank you to all the groups
who participated and submitted results.
White.

Sharyn Kervyn The difference between the judges and non-judges
scores for both the top 2 wines was 0.5. [email protected]

No. Wine Tasters Average Average Wine Favorite In Top 3
Cost Score Judge Wine Wines
1 Castello D’Alba Reserva White 2015
2 Beyra Reserva Vinho Blanco 2015/16 Average (percent of (percent of
chapters)
943 $17 14.3 15.0 0%
1324 $14 13.6 14.8 10%
0%
2%

3 Dona Maria Amantis Reserva Viognier 2014 1164 $22 14.3 15.2 0% 10%

4 Beyra Tinto Reserva Red 2013 1062 $14 15.0 15.7 0% 25%

5 Quinta do Gradil Red 2015 1153 $10 15.1 15.9 8% 26%

6 Dona Maria Amantis Reserva Red 2013 935 $24 16.0 16.5 31% 71%
7 Castello D’Alba ‘Vinhas Velhas’ G.R. 2014 1072 $24 15.5 16.2 4% 35%

8 Dona Maria Grande Reserva Red 2012 475 $35 16.1 16.7 14% 64%

9 Quinta Vale D. Maria Red 2013 786 $61 16.1 16.7 11% 51%

10 Porto Quinta Vale D. Maria White Port NV 903 $14 16.1 15.9 24% 73%

11 Porto Quinta Vale D. Maria Ruby Port NV 790 $14 16.2 16.2 23% 69%

12 Porto Quinta Vale D. Maria 20yr Tawny Port NV 570 $59 17.1 17.6 76% 100%

AWS News December 2018 Page 7

12 3 4 56 7 8 9 10 11 12
Beyra
Castello Beyra Dona Tinto Quinta Dona Maria Cast. D'Al- Dona Quinta Vale D. Vale D. Vale D.
D'Alba Vinho Maria Red Do Gradil Amatis Red ba Vinhas Maria
White Branco Viognier 16.2 Gr. Res. Vale D. Maria Maria Maria 20
14.2 Red Velhas Red
Chapter 14.2 Maria Red White Port Ruby Port Yr Tawny
Alle-Kiske PA 14.4
AOC East Bay CA 14.8 14.1 17.3 15.8 15.6
Beaver County PA 14.0 11.9 14.8
Bill Tuller SC 14.4 11.6 13.4 14.5 15.1 15.4 14.8 16.5 14.0 17.7
Bucks County/Philly PA 13.5 12.9 13.9 13.9
Carroll County MD 12.1 12.9 15.9 15.7 15.5
Catalina Foothills AZ 13.9 13.3 15.6 15.9
Catawba NC 13.5 13.8 13.5 15.1 14.3 14.9
Cleveland OH 13.9 12.2 12.5 14.3
Columbus OH 14.2 11.0 14.2 14.4 16.8 15.7 16.0
Dayton OH 13.2 12.1 15.2
Electric City PA 14.7 12.4 14.6 15.5 16.5
Emerald Coast FL 14.6 12.7 17.5
First State Wine Guild DE 14.8 15.6 14.5 14.6 15.9 18.1
Fleetwood Farm VA 12.7
Glacier Ridge NY 14.2 15.8 13.8 15.3 15.1 15.6 15.3 16.0
Glimmerglass NY 12.1 13.1
Greater Atlanta GA 15.0 15.4 16.8 16.8
Hammonton NJ 15.2
Hartford CT 13.0 12.8 13.6 13.5 14.9
Heritage Hunt VA 15.5
Houston TX 14.9 15.2 14.4 13.9 16.4 16.1
Indian Valley PA
John Marshall VA 16.2 15.1 16.4 15.5 16.3 16.0
Keuka NY 13.3
King George VA 17.1 16.4 16.2 15.5 17.0 18.6
Lake Hickory NC 16.7
Laurel Highlands PA 16.0 15.9 16.3 14.3 17.9 17.3
Lone Star TX 16.0
Meadowlands NJ 15.7 14.3 15.5 14.8 16.1 15.3
Meadow Run Mtn Lake PA 15.7
Mount Nittany PA 12.6 14.3 15.2 14.6 17.6 18.3
North Alabama AL 14.3
Northampton PA 16.5 15.4 16.7 16.6 17.7 17.1
N. Louden County VA 14.6 14.9
Northeast TN Wine Lovers 14.7 16.1 17.7 15.6 15.6 14.8 15.1 16.0 15.2 15.2 16.2 15.6
Northern Virginia VA 15.3 13.2 15.0
Northern Neck Uncorked VA 14.0 13.4 14.7 14.1 16.7 18.1 17.5 17.2 17.3 18.2
Ocean Isle Beach NC 14.6 15.3
Perkiomen Valley PA 11.2 15.5 14.7 16.0 15.3 16.0 15.3 15.2 16.5
Phoenix AZ 14.7 13.2 15.9 14.7
Piedmont Wine and Vine SC 12.7 12.2 15.0 15.1 16.8 16.3 16.7 17.2 17.6 17.6
Pioneer Vly Wmakers MA 13.1 13.9 13.5 17.2
Pittsburgh PA 14.5 13.8 13.1 11.4 12.6 16.0
Pittsburgh East PA 15.3 16.6 14.1
Princeton NJ 15.7 12.7 16.2 15.0 15.8 15.6 16.3
Puget Sound WA 13.4 14.1 12.6 16.3
Raritan Valley NJ 13.3 14.7 17.2 14.9 15.3 17.5 15.7 16.8 17.2
Rehobeth Beach DE 14.7 14.5
Rochester NY 14.6 13.4 15.9 13.7 14.7 16.1 13.1 14.1
San Diego CA 14.5 13.7 16.7 15.3
SE Huntsville AL 14.5 13.5 15.6 15.0 15.1 15.4 15.8
Silicon Valley CA 12.3 14.1 15.5
Smoky Mountain TN 13.0 11.9 12.7 13.8 16.6 15.8 18.1
Sonoita AZ 14.9 13.4 14.4
Space Coast FL 15.6 15.5 16.5 17.0 17.1 16.6 16.6
Springfield OH 15.1 13.1 14.2 13.3
St. Louis/Gateway MO/IL 14.0 14.7 16.5 18.3 17.5 17.6
Suffolk NY 15.3 13.6 15.7
Tippie Tasters IN 15.3 14.4 14.9 14.8 15.3
Triangle NC 13.2 14.3 15.5 15.3
Tucson AZ 13.2 14.5 15.0 16.4 17.6 18.0 15.8
Tupelo Blue Hawaii MS 13.8 14.3 14.5
Walt Whitman NJ 15.7 16.7 16.7 17.5 16.5 18.3
West Michigan MI 16.5 14.9 12.9
Worchester MA 14.1 13.0 13.1 16.6 16.4 17.3
13.3
15.3 16.1 15.8 17.5 16.9 15.5 16.4
16.0 14.0 13.8
13.9 11.6 15.0 16.9 16.1
14.3 14.5
14.0 14.2 15.5 14.0 15.0 15.7 16.3 16.4 15.6 16.9
15.8 14.5
11.5 13.9 14.2 13.0 14.1 14.4 16.1 14.9
15.3 13.1 13.8
13.6 15.6 14.6 14.7 14.7 13.6 15.9
15.9 14.6
15.0 12.2 12.0 15.8 16.8
10.9 15.3
13.7 13.8 16.3 16.3 15.5 16.2 17.3
14.5 15.9
14.3 13.3 15.6 15.6 17.3

17.0 17.0

14.7 13.5 16.0 16.8

16.6 16.4 16.2

15.2 16.6 16.2 16.2 17.0 16.2

15.5 15.2 16.1 14.7

14.4 14.0 15.7 16.4 16.6 15.3 16.5

14.9 17.1 17.9 17.5

15.2 15.9 16.6 14.7 16.8 16.9

14.6 15.4 15.4 17.6

14.5 15.2 15.0 15.8 17.1 16.7 18.7

16.3 17.9 18.0 18.1 18.2 19.0 18.4 19.1

13.8 15.8 14.2 15.1 14.7 13.5 13.3

13.4 16.0 14.7 17.9

14.8 13.8 18.5

16.5 16.6 15.8 17.3 17.3 16.7

15.6 14.6 16.1 16.9 18.5

13.7 15.1 17.2 16.0 15.4 16.4 16.3

14.7 13.8 15.3 14.6 16.3

15.9

16.2 16.6 17.5 18.0

14.6 15.8

17.3 15.1 14.2 16.4 17.2

15.6 16.3 16.5 14.6 15.2 17.4

16.6 17.4 17.7 17.3 17.5

15.0 15.9 15.8 15.8 16.2 17.1

The Truth about False Wine remember that citric acid with malolactic bacteria can produce
off odors.

Tannin

In vino veritas: In wine lies truth. Since these “used” grape skins have given up much of their
tannin to the first run wine, additional oenological tannin may

But, what if your wine is false? And be added and is recommended. Be careful if you are using a
how can you tell? The secret to a good tannic varietal or if you added tannin to the original must.
false wine is that you shouldn’t be able Tasting is important, and remember that it is harder to take
to. out than put in. An eighth (1/8) tsp. per gallon is usually add-
ed.

What Is It? Yeast Nutrient

“False wine” is also called vino d’aqua, or second run wine. It’s You must make a nutrient addition to the second must from
a water-added ripasso method, refreshing the grape pomace the very beginning. In the first run, you may have held off

with water, acid, sugar and tannin. It is an old country prac- adding nutrient until 1/3 of the Brix were depleted. If you
tice, where nothing goes to waste. It also makes a lighter wine were careful with your original nutrient additions to the first

with the same characteristics and can increase your yield as run must, your second run grape skins may not have any nu-
much as 50%. One acquaintance told me that her mother trients that the yeast will need.

would use her father’s pomace to create a gentler wine that

“didn’t make her head spin.” The Midas Touch

I first heard of this practice from Joe Diponzio, a Rochester- Joe’s secret to making a good false wine was to always re-
area award-winning amateur winemaker, whose family made serve some original juice from the first run. Alternatively, add
wine. He learned of this technique elsewhere, but set himself some grape concentrate at 1 liter/gallon to the second must.
to the task of mastering the process to fool his family by pro- You can freeze unfermented grapes or must to hold back for
ducing a vino d’aqua wine that was as good, or better than, the second wine. Also, remember to punch down the cap to
keep those skins in contact with the juice to obtain as much
the family wine.
color as possible.

My parents were beer drinkers, as you might expect from my
Polish last name. But they were of the depression/WWII gen- Kevin’s False Malbec

eration. I must have inherited some of their frugality, as I was I had 108 lbs. of Malbec as grapes. I chose to accent the fla-

intrigued when I learned of this method. When I decided to vors by only making 3 gallons of second wine. I thought that

obtain 108 lbs. of Malbec grapes, I knew this would be my this wine would need food as it’s a lighter style of wine, so I

chance to experiment with this ancient tradition. Why waste chose to make a more acidic, food-friendly wine. I also light-

those beautiful and expensive skins? It was also an opportuni- ened the alcohol at 12%. The wine came out quite well, with

ty to reconnect with Joe and get some tips from him on how to beautiful color and even more cherry aromas and flavors than

make this strange process work. its parent. As of this writing it may be one of my favorite

First, this is really a red wine method. If you wines of 2018. Thank you, Joe!

ferment white wine on the skins, you get Please join our winemakers forum on the AWS
“orange wine.” Although this might be an inex- website, built for you to ask questions and
pensive way to try your hand at that new, share. It’s for all levels of expertise.
trendy style of wine, it works best with red
skins. Kevin Kourofsky
What You Need
Kevin is a Rochester area amateur winemaker
What you need for this, besides the skins, is probably already and grape grower. He is a Certified Specialist
in your home. You’ll need lots of sugar, water, tartaric acid in Wine from the Society of Wine Educators.
and tannin. And, if you want to fancy this up a bit, add some He also holds the Advanced Certification, with
extra grape juice or concentrate. The yeast is already on the distinction, from the Wine and Spirits Educa-
skins, so even that is free! tion Trust. He can be reached through his

Color blog at Kourofskywine.com.

It’s important to limit your water addition to, at most, 50% of The Last Word
the original run. If you made 6 gallons, limit the water addi-
tion to 3 gallons. The color in the skins will color the second Cont. from Page 1
run, but only so far. Consider also using a thick-skinned grape
such as Cabernet or Malbec. Light-skinned grapes find it hard to our wine education mission that includes enhanced edu-
enough to properly color the wine on the first run so Pinot cational opportunities for all members. We have an amaz-
Noir, for instance, might not work as well without limiting the ingly cohesive Board of Directors and a dynamic National
water ratio even further. A tip from Joe—heat the water to 75o Office, along with hundreds of volunteers at the national,
to better dissolve the sugar and remove as much of the chlo- regional and chapter level who are dedicated to the future
rination as possible. The warmer water will also extract a bit of the Society. I urge all of you to support incoming Presi-
more color. dent Joe Broski and the entire leadership team with your
ideas and energy.
Sugar
I’ve met so many wonderful people from
The skins no longer contain much, if any, sugar. You’ll need to across the country and shared the common
create “Brix water,” or sugared water, to a certain desired bond of wine. Thank you all for your en-
Brix. A rule of thumb is that .125 lbs. of household sugar per couragement and support. I look forward
gallon will create 1 Brix. So, for 3 gallons, the calculation is 3 to your ongoing collaboration and wonder-
gallons x 24 Brix x .125 lbs. sugar = 9 lbs. A pound is about ful friendship.
2.25 cups of sucrose.

Acid/PH

Tartaric acid is needed to imitate the grape’s natural acidity. Cheers!
Joe says to shoot for a TA of 6.5%. 3.8 grams of tartaric acid
per gallon should raise TA 1 gram per gallon or 1%. Be careful Kristin Kraft
using acid blend as the above calculation may not work and
[email protected]

AWS News December 2018 Page 9

2018 Amateur Wine Competition—Medal Winners

Name Double Gold Silver Bronze Name Double Gold Silver Bronze
Gold Gold
George Agnew Angel Martinez
Greg Ambrose 1 Myles McMahon 11
Joe Asturi Stephen Merowsky
Gary Atchison 1 Scott Montgomery 1
Lamont Beers Timothy Morse
Stephen Brunkhorst 2 Michael E. Nall 11
Larry E. Buell Donnie & Betty Nettles
Adam C. Burns 11 Rett Oren 13
John Caiola Mark Orthner
Luke Capostoste 1 17 4 Stephen Pendrak 3
Frank Carson Richard Phillips
Dale Clemence 11 Louis & Madeline Piancone 12
Chris Creasey Mark Prell
Rick Cusker 2 Larry Prendergast 11
Greg P Cutt Phillip Rahn
Deborah L. Danielson 12 Jason Razzo 5
Kevin M. Danna Barry W. Remington
Ron J. Dershem 1 Ivan Riggle 1
Edward M. Diponzio Bob Riggs
Kevin Donahue 2 13 2 Frank Roccograndi 1
Frank J. Dutko Michael L. Ronca
Roberto F. Erb 13 James Russo 1
Jeff Ferris Thomas J. Saam
Joseph A. Fiola 1 Mel H. Schlachter 1 22
Jeffrey j. Fisher Alan J. Schnarr
Tom Fitzgerald 1 Jason E. Schultz 1
Jesse Fresch Jon Schwartz
Michael Fritze 1 Dean S. Scott 1
John Gizzi Mark & Jenny Siegle
Thomas J. Gormley 2 Dave Sienknecht 12
Charles J. Gower Gene Spaziani
Gordon W. Gribble 1 Jim Sperk 1
Denise Griner Sissy & Barry St. Pierre
Al Guber 2 William F. Stefan 1
Deanna Haberer Edward M. Stopper
James S. Harding 11 Greg Stricker 41
Judith L. Hindom Robert P. Szaro
Samantha Hunter 1 Tim C. Traxler 1
Stephen R. Kampers Peter R. Truelson
Joseph Knizeski 1 Vincent E. Turula 1 24 3
John Koempel James P. Vakos
Marion L. Krauss 1 Timothy M. Valdez 3
Christopher Lake Edward J. Walkowski
Rick LaNoue 2 Michael B. Westman 2
Tom & Kim LeRoux Harold E. Whitworth
Andrew Lewis 23 Richard R. Wowk 11
Frank Lorello Charles F. Zander
Ted C. Mack 1 34 Alison Ziegler 21

55 21

11 11

2 57

11 15

1 1

1 23

28 4

1 13 8 11

11 41

32 1 33

1 2 15

1 14

1 2

1 21 49

2 22 1

4 1

13 21

1 16 3 11

1 11

12 23

2 1

1 11 14

22 1

14 1

AWS News December 2018 Page 10

Conference Wrap Up

Cont. from Page 4

∗ Thank you to all of the wineries that donated wines for 2018 National Conference Committee

our Sparkling Breakfast and Grand Banquet meals. Your Top Row: Marj Wallman, Diane Meyer, Tina Tusa, Beth Camann, Paul
generosity was enjoyed by all. VanHorn, Tony Lawrence; Bottom Row: Nancy Stabins, Jeff Stabins,
Denise Gibson, Katie Kearney, Tom Wallman, John Hames
∗ Thank you to all the AWS members who volunteered their

time before and during conference to make this confer-
ence run so smoothly. We would not be able to run our
conference without you.

Lastly, thank you to all the AWS members for coming to this
event year after year, having so much support for each other,
saying such wonderful things, pitching in and
having each other’s back so we can pull this
crazy event off, smiling and enjoying your-
selves so much. You make me feel proud to
be a part of this organization. I am already
looking forward to next year at the
Tradewinds Resort in St. Pete Beach, FL on
Oct. 31-Nov. 2, 2019.

Diane Meyer

[email protected]

Is your chapter
planning a sparkling

wine tasting?

Check out Aaron Mandel’s new
youtube video:

https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=hQWcZApB28Y

To advertise in the
AWS News, please contact

Katie Kearney

[email protected]

AWS News December 2018 Page 11

Chapter Events petroleum quality. The Emilio Moro had richness, body and
well-integrated aromas and flavors. The final wine was Viña
 The Beaver County (PA) Chapter’s November event was Heminia, a 50/50 blend of Garnacha and Tempranillo. It was
held on a wintry night, but the meet- well balanced and the ripe red fruits had hints of spice and
ing was warm and inviting with good earthiness giving an interesting complexity. Afterward, the
friends. We enjoyed an Italian Wine group savored a 40+ year old Harvey’s Bristol Cream Sherry
Tasting with Rachael Neish of Right- paired appropriately with dried fruit and ice cream, along with
eous Imports, who shared several other special wines from Spain the group brought to share.
delicious Italian wines. Also a big
thank you to Trish and Marcos for 2016 Nisia ‘Las Suertes’ Old Vines Verdejo, Rueda
sharing their Paramount with us! 2006 Viña Ravonia, White Rioja
Salud! Cin Cin! 2014 Viña Real, Crianza Rioja
2012 Convento de ‘Las Claras’ Tinto Fino,Ribera del Duero
2011 Emilio Moro Tempranillo, Ribera del Duero
2009 Viña Herminia Excelsus, Rioja

 The Bristow (VA) Chapter met on October 21 for North vs.  On Sept. 9. the Hammonton (NJ) Chapter gathered at the

South: The Battle of the Americas tasting. The event was con- home of our secretary Jen

ducted by Al Guber. Sixteen members were in attendance. Merkel for a South African

There were five flights of wine: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, tasting. Jen prepared tradi-

Malbec, Carmenere and Cabernet Sauvignon. Attendees were tional South Africa foods for

asked to match the wine to its descriptors and identify wheth- us to enjoy with the wines

er the wine was from North (California) or South America from the same area and all

(Chile or Argentina). the foods were vegetarian! It

2015 Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc, Napa $15 (1) was so eye opening to taste

2014 Lapostolle Grande Select Sauv Blanc, Chile 11 rich red wines from South

2016 Kendall Jackson Vintner Reserve Chard, CA 10 (2) Africa with diverse dishes that

2016 VistaMar Corte de Campo, Chile 16 included curry, turmeric, fresh

2014 Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Chardonnay 14 herbs and eggplant. The Chenin Blanc Dessert Wine, “Straw

2015 Quimay Malbec, Argentina 17 Wine,” is made using grapes that are dried in the shade on

NV Barefoot Malbec, CA 5 (2) mats after being harvested at peak ripeness, but not a late

2016 Waterbrook Malbec, Columbia Valley, WA 14 harvest level. The overall age-ability of the reds was surpris-

2014 Carmen Grand Reserve Carmenere, Chile 14 ing—we tasted a 2002 red blend that still had many years of

2017 Chateau Los Boldos, Carmenere, Chile 11 (3) developing to go before hitting its peak. We even sampled a

grape no one had heard of, Bukettruabe, which scored very

2016 Mascota, La Mascota Cabernet, Argentina 16 highly overall.
2015 VistaMar Grand Reserve, Chile 20
2014 Louis Martini Napa Valley Cabernet 30 (1) 2016 Mullineux Chenin Blanc “Straw Wine” $45 (1)
2016 Pampas del Sur Reserve Tenacious, Arg. 13
2002 Rust En Vrede Red Blend 30 (2)

2016 Cederberg Bukettraube (off dry white) 15

 Greg Polyak designed an Opera and Italian Piedmont Wine 2011 Warwick Estate Cape Red Blend 15

tasting for the Cleveland (OH) 2017 Raats Chenin Blanc 12

Chapter. Giuliana Bozza and 2016 Fairview’s “Goats Do Roam” Red Blend 10

Ethan Edmund Burck sang Ital- 2015 Indaba Chenin Blanc 12

ian Opera songs during the 2015 Fairview Pinotage 15

tasting, Marcia Snavely, a pro- 2016 Kloof Chenin Blanc 19

fessional pianist, accompanied  The Heritage Hunt (VA) Chapter and 86 members attended

and Greg emceed the event. A the September meeting with Chris Pearmund, of Pearmund

big thank you to co-hosts Den- Cellars, presenting a uniquely formatted program entitled

nis Rosa, Dennis Beckman, “Virginia vs The Old World”. Chris selected two white and two

MaryAnn Tower, and Natalie red wines from his winery. For each of these, he paired com-

and Norman Brobst. The parably priced wines of the same basic grape either from Eu-

Brobsts provided handmade gnocchi with beef sauce as the rope and/or California. Members had an opportunity to taste

main dish and the Beckman’s bought true Italian cheeses. and compare to get a true feel for how Virginia wines were in

2016 Cameron Hughes Lot 590 Gavi DOCG $15 similar and different from their European and/or Californian

2017 Malvira Roero Arneis DOGC 17 counterparts. A selection of foods hand-selected by Chris ac-

2016 Punset Barbera D’Alba DOC 17 companied the wines so members could experience the wines

2012 Sordo Barolo Gabutti DOCG 47 with various cheese, meat and fruit. All in attendance totally

2017 Ascheri Axienda Agricola Dolcetto D’Alba 15 (1) enjoyed the evening!

2015 Vietti Lange Nebbiola Perbacco DOC 26 (3) 2017 Pearmund Petit Manseng $29

2014 Riva Leone Barbaresco DOCG 26 (2) 2017 Domaine Rossignole Sancerre 29

 The Eastern (CT) Chapter held a 2017 Pearmund Viognier 29
reception on October 22 at the 2017 Cline Viognier 25
Saltwater Farm Vineyard in Ston-
ington, Connecticut. Some 25 2016 Domaine Raffault Chinon 27
members and guests enjoyed a 2016 Pearmund Cab Franc 29
variety of premium wines and tasty 2013 Lang and Reed Cab Franc 39
foods. Each attendee also received
a souvenir glass. 2016 Pearmund Petit Verdot 29
2016 Jeff Runquist Petit Verdot 39

 The Fifty Shades of Grapes (NJ) Chapter held a Spanish  The October 21 meeting of the Lehigh Valley (PA) Chapter
Food and Wine Pairing on was hosted by Joe Pugliese at the Vivo
September 30, hosted by Italian Kitchen in suburban Allentown, PA
Linda and Nick Cashan. (South Whitehall). Thirty-eight members
Each wine was perfectly enjoyed an icebreaker of 2016 Masseria
paired with Spanish Tapas, Sirani Athemis Fiano from Puglia, which
and ended with a delightful was Joe's home before he came to the U.S.
Paella to pair with the last at the age of 10. The theme for the tasting
two wines. All the wines was 10 Primitivo wines--a luscious red that
were well received, espe- is genetically identical to Zinfandel. In fact,
cially the White Rioja, which the U.S. TTB permits Italian winemakers to
age had developed a noted sell its Primitivo as Zinfandel. Primitivo
wine has deep, intense red color with an

AWS News December 2018 Page 12

intense fruity aroma of red berries, blueberry, raspberry, field have experienced. Lacrima is a very unusual and obscure vari-

flowers and licorice. The winner was the Varvaglione Papale etal from the Le Marche region. Many thanks to Don and Bar-

Linea Oro, which Luca Maroni called "Wine of the Year for Ita- bara Appleton for organizing and presenting this tasting!

ly!” 1996 Manzoni Barolo 70 $17

2014 Tormaresca Torcicoda Primitivo Salemto $23 2006 Vallana Campi Raudii 22

2015 Masso Antico Appasito Primitivo Salento 11 2017 Brunori Lacrima Alborada 17

2014 Castello Monaci Piluna Primitivo Salento 13 2006 Sesta Brunello di Montalcino 45

2015 Red Fire Old Vine Zinfandel Puglia 12 2007 Calabretta Nerello Mascalese Etna 35

2015 Antico Ceppo Primitivo di Manduria 15 (3) 2013 Valle Dell’Acate Nero d’Avola 24 (3)

2016 Baglio Al Sole Primitivo Salento 12 2010 Galardi Terra di Lavoro 75 (2)

2014 Fuedo di Santa Croce LXXIV Primitivo 18 2013 Buglioni Amarone Riserva 48 (1)

di Manduria  The Shallotte (NC) Chapter met on November 7 at the home

2015 Fuedo di Santa Croce LXXIV Primitivo of Ed and Suzanne Gurski

di Manduria for a tasting of “The Lost

2013 Varvaglione Papale Primitivo di Manduria 23 (2) Wines of Bordeaux.” There

2013 Varvaglione Papale Linea Oro Primitivo 50 (1) were ten members present.

di Manduria We learned that there were

 The Lone Star (TX) Chapter met on September 22 in the originally eight Noble

home of John and Tammy Grapes in Bordeaux, but

Barnes with the theme of three never came back af-

“Bad Boy Wines” from the ter the Phylloxera outbreak

Prisoner Wine Company. in France. They were Car-

Twenty-four members and menere, Saint Macaire and

guests gathered on a Gros Verdot and we tasted

rainy afternoon to taste these three varietals. We

and compare the notable learned that Saint Macaire

wines from this innovative was being resurrected in

wine company created by California (a half acre) and Australia. The Gros Verdot was

Dave Phinney. Though banned in the Bordeaux AOC's in 1946, but it can be found in

many of us were familiar with The Prisoner, the blend that small areas of California (less than 40 acres), Chile and Argen-

started it all and challenged how wine should be made, we tina. Our final grape, Carmenere, can be found in France (<

were mostly unfamiliar with their other blends. These wonder- 500 acres), Italy (2,652 acres), California (56 acres) and Chile

ful wines exist due to a collaboration with over 80 growers (21,802 acres – their 5th largest varietal).

across California where old school sensibilities meet new tech- 2015 Hanna Saint Macaire $68

nologies. Though The Prisoner Wine Company has been pur- 2014 I-Latina Carmenere (investors only) 38

chased by Constellation, these wines remain interesting blends 2015 Yorkville Cellars Carmenere 38

of distinct quality and character, as evidenced by the high 2014 Inama Carmenere 23

scores of the evening. A delicious dinner followed—smoked 2016 Errazuriz Max Carmenere 20

brisket prepared by our resident chef David Szydlik with sides 2012 Kenneth Volk Gros Verdot 28

and desserts prepared by members. Our evening ended after (Cabernet Pfeffer)

catching up with old friends and our newest visitors.  The Southport (NC) Chapter met on Friday, October 12, at
the St. James Community Center in Southport. The tasting
2015 Blindfold White Blend $32 was hosted by Dave and Vicki Caruso (co-chairs). Our meeting
had 75 members and one guest in attendance. Hurricane Flor-
2016 The Snitch Chardonnay 35 ence caused the cancellation of our NTP meeting in Septem-
ber, so we tasted the wines of Portugal with food pairings
2016 Saldo Zinfandel 32 (3) (without scoring). We reviewed AWS national and local chapter
news, local wine festival events, and celebrated new chapter
2012 Thorne Merlot 45 (3) members and member birthdays. We reviewed the history of
wine in Portugal and gave a surprise quiz to the membership
2016 Prisoner Red Blend 47 (2) to see how knowledgeable they were on Portuguese wines.
Our chefs provided roasted vegetables, chicken paté puffs,
2015 Cuttings Cabernet Sauvignon 55 (1) Swiss cheese, chourico (Portuguese spicy sausage), grilled
sausage and lemon sherbet to pair with the wine. The mem-
2015 Derange Red Blend 100 bership had a great time tasting!

 The Omaha (NE) Chapter held a  The St. Louis (MO) Chapter held a "Blends of the Universe"
Spooky Label wine tasting in Octo-
ber. Jeff and Angela Olesen hosted tasting in October. It was a pretty special event. Wines from
the event. We researched to un-
earth high-scoring wines that also Spain, Italy France and California ... but wait, there's more. A
brandish spooky label designs. To
our surprise, we found several special tast-
potentially fun wines with a festive
flare to present to guests. Three ing of Dry
reds, three whites and three arri-
val wines made for an October Creek Vine-
afternoon of engaging delight.
Members has a faBOOlus time.

 On October 14, the Northampton (PA) Chapter held an In- yard Merit-
digenous Italian Wines event at Tre
Scalini Ristorante in Bethlehem, PA. age was pre-
Italian wine lovers certainly would
not want to miss this tasting. Wine ceded by
included Barolo, Brunello, Amarone
and several other Italian reds. All 22 special barrel
attendees thoroughly enjoyed the
wine, educational discussion and tastings of
dinner prepared by Tre Scalini exec-
utive chef Santo. The wines scored the individual
very well, with average scores in
the Excellent category per AWS grape varie-
scoring standards. Of particular
interest was the Brunori Lacrima. tals provided

After a few minutes in the glass, it showed a compelling floral by Dry Creek
and perfume aroma and a flavor unlike any other Italian wine I
Vineyards. Special individual barrel tasting of Cabernet Sauvi-

gnon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot pulled

from the barrels at Dry Creek especially for this tasting. This

was followed by a tasting of the finished product—Meritage.

This was an unheard of tasting. A big thank you to Steve and

Maggie Brunkhorst and Bob and Carol Richardson for all their

work in putting together such a great event.

AWS News December 2018 Page 13

 The Triangle (NC) Chapter met on Sunday, October 21 at Spotlight: Meadowlands, NJ

the home of Mark On November 14th, members of the Meadowlands (NJ) Chap-
ter met for a special tasting of the Atlantic Seaboard
and Helen Spain in Wine Association in Northern NJ. Sommelier for the Hard
Rock Casino Paul Tonacci and AWS RVP Danny Klein conduct-
Raleigh for a spe- ed the tasting.

cial and new oeno- Established in 1973, the Mid-Atlantic-based ASWA promotes
the advancement of the East Coast Wine industry. They rep-
philic experience– resent the 2000 plus wineries from Maine to Florida and help
with the challenges they face from varietals/hybrids, weath-
Sherry. Like Port, er/humidity and disease pressures.

Sherry is a fortified We sampled 26 wines including whites, roses, reds, ciders,
desert and ice wines. Some of the favorites included 868
wine where neutral Virginia Sauvignon Blanc, William Heritage NJ Grenache
Rose, and Lamoreaux Landing Finger Lakes (NY) Merlot. The
spirits are added to Cabernet Franc and red blends also stood out to the mem-
bers proving that red vinifera varietals will grow well on the
raise the alcohol East Coast, if the weather cooperates. Red wines from Stan-
burn, Narmada, Tomasello, Muse and Unionville were tasted.
level. Born in the
The night completed with some Natali Vineyards Aronia fruit,
17th century out of the need to prevent wine on long sea voy- Arbor Hill Traminette desert and Seven Mountains Vidal ice
wine, a double Gold AWS winner and PA Governor’s Cup Best
ages from succumbing to the natural process of acetification– of Show.

conversion of ethanol to acetic acid (vinegar)–when exposed With the help of the ASWA, East Coast wines are garnering
more 90+ scores from national publications and will continue
to oxygen. Sherry has continued to be popular even after the to do so well into the future.

routine use of fortification became unnecessary, but it has Danny Klein, CSW,WSET,CWJ

also fallen to be the most ignored wine in the world. Today it

is making a rebound thanks to sommeliers who sell Sherry

daily and to wine drinkers in their 20s and 30s, who are at-

tracted to something different with food. With a flavor profile

quite different from wine typically served with meals, and

several styles from which to choose, Sherry can be a bit of an

enigma for wine lovers. As our evening progressed, our hosts

provided small tasty bites—cheese, olives, marcona almonds,

hazelnuts, chorizo, smoked salmon, chicken, pulled pork and

chocolate—to bring out the unique flavor of each course of

Sherry. It was an eye-opening experience for the 22 members

present and has certainly changed our way of thinking about

Sherry!

Hijos de Rainera Perez Marin La Guita Manzanilla$16

Lustau Fino Jarana 19

Lustau Amontillado Los Arcos 19 (3)

Hidalgo Oloroso Faraon (500ml bottle) 18 (2)

Osborne Pedro Ximenez 1827 24 (1)

 The Walt Whitman (NJ) Chapter October tasting was hosted

by Rosemary and Michael DiNatale and featured wine from the

Washington State’s Walla Walla Valley. A fabulous dinner

pared perfectly with the wine.

2014 L’Ecole Frenchtown No.41 Meritage $17

2014 Spring Valley Vineyards Frederick 45

2012 Balboa Mith Red 30 (3)

2012 Balboa Eidolon Estate Red 16

2011 Balboa Constrictor 16

2014 Otis Kenyon Cabernet 42 (1)

2011 Balboa Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 20 (2)

 It was a little windy and cooler at the Western Michigan
(MI) Chapter’s Oz Wine Tasting
Party in September. It was held at
LeRoux's Vineyards. We had a
great time tasting a wide variety
of Red Zinfandel wines brought by
each guest. With 6 judging
groups, we managed to narrow 37
bottles down to two winners. This
year first place went to Jaclyn
Hansen, second place went to
Daniel Hansen, third place went

to Roger Schiefler with the Toto Award going to Jo Marshall
Schmidt. Congrats to all the winners! Thank you Kim and Tom
LeRoux for hosting another great event.

To be included in the AWS News, e-mail your tasting results Did you know that AWS can receive a contribution
to [email protected] from Amazon every time you place an order? It
doesn’t cost you a thing … the prices are the same;
Please follow the format specified for Chapter Events. Down- you have the same selection of merchandise; your
load it from the AWS website-Publications-AWS News. account history, shopping cart and wish lists remain
the same. All you have to do is sign up and then go to
Include the cost of the wines you tasted, plus smile.amazon.com when you shop. It’s easy and you
scores or rankings. This information lets oth- can help AWS with every purchase.
er members know what you liked and what
Page 14
wines were good values.

AND … Please send us sharp, interesting
pictures from your event. We would love

to share them.

Renee Jones

[email protected]

AWS News December 2018

AWS Educational Foundation These raffle tickets were a huge success as we were able to
boost our endowment fund with over $2,500 net proceeds.
Thank you to all who participated! We will definitely continue
with this tradition at next year’s conference!

Silent Auction

Thank you very much to all who participated by donating and 2018 Scholarship Recipient Video and PowerPoint

bidding on items at our annual AWSEF silent auction held at Please check out our 2018 scholarship recipient video and

the AWS National Conference. Christine Murphy and our be- PowerPoint presentation outlining the scholarship winners’

hind-the-scenes helpers (who do not want to be named, but graduate research projects on our website, www.awsef.org

you know who you are!) did an incredible job making every- and on our Facebook page. Please share them with your local

thing work; so thank you all! The silent auction raised over chapter members and friends. If you can’t find them, please

$5,000 on 125 items received from loyal AWS members, email Kristen at [email protected] and she will happily

AWSEF supporters, wineries and small businesses. We are send along. If your region or chapter has a 2018 scholarship

incredibly grateful to all those who donated and bid on winner, Kristen will also send the scholarship video of your

items to help us raise money for future scholarships. W e winner to your chapter chair for easy distribution.

look forward to doing to all again next year! Reminder – 25th Anniversary Campaign in Progress

2018 Award of Merit Our 25th Anniversary Endowment Campaign is still un-

The AWSEF proudly presented Ray Hartung with the 2018 derway and will run through December 31, 2018.
Award of Merit at our annual breakfast meeting on Saturday Please continue to help the AWSEF raise $25,000 for
our 25 years. As of November 15, we have $11,235
during the AWS Nation- donated, so we continue to need your help! Our anony-
al Conference. Ray was mous donor is willing to match dollar-for-dollar, up to
one of the founding $25,000, until the end of the year. Please send your
members of the AWSEF, donations before then to support future scholarships for
along with Ken Brewer, enology and viticulture.
Alcide Porell, George

Wilson, Hal Kohn and The AWS currently has 8,000 members. If only half of you
Carol Petusky. Ray is a donate $25, we could far exceed our goal! Please consider
former President of accepting our challenge and donate $25 or more today! Re-
AWS (twice) and former member, your donation is 100% tax-deductible.
Treasurer of AWS

(several years). He is a The 25th Anniversary Campaign form is on our website and
great friend of the was recently sent out in an email to the AWS membership.
AWSEF and founded the But, in case it has gone to your spam or you just want it
Alexis Hartung Special emailed to you to make it easier, please email me at presi-
Scholarship Account [email protected] and I will send it to you. We are able to take

(aka Pittsburgh Region- credit card.
al) in memory of his
late wife. He is recognized and appreciated for his role as a Thank you for your continued support of
founder, trustee, supporter and contributor to the AWSEF, as the AWSEF. May your holidays be happy
and filled with family, friends and great
well as all the contributions of Alexis Descaunets Hartung.
wines!

2018 Fruit Wine Award Bonnie Lance

Congratulations to Luke Capostoste for receiving the 2018 [email protected]
AWSEF Fruit Wine Award for his Strawberry 2017! This fruit

wine award recognizes both Luke as the AWS winner and our

own Les Sperling, who during his distinguished AWS/AWSEF

membership won countless Best of Show Amateur Fruit Wine

awards and was a charter member of the AWSEF. This award

is unique to the AWSEF and is designed to highlight the

AWSEF’s citizenship in the greater AWS community.

Raffle Winners
Congratulations to Jaime Zapata from Madison, AL for having
the winning raffle ticket to claim the Banfi 2012 Brunello di
Montalcino 5L!

Congratulations to Annette Jackson from Champaign, IL for
having the winning raffle ticket to claim the 50/50 prize!

AWS News December 2018 Page 15

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

Address Service Requested

Conference Highlights

Cont. from Page 1

a great opportunity to introduce ourselves to wines made in
Ontario and New York.
Friday started with a Sparkling Wine Breakfast where we ate
breakfast pizza, bacon, pastries, potatoes and baked apples
accompanied by 3 sparklers from France, Canada and Italy.
With full stomachs and very happy, we moved on to our edu-
cational sessions. The range and quality of the classes was
extraordinary. Here are some of the topics you could choose:

∗ Geographic Areas: South Africa, Costa Brava, Hungary,

Ontario, Rioja, Montepulciano, Loire, Vinho Verdi, Israel,
Slovenia, Lodi, NY Finger Lakes, Beaujolais, Lugana, Tus-
cany, Lombardy, Bordeaux, Hudson Valley (NY), Rhone

∗ Varietals: Vermentino, Prosecco, Riesling, Sauvignon

Blanc, Pinot Noir, New grapes, Old Vines, Grenache

∗ Specialties: European Ciders, Sherry, Port, Sake, Calva-

dos, Cognac, Armagnac, Sparkling Wines

∗ Other Fun Topics: Monasteries, Tasting, Judging, Wine

History, Pronunciation, Historic Vineyards, Chicken Wings
The Amateur Wine Experience provides an opportunity for
members to sample amateur competition wines and rate them,
under the tutelage of an AWS Graduate Wine Judge. After-
wards, the medal winners were announced. It’s not just for
winemakers—we can all learn and have fun at this session.
Both the Friday and Saturday lunches included 4 courses and 4
-5 wines that paired well with the food. The only meal we had
that didn’t include wine was the Saturday buffet breakfast!
The Showcase of Wines, another walk-around, included hun-
dreds of wines, chef-carved roast beef, fried
turkey, pasta, stir-fry, cheeses, Caesar salad
and many desserts. The food and wine offerings
were only exceeded by the Saturday evening
Banquet. It was truly a conference to remember!
Hope to see you next year in St. Pete Beach, FL!

Pam Davey

[email protected]