AWS News – August 2025

IN THIS ISSUE

The AWS and AWSEF election deadline is approaching

Be sure to cast your ballot regarding AWS national officers, bylaws changes, and AWSEF trustees.

Registration is still available for the 2025 National Conference

Time is running out, but you can reserve your spot for Chantilly, VA, in November. And, be sure to leave time for pre-conference activities.

Remember Welcome Here on your travels

AWS members can enjoy discounts, a special tasting, or other perks.

CRU 100 works for you. Become part of the effort!

Read how it raises money to support educational products that can be used by AWS chapters.

From the desk of the Executive Director

Natalie Dippenaar details more member benefits now available for education, reading, and travel.

AWSEF announces its scholarship recipients for 2025

After receiving a record number of applications this year, the educational foundation identified eight worthy recipients for this year. Plus, learn about the upcoming raffles and Silent Auction.

Winemaker’s corner: The hidden double life of yeast

In his latest column, Kevin Kourofsky reviews how to accomplish more than basic fermentation with the same yeast.

The winery that started it all for AWS keeps the bar high

For the fourth time, the iconic winery of Dr. Konstantin Frank has been ranked as the Best Winery Tour in America by USA TODAY‘s Readers‘ Choice Awards.

Chapter events

From sabres to boxes and oversized bottles, your fellow AWS members stretched the envelope with their tasting events recently. Read what they’ve been up to.

The AWS and AWSEF election deadline is approaching

Members have only until Friday, August 22, to cast their ballots to help determine the future of the organization.

If you have already voted, thank you! If you haven’t yet voted, please do so. Everyone should have received a link to the ballot via email earlier this month. If you haven’t seen it, check your inbox and spam folder for the subject line: “American Wine Society: Your Ballot Attached.” If you still can’t find it, please contact the National Office as soon as possible.

The ballot is divided into three parts:

• Ballots for the AWS board positions: Director of Education and Director of Competitions.
• A revised set of bylaws for the society.
• Ballots for the AWSEF trustee positions.

Regarding national officers, the Governance Committee received only one nomination for each of these positions, but it is still necessary to have an election to confirm their appointment. The candidates are:

• Kevin Ostrowski for Director of Education (for the remaining 2 years of a 3-year term vacated earlier). He currently holds the Director of Education slot on an interim basis.
• Vince Williams for Director of Competitions (3-year term). He has managed the Amateur Wine Competition for 7 years.

Among the bylaw changes are removal of January 1 as the annual renewal date for memberships, since that is now on a rolling basis; recognition of advances in technology to allow for electronic tabulation of votes and approval of documents; more explicit budgeting guidelines at the national level; greater autonomy for election of chapter officers; and clarification regarding chapter financial qualifications. The electronic ballot contains a detailed summary of all of the changes.

The ballot also seeks members’ approval for trustees of the American Wine Society Educational Foundation (AWSEF). Note that members of AWS are automatically also members of AWSEF.

Should the candidates for AWS officers and AWSEF trustees be approved, they will take office with terms beginning on January 1, 2026.

Registration is still available for the National Conference

Registration has reopened for the National Conference from November 6‒8 in Chantilly, VA (a short trip from Washington, D.C.), so be sure to grab a spot while it’s available.

You will enjoy exclusive experiences, best-in-class certifications, 2 walk-around tasting receptions, 7 meals, and your choice from among 49 sessions. You can get a sense of what’s on tap by reviewing the agenda and various sessions, and then you can register online. The price is $755.

Also, remember to book your hotel to make your trip complete. The room rate is $179 per night, plus taxes and fees. The room block is open for November 6, 7, and 8, and while additional dates are available, they are not guaranteed. (If the group-rate rooms at the Marriott — site of the conference — are sold out, you can book a stay at one of the nearby hotels.)

This is a great opportunity to meet your fellow AWS members and enhance your appreciation of wine!

Consider add-ons to complete your experience

You can extend your enjoyment by taking advantage of the various pre- Conference tours on Wednesday, November 5 and Thursday, November 6, that showcase Virginia wineries. These coach excursions feature stops for local tastings, including lunch, for $165. But space is limited and the deadline to register is October 1, so sign up early.

Another pre-Conference happening on November 6 involves the WineSmarts classes designed to deepen your understanding of the wine-making process. You can pick from WineSmarts I or WineSmarts II, depending on your level of wine awareness. The classes are $225 apiece for AWS members ($250 for non-members) and — in addition to fascinating discussions — feature 18‒20 wines, lunch, and a one-year membership in AWS for non-members. (Important to note is that you do not have to be a member of AWS to enroll in these courses. So, if you have a friend or colleague who might be interested, be sure to tell them about this opportunity.)

CRU 100 works for you. Become part of the effort!

Sometimes we hear committee names or groups within AWS without being sure of  what they are or what they do. If CRU 100 is one of those for you, take heart.

In short, it is a group of people who have donated money to support educational products that can be used by AWS chapters.

To date, we have produced two videos, one featuring wines from the Finger Lakes Region, and another on North Carolina wines.  We are currently working on producing a video about Virginia wines and will have it available before this year’s National Conference so you can learn a bit about Virginia through the eyes of a few wineries. You may even want to plan to visit wineries in Virginia on your way to or from conference.

How you can use the resources

These videos, together with additional educational resources provided by the National Office, provide an excellent educational product for chapter chairs to use with their members. They also make for an easy chapter meeting.

You can get the wines we tasted in the video, or others from the wineries that we featured, or just wines from the region. Listen to the interviewees talk about their wines, the region, and then enjoy their products!

How you can join the effort

You can become a benefactor to help your fellow AWS members enhance their wine appreciation.

Membership in the CRU 100 starts with a tax-deductible contribution of $500, but if you wish to donate more you can join at the Grand Cru ($1,000) or Premiere Cru ($1,500) level. We work with the Education Committee to create resources for members.

In addition to membership, the President of the AWS hosts a reception each year at the National Conference for the CRU 100. We also hope to raffle off another mixed case of wine at National Conference this year as yet another way to raise funds.

We are very grateful for our members and those who have donated so generously for the benefit of CRU 100. If you have any ideas about what types of educational products you would like to see the CRU 100 fund, or if you have questions about the CRU 100 effort, please feel free to get in touch.

From the desk of the Executive Director

Hello!

While the excitement of the upcoming conference is definitely in the air here at the National Office, I am delighted to announce another new member benefit for anyone eager to further their wine education studies more formally.

Natalie Dippenaar, AWS Executive Director

More education discounts available to you

We recently partnered with the Wine Scholar Guild to obtain discounts on membership and certification fees. Visit using our referral link to receive a 10% discount!

This benefit is in addition to our recent partnerships with the Society of Wine Educators offering discounts on membership and certification (using the code AWS2025), and a discount on a Wine Folly+ subscription (using the code aws-15) — an offer that has been extended through December 31, 2025!

How about a book deal?

While a number of our members have written books, (4 of them are presenters at the conference this year, and some will be signing copies of the books for attendees), our long-time member, Dr. Neal Hulkower, reached out to offer a discount to fellow AWS members on his newly released title, Grape Explications. Want to learn more? Read the review.

In order to get this AWS discount, click these links:

• For the hardback ($29 instead of $36)
• For the paperback ($18 instead of $21)

Travel discounts also are available

The Welcome Here page has been updated to include an interactive map of wineries recognizing members. This makes visualizing what wineries are along your travel route so much easier! Thanks to the Marketing committee and especially Ron Gottesman, Regional Ambassador of Central California, for his work reaching out to wineries and keeping this updated.

I have also been talking with our 2 official tour partners.

Regarding the current tour and cruise offerings, there are still a few seats left on the Essential South America tour from October 9‒18, 2025, and berths on the cruise from Rome to Athens from April 30‒May 7, 2026.

To celebrate America’s 250th birthday, we are discussing a U.S.-based land tour in September/October 2026, and the 2027 cruise is almost certainly going to be from Portugal to Spain in September 2027! Details to follow in the next newsletter.

To learn more about these and offerings from professional members, visit the AWS Travel page.

Help AWS when you buy from Wine.com

Last, but not least, a quick reminder regarding our affiliate agreement with Wine.com, whereby the American Wine Society will get a small percentage back from member Wine.com purchases if you click to buy from our referral link. This means you can help the American Wine Society just by shopping for wine!

If you are shopping for a chapter presentation, your conference presentation, or just for yourself, please visit the links on this page or scan the QR code before shopping. You don’t need to buy the featured wines, but by initiating your purchase with us, Wine.com might reward us, having recognized us as promoting their site. I will periodically update the page with any offers they send me, so stop back, before you shop, for discount coupons etc.

Until next time,
Natalie

AWSEF announces scholarship recipients for 2025

The table below lists the winners of scholarship awards for 2025 from the AWS Educational Foundation.

We received a record number of applications this year. With this year’s awards, the AWSEF has awarded more than $576,000 in scholarships to students at 25 different universities across the United States and Canada.

Please visit our website to see more about our scholarship recipients, including information about the research they are doing to further the North American wine industry.

Many thanks to the AWS chapters that raise funds for scholarships, and to everyone who supports AWSEF through activities such as donating and bidding on items at the Silent Auction, and purchasing raffle tickets for our large-format bottle! (Keep reading for details.)

Get ready for the 2025 Silent Auction and raffle for the large-format bottle of wine

As many of you know, the Silent Auction that we hold at the AWS National Conference is our only fundraiser of the year. We very much depend on funds raised at this auction to keep our endowment healthy and growing, plus to cover the expenses required by law to keep our nonprofit going.

Kristen Lindelow, President of AWSEF

We are now gathering donations for this year’s Silent Auction, which will be held at the National Conference in Chantilly, VA. Please consider donating wine-related items, especially bottles of wine. You may ship your donations (address on the donation form) or bring them to the conference on Thursday, November 6. Important: if you plan to bring donations, be sure to email your donation form to Therise Collier in advance! Reach out to her as well with any questions about the Silent Auction.

Also, we will again hold a raffle for a large-format bottle of wine — and this year, we have three large bottles to raffle. Our long-time fantastic sponsor, Banfi Family Vintners, has again donated a large-format bottle of their Brunello di Montalcino. Plus, we have two other large-bottle donations to raffle:

• A magnum of Mauritson Wines 2021 “Rockpile” Zinfandel.
• A 5-liter bottle of 2018 Kanonkop Pinotage from South Africa.

For the Banfi bottle, you can purchase raffle tickets for $10 each from September 1 through October 26; no tickets for this bottle will be sold at the National Conference! For the other two bottles — Rockpile Zinfandel and Kanonkop Pinotage — the National Conference is only place you can purchase raffle tickets. (Keep in mind that you must buy at least one raffle ticket for each bottle you wish to have a chance to win.)

Importantly, you do not have to attend the National Conference to participate in the raffles. If you win the Banfi bottle, they will ship it to you. For the other two large bottles, if you won’t be at the National Conference personally, you could have a someone buy tickets for you and deliver the bottles to you if you win.

Watch for a forthcoming email with details for how to purchase raffle tickets. AWSEF will also post the info on its website, on its Facebook page, and on its LinkedIn page.

Hope you are having a wine-filled summer!

Winemaker’s corner: The hidden double life of yeast

Kevin Kourofsky

Fungus comes in a wide variety of forms and serves a multitude of purposes – including yeast used to make wine. It turns mere grape juice into nectar simply by changing sugar to alcohol and carbon dioxide.

In his latest column, Kevin Kourofsky reviews how to accomplish more than basic fermentation with the same yeast.

Read more here

The winery that started it all for AWS keeps the bar high

For the fourth time, the iconic winery of Dr. Konstantin Frank has been ranked as the Best Winery Tour in America by USA TODAY‘s Readers‘ Choice Awards.

Read more here

Chapter events

MAY

The Fleur de Lis Chapter of Louisville (KY) held its annual “Share Your Cellar” tasting May 24,  hosted by Jim and Charlie Leason. Six wines were tasted blind but not rated because there was no common theme, just really good wines shared by each couple present. A picture of the wines tasted is attached.

• 2007 Monument Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon, Stonestreet, Sonoma, CA
• 2016 Grand Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa, CA
• 1994 Penfolds Grange, Shiraz, Australia
• 2014 Velvet Glove Shiraz, Australia
• 1990 Grand Vin de Leoville, Bordeaux, France
• 2010 Double Diamond, Bomber X, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa, CA

JUNE

The 50 Shades of Grapes (NJ) Chapter event in June was hosted by Donna Andrews.

Guests gathered for an afternoon by the water at Donna’s breathtaking riverside home to explore wines from Chile and Argentina, in a presentation led by Kobrand’s South American specialist Susan Pajak. The featured wines were:

• NV Alta Vista Brut Blanc de Blancs, $14
• 2024 Montes Cherub Rose, $16
• 2020 Montes Alpha Chardonnay, $23
• 2023 Alta Vista Estate Malbec, $20
• 2020 Montes Limited Edition Carmenere, $17
• 2022 Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon, $24

A catered ‘tapas style’ menu with a South American flair accompanied the presentation, encapsulating a picture-perfect food and wine experience.

On June 22, the North Wake (NC) Chapter held a tasting at Heritage View Clubhouse in Wake Forest, where 40 AWS members and guests enjoyed our excellent and educational presentation of “Wines of Portugal” presented by past chapter co-chair, Jay Davis.

Jay provided information on several of Portugal’s wine producing areas with an emphasis on the Douro, one of the oldest demarcated wine regions in the world. Portugal is home to more than 370 grape varieties, 250 of which are indigenous to the country. Its signature grape is Touriga Nacional.

Once only known for its Port production, Portugal is now producing world-class unfortified wines. Its reluctance to follow trends by planting international grape varieties, and instead focusing on native grapes, has elevated Portuguese wines to a new level. (Note the many native varietals listed in the wines we tasted.)

Our tasting included two whites and four reds, and featured an exceptional 2018 Late Bottled Vintage Port that made Wine Spectator’s top 100 wines list.

• 2023 Muralhas De Monacão (85% Alvarinho, 15% Trajadura), $14
• 2021 Pinha Ribeiro Santo (100% Encruzado), $15
• 2020 Quinta Das Carvalhas (100% Touriga Nacional), $22
• 2021 Quinta Do Portal Reserva (Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca), $20 (3)
• 2021 Prats & Symington Post Scriptum (Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz, Sousão, Tinto Cão), $35 (2)
• 2018 Dow’s Late Bottled Vintage Port (Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Sousão, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz), $24 (1)

For the June tasting event of the San Luis Obispo (CA) Chapter, winemaker Pramod Kolanu from Rails Nap winery was guest speaker. Prior to the tasting, Pramod shared two bottles of his 2018 Lagrein.

Lagrein is a red wine grape variety native to the valleys of South Tyrol, northern Italy. Along with Marzemino, it is a descendant of Teroldego, and related to Syrah, Pinot Noir and Dureza The wine was very positively received by the group.

As usual, nine wines were sampled. Six were from the Central Coast, three from France. Results follow:

• 2023 Lone Madrone Picpoul Blanc, $23 (1)
• 2022 Four Lanterns Picpoul Blanc, $38
• 2023 Paix sur Terre Picpoul Blanc, $35 (2-tie)
• 2023 Domitia Winery Picpoul Blanc, $16 (2-tie)
• 2023 HB Winery Picpoul Blanc,$11
• 2023 Rails Nap Picpoul Blanc, $24
• 2024 Halter Ranch Picpoul Blanc, $35
• 2022 Jadix Winery Picpoul Blanc, $28
• 2022 Adelaida Picpoul Blanc, $35

At its summer meeting in June, the Napa/Solano (CA) Chapter focused on wines from Argentina, pairing like wines against each other.

First pair

• 2024 Colomé Torrontes Valle Calchaquí Salta (1)
• 2024 Dos Minas Torrontés Cafayate (2)

While the average score favored the Colomé, many in the group thought the Dos Minas was their favorite.

Second pair

• 2023 Bodega Mendel Semillon (1)
• 2023 Catena “White Clay” White Lujan de Cuyo (2)

Third pair

• 2021 El Enemigo Malbec Mendoza (1)
• 2018 Zuccardi Aluvional Malbec (2)

Fourth pair

• 2021 Michelini Mufatto “GY” Tupungato (1)
• 2021 Bodegas Caro “Amancaya” Bordeaux Blend Mendoza (2)

A delightful assortment of canapés and charcuterie enhanced the tasting as well as the delightful conversation of all those present.

Willamette Valley Vineyards (WVV) is known as a great Pinot Noir producer, but John Hames wanted to show the Springfield (OH) Chapter that it also makes some great white & sparkling wines.

On June 13, he presented 7 chilled white wines for the 26 attendees to taste. Willamette Valley Vineyards provided fact sheets so we could learn more about each wine as we tasted them.

Members voted the Domaine Willamette Brut sparkling wine as their favorite with the Founder’s Reserve Chardonnay and Semi-Sparkling Muscat tied for second. Once prices were revealed, the Semi-Sparkling Muscat was voted the best value wine of the night.

Willamette Valley Vineyards (stock ticker symbol WVV) is a publicly traded company. Anyone who owns stock is able to get great discounts, so John was able to keep the tasting cost down by taking advantage of this. Note that the prices listed below are full retail before the discounts.

• 2020 Domaine Willamette Brut, $80 (1)
• 2022 Dijon Clone Chardonnay, $29
• 2023 Founder’s Reserve Chardonnay, $45 (2)
• 2023 Pinot Gris, $34
• 2022 Dry Riesling, $34
• 2022 Dry Gewurztraminer, $40
• 2022 Semi-Sparkling Muscat, $28

Host John Koempel provided the definition of “classic” prior to the June tasting event of the Northampton (PA) Chapter, and it appears that the 23 members attending this tasting definitely appreciated the quality and class of the wines. All of the wines had ratings of 95 to 99 from industry critics.

• Brave Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa, $135 (1)
• Bodegas Muga, Rioja, $55 (2)
• Château Malartic Lagravière, Bordeaux, $67 (3)
• Stags’ Leap Winery Petite Sirah, $42
• Paul Hobbs Pinot Noir, $94
• Domaine du Grand Montmirail, Rhone, $31
• OK Vintners [Motor City Kitty] Syrah, $40
• Villa al Cortile Brunello, $60

Many thanks to John for a great job of sourcing these wines and presenting another great tasting for our chapter! A fun time was had by all.

It was a “Rosé Showdown on the Patio” for the Lehigh Valley (PA) Chapter in June at Delizioso Italian Grill, hosted by the Kevin and Michele Campbell for the French and the Kathy and Mark Breloff for USA.

They challenged 38 members to identify the country of origin and which of two paired wines was the higher quality. Lots of spirited debate and opinions ensued. Overall, we preferred the American rosé wines, but the competition was close.

The Icebreakers wines were the 2024 Chateau Montaud (boxed) blend from Provence, and the Delicato Family Bota Box, Cabernet Sauvignon from California.

• 2023 Anthony Road Cabernet Franc, Seneca, NY, $20 (3)
• 2022 Famille Gambier Cabernet Franc, Loire, France, $17
• 2023 Louis Jadot Gamay, Burgundy, $17
• 2023 Dazzle Cellars Pinot Gris, Washigton, $20
• 2023 LeCrema Pinot Noir, Monterey, CA, $16 (1)
• 2023 Pierre Morin Pinot Noir, Sancerre, $30
• 2024 Hampton Water Blend, Languedoc, France, $20 (2)
• 2023 Language of Yes Blend, California, $25
• 2023 Tresor des Sables Blend, Rhone, France, $14
• 2024 Lange Pinot Noir, Oregon, $22

On June 19, fourteen members of the City of Palms, Fort Myers (FL) Chapter tasted and scored Portuguese wines at the home of Al and Mariann Feather Slickers. The tasting was co-hosted by Dave and Sandi Brower.

We learned that Portugal has 370 grape varieties and 250 of them are indigenous to the country, including Alvarinho, which is known as Albariño next door in Spain; Touriga Franca and Viosinho white grapes from the Lisbon region that surrounds the capital city; and Touriga Nacional.

Out introductory wine was a 2021 Phanus Pet Nat, Espumante Branco ($27). Our tasting results:

White

• 2021 Adegamae Touriga Franca, $14 (1)
• 2023 Quinta de Cidro 100% Alvarinho, $20 (2)
• 2022 Adegamae Viosinho, $15 (3)

Red

• 2020 Casa Santos Lima “Confidencial” Reserva, $18 (1)
• 2023 Quinto de Cidro Cabernet Sauvignon/Touriga Nacional, $20 (2)

We also had two Ports from the Douro Valley, which were not scored: Croft Reserve Tawny Porto and Martinez Fine Ruby Porto.

As usual, our members all brought a great variety of foods from our home kitchens that paired perfectly with and showcased these Portuguese wines.

Members of the Perkiomen Valley (PA) Chapter put their tasting wiles to the test on Saturday, June 28, as we matched box wine versus bottles in a blind tasting. The event, which began with a house wine of bubbly rose in cans, was attended by 23 members and pitted comparable wines in four pairings. They were:

• La Petite Frog Cotes de Thau (3-liter box, $30)
• Hugues Beauvignac Picpoul (bottle, $15)

By a one-vote margin, our group correctly identified the box wine.

• Chateau de Fabregues Costieres de Nimes Rose (750-ml bottle, $14)
• Gratsi Rose (3-liter box, $40)

By a 4-vote margin, the group incorrectly identified which was boxed and which was bottled.

• Ropiteau Pinot Noir (750-ml bottle, $14)
• Ropiteau Pinot Noir Les Plantes Nobles (3-liter box, $23)

By a 13-vote margin, the group correctly identified the box and bottle. This was an interesting matchup; we expected a close vote because both wines are from the same producer using the same grape. However, probably because the box wine was severely faulted, the relative scores varied greatly.

• Trapezio Finca Malbec (750-ml bottle, $12)
• Maipe Malbec (3-liter box, $35)

This was another close vote; our group correctly identified the bottled wine by a 2-vote margin.

Overall, the favorite wine of the evening was the bottle of Hugues Beauvignac Picpoul ($15). The second favorite was the 3-liter box of Maipe Malbec ($23). Many thanks for Shelly and Joe Straub for hosting, and to Kristin Kraft for presenting!

JULY

The Myrtle Beach (SC) Chapter met July 17 for a tasting of Raffaldini Vineyards’ wines, presented by owner Jay Raffaldini and assistant Charlie Williams.

Nestled in the rolling foothills of the Swan Creek Wine Appellation within the Yadkin Valley, Raffaldini is known widely as “Tuscany in the Carolinas.” The winery produces classically dry Italian wines ranging from reds like Sangiovese, Montepulciano, and Sagrantino to whites – Vermentino and a sparkling Prosecco. They also produce a dry rose and a Port-style dessert wine.

Raffaldini is the foremost practitioner in the United States of the appassimento grape-drying process, by which Amarone della Valpolicella is made. Raffaldini has refined it to be more specific to specific grape varietals and now dries all of its grapes on custom drying racks. Wine Enthusiast has awarded 90 pts and higher to several Raffaldini wines. The wines we tasted were:

• 2024 Vermentino Superiore – unoaked, $28
• 2022 Vermentino Rovere – oaked, $ 9
• 2024 Girasole Rosato, $24
• NV Bella Misto red blend, $25
• NV Sangiovese Classico, $32
• 2022 Mezzogiorno Red Blend, $28
• 2020 Sagrantino, $39
• 2022 Grande Riserva, $65

We enjoyed cheeses and crackers along with Italian chocolate pepper cookies and brownies specially made by two of our members for the occasion.

The 50 Shades of Grapes (NJ) Chapter event in July was hosted by Donna Albano and Jeff Lolli, as guests gathered at Auburn Road Vineyards to enjoy a guided tasting of wines from their portfolio, perfectly paired with pizzas from their Italian wood-fired oven.

The featured wines were:

• 2020 Firefly
• 2023 Blanc NU, $20
• 2023 Dry Rose $33
• 2023 Good Karma, $20
• Vintage Ruby, $26

The July event for the San Luis Obispo (CA) Chapter compared 9 Petite Sirah wines. Steve Beck, owner/winemaker of Loma Seca Vineyards was our guest speaker.

Steve and his wife, Pam, moved from Southern California to the Paso Robles area when Steve retired from a 30+-year career in aerospace. In a way, Steve was returning to his ancestral roots. As a child he often visited his Italian-born grandparents in Napa where his grandfather barreled wine for his personal use. (So it’s safe to say that Steve has been drinking from a very young age.)

Loma Seca dry farms about 308 vines/acre. Steve noted that this compares with a neighboring Daou vineyard which has as many as 3,000 vines/acre. Steve’s bottom line is: “If you have a balanced vineyard, the wine will be good.”

The wines tasted were:

• 2021 Aaron Petite Sirah, $45 (2)
• 2021 Ridge Lytton Estate Petite Sirah, $45
• 2019 Ultima Tulie Petite Sirah, $45 (3)
• 2019 Loma Seca Petite Sirah, $62
• 2018 Ila Tres Ninos Vineyard, $40
• 2021 Green and Red Vineyard Estate Petite Sirah, $35
• 2022 Paysan Petite Sirah, $20
• 2021 Vina Robles Estate Petite Sirah, $40
• 2021 Victor Hugo Estate Petite Sirah, $25

Keuka (NY) Chapter co-chairs Bill and Candace Jo Farnham welcomed chapter members to the Rushville Hose Company meeting room on July 13 to focus was on Finger Lakes sparkling wines.

Wine has been made for over 7,000 years; effervescent wine has been made just as long when bottling happens before fermentation is finished. However, by 1531, some wines were deliberately bottled during fermentation in what was called the ancestral method or méthode gaillacoise. This method was revived in 2007 and called pétillant naturel. Since the fermentation continues after bottling, these wines always have some sediment. We had one bottle in this style to taste.

We also explored the history of sparkling wines and methods that use a secondary fermentation and produce clear wines.

After an initial social period, in which we enjoyed Dr. Frank’s Blanc de Noir, Sparkling Riesling, and a few other wines with appetizers, we formally tasted eight sparkling wines:

• Swedish Hill Riesling Cuvée, $15
• Glenora Brut Sparkling Wine, $11
• 2021 Red Tail Ridge Winery pétillant naturel Sparkling Riesling, $23
• Great Western American Champagne Brut, $10
• 2018 Little Clover (Seneca Lake AVA) Delaware Sec Méthode Champenoise, $32
• 2019 Fox Run Vineyards Blanc de Blancs, Méthode Traditionelle, $27
• Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard Méthode Champenoise Extra Brut, $30
• 2020 Dr. Konstantin Frank Blanc de Blancs, Méthode Champenoise, $40

We had a tie for favorites: Hermann J Wiemer and Dr. Konstantin Frank.

Later, we enjoyed a congenial meal of bœuf bourguignon and side dishes brought by guests.

The July meeting of the Ocean Isle Beach (NC) Chapter was quite special. A chapter member, Fred Garstka, was the lucky winner of the 2024 National Conference’s raffle of a large format bottle of Banfi Chianti. Fred generously donated the 20-year old bottle to our chapter with the proceeds of a tasting going to the Chapter’s Scholarship Fund.

Dana Keeler, a chapter member and winemaker at Silver Coast Winery, successfully opened the large bottle. Allowing time to let the wine open up, all got to share and enjoy this beautiful wine along with assorted pizzas. This is a Banfi wine that continues to help in wine education.

A Chapter member has now volunteered to turn this same bottle into a lamp. I see a Scholarship Raffle in our future!

July brought fireworks for the Lehigh Valley (PA) Chapter, as members and guests were introduced to Artisanal Italian Wines hosted by Tim and Lisa Scott. They procured wines from Gladiator Wine Distribution, where founder Tony Margiotta specializes in discovering small artisan wineries across Italy.

After a Prosecco icebreaker, 4 whites and 6 reds were tasted in pairs. Our hosts showcased several varietals that most members had never tasted.  The wines were:

• 2024 Duca di Dolle Prosecco, Veneto, $23
• 2022 Terre Sacre Falanghina Molise, $23
• 2022 Antico Borgo Fiano di Avellino, Campania, $22
• 2024 Lolei Vermentino, Sardinia , $23 (4)
• 2022 Castellucci Miano Shiara Catarratto, Sicily, $30
• 2021 Castellucci Miano Perricone, Sicily, $26
• 2023 Battaglio Nebbiolo, Piedmont, $25
• 2021 Terre Sacre Tintillia del Molise, $27 (5)
• 2016 Ugolini San Michele Red Blend, Veneto, $37 (2)
• 2021 Francesco Fiori Cagnulari Serra Juales, Sardinia, $27 (3)
• 2020 Francesco Fiori Cagnulari Nebriosu, Sardinia, $47 (1)

Thanks Tim and Lisa on educating us about these wonderful small artisanal wineries throughout Italy. The atmosphere on the deck at Delizioso Italian Grill fit perfectly with the wine and food.

On July 26, 45 members of the Northern Virginia Chapter channeled the spirit of Napoleon’s dashing cavalrymen from the 1800s and practiced their sabrage skills in the backyard of chapter chair Graydon Vandament’s home in Falls Church, VA.

The assemblage also celebrated summer with fantastic BBQ beef, pork and chicken provided by District Pit Catering, supplemented by great wine and side dishes brought by all the attendees.

Each member got to sabrage the top off a bottle of one of four sparkling wines. The choices included:

• Spanish Cava (Faustino Brut)
• French Crémant (Paul Buisse Crémant)
• South African sparkler (Graham Beck Brut), and
• French Crémant Rosé, (Prosper Maufoux Crémant De Bourgogne Rosé)

To make it even more fun, a contest was held for the farthest distance traveled by the sabraged corks.

New member Mike Farrar won the contest with a distance of 27 feet and took home a brand-new sabrage saber as the grand prize. Despite a brief rain shower, a great time was had by all.

On July 26, 17 members of the Perkiomen Valley (PA) Chapter gathered to sample 5 wines, all costing less than $15. Most of the wines got average scores in the higher range of the AWS scoring system. They were:

• 2023 Lubanzi Chenin Blanc, South Africa, $15
• 2023 Giesen Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand, $14
• 2023 Nero Oro Pinot Grigio, Sicily, Italy, $11
• 2024 Cora Cerasuolo d’ Abruzzo, Italy, $11
• 2024 Alain de la Treille Pinot Noir, Loire, France, $15

The favorite of the event was the 2024 Cora Cerasuolo d’ Abruzzo, a rosé wine that surprised many. Although quaffable, the 2024 Alain de la Treille Pinot Noir received lower scores because it lacked classic characteristics typical to that varietal.

Our host, Jenn Ott, paired each round with food designed to complement the wine. And, to coin a phrase, a good time was had by all!

AUGUST

On  August 1, the Monterey (CA) Chapter visited Seabold Cellars tasting room in Carmel Valley for a summer celebration and wine tasting. We were hosted by Cynthia D’Vincent, the Seabold tasting room manager, and Dre Bejines from Eden Rift Vineyards, its parent/sister winery.

Twenty-five of our members attended this event and brought food to make it even more festive in the beautiful outdoor setting.

Seabold Cellars was founded in 2014 by Master Sommelier Chris Miller. He focuses on cool-climate, organic and sustainable grapes from Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties. He practices minimal intervention/manipulation and lets the wine speak for itself, giving it a true sense of place. The winery itself is located in Marina, California, while the tasting room is in Carmel Valley Village, nestled among other tasting rooms and restaurants. The wines tasted were:

• 2023 Bold Wine Company Sauvignon Blanc, Griva Vineyard, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey $25 (2)
• 2020 Seabold Chardonnay, Eden Rift Vineyard, San Benito $40
• 2020 Seabold Pinot Noir, Eden Rift Vineyard, San Benito $40
• 2020 Seabold Syrah, Rodnick Farms, Chalone AVA, Monterey $40 (1)