AWS News – October 2025

IN THIS ISSUE

Members approve candidates and bylaw changes

Balloting this summer showed resounding approval for AWS and AWSEF board members and AWS bylaws updates.

From the desk of the Executive Director

Natalie Dippenaar offers a final preview for the National Conference, highlights late raffle details, and more.

Volunteers still needed for the 58th National Conference

We still need people to help make the event a success – including a new  chance to help first-time attendees feel welcome.

Headed to the National Conference? Remember Welcome Here

Be sure to take advantage of this member benefit program to enjoy all Virginia has to offer.

‘Virginia — the Land of Wine and Visionaries’ is available

A new educational video is available from CRU 100 and the AWS Education Committee to highlight a few of the many excellent wineries in Virginia.

Help promote wine education and research through the AWSEF Silent Auction

You still can donate wine or wine novelty items to be auctioned off at the upcoming AWS National Conference, and act quickly to possibly win a giant bottle of wine.

A reminder regarding membership renewals

Remember to check whether your renewal date is approaching and take action to keep your membership active.

Winemaker’s corner: A brief primer involving flaws and faults in wine

Even if your wine has an off odor, you can save it. But, as Kevin Kourofsky explains, you have to know what you are smelling.

Chapter events

Chapters from New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Florida, California, and Massachusetts all reported tasting events. What about yours?

Members approve candidates and bylaw changes

Members of AWS and AWSEF resoundingly approved both candidates and their respective boards and changes to AWS bylaws during balloting this summer.

Candidates for the AWS board positions – Director of Education and Director of Competitions – received 100% approval from those voting.

As a result, Kevin Ostrowski has been confirmed as 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. And Vince Williams was approved for a 3-year term as Director of Competitions. He has managed the Amateur Wine Competition for 7 years.

Their official terms begin on January 1, 2026.

In addition, roughly 98% of those voting approved modifications to the AWS bylaws. Among the bylaw changes were 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.

Finally, voters approved three trustees of the American Wine Society Educational Foundation (AWSEF). Note that members of AWS are automatically also members of AWSEF.

Bill Ellis, Kristen Lindelow, and Dean Scott received overwhelming approval for terms that also begin on January 1, 2026.

From the desk of the Executive Director

Hello!

Natalie Dippenaar, AWS Executive Director

These are final days before the National Conference, and nearly 10% of our members will be there. That is a great turnout and truly speaks to the passion of our members and their love of learning about wine!

National Conference preview

You can read more in the articles below about what to expect and opportunities to help. But, before you arrive, be sure to check out this list of the things you need to know.

One thing I love are our vendors at the National Conference — these are often small local and artisan businesses, and we are giving them an opportunity to be seen by 600+ new shoppers. While many of you are not coming to the conference, you can still visit the vendor links to explore and possibly even shop from our vendors (one has a curated book list!), and don’t forget our opening reception and showcase reception participants.

I also want to include a shoutout to our conference sponsors. They provide wine, sponsor our attendee giveaways and pay for much-needed conference supplies, helping us create the incredible event that we hold each year. You can visit sponsor websites by clicking on their logos from our conference page.

If you aren’t coming this year or haven’t been in the past, bookmark your calendar for October 22-24, 2026 for the AWS National Conference in Jacksonville, FL. Remember we bring the wine, and it comes from all around the world, so it doesn’t matter that Jacksonville isn’t a well-known wine destination.

Raffle Opportunities!

Aside from the fabulous AWSEF raffle of two 3-liter bottles of Banfi Vintners 2020 Brunello di Montalcino with tickets on sale through October 26, there is an AWS raffle to win one of 5 donated one-year Wine Scholar Guild (WSG) memberships. While WSG is known for its certifications, they also offer webinars on-demand and live, and a community board where you can ask questions about wines, wine regions, and travel destinations and wineries to visit.

Wine Scholar Guild kindly donated these 5 memberships worth $700 as a fundraiser for the American Wine Society. If you are interested in WSG membership, or know someone who might be interested, or just want to give as a gift, please buy a ticket for $10 each, or you can buy a one-year membership for $90. (The most one person can win is 3 of the 5). The raffle tickets limited!

Book News

It seems we have many members who enjoy writing and a few who have been published!

AWS member Clifford Annis reached out to offer a discount to fellow AWS members on his nominated and positively reviewed book “Magic in a Bottle – The Untold Story of Arnie Esterer and Markko Vineyard.”

Order directly from Clifford by email and note you are an AWS member to receive an autographed and personalized paperback for $9.00 instead of the $11.55 non-autographed version from Amazon.

Travel Opportunities

To celebrate America’s 250th birthday, our 2026 land tour takes members from Louisville, KY, to Asheville, NC, and features bourbon, beer, moonshine and wine tasting opportunities in early October 2026! Non-members and other-than-wine drinking friends are welcome!

Scan the QR code shown nearby or simply click on the image to join a webinar to learn more!

For more information about travel opportunities, visit the AWS travel page.

Until next time,
Natalie

Volunteers still needed for the 58th National Conference

If you are among the roughly 10% of our members attending the National Conference in Chantilly, VA, you should have received an email a while back that outlines the sessions you are signed up for.

Because of this, we are reaching out to ask you to volunteer to make our event a success. You will need to know your sessions since you can only volunteer in sessions that you selected.

If this is your first conference, don’t worry. Volunteering is easy, and we provide instructions on what to do. Volunteer assignments are simple but important and do not take time away from your conference experience.

We also have a new volunteer opportunity this year: Newbee Buddies

For those who have been coming for many years, the conference is a wonderful reunion. But if it is your first time, a member can feel a little left out … and we definitely don’t want that!

So, we need seasoned AWS conference goers to attend the first-timers reception, meet some of the first-time attendees, and introduce yourself to them so they don’t feel alone. It is a great way to make some new friends and help newcomers feel welcome.

Here are the details

The positions we need are from Thursday to Saturday evening. We need Newbee Buddies, general session volunteers, and meal/reception volunteers.

Click here for a description of each.

If you would like to volunteer for sessions, click here.

If you would like to volunteer for meals, click here.

These volunteer opportunities are fun and social, and you’ll get to meet AWS members from around the country.

Thank you for considering the chance to help your fellow members. We could not host this conference without people like you willing to volunteer your time and effort. You help keep to keep the cost of the conference down and keep our attendance up.

‘Virginia — The Land of Wine and Visionaries’ is available

Members of the CRU 100 and the AWS Education Committee worked hard and long to get an educational video finished before members will be heading to conference this year. This video highlights a few of the many excellent wineries in Virginia; sadly we couldn’t visit them all.

Chapters also can use all or part of the video for a future chapter tasting. Just pick out the wineries, or subjects that you find interesting for you and your chapters, get the wine, and hit play!! This video has something for everyone.  I’m planning my chapter presentation using this video for the spring!

We visited some of the oldest wineries in the Commonwealth and some smaller ones. The video includes an AWS member who started a few vines in the backyard of his townhouse (I hear his HOA was not amused) that later became a vineyard and produces excellent, award-winning wines.

For those attending the National Conference, watch the video and see which wineries are on your drive so you can stop by and avoid shipping charges. That’s what I plan to do!

Also, CRU 100 will raffle off a case of wine at conference again this year. The case is worth at least $600 (unless our donors get crazy like last year and it is worth a lot more!). We will sell 100 tickets at $25 apiece. The money raised goes to support educational materials for chapters.

If you have an idea of a project CRU 100 should support, let us know by emailing cru100-committee@americanwinesociety.net. And, check out all of our videos here.

See you at conference!!

Margy Natalie
CRU 100 Chair

Help promote wine education and research through the AWSEF Silent Auction

The American Wine Society Educational Foundation (AWSEF) seeks wine or wine novelty donations to be auctioned silently at the upcoming AWS National Conference on November 7 in Chantilly, Virginia.

Therise Collier, Vice President, Private Development, AWSEF

If you can donate, keep in mind that AWSEF is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, and all contributions to the AWSEF are tax deductible. You can find the donation form here. We look forward to your support in enhancing the studies of oenology and viticulture.

AWSEF was created in 1994 as an all-volunteer organization to support education and research activities that will enhance a world-class North American wine industry by providing scholarships to individuals at the master’s or doctoral level who are conducting research in oenology or viniculture. We typically award 8 scholarships of $3,500 or $5,000, depending on money raised and the applicant’s research being performed.

Since our inception, we have awarded 184 scholarships across 23 different universities in the United States and Canada, totaling over $569,500.

Remember to get your Banfi bottle raffle tickets

Time is running out to purchase raffle tickets for the two 3-liter bottles of Banfi’s Brunello di Montalcino. The deadline is Sunday (October 26). Tickets are $10 each.

Proceeds from the raffle go directly to funding a $3,500 scholarship.

This raffle is designed especially for AWS members not attending the National Conference, and you do not need to be present at the drawing to win. If you win, we will call you and have the bottles shipped to you.

You can purchase tickets three ways:

• Venmo (aws_educational_foundation)
• PayPal (American Wine Society Educational Foundation)
• Credit card by Walt Rachele at 443-280-2319 or Bonnie Lance at 631-806-7234

Best of luck!

A reminder regarding membership renewals

For a lot of members, membership renewal time will arrive at the end of the year. Keep an eye on your inbox and spam folders for more information on renewing.

In the meantime, if you have questions, please connect with the National Office at memberservice@americanwinesociety.org or 888-297-9070.

Winemaker’s corner: A brief primer involving flaws and faults in wine

Kevin Kourofsky

If you can detect an off odor when making wine and correct a problem early, you might just save the whole vintage. But it does mean that you need to know what you are smelling. In his latest column, Kevin Kourofsky explores what this entails.

Read more here

Chapter events

JULY

The Keuka (NY) Chapter co-chairs, Bill and Candace Jo Farnham, welcomed chapter members to the Rushville Hose Company meeting room on July 13. Our educational and tasting 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, featuring Dr. Frank’s Blanc de Noir and sparkling Riesling, plus a few other wines with appetizers, we formally tasted 8 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 (1-tie)
• 2020 Dr. Konstantin Frank Blanc de Blancs, Méthode Champenoise, $40 (1-tie)

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

On July 27 (and again on August 24), the North Wake (NC) Chapter met at the Heritage View Clubhouse in Wake Forest to participate in the National Tasting Project (NTP).

We had 41 members and guests attend in July and 35 in August (including 23 members who attended both sessions). We were fortunate to have the expertise of member Scheryl McDavid, an AWS Certified Judge, who shared her evaluation, comments, and scores of each wine with the attendees.

As part of the blind tastings, chapter chair Sally Albrecht added background information about the wineries and the Australian wine industry. In all, we tasted 12 of the 14 wines on the NTP list. Members’ scores have been submitted to the national office.

Based on a suggestion from July, we added a 7^th ‘mystery wine’ to the August tasting —an inexpensive Yellow Tail wine. It didn’t finish first or last, but at $6 a bottle, it was a surprising bargain.

AUGUST

The Fleur de Lis (KY) Chapter of Louisville held a tasting on August 2, hosted by David and Alicia Scheu. Six wines were tasted blind, and the theme was “Single Varietals from the Neighborhood.” The wines were:

• 2020 Matrix Estate Zinfandel, Russian River Valley, Sonoma, CA, $44 (1)
• 2016 Carlisle Papera Ranch Zinfandel, Russian River Valley, Sonoma, CA, $39 (2)
• 2019 Martinelli Giuseppe & Luisa Zinfandel, Russian River Valley, Sonoma, CA, $58 (3)
• 2021 Hartford Court Old Vine Zinfandel, Russian River Valley, Sonoma, CA, $65
• 2018 Limerick Lane Banfield Vineyard Zinfandel, Russian River Valley, Sonoma, CA, $62
• 2021 Mazzocco Fog Zinfandel, Russian River Valley, Sonoma, CA, $42

The 50 Shades of Grapes (NJ) Chapter enjoyed a taste of Lebanese food and wine on August 6 at Li Beirut Restaurant in Collingswood, NJ.

Hosted by chapter members John and Mary Lou Gartland and Gary and Carol Agia, 23 members sampled wines of the Chateau Keyfraya from the Bekka Valley in Lebanon. After a reception featuring Prosecco, we then sat for the paired wine dinner with Steve Pinchuk of Vintage Imports, who shared his knowledge on the wines of Lebanon.

Château Kefraya wines sampled and evaluated were:

• 2022 Bekaa Valley Blanc de Blancs, $16
• 2024 Les Bretèches Blanc Bekaa Valley, $12
• 2019 Bekaa Valley Les Coteaux, $17 (3
• 2019 Bekaa Valley Estate Red Wine, $21 (2)
• 2019 Comte de M Bekaa Valley, $42 (1)

Special thanks to AWS President Eric Feldhake for his help in curating and sourcing the wines.The traditional Lebanese dishes were prepared by chef Patricia Masooud, who owns the restaurant with her husband, Tony.

The August tasting for the Northampton (PA) Chapter, featuring the Michel-Schlumberger winery, was attended by 18 members.

The winery was established in 1979 by Jean-Jacques Michel, a native of Switzerland. The estate is located in the Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma County with a focus on Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varietals. This was a true vertical tasting for the 6 Cabernet Sauvignon and 3 Syrahs: All of Cabernet wines are produced by the same estate (Michel-Schlumberger) in the same vineyards in the Sonoma Valley Dry Creek Vineyard. They were all older wines that aged very well! Many thanks to Tom for sharing these excellent wines and also to Pam for her very helpful assistance.

• 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon, $70
• 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, $75
• 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon $30 (1)
• 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon $30 (2)
• 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, $45
• 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon, $45
• 2008 Syrah, $30 (3)
• 2009 Syrah, $30
• 2010 Syrah, $30

The dog days of summer didn’t stop the Lehigh Valley (PA) Chapter from enjoying a Spain/Portugal wine tasting.

Hosts Joe and Esther Gallagher and Chris and Karen Poli started the event with two Spanish ice breakers — a rosé from Rioja and a sparkling wine from Cava — followed by 3 whites and 5 reds.

• 2023 Ice Muga Rose/Garnacha/Viuda/Rioja, $15
• Ice NV Insito Reserva/Cava Blend/Cava, $15
• 2023 Les Notes/White Grenache/Priorat, $29
• 2023 Quinta de Cidro /Gouveio /Douro , $17
• 2023 Val Do Soweto/Albarino/Rias Baixas, $17
• 2016 Carvalhas/Tinta Francisca/Doura, $45
• 2022 Las Martas/Granacha/Catalayud, $10 (2-tie)
• 2020 Pico Cuadro Original/Tempranillo/Ribera, $17
• 2021 CVNE Asua/Tempranillo/Rioja, $14 (2-tie)
• 2017 Valserrano Gran Reserva/Tempranillo/Rioja, $34 (1)
• 2024 Quintas das Carvalhas/Port Blend/Doura, $45

To members’ surprise, we also shared a 20-year-old Tawny Port that proved to be very popular! Many thanks to our hosts for a wonderful event at Delizioso’s Italian Grill. Also, another delicious BYOB gathering at Flaming Crab Cajun Seafood.

The Myrtle Beach (SC) Chapter met August 21 to sample wines from Dobbins Creek Vineyards in North Carolina’s Yadkin Valley. Meg Granillo from the winery presented 7 wines.

Dobbins specializes in French-style wines from vinifera grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon And Chardonnay, and Bordeaux blends. All of its wines—around 1,500 cases annually—are estate-grown, hand-harvested, and purposefully crafted to preserve the pure expression of Yadkin Valley fruit.  We tasted:

• 2024 Stainless Chardonnay, $36
• 2021 Oaked Chardonnay, $24
• 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, $36
• 2022 Ram Cat Red Bordeaux-style blend, $34
• 2021 Cabernet Franc, $38
• NV Legacy Meritage Red blend. $48
• 2019 Merlot, $26

Most notable were the Legacy Meritage blend, Ram Cat Bordeaux blend, and Cabernet Franc.

On August 24, the San Diego (CA) Chapter tasted local wines from the Ramona Valley AVA, located in the foothills northeast of San Diego and in 2006 designated as the 162nd American Viticulture Area in the United States.

Laura Cox, a resident of the Ramona area, guided us through the unique microclimates, elevation, and soil conditions that contribute to its distinctive wines. Wines from 4 wineries gave us a varied taste of Ramona Valley:

• 2023 Alpenglow Winery Albarino, $28
• 2024 Scenic Valley Ranch Ballena Blanco (70% Albarino and 30% Flame Tokay), $32
• 2024 Edwards Vineyard and Cellar Rose, $30
• 2021 Scenic Valley Ranch Vineyards Cabernet Franc, $49
• 2020 Alpenglow Winery Tempranillo, $36
• 2018 Edwards Vineyard and Cellar Petite Sirah, $54
• 2018 Edwards Vineyard and Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon, $54
• 2014 Edwards Vineyard and Cellar Cabernet Franc (last bottles/special tasting)

The group selected the Alpenglow Albarino and the Edwards Petite Sirah as their favorite wines.

SEPTEMBER

The September 3 meeting of the Shallotte (NC) Chapter, titled “Sip and Slide,” was held at Sorella’s Pizza and Pasta in Holden Beach NC. In attendance were 24 members and 11 guests. We had positive reviews from the guests with a potential for 4 to-6 new members.

The wines were served with sliders and paired with wither a white or red wine. Two of our sliders could be paired with either, so we decided to sample the slider with both wines. It was a surprise to some how well both wines paired.

• Lagaria Chardonnay, Italy
• Dressage Pinot Noir Castle Rock, California
• Harken Chardonnay, California
• Fournier Pere et Fils Sauvignon Blanc, Loire Valley, France
• Atom Cabernet Sauvignon, California

The wines were purchased by Sorella’s and offered to us at a discounted  price. Many bottles were purchased by those in attendance.

On September 6, the Napa/Solano (CA) Chapter met at the home of Howard and Skippy Paul. We decided to see what gems awaited in the often-neglected Livermore region, typically visited only by people who live nearby. This tasting highlighted the “Gems of Livermore” and featured wines that were deemed best of class, best of show, or double gold.

This tasting proved that there are some worthy Livermore vineyards with stunning wines, which received some of the highest scores from our group — with many scores reaching the extraordinary level. Almost all of the wines were judged “excellent.” The tasting was a pleasant surprise to many.

Among the whites, the results were:

• 2024 Las Positas Verdelho, $45 (1)
• 2024 Las Positas Albarino, $45 (2-tie)
• 2024 McGrail Grenache Blanc, $32 (2-tie)
• 2023 Wente Sauvignon Blanc, $35 (4)

Among the reds, the results were:

• 2021 McGrail Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, $49 (1)
• 2022 Cuda Ridge Merlot, $42 (2)
• 2021 Wente Cabernet Franc, $50 (3)
• 2021 Rodrigue Molyneaux Barbera, $46 (4)

On September 7, the Monterey (CA) Chapter held a special tasting of “Old Vines Down Under” Australian wines, led by board member and Australian wine expert Damon Musha. Damon is the founder of Vin Go Partners and has been in the wine industry for over 25 years, including 8 years developing and leading Wine Australia’s successful USA Market Entry program.

The 23 members who attended this event brought Australian-themed dishes, including spicy “Shrimp on the Barbie” and “Alligator” rolls, adding to the fun.

Damon enlightened the group on Australian Old Vines using the educational resources of Australian Wine Discovered. While countries like France, Italy, and even the United States were ravaged by phylloxera, Australia’s vineyards were spared, mainly because of their dry climate and relative isolation. As a result, the number of old vineyards far exceeds that of their European and American counterparts.

Damon curated a list of 8 wines for our event and was assisted by board member Janet Torelli in presenting the wines:

• 2020 Pewsey Vale 1961 Block Riesling, Eden Valley, $30 (2)
• 2016 Tabbilk 1927 Vines Marsanne, Nagambie Lakes, $35
• 2018 Tyrrells Vat 47 Chardonnay, Hunter Valley, $50
• 2022 Thistledown Old Vine “Thorny Devil” Grenache, McLaren Vale,$35
• 2020 John Duval Plexus GSM, Barossa Valley, $40 (1)
• 2001 Barossa Old Vine Co Shiraz, Barossa Valley, $70
• 2019 Hickinbotham Trueman Cabernet Sauvignon, McLaren Vale, $80 (3)
• NV Buller Museum Toquay, Rutherglen, $28

The Dry Pond Wine Lovers (NC) Chapter met on September 14 at the home of Jean and Larry Godla. The theme was wines from Italy, with food paired with each wine.

The wines and food pairings were:

• 2023 Ca’ Montini Pinot Grigio, $18, with Parmesan risotto
• 2023 Tintero Langhe Arneis, $19, with seafood salad
• 2023 Antica Corte Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore, $23, with grilled baby lamb chops
• 2023 Giuliano Rosati Montepulciano d’Abruzzo , $10 (2), with meatball in a San Marzano tomato sauce
• 2022 Criterion Chianti Classico DOCG, $17 (3), with tomato tarts
• 2023 G.D. Vajra Langhe Rosso, $13 (1), with beef tenderloin crostini with pistachio gremolata

Jean prepared an amazing feast for us – each “small bite” paired perfectly with the wine. Jean and Larry’s daughter, Erin (who spent a semester in Florence, Italy), did a great job describing the various wines and their regions of origin.

The Myrtle Beach (SC) Chapter met September 18 for “Who Is Your Critic?” Presented by Mike and Cecelia Evans. the goal of this tasting was to sample wines with two differing opinions by wine ‘experts.’ We began by learning about each expert’s rating systems, criteria, etc. Attendees then tasted and rated each wine to discover which critic they most agreed with.

Choosing wines was more difficult than you would think; many wines are rated by only one source. Also, a wine is usually rated by the famous critics within a point or two of each other. So for fun we brought back JAG (“Just a Guy”) from our May 2025 presentation as another critic to “tell it like it is.”

The wines were:

• 2023 Members Mark Old Vine Zinfandel, $7 (3)
• 2024 River Road Unoaked Chardonnay, $15
• 2022 Double Black Zinfandel Reserve, Paso Robles, $19
• 2022 Method Cabernet Sauvignon, $10
• 2023 Atrevida Cabernet Sauvignon, $15
• 2022 Clos De Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, $20 (2)
• 2022 Carmen Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon, $18 (1)
• 2021 Wagner Riesling Ice Wine, $35

We were amazed by how much our taste can differ from that of famous critics and concluded that they are sometimes overly generous with their ratings. One wine that was rated 91 and 89 by two experts was rated 70 by “JAG” and the rest of us! We also relearned that price is no indication of the wine quality.

The Venice (FL) Vinos Chapter held a tasting on September 19 at the home of Debbie and Terry Rogers in Venice. The theme was wines from Tobin James Winery in Paso Robles, CA. We tasted:

• 2024 Arneis “The Little Rascal” white, $36
• 2022 Tempranillo Rosé Paradise, $22 (Best Value)
• 2019 GSM Silver Reserve, $58
• 2019 Big Shot Rhone-style blend, $58
• 2021 Zinfandel Fat Boy, $55
• 2019 Five Varietals red Bordeaux blend, $55

The starter wine was Mumm, CA, sparkling wine. Great food, wine, and friendship was had by all.

The Lake Norman (NC) Wine Lovers Chapter launched in late summer 2025 and held its first chapter meeting on September 25 at The Barrel in Mooresville, NC.

We welcomed 24 attendees for a sommelier-led tour of sparkling wines from around the world. The evening was educational, relaxed, and genuinely fun!

We also introduced our chapter leaders: chair Jennifer Anderson, co-chair Christy Celi, and secretary April Williams.

A quick post-event survey regarding wine experience showed we had a great mix with about 62% new or beginner and about 50% intermediate or advanced, which means plenty of curiosity and experience in the room. Top interests included educational tastings, food and wine pairings, and regional spotlights.

We’re excited to reach new members from the east side of Lake Norman, NC, including Cornelius, Davidson, Huntersville, and Mooresville to sip, learn, and connect with us.

Big thanks to The Barrel wine shop for the warm welcome and to our sommelier, Rob, for such an engaging session.

The Lehigh Valley (PA) Chapter enjoyed a beautiful picture-perfect September day of wine tasting at Bergeist Vineyard, hosted by Dean and Bonnie Scott. We started with appetizers and 3 ice breakers: a sparkling wine made by Darrin Scott, Traminette from Deerfoot Winery and a Cabernet Franc made by Dean. All 3 wines were made from grapes from Bergeist Vineyard.

Since harvest had already started, 39 members and 2 guests had an opportunity to check out the mature vineyard and taste some of the 8 varieties of grapes grown in the vineyard. We followed with “The Taste of the Garden State” of 8 wines — 4 whites, a rose’ and 3 reds.

Donna Albano, professor of Hospitality Tourism and Event Management at Stockton University, and Jeff Lolli, a professor at Widener University, facilitated the tasting and program. All the wines were from the Outer Coastal Plain AVA in New Jersey. After the presentation, the members enjoyed a catered dinner provided by Kempton Kitchen.

Also, a special thanks to Ann Vlot for hosting BYOB at Sumo Sushi and Japanese Fusion where the wine, food and conversation were enjoyed by all.

• William Heritage Winery NV Blanc de Blanc (Pinot Mansing, Chardonnay), $30
• 2024 William Heritage Winery Pinot Blanc,$34
• 2023 White Horse Winery Albarino, $26
• 2023 William Heritage Winery Gravel Block Chardonnay, $30 (2)
• 2023 White Horse Winery Rose’ (Merlot and Syrah), $22
• 2022 Bellview Winery San Marco hybrid, $25 (3)
• 2022 Auburn Road Winery Eidolon (Chambourcin, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot), $24
• 2021 William Heritage Winery BDX (Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot), $50 (1)

The Perkiomen Valley (PA) Chapter met on September 28 to participate in this year’s National Tasting Project (NTP).

The 13 members and guests enjoyed a Semillion, Reisling, Shiraz, GSM blend, Cabernet Sauvignon and a GSM/Tinta Cao blend. One notable aspect was that we tasted the Cabernet Sauvignon in two separate flights. The winemaker recommends pouring a bit of the 2022 Mollydooker Maitre D, and then vigorously shaking the rest in the bottle to get the best taste; this releases nitrogen that is used to protect the wine and minimize sulphites.

While the procedure may sound unusual, our group noticed a distinct difference between wine we poured directly from the bottle and the wine we tasted after the recommended shake. Because of this, we submitted scores to NTP based on the winemaker’s recommended procedure.

Many thanks to Jim and Sherry McCormack for hosting this delightful event on a beautiful early autumn day.

The Princeton Uncorked (MA) Chapter held its second 2025 National Tasting Project (NTP) event in September. We had tasted and judged 5 of the NTP wines in May, and this left us with 6 for this second event

This session featured white wines that were Riesling, Chardonnay, and Semillon and the reds that were be Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. We generally used the notes and maps from the NTP presentation available online.

Chardonnay was a deviation because the NTP list of wines did not include one. The next deviation was having two glasses of the Mollydooker Maitre D Cabernet Sauvignon (one straight from the bottle, and one shaken as the winery recommends. Some preferred the first version, and others preferred the second, but it led to a fun discussion.

OCTOBER

On October 3, the Monterey (CA) Chapter participated in a tasting of “The Sexy Wines of Sardinia, Campania, and Sicily.” Organized by Sharon Houy, our chapter’s vice-chair, this event was held at LadySomm, a wine education venue in Carmel, California. The space was great for our 27 members, potential members, and guests to mingle and sample wines from the different regions.

Roxanne Langer, sommelier and owner of LadySomm, educated us on the 3 separate wine regions in Italy with their “sun-drenched coasts, volcanic soils, and intensely expressive wines with soul and swagger.” We compared how different varieties from this region tasted from those produced locally in Monterey County. While we boast of minerality in our local wines, they’ve got nothing on the wines from these regions! And the volcanic soil was evident in the earthy wine from Etna.

Roxanne and her sister and partner, Tamara Carver, curated this list of 6 wines for our event, listed in the order tasted:

• 2021 Feudi di San Gregorio-Greco di Tufo, Sardinia, $26
• 2021 Terredora di Paolo Coda di Volpe Le Starse Irpinia, Campagna, $22
• 2022 Saraja Vermentino di Gallura Superiore “Kintari,” Sardinia, $24 (2)
• 2022 Saraja “Inkibi” Cannonau di Sardegna, Sardinia, $20 (1)
• 2023 Azienda Agricola San Salvatore Falanghina, Campagna, $31
• 2019 Cottanera-Cottanera ‘Diciassettesalme’ Etna Rosso Sicily, $27