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AWS News
August 2021 Volume 35, No. 2
IN THIS ISSUE
Another amazing conference is straight ahead
Registration takes off, sponsors are announced, and check your email for the conference brochure.
Anticipation builds for 2021 amateur wine competition
The deadline draws nearer for winemakers to enter.
Winners announced for this year’s Award of Merit, and AWS Outstanding Member, with nominations still being accepted for Outstanding Regional Vice President and Outstanding Chapter Chair.
Staffing change at the National Office
Member Services Manager Katie Kearney departs for a new career challenge.
Reporting forms start to roll in from chapters, and a reminder to purchase wines while they’re still available.
The deadline approaches for board nominees, 2021 scholarship recipients are announced, and the foundation gears up for its silent auction.
Winemakers’ corner: Finding balance in fining for color, tannin and oak
Read about the winemakers’ job of handling fruit gently and allowing it to speak, but not to shout.
Looking at a ‘4th tier’ of liquor controls, the state of wine-to-go at New York restaurants, industry uncertainty in South Africa, and a spat involving Australian wines.
A long-time AWS supporter and conference lecturer has authored his first novel.
See what your fellow AWS members have been up to recently.
Donnie Nettles, 76
***To print the News, in most web browsers, simply click the three dots at the top right of your browser and choose print.
Another amazing conference is straight ahead
Looks like we’re headed for another fabulous event: More than 500 people signed up for the National Conference within four days after registration opened on July 14. Do not wait to do the same if you plan to go!
Sponsors announced
We are excited to announce that the Garden State Wine Growers Association will sponsor the Welcome Reception on Thursday as well as Saturday’s lunch. New Jersey produces some of the most interesting, diverse, and delicious wines on the East Coast, and the roster of wineries in the Garden State keeps growing. Our theme for Thursday night will be New Jersey Rockers, so come dressed as your favorite rocker and enjoy a night dedicated to New Jersey wines.
We’re also happy to announce that Domaine Bousquet will sponsor Friday’s lunch. The Domaine Bousquet estate consists of 590 acres in the Gualtallary Valley, a scenic, remote, arid terrain high in the Tupungato district of the Uco Valley in Argentina’s Mendoza region. The area has idyllic wine-growing conditions. The vineyard sits in the Andes foothills at 4,000 feet above sea level. Because of its location, Domaine Bousquet’s vineyards benefit from a cool climate and constant fresh air.
Conference brochure online only
You already should have received the conference brochure via e-mail; it is available in digital format only. It also is available on the AWS website under the Events tab.
If you have already registered for the conference, starting on Tuesday, August 17, at 8 a.m. Eastern time, you were able to log into your profile and make your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd selections for your session time slots. No need set your alarm or cut into breakfast. You have until Friday, August 20, at 6 p.m. Eastern time, to make your choices.
If you plan on coming to conference and need a hotel, do not delay! This is likely be a sold-out event, so you do not want to miss getting our discounted room rate for your stay! Be sure to book your room today.
As always, thanks to everyone who is hard at work helping to create this program. I am excited and honored to be the AWS National Conference Coordinator for the 7th consecutive year; I do it because I enjoy it so much and because of all of YOU!
As always, you can e-mail me directly with any questions regarding the conference program. Cheers!
Anticipation builds for 2021 amateur wine competition
We want to be sure to keep our judges busy during the upcoming wine competition, and getting more entries than in past years may do the trick. However, we need help from you, our members, to get word to those winemakers who don’t belong to AWS.
Let them know that our registration is open and available online, and they have until October 15, 2021, for their wine to be delivered to us.
And, if they’d like to benefit from the discount that AWS members receive when entering the competition, they can easily join a local chapter.
For those winemakers who have participated in previous competitions but have not yet responded to our survey, it remains open through the end of August, so there’s still some time left give us your feedback.
–Vince Williams, chair of the AWS Amateur Wine Competition
American Wine Society awards
The American Wine Society presents four awards each year to people who have made significant contributions to the wine industry and to our organization. The awards are
- Award of Merit
- Outstanding Member
- Outstanding Regional Vice President
- Outstanding Chapter Chair
Winners of the first two already have been determined for 2021 based on nominations from you, our members. However, October 1 is the deadline to submit nominations for the other two awards for 2021.
In all cases, nominees should be people who have helped shape both AWS and the American wine industry.
Award of Merit. This year’s winner is Kevin Zraly, who is being recognized for his significant contribution to the production, understanding or enjoyment of wine. Notably, the winner of this award alone can be involved in viticulture, enology, education, journalism or merchandising, and does not have to be a member of AWS.
Outstanding Member. This year finds two AWS members sharing the award: Gary Pavlis and Joe Fiola. The award recognizes their dedication of substantial time and energy to the advancement of AWS for all of its members. To be considered by the Executive Advisory Board, nominees must have exhibited long and valuable service as a national officer or committee chairman; have contributed to the AWS Journal or other publications; or a combinations of these.
Be sure to start thinking about nominees’ names you can submit for 2022. Send the person’s name and a write-up of why he/she should be selected to Pam Davey at pamdavey@aol.com.
Outstanding Regional Vice President and Outstanding Chapter Chair. Be sure you act before the October 1 deadline to submit nominations for these two awards for the Board of Directors to consider. Send the names of nominees for these awards to Carrie Garczynski, AWS Director of Membership, at directormembership@americanwinesociety.org.
— Pam Davey, Awards coordinator
Staffing change at the National Office
Membership Services Manager Katie Kearney will leave AWS employment this month for a new job that continues her unbroken streak of service to worthy nonprofit organizations. While I’m sad professionally to see her leave, I am happy for her personally.
Katie worked closely with chapter chairs and regional vice presidents and any member who contacted her. She always delivered excellent customer service. Having a chapter chair or member take me aside or mention on the phone “You know, Katie is really outstanding. She helped me with…” became routine.
For the past 4-1/2 years as she and I developed the AWS National Office in Scranton, Katie was an essential component in its success. Her career in nonprofit work provided an astute sounding board and solid judgment. Yet, for all her value and knowledge, she willingly tackled some of the less glamorous and more tedious jobs in a nonprofit office and beyond, as I’m sure conference attendees can attest.
During her tenure, we managed an AWS digital transformation. We worked successfully, if remotely, through Covid-19. We pivoted to better serve members. Behind the scenes, she and I exchanged recipes, discussed classical music, and dropped Polish phrases and Northeastern Pennsylvania-isms.
While the search has begun for someone who can demonstrate a similar level of skill and provide comparable member service, it undoubtedly won’t be an exact match to some of her unique qualities.
The Board of Directors and I, and the entire organization that has grown to love her, wish Katie the very best throughout life. Wherever a few AWS members are gathered from now on, she is surely welcome.
— Executive Director David Falchek
2021 National Tasting Project
It’s wonderful to see reporting forms start to roll in from chapters! I hope we’ll get as close as possible to 100% chapter participation in the next few months. Thank you to all the chapters who have or are planning to participate!
My chapter chose to conduct the NTP as two separate tastings of 6 wines each, separated by country. The PowerPoint for NTP is designed to make 2 tasting events easy to accomplish. Keep this in mind for your planning.
Reminder for ordering wines
While you still can purchase the wines, please plan your tastings as soon as possible to ensure they’re available.
Remember that MarketView is not carrying the wines because of issues with our supplier. Wineworks received only the Bosnian wines, but you can order the Croatian wines from https://www.croatianpremiumwine.com/wine/aws-ntp-2021. Also, feel free to reach out to Indira Bayer directly at: indirabayer@winesofillyria.com.
If you need the Excel packet, please email ntp@americanwinesociety.org, and I will send it to you. Please also use this same email to turn in your reporting forms to Chris McCutcheon. The deadline is October 4, 2021.
Clarification on the NTP leadership transition
Be assured that I remain the NTP Chair until the end of November, when I turn in the final summary report for posting on the AWS website. Beginning in December, Michael Blake will take over as the NTP Chair for 2022.
Please continue to send all emails and reporting forms to ntp@americanwinesociety.org. Mike also will have access to this email address in case you have a question regarding 2022 NTP.
— Sharyn Kervyn, NTP Chair; CSW, WSET3, CWJ
The AWSEF needs you — now
With a deadline of August 15 quickly approaching, you’re invited to apply for a position on the AWSEF Board of Trustees.
For any member of AWS, it’s as simple as sending an email to me (president@awsef.org) with one brief paragraph emphasizing your qualifications (years of membership in AWS, committee and/or chapter activities, wine-related or other nonprofit board activities, etc.) and a second paragraph outlining what you’d like to accomplish, if elected.
Board of Trustee terms are for 4 years and will begin on January 1, 2022. Actual responsibilities on the Board are determined in a group meeting, depending on the Trustee’s interests and background. We have three teleconference meetings and one in-person meeting each year.
Then, be on the lookout for an email in September from the AWSEF via SurveyMonkey with the ballot listing all of the candidates and, please, take a moment to complete your ballot to vote.
Please join us! If you have any questions or need more information, call me at 256-424-3667 or email me at president@awsef.org.
2021 AWSEF scholarship recipients
We are pleased to announce the 2021 AWS Educational Foundation scholarship recipients! A future newsletter will include photos and information about the research of these very talented and hard-working students, each of whose scholarships total $3,500.
| Scholarship | Recipient | Degree sought | University |
| Banfi Scholarship | Sarah Bogenrief | M.S. | North Dakota State University |
| Cleveland, OH | Hannah Charnock | Ph.D. | Brock University, Ontario |
| Lehigh Valley, PA | Demetra Perry | Ph.D. | Cornell University |
| NE PA Regional, PA | Portia McGonigal | Ph.D. | University of British Columbia |
| North Alabama, AL | Evelyn Alvarez-Mendoza | M.S. | California Polytech State University |
| Smoky Mountain, TN | Bailey Hallwachs | M.S. | Washington State University |
| Thomas Jefferson, KY | Lauren Marigliano | M.S. | University of California, Davis |
Seeking donations for our silent auction in Atlantic City
Trustee Christine Murphy is collecting donations for the AWSEF silent auction to be held at this year’s AWS National Conference in Atlantic City.
You can ship the items to the AWS national office in advance or deliver them to us when you arrive at the conference. Either way, please be sure to complete the Silent Auction Donation Form included at the end of this article.
The “Giving” tab on our website home page, www.awsef.org, will take you to additional information for participating in the Silent Auction. If you have questions, reach out to Christine at vpcorporatedev@awsef.org.
We will also hold an online raffle for folks unable to attend the conference just as we did in 2020. I’ll announce the raffle prize in an upcoming newsletter.
It’s no secret we cannot fulfill our mission without our supportive donors, and we are grateful to you!
— Kristen Lindelow, AWSEF President
Winemakers’ corner: Finding balance in fining for color, tannin and oak
Our job as winemakers is to handle our fruit gently and allow it to speak, but not to shout. A wine that shouts is one that is out of balance, perhaps with alcohol that is too strong for the fruit, has too much acid, or too much oak.
Read more on my blog about the challenges that every winemaker faces in crafting a vintage: avoiding what is described as “hardness.”
— Kevin Kourofsky, Kourofsky Wine
Goverment affairs
Here’s a brief roundup of official actions that affect consumers and wine.
Are we adding the “4th tier” to liquor controls?
Direct-to-consumer (DTC) wine sales, “cocktails & wine to-go,” and numerous unlicensed delivery services all received emergency approval to help us get through the pandemic. Now, states are scrambling to find ways to control them.
Very few states have laws that will cover these new practices. In fact, many states still have laws on their books that say that they are “illegal,” and pending lawsuits in no less than 7 states challenge these laws. Likewise, wholesalers are suing retailers, and many want the U.S. Supreme Court to decide what is right and wrong.
An earlier case shows why that might not yield clarity.
In 2005, the Supreme Court clearly stated that it is unconstitutional to prohibit out-of-state wineries from shipping directly to consumers while allowing in-state wineries to do so. This means that a state must allow every winery to ship DTC, or no wineries to ship DTC. While that seemed clear to me, some lower courts have ignored the decision (Granholm v. Heald). Today, only 15 states and Washington, D.C., allow out-of-state retailers to sell directly to consumers.
This melee will continue as long as politicians listen to well-funded special interest groups. It will change only when politicians listen to consumers of the alcoholic beverages and then propose laws that will serve them.
New York
Liquor stores in New York do not want restaurants to sell wine-to-go. When the state of emergency was lifted on June 23rd, restaurants and bars were allowed to operate at full capacity. The very next day, they were told that the wine- or cocktails-to-go service was now illegal. There were actual bills in the works at the state legislature to make this service permanent. Those bills are now dead and buried. What happened to this service that gave consumers what they wanted and brought in much need sales for the restaurants and bars? Liquor stores in New York do not want restaurants to sell wine-to-go. Yes, there is an echo in here.
South Africa
President Cyril Ramaphosa in late June shut down all sales of alcoholic beverages for the 4th time since the start of the pandemic. What was supposed to be a two-week shutdown later was extended to ease the stress on hospitals by reducing alcohol-induced health emergencies.
A legal appeal by the Vinpro, an organization representing about 2,600 wine and grape producers in the Western Cape, had a hearing scheduled for August 23. Vinpro wants the ban lifted on transportation of liquor and off-site consumption in the Western Cape only. It didn’t challenge the ban on on-site consumption in bars and taverns anywhere in the country.
South Africa’s 2019 vintage is schedule for release this autumn.
China and Australia
Australia’s complaint to the World Trade Organization that China’s high tariffs on Australian wines are unwarranted received a strange response: China challenged Australia’s anti-dumping tariffs on stainless steel sinks, wind towers, and railway wheels, all of which were being exported to Australia at below normal prices.
The higher prices for Australian wines will probably help to persuade Chinese wine consumers to buy more Chinese wine. Over time, all of this gets sorted out by the WTO and the Chinese will get cheaper Australian wines and the Australians will get cheaper sinks, wind towers, and railway wheels.
— Tom Cobett, tcobett@tcobettandassociates.com
Paul Wagner tackles mystery
Long-time AWS supporter, 2018 winner of the Award of Merit, and conference lecturer Paul Wagner is not only an internationally recognized expert on wine, but now he’s also authored his first novel titled Danger: Falling Rocks.
Paul, a passionate backpacker and hiker, combined his love of storytelling with his love of the Sierra Nevada to write a mystery that was published in June by Val de Grace Books. The action is set in the Emigrant Wilderness, and the protagonist is a ranger at the Summit Ranger Station in the Stanislaus National Forest.
You can read more about Danger: Falling Rocks here.
Chapter events
The 50 Shades of Grape Chapter (NJ) hosted a tasting at Bellview Winery with Nancy and Jim. After many months of not seeing each other the event was more of a get-together to discuss further tasting events.
The Derby Somms Chapter (KY) held its first in-person tasting in over 15 months with all members attending on June 19. The tasting was hosted by David and Anne Heard. The theme was Individual Bordeaux Varietals and One Blend. Six wines were poured and given to the members for tasting.
Results, from highest to lowest scored, are listed here. There was a tie for second place.
| 2018 The Dissident Mark Ryan Winery,70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, Columbia Valley, WA | $36 | (1) |
| 2017 Finca Ambrosia Vina Unica, Malbec, Argentina | $22 | (2) |
| 2017 Garson Single Vineyard Petit Verdot, Uruguay | $28 | (2) |
| 2018 The Scooter, Molly Dooker, Merlot, Australia | $29 | (3) |
| 2018 Mount Veeder Winery, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa, CA | $39 | |
| 2018 Gibbs, Cabernet Franc, Napa, CA | $31 |
The Fleur de Lis Chapter (KY) held its first in person tasting in over 15 months with all members attending on May 15. The tasting was hosted by Chris Zaborowski and Robin Penick. The theme was Tuscany. Six wines were poured and given to the members for tasting.
| 2016 Antinori, Pian Della Vigne, Brunello di Montalcino, DOCG | $89 | (1) | |
| 2014 Gianni Brunelli, Brunello di Montalcino, DOCG | $74 | (2) | |
| 2016 Banfi, Belnero, Toscana, IGT | $33 | (2) | |
| 2015 Tenute Silvio Nardi, Brunello di Montalcino, DOCG | $84 | (3) | |
| 2016 La Spinetta, I’ll Nero di Casonova, Sangiovese, Toscana, IGT | $22 | ||
| 2014 Podere Scopetone, Brunello di Montalcino, DOCG | $53 |
After more than a year spent not enjoying wine with one another, 30+ Heritage Hunt (VA) Chapter members finally got together for an exceptional in-person event at Granite Heights Winery just outside of Warrenton, VA, on May 20. Members felt it was fantastic to be back together again!
Wines with their corresponding food pairing:
| 2020 Petit Manseng | ($23) | A perogy sauteed in butter and sweet onions |
| 2017 Chardonnay | ($24) | A grilled chicken breast in a lemon pepper/Petit Manseng cream sauce |
| 2016 Barbera | ($28) | Meatballs baked in a tomato sauce infused with Lomax Reserve and Barbera wine |
| 2016 Lomax Reserve | ($28) | Chocolate cake and a caramel chocolate bite and chocolate syrup. |
The Keuka Chapter (NY) of the AWS met on Sunday, June 13, at the home of Wanda and Les Wood, in Penn Yan, NY. Twelve members attended, including new regional co-vice-presidents! The theme of the tasting was local, Finger Lakes, NY, Rosé wines. They began with a delightfully welcomed social by enjoying a meal together: pork tenderloin and applesauce accompanied by veggies, salads, and desserts brought by the guests. Interestingly, one of the wines was made from a grape that has pigmented pulp — Saperavi.
The wines were:
- Tabora Farm and Winery 2019 estate grown rosé, of Cabernet Franc & Pinot Noir
- Weis, 2019 Zweigelt, dry rosé
- Weis, 2020, Zweigelt, dry rosé
- Lakewood 2020 Lemberger dry rosé
- Herman J. Wiemer, 2020 Pinot dry rosé
- Standing Stone Teinturier Saperavi (no vintage listed on bottle)
On Saturday, June 12 , a large group of Lehigh Valley (PA) members and friends gathered at the Allentown Rose Gardens for an outside wine tasting hosted by Ann Vlot and Matt Green with dinner provided by Mama’s Italian Grille of Fogelsville.
The group tasted six sets of wines (one decanted and one not decanted), 12 in all, to answer the question of whether “To Decant, or Not to Decant.” Members learned about the merits of decanting leading to more wine enjoyment. Decanting results showed that (for most wines) a wine’s score increased by an average of 0.6 points with decanting. The only exception is the 1973, which declined slightly. However, given the small score differences and relatively large standard deviations, the increase (or decrease) in scores from decanting was only statistically significant for the Shelter Cab Sauvignon. Alas, members will have to continue to research the question of decanting on their own, for many years to come.
| 2014 Domaine Jean router Rhone Blend | $27 | |
| 2012 Domaine Alaine Michelot Bourgogne | $25 | |
| 2012 Shelter Cabernet Sauvignon (decanted) | $50 | (1) |
| 2013 Elio Altare Barbara d’Alba | $22 | |
| 1973 Fattoria dei Barbi Brunello di Montalcino | $69 | |
| 2013 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino (decanted) | $60 | (2) |
| 2013 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino (not decanted) | $60 | (3) |
On June 28, the North Wake (NC) Chapter held a live meeting for the first time since February 2020, at the Estate at Nimich Pond, Raleigh, NC. At the request of the Estate’s owners, the chapter and its members made donations totaling $235 to the Ronald
McDonald House in Durham, NC. Thirty-three members and guests attended. Presenters Laure Lavesque and Greg Hedrick of Queen of Wines poured sparkling wines from France, Germany, and Italy, and described the various methods by which sparkling wines are made. Members learned the history of sparkling wines and that the production of sparkling wine is a very labor-intensive process. Many of the processes used today are the same ones that were used in the 19th century. Laura and Greg also poured still wines from two of the wineries, made with the same grapes (Pinot Noir and Vernaccia) from the same vineyards.
| NV Sick-Dreyer Cremant Brut Rosé | $27 | ||
| 2019 Sick-Dreyer Pinot Noir | $25 | ||
| NV Casa alle Vacche Pancoli | $25 | (2) | |
| 2019 Casa alle Vacche Vernaccia di San Gimignano | $18 | ||
| NV Brut Exclusive Les Cordeliers | $27 | (3-tie) | |
| 2018 Zahringer Winzersekt Brut | $27 | ||
| 2018 Zahringer Cremant | $34 | (3-tie) | |
| 2011 Guy Dumangin Brut Millésimé Premier Cru | $54 | (1) |
The Ocean City Isle (NC) Chapter held a “Summer Sipper” tasting during late May that included 90+ point rated wines. Wines were highly rated summer whites and rose’. Fifty-one members and guests gathered at The Silver Coast Winery, where guest shared and enjoyed appetizers and parinings of shrimp cocktails, grilled chicken, triple cream cheese, and other goodies.
| Kia Ora Sauvignon Blanc (92 BD) | $14 |
| Sun Goddess Sauvignon Blanc (90 JS) | $20 |
| Albino Armani Pinot Grigio (91 BD) | $12 |
| Atrevida Chardonnay (92 JS) | $14 |
| Crimson Ranch Chardonnay | $15 |
| Olema Rose (92 JS) | $17 |
| Samuel Robert Winery Pinot Noir Rose (92 BD) | $15 |
Myrtle Beach (SC) Chapter met July 15, 2021, for New Zealand Passport-Beyond Marlborough presented by chair and co-chair Richard & Mary Berezinsky to 31 members/guests. We tasted wines from five of NZ’s 10 wine regions and discovered how greatly Sauvignon Blanc & Pinot Noir (the most widely planted grapes) could differ from one area to another.
| 2020 Mt. Beautiful Sauvignon Blanc | $23 | (2) |
| 2020 Te Mata Estates Sauvignon Blanc | $18 | |
| 2020 Allan Scott Sauvignon Blanc | $12 | |
| 2020 Kumeu River Village Chardonnay | $23 | (3) |
| 2020 GreyRock Sauv. Blanc Rose | $15 | |
| 2018 Cottesbrook Pinot Noir | $16 | |
| 2019 Oyster Bay Pinot Noir | $11 | |
| 2019 Innocent Bystander Central Otago Pinot Noir | $20 | (1) |
The Northampton Chapter (PA) held a Sauvignon Blanc tasting hosted by Dave and Liz Toler. Eighteen members were anxious to converse and eager to exchange notes after not seeing each other for some time. Dave gave a great presentation on the four different locations: Chile, France, New Zealand, & South Africa. Residual sugar and acidity were also explained and it was interesting to discover that the higher RS levels were not always easy to taste.
2018 Ken Forrester Petit, S Afr. (1)
2019 Cellier du Beaujardin, Fr. (2)
2019 Natura Organic Chile (3)
2019 N.V. Cloudy Bay, N.Z.
2020 N.V. Cloudy Bay, N.Z.
Thirty-nine members of the Pittsburgh East (PA) Chapter met on May 7 for a great presentation by Dr. Juan Lora of Uruguayan wines from Bodega Garzon. While Uruguay produces only 5% as much wine as Argentina, serious investment is pouring into the vineyards dotted all over the country — and in particular, near the coastline where the warm, flat agricultural plains are cooled by daily marine breezes from the Atlantic Ocean, Rio de la Plata, and the Uruguay River. Bodega Garzon is the ambitious vision of Argentine billionaire Alejandro Bulgheroni and has grown to 550 vineyard acres since opening in 2016. Its portfolio includes Marselan, a red French grape variety that is a cross between Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache, and was first bred in 1961 near the French town of Marseillan.
| 2019 Reserve Sauvignon Blanc | $18 | (1) |
| 2018 Single Vineyard Albarino | $25 | (2) |
| 2016 Reserve Pinot Noir Rose | $18 | (3) |
| 2018 Single Vineyard Pinot Noir | $28 | |
| 2018 Reserve Cabernet Franc | $20 | |
| 2018 Reserve Marselan | $18 | |
| 2017 Single Vineyard Merlot | $28 | |
| 2018 Reserve Tannat | $18 | |
| 2018 Single Vineyard Tannat | $30 | |
| 2018 Single Vineyard Petit Verdot | $28 |
The Shallotte (NC) Chapter had its second face-to-face outdoor meeting this year on April 14. There were 15 members present (all have had their 2 vaccine shots). The topic was Women Winemakers, their contribution through history starting in the 18th century to present.
Members learned that Barbe-Nicole Cliquot (1777–1866) was the innovator for riddling, and Isabelle Simi (1886–1981) was the first American female commercial winemaker. Women have shaped the world of wine in some awesome ways.
Attendees sampled six wines, including a Pinot Noir, 2 Cabernet Sauvignons, a Petite Sirah, and GSM blend with some Cabernet Sauvignon and an old-vine Syrah.
The ratings of the wines in order group rankings:
| 2019 Katie Jones La Gare Old Vine Syrah, France – Languedoc-Rousillon | $35 | (1) |
| 2019 Camille Benitah Limite Red, California – Paso Robles | $32 | (2) |
| 2019 Carmen Stevens Angels Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, South Africa – Western Cape | $16 | (3) |
| 2018 Karen Birmingham Reserve Petite Sirah, California – Lodi | $22 | |
| 2019 Jacqueline Bahue Pinot Noir, California – Santa Barbara | $36 | |
| 2019 Sharon Weeks Cattoo Cabernet Sauvignon, California – Paso Robles | $30 |
The Southport (NC) Chapter met on Friday evening, July 9. It was hosted by Dave & Vicki Caruso (co-chairs) at the St. James Community Center. The meeting had 49 members and 4 guests in attendance. Members enjoyed some social discussion prior to the meeting, then reviewed the National Office and our three local chapter news/information/activities, and celebrated chapter member birthdays.
The theme of the tasting was “Virginia Wine,.” in which they tasted several Virginia AVAs. Eight wines were discussed: the Shenandoah Valley, Monticello, George Washington Birthplace, and Middleburg AVAs. The wines, with food pairings, were:
| Whites | ||
| 2019 New Kent Winery Vidal Blanc | Poached Salmon | $20 |
| 2020 King Family Crosé | Orzo Salad | $20 |
| 2019 Veritas Viognier | Mediterranean Potato Salad | $20 |
| 2017 Trump Winery Chardonnay | Roasted Butternut Squash | $19 |
| Reds | ||
| 2019 Rappahannock Cellars Cabernet Franc | Blue Cheese Stuffed Green Olives | $27 |
| 2018 Pearmund Ameritage | Sharp Babybel Cheese | $20 |
| 2015 North Gate Merlot | Smoked Salmon | $18 |
| 2019 Williamsburg Winery Barrel Aged Claret | Watermelon Feta Cheese Salad | $15 |
To have your event included in the AWS News, e-mail your tasting results to me at chapterevents@americanwinesociety.org.
Please follow the format specified for Chapter Events, which you can download from the AWS website.
Include the cost of the wines you tasted, plus scores or rankings. This information lets other members know what you liked and which wines were good values.
AND … Please send us sharp, interesting pictures from your event. We would love to share those, too.
— Adrienne Turner, Chapter Events editor
Obituary: Donnie R. Nettles
Donnie passed away on January 17, 2021, at the age of 76 after a 7-month battle with cancer. He was a Lifetime Member of the American Wine Society and served on the AWS Board as Director of Competitions for five years.
Donnie was an avid amateur winemaker and received several AWS medals over the years. He recently was awarded a gold medal and the 2020 Les Sperling Best Fruit Wine Award for his signature Lime Wine. He was a former member of the Cleveland Chapter, the Maitland Chapter, and the Space Coast Chapter in Palm Bay, Florida, where he resided. He and his wife formed a winemaking group in Florida and mentored many members in winemaking. He was also a member of Florida Wine and Grape Growers Association and volunteered much of his time and talents to this organization.
His 45-year career in the aircraft industry began as a tool-and-die maker and continued as a manufacturing engineer for Grumman Corporation, then Northrop Grumman, and Boeing. He lived much of his life in Ohio, where he met his wife, Betty, and then returned to his home state of Florida.
He had many talents besides winemaking—beekeeping, woodworking, bowling, hunting, and horseshoe pitching. You could often find him working on a cross stitch creation for which he also won awards.
Donnie was one of 11 children and was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers and three sisters. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Betty; a daughter and son; two grandchildren; 2 brothers and 3 sisters. Always willing to share a bottle of wine, he will be missed most for his ability to make everyone feel at home in his presence.
Donnie honorably served in the U S. Army and lies in rest at Cape Canaveral National Cemetery in Mims, Florida.
| AWS News Staff | We welcome your comments and suggestions. |
| Jack Kraft, Editor | AmericanWineSocietyNews@gmail.com |
| David Falchek, Publisher | ExecutiveDirector@AmericanWineSociety.org |
| Adrienne Turner | ChapterEvents@AmericanWineSociety.org |
| Tom Cobett | tcobett@tcobettandassociates.com |
| Sharyn Kervyn | NTP@AmericanWineSociety.org |
| Kevin Kourofsky | carolynandkevinathome@gmail.com |
| Kristen Lindelow | President@AWSEF.org |
| Diane Meyer | Diane@AmericanWineSociety.org |
