The American Wine Society (AWS) held its annual convention in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, at the beginning of November, and the winners of its commercial competition included a number of local wineries and cideries.
Since the National Conference in 1986, the American Wine Society has hosted an annual competition for commercial wine, which now includes spirits.
A wide range of specialists from the wine industry, such as writers, marketers, and winemakers, are chosen to serve as judges. Many are also selected from among those who have completed the demanding Wine Judge Certification Program offered by AWS.
According to the website, all of the wines are evaluated blindly and by panel consensus.
American Wine Society medals, posts on the American Wine Society website, and publicity in American Wine Society publications are given to winning wines, ciders, and meads.
During the early November American Wine Society convention, a range of wines from Raffaldini Vineyards in neighboring Ronda, Wilkes County, were on display.The American Wine Society
The complete list of winners may be found below, however the double gold winners from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and New York are listed alphabetically.
The results of the amateur tournament, which also took place on those two days, are available at this website.
Tim Traxler of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, took first place with his 2022 Red Raspberry, which won both best in show and best in the fruit wine category.
Joe Fiola, the renowned Maryland small fruit specialist from the Western Maryland Research and Education Center, claimed top place in red vinifera with a 2021 Carmenere, while Robert Davis of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, won best in show for white vinifera with a 2023 Gruner.
Wine Classroom
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!