To help identify the best of the best, ASWA holds an annual wine competition, the largest in the nation focused exclusively on the wines of the East Coast. The competition covers the 17 states from Maine to Florida that border the Atlantic, including Vermont, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania.

Held in late summer, our professional competition judges hail from all parts of the country and from many facets of the wine trade.

The perpetual Jefferson Loving Cup, designed by Tiffany in sterling silver, is engraved with the winning winery’s name and presented to the Best of Show entrant.

Winning wines are showcased at the Unified Wine and Grape Symposium in Sacramento, CA, the leading wine industry convention, typically drawing 15,000 attendees. ASWA Board members host dinners in California with industry professionals to highlight the strengths of eastern wines, give educational presentations at the university level, and bring focus to Atlantic Seaboard wines through a leading wine-and-food radio broadcast. Opportunities for increased exposure then continue throughout the year.