Todd Steiner, Ohio State University Enology Program Manager and Outreach Specialist, Receives Monteith Trophy 2023

Todd Steiner has been a force in the wine community for more than three decades. From his seminal role as a lab technician in 1996, Steiner has progressed through positions from Program Manager to Outreach Specialist leading the Ohio State University Enology Program. As such, he serves as liaison to the Ohio commercial wine industry.

For the past 25 years, Steiner has organized the annual Ohio Grape and Wine Conference, one of the longer-running events which regularly draws 300+ attendees. He provides approximately six in-state workshops per year covering the evaluation of wine quality, laboratory analysis, sensory evaluation techniques and essential wine production practices.

Steiner was instrumental in the creation of the Ohio Quality Wine Program (OQW). This highly regarded seal holds wines to a benchmark quality standard recognized by consumers and media alike. In addition, he developed a system for the Ohio Wine Competition to analyze entries and inaugurated the practice of distributing judges’ notes to the participating wineries.

During the pandemic 2020/21, Steiner created virtual workshops and webinars as well as spearheading the virtual version of the Ohio Grape and Wine Conference. In all, his on-line achievements have provided an enormous amount of information to the wine community including free one hour consultations with his virtual team of winemakers and consultants as well as a “train the trainer” initiative to service Ohio’s 400+ wineries. In 2022, he published the Wine Production Guide through the OSU Extention Publications, a valuable resource of essential information in the production of sound, quality wines.

The Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association inaugarated the sterling silver Monteith Trophy in 1980. It is one of the most elegant awards in the U.S. wine industry. Weighing in at 123 ounces of pure sterling silver, the bowl was created in 1980 by Tiffany & Co. for the Vinifera Wine Growers Association (now the Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association). As early as 1689, designs similar to the Monteith were used in the service of wine in England. Smaller versions used by George Washington are on display in the Mount Vernon dining room.

ASWA presents the trophy to individuals or organizations that have made exceptional contributions to the development and sustainability of the American wine industry by actively providing leadership and motivation, in addressing both legislative and regulatory issues, supporting innovative and technical research, encouraging wine and health related studies, and contributing to consumer education and appreciation through the arts, literature and the media.

Fred Frank Honored with Perpetual Monteith Trophy 2022

Preserving a legacy and carrying on the family traditions of innovation and experimentation, Fred Frank is a force in New York winemaking. Since 1993, he has headed Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery in Hammondsport, building on his grandfather’s achievement in making the Finger Lakes a region known to produce world-class wines. The Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association is proud to honor Mr. Frank with its Monteith Trophy 2023.

Fred gained valuable vineyard experience working alongside Konstantin Frank as a child, but his family insisted he receive formal training and real world experience before joining the family business. Upon graduating from Cornell, Mr. Frank worked in sales for Banfi Vintners before attending Geisenheim Reserch Institute for Viticulture and Enology in West Germany. When he returned he served as managing director at Banfi’s Old Brookville Vineyard.

Fred’s interest in German varietals did not wain with the years. He recently purchased 90 acres east of Seneca Lake (known as the banana belt) and is currently evaluating where the best sites and soils are for the cultivation of gruner veltliner and blaufrankishch, among others.

Mr. Frank’s deep involvement in enology education is expressed in his continuing support of Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). He has served two terms on the Dean’s Advisory Council, is a member of the Liberty Hyde Bailey Leadership Society, and has served as a member of the advisory council for the New York State Agricultural Station. Fred was a district director of the CALS Alumni Association and in 2010 was named an Outstanding Alumni. In addition, Fred hosts an international intern program at the winery.

Sparkling wine from upstate New York is one of many projects championed by Fred Frank. He believes with a climate closer to Champagne’s than is California’s, sparkling wine from the Finger Lakes stand among the world’s finest. The Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association concurs: Dr. Konstantin Frank Celebre NV and Brut 2017 have received the highest awards in the Association’s annual wine competitions. With seven offerings of fine sparklers, Fred Frank continues to grow the program.

Fred also introduced a value line called “Salmon Run” using grapes sourced from local farms around the Finger Lakes. The Georgian varieties Rkatsiteli and Saperavi have long been grown on the property, originally planted by Konstantin Frank himself. Fred is delighted that wine drinkers are growing in their appreciation of these grapes.

Fred Frank travels extensively educating consumers and wine professionals about the Finger Lakes region and East Coast grape varietals. He is a perennial speaker at the American Wine Society Conference.

As the third generation winemaker, Fred Frank has actively encouraged his daughter Meaghan to participate in the family business. He is delighted with her engagement and enthusiasm to carry on in her great-grandfather’s footsteps.

2021: Sharon Horton, Horton Vineyards, VA

2020: Ann Raffetto, Wagner Vineyards, New York

2019: Dr. Joseph A. Fiola, University of Maryland

2018: Nick Frey, Sonoma County Winegrape Commission et al

2017: Richard L. Thomas, founder, Santa Rosa Junior College viticulture program

2015: Luca Paschina, Winemaker and General Manager, Barboursville Vineyards, VA

2014: Dave McIntyre, Wine Columnist, The Washington Post

2013: Margrit Biever Mondavi, Vice President, Art and Culture, Robert Mondavi Winery, CA

2011: Robert P. “Bobby” Koch, President and Chief Executive Officer of Wine Institute

2009: Karen Ross, President, California Association of Winegrape Growers, CA

2006 – 2008: Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation and Jamestown 2007, America’s 400^th Anniversary of the establishment of the Jamestown Colony in May of 1607

2005: Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens, James Rees, Executive Director, VA

2004: Representatives George Radanovich and Mike Thompson, Co-Chairmen/Founders of the United States Congressional Wine Caucus, Washington, D.C.

2003: WineAmerica (American Vintners Association)

2002: Donniella Winchell, Executive Director, Ohio Wine Producers Association, OH

2001: American Wine Society, President, Pamela J. Davey

2000: Willy K. Frank, Dr. Frank’s Vinifera Wine Cellars, Ltd., NY

1999: Lynne Tuft, Artist and Author, The Grapes Grow Sweet

1998: Wines & Vines magazine, Philip E. Hiaring, Editor/Publisher

1997: Wine Enthusiast magazine, William R. Tisherman (Tish), Executive Editor, NY

1996: R. Curtis Ellison, M.D., Chief, Section of Preventative Medicine & Epidemiology, Boston University School of Medicine, MA

1995: Jim Trezise, President, New York Wine & Grape Foundation, NY

1994: K. Dun Gifford, President, Oldways Preservation & Exchange Trust, MA

1993: Ben Giliberti, Wine Writer, The Washington Post

1992: Professor Garth A. Cahoon, OH

1991: Dr. Professor Carl W. Haesler, distinguished viticultural scientist, PA

1990: Dr. David V. Peterson, Viticulturist, SW Missouri State University and Cornell University, NY

1989: Dr. Robert G. Rizza, KS

1988: Florida Agricultural Extension, FL

1987: Minnesota Grape Growers Association, MN

1986: Wine East Magazine, Hudson Cattell, Editor

1985: Long Island Grape Growers Association, NY

1984: The Georgia Grape Growers Association, GA

1983: Mississippi Food and Enology Laboratory, MI

1982: Tennessee Viticulture and Oenological Society, TN

1981: Mrs. Thomas F. Furness, Proprietor, Piedmont Vineyards, VA

1980: Dr. Konstantin Frank, NY

Gene Pierce of Glenora Wine Cellars Honored with Grape Productivity Award 2023

Grape Productivity Award 2022 Presented to Al and Cheryl Kellert of Gray Ghost Vineyards

Located in Amissville, Virginia, on what was previously a horse farm, Al and Cheryl Kellert of Gray Ghost Vineyards planted their first vines in 1986.The Kellerts were early pioneers in the emerging Virginia wine scene that began in the late 1970’s. The Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association is proud to acknowledge their work with the 2023 Wine Grape Productivity Award.
 
Appointed in the late 1990’s, Al Kellert served on the Virginia Winegrowers Advisory Board, a unit of the Department of Agriculture created to contract research to improve viticultural and enological practices in the Virginia wine industry, promote education about and appreciation for Virginia wine, and disseminate information on wine and viticultural topics.
 
Cheryl Kellert has served as Treasurer and Board Member of the Virginia Vineyards Association. The VVA is a nonprofit organization that brings together commercial grape growers, winemakers, researchers and educators to advance viticulture in Virginia. In 2011, Cheryl was presented a certificate “for her vast achievements, leadership in the community, and character and dedication as a Woman in  Business in the Commonwealth of Virginia” at the Governor’s Mansion in Richmond celebrating women in business.
 
The Kellerts have worked with Virginia Tech, the Commonwealth’s leading source of grapegrowing education, research, and information, on studies of the grape berry moth and weed control systems seeking alternatives to herbicides. They are happy to open their vineyards to VA Tech extension courses.
 
Cheryl and Al Kellert are frequent speakers at trade conferences such as Wineries Unlimited. As featured presenters at national events sponsored by the American Wine Society, they have criss-crossed the country – Winston-Salem, Cincinnati, Sacramento and Concord, North Carolina – providing insights into grape growing and marketing the product.
 
The Kellert family is known for its steadfast support of the local community. Second and third generations are dedicated to following Al and Cheryl’s example at both the vineyard and winery, and in their philanthropic endeavors.

2021: Dr. Joy Ting, Winemakers Research Exchange, VA

2020: Anna Katharine Mansfield, Cornell AgriTech, NY

2019: Deirdre Heekin, La Garagista Farm and Winery, Barnard, VT

2018: Peter Bell, Fox Run Vineyards, NY

2017: Thomas Cosentino, Garden State Winegrowers Association, NJ

2016: Jim Law, Linden Vineyards, VA

2015: North Carolina Winegrowers Association, NC

2014: no award given

2013: Curtis Coleburn, chief of the Virginia ABC, VA

2012: John Manfreda, head of TTB, Washington, DC

2011: Tom Payette, winemaking consultant, VA

2010: David McIntyre, The Washington Post wine columnist

2009: Lucie T. Morton, Viticulturist, VA

2008: Kevin Atticks, Executive Director, Maryland Wineries Association, MD

2007: Regency at Dominion Valley Country Club, Heritage Hunt & Stonewall Golf and
Country Clubs for their support of the Atlantic Seaboard Wine Competitions

2006: R. Fletcher Good IV, Yadkin Valley viticulture region, NC

2005: Virginia Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom, VA

2004: Center for Wine & Cardiovascular Health, University 0f Alabama, Represented by Dr. Francois M. Booyse, Director

2003: Lansdowne Resort, Leesburg, VA, Mary Watson-Delauder, Resort Sommelier

2002: New York State Agricultural Experiment Station at Geneva, NY, Timothy Martinson, Representative

2001: Douglas P. Moorhead, Presque Isle Wine Cellars, PA

2000: Dr. G. Hamilton Mowbray, Viticulturist, Enologist, Wine Educator, MD

1999: Alan LeBlanc-Kinne, Winery Consulting Services, Inc., VA

1998: Dr. Tony K. Wolf, VPI, VA

1997: Wine East Magazine, Lancaster, PA

1996: Jacques A. Recht, Enologist and Virginia wine industry pioneer

1995: Frederick T. Dykes, Commissioner, Virginia ABC Board

1994: Women for WineSense, CA

1993: Dr. Bruce Zoecklein, VPI, VA

1992: Willard Scott, WMAL television

1991: Senator John W. Warner, Middleburg, VA

1990: Annette Ringwood, Virginia Wine Marketing Board, VA

1989: Peter Hatch, Monticello, VA

1988: Williamsburg Winery, Williamsburg, VA

1987: Hubert L. Tucker, Waterford, VA

1986: Dr. Jacques A. Recht, Oak Grove, VA

1985: Francis Sargent, Edinburg, VA

1984: Joachim 0. Hollerith, Madison, VA

2023 Birchenall Award Presented To Stephen Casscles

Stephen J. Casscles is a viticulturalist based in Athens, New York. He is the author of the seminal work, Grapes of the Hudson Valley and Other Cool Climate Grapes, as well as an accomplished grape hybridizer and winemaker. The Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association is pleased to recognize his contribution to promoting knowledge of the East Coast wine industry.

Grapes of the Hudson Valley and Other Cool Climate Grapes 2^nd Edition, now considered a classic, was the first book to correctly identify the parentage of hundreds of hybrid grapes, dispelling more than 100 years of faulty information, as well as explaining the optimum growing conditions for each, and including historical profiles of the breeders themselves. The book can be found in the libraries of every major winemaking university programs from New England to Michigan and beyond.

The Casscles family dates back generations in the Hudson Valley. Steve learned to make wine while in high school, working at Benmarl Winery for Mark Miller and his son Eric (future founders of Chaddsford Winery, PA). From there, he earned a law degree from Northeastern University School of Law. He was counsel to various New York state senators for more than 25 years.

In that capacity Casscles became the senior writer or editor of almost every liquor authority legislation enacted in New York state over the expanse of his career in state government. In 2005 he co-authored, with State Senator William J. Larkin, Jr., the report A Proposal For Renewed Growth of the Hudson Valley’s Grape And Wine Industry, which suggested remedies and proposals to improve the wine industry in the Hudson Valley and around New York. Many measures in the report were eventually adopted and helped turn around the Hudson Valley wine landscape. He authored several papers on increasing wine tourism, and helped to shape the language of the laws, allowing for Beverage and Cuisine trails around the state, and improving farm winery laws, which allowed those businesses to operate with more flexibility. Many of these laws have since been adopted by other states.

At his experimental farm, Cedar Ridge, Casscles brought back dozens of heirloom grapes, originally bred in the Hudson Valley, for use in commercial products. His wines and work have been covered by Forbes and he was featured in Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Book of Wine. He reintroduced the grapes and history of Massachusetts breeder E.S. Rogers, and currently has his own nursery, where he sells vines of these heirloom and hybrids, and develops new varieties. He shares his knowledge through lectures at venues such as Harvard, the Eastern Wineries Exposition, and numerous horticultural societies from Long Island to Massachusetts.

Stephen is also a winemaker. Later in life, he became the winemaker at Hudson-Chatham Winery, where his Baco Noir Middlehope Vineyard became the first red wine to earn a score of 90 points or better from Wine Enthusiast, and was the first dry red hybrid varietal wine ever to earn such a score from any major wine publication.

Perhaps no other individual on the east coast has had so much impact, through so many different points of entry, as Stephen J. Casscles, through his multitude of writings for growers, winemakers, and lawmakers, as well as his nursery work and winemaking. Steve’s writings and lectures have been highly instrumental in how wine is grown, made, and sold on the East Coast.

The Birchenall Award is given to members of the wine media for providing insight into the wines of the East Coast wine industry. The late Michael Birchenall founded the trade publication Foodservice Monthly in 2002, just as the restaurant scene was beginning to take off in the Mid-Atlantic region. “The local wine industry was growing at the same time, and Birchenall’s publication helped foster a sense of community among the various parts of the food and wine industries,” according to Dave McIntyre, noted wine columnist at The Washington Post.

Past winners of the award include Richard Leahy, lead organizer for the Eastern Wineries Expo, Virginia wine writer Nancy Bauer, creator of the Virginia Wine in My Pocket app; Lenn Thompson of The Cork Report; and Paul Vigna of PA Media Group, which includes PennLive.com and The Patriot-News.

Biographical information supplied by publisher Carlo DeVito.
 

Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association Presents Birchenall Award 2022 to Richard Leahy

Event Manager of the Eastern Winery Expo, author of Beyond Jefferson’s Vines, member of the Circle of Wine Writers – Richard Leahy has been a distinctive presence on the eastern wine scene for close to forty years. The Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association is pleased to name Mr. Leahy the Birchenall Award winner 2023.

An acknowledged expert on eastern wines, Richard was tasked with editing the Mid-Atlantic and Southern components for the ground-breaking Oxford Companion to the Wines of North America (2000). He also was tapped to be a regional editor for Kevin Zraly’s American Wine Guide. His own Beyond Jefferson’s Vines: The Evolution of Quality Wine in Virginia, an encyclopedic compilation of the wineries of Virginia, is now in its third edition.

Based in Charlottesville, the heart of Virginia wine country, Richard travels frequently to explore both established and emerging American wine regions. His extensive contacts in the industry positioned him perfectly to act as Event Manager of the Eastern Winery Expo, of which he was one of the founders.

2021: Carlo DeVito, publishing executive, NY

2020: Julia Coney, Washington, DC wine and travel writer, educator, and consultant.

2019: Nancy Bauer, Virginia Wine In My Pocket

2018: Lenn Thompson, The Cork Report, NY

2017: Paul Vigna, PA Media Group – Inaugural Award

2023 Jefferson Loving Cup Winner Bordeleau Vineyards and Winery PETIT VERDOT LOT 3

Reinforcing the idea that petit verdot is a very fine stand-alone grape,  Bordeleau Vineyards and Winery PETIT VERDOT LOT 3 has taken Best of Show in the 18th Annual Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association Competition held on August 12 and 13, 2023 at the Marriott Tysons Corner, VA.  This luscious wine outshone 455 of the East Coast’s best bottlings to take the competition’s top honor.

“Every wine I bottle has to be better than the one I just sold,” states Bordeleau co-owner/winemaker Thomas R. Shelton. He’s set a pretty high bar for himself and he backs up this guiding principle with a lot of hard work and pride in his craft.

Just south of the Delaware border in Maryland, Bordeleau is located on Wicomico Creek and is between the Cheasapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean. Climate conditions provided by these bodies of water mimic those of Bordeaux, ancestral home of the petit verdot grape. The 1100 acre farm produces corn, soy and wheat, but the vineyard – nearest Shelton’s home – is his baby. Petit verdot vines were planted in 2007/08 and all the fruit in the winning wine came from the estate.

Most unusual is that Tom is crafting a non-vintage blend. “The weather in California is pretty reliable,” he says, “But here in Maryland you can have a great vintage, a less-than-great vintage, and maybe even a poor vintage every now and then.” By combining vintages, he “takes out the swings” to create a consistent, high quality wine. As the name suggests, the winning wine, Bordeleau PETIT VERDOT LOT 3, is his third bottling of the single varietal.

The petit verdot vineyard at Bordeleau is carefully tended and is situated on a gentle slope. The VSP rows are north-south facing. Petit verdot is late-ripening, and in fact is the last variety to be harvested, as late as October. LOT THREE consists of fruit from 2016, 2017, and some from 2019.

In the winery, Tom destems and sorts the fruit and lets it chill for a day or two. Fermentation takes place over 10-12 days. He punches down – does not pump over – four times a day.

After pressing, the wine settles in stainless steel and malolactic fermentation takes about 21 days. The wine then ages in French and American oak, carefully balanced between new and used barrels to coax the best flavors from the grapes. 

To create the final blend, Tom tastes through each individual barrel to determine the best lots. The lesser wines go into his sweet wine program. What flavors is he looking for in his wine?

“As I can’t predict each vintage, I look to produce ripe, sound fruit and let the grapes determine the flavor profile,” he says.

Bordeleau PETIT VERDOT LOT 3 aged for a total of fifty-four months. Good color and outstanding phenolics define the wine. A gentle, floral aroma is complemented by flavors of chocolate, blackberries, and dark cherries with a touch of smoke and leather on the palate. The extended aging contributes firm, but not harsh, tannin.

Atlantic Seaboard Winery Association President Grant Crandall states, “Petit Verdot as a single varietal wine is becoming far more common on the East Coast and the example from Bordeleau is a particularly fine example. ”  
 
A panel of sixteen judges from seven different states scored 455 wines made in the eastern US over the two day event. This year’s Best of Show Bordeleau Vineyards and Winery PETIT VERDOT LOT 3 was selected from among thirty-one Best of Category Winners. This year’s competition produced 72 gold medal winners. Eleven different states were represented in the competition with New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania being the top three.
 
ASWA’s mission is to promote the wines of the eastern US. To that end, “We can prepare to take these fine examples of East Coast winemaking around the country to a series of events to show off that quality to audiences who otherwise might not get to taste and appreciate the quality of wine being produced on the East Coast,” says Crandall.
 
ASWA hosts an awards ceremony on Capitol Hill every year after the completion of the competition under the auspices of the Congressional Wine Caucus. The sterling silver perpetual Jefferson Loving Cup, will be engraved with the winning winery’s name and presented to the Best of Show winner.
 
Winning wines also will be showcased at the Unified Wine and Grape Symposium in Sacramento, CA, the leading wine industry convention typically drawing 15,000 attendees and are featured on several radio broadcasts during the course of the conference. Opportunities for increased exposure then continue throughout the year.
 
See the complete list of medal-winning wines here.

2022 Jefferson Loving Cup Winner
CrossKeys Blanc de Noir 2019
“When we first laid eyes on the beautiful rolling hills we now call CrossKeys Vineyards, it was nothing more than a thick forest. After crossing the fence which divided the land from the road, we saw the vision of the vineyard come to life.” This aspiration on the winery’s website saw its fulfillment in the 2022 Atlantic Seaboard Wine Competition as CrossKeys Blanc de Noir 2019 took Best of Show from a field of 409 wines produced along the US East Coast.   

CrossKeys Vineyards and Estate Blanc de Noir 2019 boasts an aroma of red fruit with a hint of almond. Sweet peach and apple flavors are enhanced by lively acidity and balanced with creaminess developed through barrel aging.

In an area not yet associated with fine sparkling wines, CrossKeys crafted this year’s winner from vines almost 20 years old.  “Blanc de Noir” in French means “white from black.” As in Champagne, CrossKeys extracted white juice from 100% Pinot Noir grapes which was fermented, then aged, in barrel for 6-8 months before bottling.

The secondary fermentation which created the fine mousse (bubbles) followed the traditional champagne method as well. “At bottling, sugar and fresh yeast were added and the bottles quickly sealed so the wine ferments a second time, in bottle,” according to a winery spokesperson.

In the 18 months that followed, the riddling process caused the solids to fall out and the wine developed its sparkle. The spent yeast released a creamy flavor and enhanced the mouthfeel. The solids were then expelled through disgourgement and the final sugar level was completed  through CrossKeys’ propriatery liqueur d’expédition, a mixture of wine and sugar that determines how sweet the finished wine will be, in this case 1% residual sugar. In a French sparkler, this would be called “off-dry.”

CrossKeys Vineyards and Estate is a repeat winner in the ASWA Wine Competition. The winery’s Fiore Rose´ took home Best of Show in 2018 in a field of over 400 entries. CrossKeys is owned by the Bakhtiar family, and is located in Mount Crawford, VA, in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley. “The two gold crossed keys are an old symbol of hospitality, excellence, and a place of prestige. The keys embody our goal of producing exquisite wines, delicious food, fabulous events, but most of all they are a daily reminder that we are here to provide an excellent experience for every guest that walks through our doors,” a spokesperson for the family relates.

2021: Fox Run Vineyards 2019 Reserve Riesling, NY

2020: No competition was held

2019: Dr. Konstantin Frank Celebre nv, NY

2018: CrossKeys Fiore 2017 Rosé, VA

2017: Narmada Winery 2013 Cabernet Franc Reserve, VA

2015: Dr. Konstantin Frank 2014 Semi-dry Riesling, NY

2014: Chateau Frank 2008 Blanc de Noirs, NY

2013: Boordy Vineyards 2010 Cabernet Franc

2012: Chateau Frank 2006 Blanc de Noirs, NY

2011: Martha Clara Vineyards 2010 Estate Reserve Riesling, NY

2010: Rosemont of Virginia 2007 Meritage, VA

2009: Chateau Lafayette Reneau 2008 Semi-Dry Riesling, NY

2008: Newport Vineyards & Winery 2007 Riesling, RI

2007: Fox Meadow Winery 2005 Cabernet Franc, VA

2006: Osprey’s Dominion Vineyards 2002 Reserve Merlot, NY                                

2005: Rockbridge Vineyards 2002 Heritage, VA