Best of Show Wines
2026 Best of Show
2023 JOLO Vineyards Carolus XII Takes Best of Show
The Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association is pleased to announce the 2026 Jefferson Cup Best of Show: 2023 JOLO Vineyards Carolus XII ranked highest among 389 entries.Proprietors JW and Kristen Ray founded the winery in 2010 and named it for their sons, Joey and Logan. A true family-operated winery, both boys are active in the business. JOLO Vineyards was also one of only two wineries to win a total of five gold medals.
JOLO is located in the Yadkin Valley at Pilot Mountain, NC. Now well-known, Yadkin Valley was North Carolina’s first AVA, named in 2003. The stony quartzite monadnock soils near Pilot Mountain are well-draining and mineral-rich. This minerality shines in Carolus Xll, a complex wine with firm structure.
In the vineyard, canopy management is particularly important. Ray states, “We deliberately leaf-pull on both the east and west sides of the fruiting zone each year, just after berry set. This increases airflow around the clusters, improves sunlight exposure and helps us maintain healthier fruit while promoting more even ripening and flavor development.”
Harvested between September and October 2023, JOLO Carolus XII consists of estate-grown fruit, including 44% Petit Verdot, 33% Cabernet Franc, and 23% Merlot. Owner JW Ray says, “The 2023 vintage was an exceptional opportunity for us to showcase not only the quality of fruit we can grow in North Carolina, but also the level of precision we have developed in both the vineyard and cellar.”
“During fermentation”, Ray continues, “we employed traditional pump-overs for extraction and cap management, but approximately halfway through fermentation we also incorporated délestage, or rack-and-return. By completely draining the fermenting wine away from the cap and then returning it over the skins, we were able to continue extracting color, flavor and desirable tannin while helping shape a more polished texture.”
Not skipping any steps, Ray says, “Following fermentation and délestage, the individual components were carefully evaluated and blended. As a final refinement, I used traditional egg-white fining at the extremely restrained rate of approximately one egg white per barrel. It is an old-world technique that I particularly appreciate because, when used judiciously, it can soften the harder edges of tannin and improve texture without stripping the wine of its character, concentration or sense of place.”
The entire family and management team participates in finalizing the blend. “Based on that collective feedback,” according to Ray, “we may adjust the blend a percentage point here or there, taste again, and continue refining it until we reach a unanimous conclusion: ‘This is JOLO.’”
The wine was aged an extended 27 months in French oak before being bottled in January 2026. The Petit Verdot-dominant wine opens with an fine nose of black fruit. Smooth on the palate, the Cabernet Franc and Merlot add a quality of warm spice touched by subtle oak notes. “Ultimately, CAROLUS XII reflects the balance we constantly pursue at JOLO: ripe, expressive fruit; structure worthy of aging; and enough finesse that the wine is already compelling in the glass,” JW states.
“We are extraordinarily proud to have the Jefferson Cup Best of Show award become part of the CAROLUS XII story, and we sincerely appreciate the recognition,” Ray says.
In addition to the three grapes above, JOLO grows Chambourcin, Cynthiana, Traminette, Vidal Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Marquette. In 2020, the acquisition of Hutton Vineyards expanded the Rays’ holdings and now serves as JOLO’s production facility. In 2023, Ray founded a second estate, Rayson Winery & Vineyards.
2025 Best of Show
“Founded 1734” by Chateau MerrillAnne of VA Takes Best of Show
Celebrating twenty years of recognizing the top wines of the Atlantic coast, the Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association is pleased to announce the 2025 Best of Show: Chateau MerrillAnne’s “Founded 1734” 2022. Ranked highest among the 367 entries, owners Kenny and Emily White’s Chateau MerrillAnne is the only Virginia winery to win seven or more medals per competition five years in a row, 2021-2025.
ASWA’s annual competition is the largest in the nation focused exclusively on the wines of the East Coast, covering the seventeen states from Maine to Florida that border the
Atlantic and including Vermont, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. This year’s competition was held the second weekend of August at the Marriott Tysons Corner, VA.
Working with winemaker Mike Heny, Kenny White sourced fruit from some of the Commonwealth’s finest vineyards, leading to a Virginia AVA. “Founded 1734” is a blend of 57% merlot, 38% cabernet sauvignon, and 5% petit verdot. Aged in neutral oak, the fruit-forward wine is characterized by subtle spice notes married with rich, dark berry flavor. Owner Kenny White describes the wine: “Done in the ‘Claret’ style, it is silky with bold flavor and a velvety mouthfeel. With a lasting finish this easy drinking red is perfect for sipping on its own or pairing with food, it is a very versatile wine.”
Located in Orange County, VA, Chateau MerrillAnne’s first vineyard was planted in 2010, with 2012 producing the first vintage. They currently craft 20 unique labels and were recently named the official winery of the Montpelier Races.
A panel of sixteen judges from around the country scored 367 wines made in the eastern US over the two day event. The 2025 competition produced 89 gold medal winners, 162 silver, and 116 bronze.
ASWA President Grant Crandall says “The results of the Competition demonstrate the continuing maturation of the East Coast Wine industry with so many outstanding wines. We are pleased to be able to show off that quality to audiences who otherwise might not get to taste and appreciate the wines of the East Coast. People are very open to learning more.”
2024 Best of Show
2022 Riesling by Glenora Wine Cellars of NY Takes Best of Show in 2024
Glenora Wine Cellars owner Gene Pierce was the recipient of ASWA’s Grape Productivity Award last year. As a founding partner at Glenora in 1976, he was vital to the winery’s, and indeed the region’s, development over the next several decades. The first winery on Seneca Lake has now grown into a 40,000 case winery, fine dining restaurant and 30 room inn.
Glenora winemaker Edward Miller holds a UC Davis Winemaking Certificate as well as a Master’s Degree in Viticulture & Enology from Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Piacenza, Italy. He has had wide-ranging experience, having made wine in Sonoma, Napa, New Zealand, and Western Australia after discovering his passion in New York right after college.
Miller states, “The 2022 vintage produced beautiful wines in the Finger Lakes. The overall crop size was quite small, allowing for great concentration of flavors. We had a particularly cold January at the start of the year, leading to some bud damage, and then a hot and dry summer, which resulted in smaller berry sizes. From a winemaking perspective, the low yields and warm, dry weather allowed the fruit to ripen fully and develop intense flavors and color.”
Glenora Riesling 2022 is 100% riesling from the Finger Lakes AVA with fruit from a number of different vineyards. “The majority comes from Zugibe Farms located on the northeast side of Seneca Lake,” according to Miller. The site is west facing, so receives more hours of afternoon sun. He continues, “We find that this site usually provides more tropical, riper aromas and flavors. About a quarter of the blend is sourced from our neighbor, Glenora Farms, on the southwest side of Seneca. This vineyard provides a great balance between fruit and mineral notes while maintaining a strong acid backbone.”
The individual lots were fermented in stainless steel using three different yeasts. Fermentation lasted 20-30 days at 58-62F. Some lots were allowed to progress to dryness, others were arrested at a higher sugar level in order to be able to achieve a semi-dry final blend. The resulting wine has 23g/L residual sugar.
Miller and his team believe the challenge, and the fun, of winemaking lies in the blending process. “During March and April we spent several days tweaking percentages and finding the blend that we most preferred. Once decided, the blend was assembled in the cellar and allowed to marry for a month or so before bottling.” His tasting notes reveal that the wine offers aromas of peach, apricot, white flower, as well as bursts of tropical fruit such as pineapple and guava. The palate shows firm acidity and reflects the nose with flavors of grapefruit marmalade and wildflower honey ending with a pithy finish.
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