Alan Atkinson
Alan has judged at numerous amateur winemaking competitions on the West Coast, the Napa County Fair, Marin County Fair, Napa Town and Country Fair, the AWS competition in WA, and the California State Fair. An American Wine Society certified wine judge, Alan graduated with his Diploma from the Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) program in London, with a Distinction in the Tastings component. He continued his studies with the Institute of Masters of Wine, commencing in April. Included in his judging experience is his BJCP-certified beer judging with over 100 competitions. Currently, Alan is a professional brewer in Napa, CA.
Melissa Bartlett
Melissa’s passion for wine led her to seek to a career at Pearmund Cellars in Virginia. She worked as one of the winery managers and as the winery sommelier. She is a long-term member of the American Wine Society and served for three years as Chapter Chair for the John Marshall chapter in Virginia. Melissa is a Certified Judge through the American Wine Society Wine Judge Certification Program and a Certified Sommelier through the International Wine Guild. Melissa is a freelance wine consultant and educator. Melissa is a wine appreciation educator, consultant, winery manager and devotee. Her passion for wine took her from enthusiast to winery employee, Certified Sommelier and Certified Wine Judge to talented instructor. Her time spent managing and working in wineries made it possible for her to see the industry from vineyard to crush pad, winemaking to bottling, and from sales to public relations. She is a long-term and active member of the American Wine Society serving as a Chapter Chair, conference presenter, AWS Amateur Wine Competition Chair and Continuing Education Instructor. The judging experiences shared with colleagues and the desire to continually learn keep her striving for excellence. Having acquired a taste for all things wine, she plans to continue her certifications and wine education for as long as there are grapes to ferment. Melissa’s judging experience spans 9 years and includes but isn’t limited to: AWS Commercial and Amateur Wine Competition, WineMaker’s Magazine, Indy International (judge-in-training), Atlantic Seaboard, Lone Star International, Bottle Shock, Wines of the South, The Northeast Gold Wine, Cider and Perry, and many other local and regional competitions.
Nicole Barto
Nicole is a WSET 3 graduate and a 3rd year student in the AWS wine Judging program.
Jeanna Booth
Jeanna is an AWS Certified Wine Judge, with judging experience throughout the US including Washington and California; WSET Level 3
Leigh Booth
Leigh is a WSET 3 graduate and a 3rd year student in the AWS wine Judging program.
Jane Duralia
Jane has been part of the American Wine Society (AWS) since 1992, gradually learning about the many grape varietals. She became an AWS Certified Wine Judge since 2006 and has judged various competitions around the country, with a few examples: AWS Commercial and Amateur, Tasters’ Guild International, INDY International, Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association, New York State Fair, NC State Fair, Wines of the South, and Mid-Atlantic Region Competition to name a few. Jane is now a wine consultant for the Lake Hickory Country Club, Hickory NC.
Rege Duralia
Rege joined the American Wine Society (AWS) in 1993 and his judging career began in 2002 on Hilton Head Island for the Annual Wine Festival Judging. Joining the Tasters Guild, also in 2002, provided judging events that brought exposure to many wines from different growing and wine making regions, Rege has visited many wine growing regions of the world – California, Oregon, Washington, North Carolina, Virginia, New York Finger Lakes, Ohio, Michigan, Germany, Austria, Italy, France, Hungary, Croatia, Canada, South Africa, Spain, Portugal, New Zealand and Australia. Currently a wine consultant for the Lake Hickory Country Club, Hickory, NC, Rege became a Certified Wine Judge in 2007.
JoAnn Degaglia
JoAnn is a Certified Specialist of Wine as well as a Certified Advanced Sommelier earning both an American and Italian Wine Specialist Degree from the North American Sommelier Association with honors. As a Certificated Wine Judge she judges at numerous international, local and commercial competitions. Her experience in the Wine industry is vast as once a portfolio manager for Haro Imports, Wine Educator at the Westchester Wine School and began her Sommelier career working at the Tarry Lodge in Port Chester N.Y. Today she works part time at two of the Hudson Valley’s great wine destinations, the Wine Spectator’s award-winning Glenmere Mansion as the Head Sommelier in Chester New York and Brotherhood Americas Oldest Winery. She is a Regional Vice President for the Hudson Valley promoting the merits of wine appreciation and education for the AWS.
Dennis Fraley
Dennis resides in Florence, SC and works as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) by day and wine and spirits resource by night. Through the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, Dennis completed the WSET Diploma of Wine and Spirits also gaining the Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) designation, French Wine Scholar (FWS), and Sherry Wine Specialist (CSWS). He is currently working with The American Wine Society to become a Certified Wine Judge. His new venture is The Bottle Talk website (www.thebottletalk.com) and social media presence (@thebottletalk).
Dan Fusco
Dan completed the AWS wine judge certification program, and is also WSET 3 certified. He is a chapter chairperson for the American wine Society and has Italian Wine Scholar certification.
Laurent Gills
Laurent has participated in several wine Judging events in the last four years such as the TVSO in Tennessee, The Alabama Amateur wine event, the Kentucky State Fair Amateurs’ wine event and the Indy International Wine at Perdue University. He also one of the the only two Third-Year Students to be invited at the Finger Lakes to assist with judging.
Carole Hackett
With a background in healthcare, Carole’s undergraduate degree in Biology and Chemistry has been valuable in her wine studies. Her interest in wine has led her to seek further education. Carole is a certified wine judge with the American Wine Society. She stays active working with students from the Wine Judge Certification Program. Carole has completed Level 3 of WSET program with Merit. She is a member of the Society of Wine Educators. Carole serves as the Regional Vice President for Eastern Kentucky for the American Wine Society as well as Chapter Chair of the local chapter in Frankfort KY. Her nine years of judging experience have taken her through much of the USA. She enjoys judging county fairs, regional festival events, state fair amateur competitions and international competitions.
Dorothy Johnston
Dorothy is a Graduate wine Judge,AWS and CSW Society of Wine Educators, CS Court of Master Sommeliers, Certified Sherry Wine Specialist and Order du Mondial.
Sheryn Kervyn
Sharyn is a Certified Wine Judge and has been judging annually for Amateur and Commercial Competitions across the country since 2010, including the Sommelier’s Choice Awards, USA Wine Ratings, and the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition.
Paula Laurita
Paula’s judging experience includes judging in the Tennessee Amateur Wine Competition and the Georgia Trustees Wine and Spirits Competition. She has worked in the back room at the American Wine Society Commercial and Amateur Wine Competition and is a WSET Level 2 (with merit), year 3 in the American Wine Society Wine Judge Certification Program. Paula has been part of the AWS for a decade and has frequently co-hosted tastings.
Adrienne Lindstrom
Since changing careers from education to the wine industry, Adrienne has made wine at a research winery setting as well as at large estate wineries. Currently she works as an assistant winemaker at Hawk Ridge Winery in Watertown, CT. Adrienne is a graduate from Cornell University with an MPS in enology. When she is not making wine, Adrienne can be found renovating her 125-year-old house or out walking her dog.
Gary Lum
Since 2018, Gary Lum has been the Chair and Founder, AOC East Bay Chapter, American Wine Society and is currently enrolled in the Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) Level 4 Diploma Program, WSET’s highest level of certification. In addition to achieving the Certified Sherry Wine Specialist Intermediate Course, Gary has judged at different competitions since 2019. From 1999-2001, Gary Lum completed courses in Small Vineyard Management, Wine Analysis and Winemaking at UC-Davis and is currently the Regional VP of Northern California, with his role to oversee and to provide support for the AWS Chapters in the region. In 2018, he founded the local Chapter of the American Wine Society and in addition to participating in several judging opportunities, Gary conducts monthly wine tasting events with a strong emphasis on wine education and evaluation.
Maureen Macdonald
Maureen is a University of Vermont graduate with 20 years professional experience in the beverage and wine industry. She has experience in both viticulture and oenology as a Field Manager and Head Winemaker for commercial vineyards. After years of working as a consultant to many vineyards, she now is the Head Winemaker for Hawk Ridge Winery in Watertown, Connecticut, where she annually makes 30 different wines. She has authored many feature stories in WineMaker magazine and in 2024 began writing the “Varietal Focus” column in every issue. When she isn’t writing or in the lab or winery, she is often judging commercial and amateur competitions or making hard cider and beer at home.
Angel Martinez
Angel, WSET II, has been the chapter chair for the local American Wine Society (AWS) Meadowlands chapter since 2015 and offers wine education and participates as a wine judge at various events such as: New York State fair: Syracuse, NY, New Jersey State Fair: Sussex County fairgrounds, and Corrado’s Amateur Wine competition: Clifton, NJ. He’s also judged American Wine Society Commercial and Amateur wine competitions in Pennsylvania and Florida.
Donna Moore
Donna Moore lives in Connecticut, previously from California and is the co-owner of Sunset Hill Vineyard in Lyme, Ct. She is also a partner in Bodega Wine Bar in California. Donna’s love of wine started in 1991 while living in Australia.
Ron Natalie
Ron Natalie is a graduate of the American Wine Society Wine Judge Certification Program and holds certifications from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust and the Parker/Zraly Wine Academy. He is currently serving as the Secretary of the American Wine Society and lives in North Carolina with his equally wine-loving wife.
Kevin Norris
Kevin Norris has been a certified wine judge for the AWS since 2018 and earned his WSET Award in Wine Level 2 July 2021. In addition to judging in the states of Washington, Alabama, Vermont and Tennessee, Tim has been a speaker for different wine clubs and festivals. Since 2017, he is currently the chapter chair for the AWS Downtown Huntsville Chapter.
Terry O’Connor
Terry O’Connor works for Connecticut Distributors as a Fine Wine and Spirits Specialist. He is an AWS Certified Wine Judge and has his WSET Level 2 in wine and spirits.
Kevin Ostrowski
Kevin Ostrowski is a Certified Wine Judge with the American Wine Society (AWS), a Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) and WSET level 3 (with merit) certified. He is a wine judge instructor as part of the AWS Wine judge program. Additionally, Kevin has completed the Champagne Master Level with the Wine Scholar Guild and also the Introductory Sommelier level with the Court of Master Sommeliers. He has judged several local and regional wine competitions. Kevin resides in Beaver, PA.
Rob Rudko
Rob is the founder and President of Bound East Wine Group LLC, a full-service wine consulting, education and enotourism company. He has written for various wine publications and is also a standing wine judge. Rob studied enology and viticulture at Napa Valley College and UC Davis in California and Cornell in NY and has also studied abroad with The International Wine Academy in Australia and the Wine Scholar Guild in Washington DC. Rob has worked for wineries domestically and abroad and currently advises wineries in NY, NJ, VA and TX by providing guidance on the everyday challenges of running a winery.
Ivan Riggle
Ivan Riggle is a certified wine judge and part of the American Wine Society with 14 years judging experience both local, regional, national and international commercial and amateur wine competitions. Ivan is very familiar with the “back room” activities of wine competitions, as well as being a past Co-Instructor for wine judge training classes. Ivan is currently active as a wine presenter at wine dinners and coordinator for a local wine competition and numerous wine events. A home winemaker, Ivan has won awards locally, regionally and nationally. He has presented classes on wine judging to local American Wine Society members as well.
Carissa Shaffer
Carissa Shaffer, AWS member, has won numerous awards for her home winemaking and graduated year two of the AWS Wine Judging Program in 2023. She has judged other wine events as well as earned her Sensory Evaluation Workshop Certification from VESTA.
Leah Stafford
Leah has worked in the wine industry on and off since 1990 and has been a wine educator since 1996. She became a wine judge in 2018 through the UCDavis program. Leah is a certified specialist of wine, Certified American Wine Expert, WSET3, Sommelier, grows her own grapes, and makes wine with her husband.
Vince Williams
Vincent Williams is an American Wine Society Certified Judge. As a wine educator, Mr. Williams enjoys sharing wine knowledge with retail customers and students. He holds certifications from the Society of Wine Educators and the Wine and Spirits Educational Trust. Additionally, he has completed the certificate program in Winemaking from University of California-Davis, in an effort to improve his suggestions to winemakers. He enjoys learning more and more about wine.
