2023 Eastern Winery Exposition

Eric Aellen

Linganore Winecellars

Owner & Vineyard Manager

Eric is a second generation owner/vineyard manager at Linganore Winecellars. The Aellen family started growing grapes in 1972 after purchasing a dairy farm in the rolling hills of Mount Airy, MD. After finishing college, he came back to the farm to take over the vineyards. Over the last 28 years the vineyard has expanded to over 75 acres with a diverse mix of hybrids and viniferas. Eric is actively involved with the Maryland Wine Association and Maryland Farm Bureau. His grapes have been used to produce award winning wines in the state, including Alberino, Cab Franc, Chambourcin, Traminette and Saperavi to name a few.

Tim Benedict

Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards, Hazlitt Red Cat Cellars, East Coast Crush & Co-Pack

Winemaker

Tim is a native of the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York who grew up around his grandfather’s vineyards. His early formal training was in the field of music but other than an inspired period as a traveling musician, he brought the creative sensibilities of a musician to the craft of winemaking. Tim has 30+ years experience in the grape and wine industry. Throughout his career, he has crafted many award-winning wines from vinifera, hybrid, and native varieties, specializing in dessert wines like port, sherry, late harvest and ice wines. In recent years he has expanded his portfolio to include formula wines, hard cider, and wine spritzers. Tim is an experienced project and production manager and has judged wines in several international competitions.

Damien Blanchon

Afton Mountain Vineyards

Winemaker

Damien has been making wine in Virginia since 2006, since attaining his degree in viticulture and enology in his native France. He joined Afton Mountain Vineyards in 2011 where he continued his family tradition of making wine and growing grapes. Damien oversees wine production and vineyard operations implementing sustainable, environmentally respectful practices in both areas. His philosophy is good wine comes from good grapes, focusing on understanding the specific terroir of our site and each vintage to create wines reflecting this philosophy.

Anthony “Jay” Borzillo III, CPA

HBK CPAs & Consultants

Principal

Jay is a Principal in the Blue Bell, PA office of HBK. He has provided consulting services to vineyard and winery owners for many years and has a deep understanding of how the varying businesses comprising a vineyard/winery interrelate. Among his many projects, he has developed a cost accounting model for determining per bottle costs by varietal, helping design and implement vineyard and winery operations entity structures, developed an industry specific chart of accounts, and advised on the utilization of a branding entity to leverage intangible assets.

Martin Bucknavage

Penn State University Department of Food Science

Senior Food Safety Extension Associate

Martin is Penn State’s Senior Food Safety Extension Associate and Program Team Leader for the Industrial Food Safety and Quality Team. In his role he provides training and technical support to food manufacturing and foodservice companies, as well as consumer groups in the areas of food safety, food processing, and quality management. Prior to coming to Penn State, Martin worked for over 15 years in the food industry in various technical management roles. He is an approved instructor by the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA) for FSMA Preventive Controls and FSVP, International HACCP Alliance, and the National Restaurant Association. He serves on the Executive Advisory Board of the FSPCA and is currently the program lead for the Preventive Controls Human Foods Update Committee. He is a 2010 College of Agriculture State Laureate Award winner. He holds a BS degree in Microbiology and an MBA from Penn State, and an MS in Food Science from Virginia Tech.

Dr. Lawrence R. Coia

Co-Owner, Bellview Winery

Owner & Manager, Coia Vineyards

Larry has more than 45 years of experience in grape growing. Coia Vineyards is planted to 14 acres of over a dozen wine grape varieties. He helped establish the Outer Coastal Plain American Viticultural Area and is a co-founder and inaugural president of the Outer Coastal Plain Vineyard Association (OCPVA). He established an ongoing relationship with grape growers and researchers at the Foundation Edmund Mach in the Trento region of northeastern Italy and is responsible for the importation of the San Marco grape variety into the U.S. by the OCPVA. His work and publications in viticulture and enology address topics such as climate change, grape growing efficiency, and the introduction of new grape varieties and new wine blends. He is co-author of the book Wine Grape Varieties for New Jersey. He serves on the board of the Wine Industry Council of New Jersey and is a member of the American Association of Wine Economists. He recently became co-owner of Bellview Winery in Landisville NJ, in partnership with its founder Jim Quarella.

David M. Collins

Big Cork Vineyards

Winemaker and Co-Owner

David has over 30 years of wine industry experience and leadership in the Mid-Atlantic wine region. He began his winemaking career in 1987 at Loudoun County Virginia’s first winery, Willowcroft Farm Vineyards. In 1997 he became the winemaker at Breaux Vineyards, also in Loudoun Co. In 2011 he formed a partnership with Randy and Jennifer Thompson to create Big Cork Vineyards in Washington County, MD.

David holds a degree in horticulture from Virginia Tech. He has extensive knowledge and experience in vineyard operations and winemaking techniques. He has spoken at numerous industry seminars and has consulted for many wineries. David is widely recognized for his award-winning wines, having garnered the Jefferson Cup in Virginia, the Jack Aellen Cup, and both the Maryland Governor’s Cup, the Winemasters Choice, and the Comptroller’s Cup numerous times. Of particular note is his creative work with Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Nebbiolo, Viognier, and Russian Kiss, a blend using Eastern European grapes. Recently, Tempranillo and Vermentino have been added to the vineyard portfolio.

In 2022 he was recognized as one of Maryland’s most influential people by the Baltimore Daily Record. Currently he is the winemaker and co-owner at Big Cork Vineyards, located in Rohrersville, MD where he oversees 42 acres of vineyards and bottles 8,000 cases of wine per year.

Katie Cook

Scott Labs

Northeast Sales Representative

Katie fell in love with the wine industry in 2004 while taking a course in the south of France which led to harvest internships in California, Argentina, and Australia. She completed a master’s in Enology (Diplôme National d’Œnologue) at the University of Burgundy in 2009 and worked three harvests in France while getting her degree. In 2010 she accepted a position as the Enology Project Leader for the University of Minnesota, which gave her some good experience working with cold-hardy hybrids. In 2014 she moved to the Finger Lakes, NY with her husband where she spent several years working in production again before accepting a position with Scott Labs as their sales rep for the Northeast.

Robert Crandell

TTF Group, Inc.

Program Director

With 21 international cooperages under its umbrella, Tonnellerie Francois Freres (TTF) is the largest barrel cooperage company in the world. As a TTF program director Rob travels the U.S. and the Caribbean consulting with wine makers and craft distillers, guiding them through the nuances of oak maturation to match varietals, terroir and flavor profiles. He trains regularly with the Research & Development teams in France, Spain and California. Rob also oversees Speyside Specialty Casks – his pet project – where he imports specialty casks from France, Spain, Portugal, Madeira and Italy for cask finishing wine and spirits.

Dr. Imed Dami

The Ohio State University

Associate Professor and Extension Viticulture Specialist, The Ohio State University

Professor

Imed is a professor in the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science and state viticulture specialist at The Ohio State University with research and extension responsibilities in viticulture. His research interests include cold hardiness of grapevines and developing methods of cold protection; improving fruit and wine quality using cultural practices; and germplasm evaluation and matching varieties with climates and sites. He participated in research assignments and educational tours in Canada, Chile, China, Italy, Tunisia, and the U.S. (CA), and has been invited to speak nationally and internationally in Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, China, France, Italy, New Zealand, and Tunisia. Imed was the editor and lead-author of an Extension book titled Midwest Grape Production Guide, authored Spring Frost Injury of Grapevines and Protection Methods and co-authored Winter Injury to Grapevines and Methods of Protection, and co-produced two educational videos titled Grapevine Canopy Management and Grapevine Nutrient Management: Petiole Sampling and Analysis. All were awarded best extension publications by the American Society of Horticultural. Imed served as Chair of the American Society for Enology and Viticulture-Eastern Section (ASEV-ES), Board Director in ASEV-E, and as academic advisor to Ohio grape and wine industry organizations for the past 19 years. To learn more about the viticulture program at OSU, visit Buckeye Appellation at https://ohiograpeweb.cfaes.ohio-state.edu/.

Elisa De Luca

Vivai Cooperativi Rauscedo Research Center

Manager

Elisa has been the manager of the VCR Research Center since 2020. She earned her Master’s Degree in Agricultural Sciences at University of Padova in 2004 and she has been working at Vivai Cooperativi Rauscedo since 2005, dealing with agronomic, oenological and sanitary evaluations of new clones and varieties. Since 2006 she has been part of the VCR Grapevine breeding program focused on PiWi® varieties (fungal disease-resistant, high quality new cultivars). She has expertise in plant pathology, agronomy, viticulture and oenology.

Steve DiFrancesco

Winemaking Consultant

Steve became fascinated with wine while working in a restaurant during college and became the wine specialist there. He graduated with a BS in Plant Science from Stetson University, entered the wine business in the Finger Lakes of New York, and has since enjoyed 42 harvests there (plus one in Chile).

Steve worked with Guy DeVaux and Charles Fournier at Gold Seal Vineyards (owned by Seagram’s), with their excellent sparkling wines, from the late ‘70’s to the mid ‘80’s. He then worked with high quality red hybrids at Bully Hill Vineyards, and became an assistant winemaker at Glenora Wine Cellars in the late ‘80’s. He became winemaker at Lucas Vineyards in the early ‘90’s and helped expand production in high quality sparkling and still wines.

Steve returned to Glenora in 1995 and has helped expand its reputation and production. In 2000, the owners of Glenora purchased Knapp Winery, and Steve was responsible for production at both wineries. Riesling is at the forefront of a broad production line, including sparkling wines, red and white viniferas, as well as hybrids and natives.

During Steve’s career he has been involved in scale-ups, scale-backs, acquisitions, start-ups, and shutdowns. His wines have won over 450 gold medals in regional, national, and international competitions. He has made over 40 professional presentations in the Northeast and Midwest.

He has judged in wine competitions from California to New York to Virginia. In 2022, Steve was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Eastern Winery Exposition. He is also a board member for the Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association. Steve retired during the summer of 2021, and is now available as a winemaking consultant.

Contact: steve.difrancesco@gmail.com | P: 315-719-2113

David Falchek, Moderator

EWE Moderator

David is executive director of the American Wine Society, the oldest and largest organization of wine consumers in the U.S. He serves as publisher of the AWS’s two publications, the AWS Wine Journal and AWS News. A longtime wine writer, he continues to write a weekly wine column for several publications in Pennsylvania and New York that are part of Times-Shamrock Communication. David has a Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership from the Kania School of Management at the University of Scranton and he teaches bartending and bar management at Luzerne County Community College. He is a member of the Order des Compagnons du Beaujolais. For several years he was an elector in the Vintners Hall of Fame in Napa Valley.

Dr. Joseph A. Fiola

University of Maryland

Professor and Specialist in Viticulture & Small Fruit

Joseph has over 30 years of academic and industry experience in research and extension in viticulture, small fruit culture, and enology. He is currently a professor and specialist in Viticulture and Small Fruit for the University of Maryland. He coordinates a statewide R&E program, concentrating on grape variety testing, as well as conducting small batch winemaking studies of the experiments. He also has been awarded 12 patents for small fruit variety development and has extensive experience fermenting berry and fruit wines.

Anne Flesch

Fermentis

Technical Sales Support Manager & Regional Sales Manager

Anne is an oenologist and biosystems engineer, and has a Master’s in food science. She has been working as Technical Sales Support Manager and Regional Sales Manager for Fermentis in the USA since early 2017. Anne previously worked in Washington State on the Red Mountain AVA and in Sancerre, Loire valley, France. She studied in the South of France, Montpellier and moved to the USA in 2013.

Tyler Franzen

Enartis USA

East Coast Technical Rep

A stint as a harvest intern in 2009 set Tyler on the path to becoming a winemaker. However, it was the pursuit of knowledge and working through trials that landed him at Enartis USA the last six years, covering a large portion of North America. It is here that he was exposed to a wide range of regions and industry leaders – each possessing their own unique philosophies. Each territory faces its own diverse challenges compounded by the vintage variances. Tyler recognizes the uniqueness of these challenges and avoids the ‘one size fits all’ approach to the variables that meet us every day. As the Enartis East Coast Technical Rep, his goal nowadays is to present information and techniques in a no nonsense, laid back, and easy to digest style.

David Gadoury

Cornell University

Sr. Research Associate, Department of Plant Pathology

David is a plant pathologist at Cornell AgriTech in Geneva, NY. His research has focused on pathogen ecology and epidemiology over the last 35 years in a variety of fruit crops, including apples, strawberries, and grapes. His most current research area deals with how light, both visible and UV, can be used to suppress plant diseases. He has successfully used shortwave UV to control powdery mildews and certain arthropod pests on a number of specialty crops, and is now collaborating with researchers in North America, Europe, and New Zealand to make the technology more accessible by designing practical devices for field applications, and through pairing the application technology with autonomous agricultural robots.

Joe Gaynor

Angry Orchard Cider

Assistant Cider Maker

Born and raised in the Hudson Valley, Joe has always had a deep-rooted passion for fermentation. A member of the team that helped open Angry Orchard’s Cider House in 2015, Joe started as a tour guide and worked his way into the cellar, where he is currently the Assistant Cider Maker. In his role, Joe runs the daily production and Orchard operations, aids as an educational resource for new and current team members, and works closely with a variety of cider and agricultural organizations near and far. Playing an integral part in new product development and Orchard innovation, Joe draws inspiration from the rich and diverse history and community cider has to offer.

Karl Hambsch

Loving Cup Vineyard & Winery

Vineyard Manager & Winemaker

Karl is the vineyard manager/winemaker at Loving Cup Vineyard & Winery, Virginia’s only certified-organic vineyard and winery. Loving Cup has been growing organically since 2008 and has just finished its 11th vintage as a commercial winery. Karl was awarded the Virginia Vineyards Association’s Grape Grower of the Year Award after the 2018 season, during which Loving Cup survived 100+ inches of rain. Karl credits Loving Cup’s success to his focus on disease-resistant grape varieties, the power of teamwork, and his desire to farm with humility.

Lee Hartman

Bluestone Vineyard

Grape Grower & Winemaker

Lee has worked in the Virginia Wine industry as a grape grower and winemaker for his family’s farm, Bluestone Vineyard for the last 15 years. Formerly the president of the Virginia Wine Council, he has always taken interest in the industry beyond his own vineyard, and is currently vice president of the Shenandoah Valley Winegrowers Association. As a way of expanding the industry beyond his family’s farm, he also helps neighbors with vineyard management and custom crush programs. His 2019 Petit Manseng was his third wine to be included in the Governor’s Case, the top 12 wines in Virginia’s Governor’s Cup competition.

Gary He

Thermo Scientific

Product Marketing Manager

Gary is responsible for leading the product and marketing programs for Thermo Scientific products such as the Gallery discrete industrial analyzers, to drive sustainable technology adoption for existing markets, such as wine, beer and water analysis, and for new adjacent markets, such as enzyme analysis for food & beverage, animal nutrition, grain processing, home care detergent, and biopharma.

Prior to joining Thermo Fisher Scientific, Gary spent three years in DuPont (IFF) Nutrition & Biosciences in strategic account management and new business development in the specialty chemicals, wood treatment, and in-vitro diagnostics markets. Previously he spent 5 years as the technical service manager and market segment leader of Healthcare & Specialty Nutrition for the Dow Chemical Company where he focused on new application and market developments of separation technologies in food & beverage and bioprocessing. Some interesting applications include polyphenol extractions from grape skin and seed, juice deashing and decharacterization, ethanol decharacterization for alcoholic beverages, citrus juice debittering, dairy whey protein concentrations and separations. Gary graduated Summa Cum Laude from New York University in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and minored in Nuclear Science and Engineering.

Megan Hereford

Scott Laboratories

Field Sales Representative

Megan has served as the Southeastern U.S. field sales representative for Scott Laboratories for 13 years and has worked within the wine industry for over 20 years. She holds a Bachelor of Biology and a Master of Science in Food Science from Virginia Tech as well as a level 3 WSET diploma. Her career has allowed her to develop broad knowledge of the wines and ciders found in the U.S., as well as how to handle the challenges that the production of them can present. She is passionate about the wine and cider industry of the East and is now a partner in the emerging brands, Daring Wine Company and Daring Cider Company.

Cain Hickey, PhD

Penn State Extension

Viticulture Extension Educator

Cain has been engaged in viticulture research and extension since 2007. Cain has presented at state, regional, national, and international academic and industry conferences, and has developed and coordinated numerous extension workshops. He co-coordinates the Eastern Viticulture and Enology Forum webinar series with regional colleagues. Cain has authored peer-reviewed journal articles, extension publications, facts sheets, and trade publications. His research has an applied viticulture emphasis, and has recently been focused on pruning, training, and canopy management. Cain works with the grape and wine industry to solve vineyard management issues and optimize grape production.

Caitlin Horton

Horton Vineyards

Winemaker

Caitlin is Horton’s third generation winemaker. She spent her early years with her grandmother in the family’s vineyard, where she learned how grapes were grown from pruning to harvest. From there Caitlin transitioned from a short internship in the cellar to learn winemaking. Later she transitioned to tasting room staff and built her way up to general manager of the tasting room while still keeping her hands in the cellar. Now she is in the wine cellar permanently doing what she loves and experimenting with blends and different harvest techniques that she learned with her certificate in winemaking from Cornell University. Caitlin has produced an award-winning and publication-worthy line of wines, Gears and Lace.

Molly Kelly

Penn State University

Extension Enologist

Molly joined Penn State University as the enology extension educator in the Department of Food Science in 2018. She has led workshops including winery sanitation, filtration, microscopy, wine analysis and berry sensory analysis. Her research has focused on the effect of nitrogen and sulfur applications on Petit Manseng wine aroma and flavor. Current research includes a pre-harvest, on-the-vine dehydration study in collaboration with Virginia Tech.

Prior to this, Molly was the enology extension specialist at Virginia Tech. She held the position of enology instructor at Surry Community College in Dobson, NC, where she developed the enology curriculum and managed all aspects of the college’s 1,000-case bonded winery. Under her direction, Surry produced numerous international award-winning wines. Prior to this, she was a biodefense team microbiologist with the New York State Department of Health.

Greg La Follette

Marchelle Wines

Winemaker and Partner

Greg is a co-proprietor and co-winegrower, along with Kevin Lee, at GLF and Marchelle (a blend of their wives’ names, Mara & Michelle) Wines. Greg has traveled the world, establishing vineyards and wineries on all but two continents, and amassing a number of “best of” awards along the way. His is an extraordinary and storied career, beginning with mentorship by André Tchelistcheff at Beaulieu Vineyards, through successes in various forms with DeLoach, Flowers, Kendall Jackson, Steelhead and Tandem, to name just a few. He lives in Sonoma County and attributes his success to a blend of hard work, paying attention, and being intentional in his efforts. With six grown children, he is now helping to raise his and Mara’s two grandkids, as well as fielding family Sunday night dinners, which typically include more than a baker’s dozen of family and friends around the table. He humbly notes that the best use of his wine is at a similar table, where love through shared experience is the communion, oftentimes expressed in the wine shared by all.

Greg Loeb

Department of Entomology, Cornell AgriTech

Professor of Entomology

Greg earned his Ph.D. in Entomology at the University of California at Davis in 1989 where he studied insect ecology and pest management, including research on biological control of spider mites on grapes. He came to the Department of Entomology at Cornell as an assistant professor in 1995, establishing a research and extension program at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, NY, with responsibilities for arthropod pests of grapes and small fruit crops. Over the intervening years Greg’s lab has worked on the biology, ecology and management of a number of impactful arthropod pests of grapes including spider mites, leafhoppers, grape berry moth, grape mealybug and vinegar flies among others. The overall goal of the research program is to develop sustainable tools for managing arthropod pests that are cost-effective and environmentally sound.

Ian Merwin

Black Diamond Farm

Professor of Horticulture, Emeritus

Grower & Cidermaker, Black Diamond Farm

Ian grew up on a farm in the Hudson Valley. After graduating from Reed College in 1969, he spent a year in Chile, and then worked for 14 years in the California horticulture industry. He completed a Ph.D. in Pomology and Plant Ecology at Cornell University in 1990, and then worked as a research and teaching professor at Cornell until he retired in 2013 to devote his time to fruit growing and cider-making.

Ian and his wife have managed a 64-acre family farm in Trumansburg since 1992. They grow wine grapes, peaches, plums, sweet & tart cherries, and more than 145 apple varieties, mostly traditional cider apples from the U.S. and Europe. The farm winery, Black Diamond Cider, makes 12 hard cider blends, all based on their own homegrown fruit.

www.hort.cornell.edu/department/faculty/merwin/index.htm

Contact: im13@cornell.edu

Lucie Morton

Morton Viticulture

Viticulturist

Lucie is an independent viticulturist based in Virginia. She is an internationally recognized author, ampelographer, lecturer, consultant, research collaborator, and most recently film producer. Her higher education in viticulture occurred in Europe, while her practical education began as vineyard manager on the family farm along the banks of the Potomac River, Virginia-side. Her focus on rootstocks led her to collaboration with geologists to show the need to revise potassium recommendations based on soil analyses. She believes that integrated pest management is an ever changing challenge which requires ongoing collaboration with plant pathologists worldwide.

Melanie Natoli

Cana Vineyards & Winery of Middleburg

Winemaker

Melanie’s journey in winemaking began as an intern in 2009 at Fabbioli Cellars in Leesburg, VA. In 2011, she left her first career in healthcare to pursue her passion in wine and moved into a full-time position as the assistant winemaker. Melanie joined Cana Vineyards & Winery of Middleburg as winemaker and vineyard manager in 2015. She has advanced the wine program at Cana to produce several award-winning wines and in 2022, Melanie was just the second woman to win the Virginia Governor’s Cup in its 40-year history. She took the top honors with the 2019 Unité Reserve, Cana’s estate red blend. She is focused on growing and crafting quality estate wines and expanding the dry rosé portfolio.

Jonathan Oakes, Moderator

Leonard Oakes Estate Winery, Steampunk Cider, Schulze Vineyards & Winery

Winemaker, Cidermaker & Consultant

Jonathan is the winemaker and cidermaker with Leonard Oakes Estate winery and Steampunk Cider. He is also the fourth generation grower/producer on a 300 acre apple and grape farm in Western New York. A Niagara College Canada graduate, he is a Board member of the Apple Research and Development Program, a member of the Advisory Council for Extension in Enology, and is the New York Cider Association President.

Angela Paul

Cornell AgriTech

Lead Lab Manager

Angela Paul is the lead lab manager of Dr. Katie Gold’s lab at Cornell AgriTech in Geneva, NY. The Gold lab specializes in vineyard disease management through the early detection of grape disease using remote sensing technologies and testing sustainable fungicides. Within this position, Angela oversees all laboratory and greenhouse research as well as organizing field campaigns and operating remote sensing equipment during the growing season. She specializes in soil sampling and assays but has since added remote sensing to her set of skills. Prior to joining the Gold Lab, Angela received her master’s degree from McGill University in Montreal, QC, where she studied sustainable propagation protocols for Canada’s strawberry industry. She also spent time studying in Cork, Ireland in a plant biotechnology lab, where she furthered her love for plant and soil science. When she’s not working, you can catch Angela skiing, gaming, or spoiling her cats.

Gregory Michael Peck, Ph.D.

Cornell University School of Integrative Plant Science

Associate Professor of Horticulture

Greg has conducted research in fruit-crop production systems in California, Washington, New York, and Virginia. His academic training spans horticulture, plant physiology, soil science, entomology, food science, plant pathology, ecology, agricultural economics, and education. His research program is designed to support and improve the sustainability, productivity, and profitability of tree-fruit producers. Current projects focus on hard cider apple production, sustainable soil and groundcover management for apple orchards, and improving crop-load management in apple trees through the use of a pollen tube growth model.

Maria Peterson

Scott Laboratories

Filtration Specialist

Maria grew up in South Africa on the family wine farm where filtration of wine with a pressure leaf filter was one of many chores as a teenager. She graduated with a BSc. Agric. degree specializing in Enology and Viticulture from University of Stellenbosch, South Africa in 2000. Maria made wine and managed vineyards all over the globe–South Africa, Australia, France, USA–for 13 years.

She has been working for Scott Laboratories of California for the last eight years and is currently part of the newly minted Beverage Integrity and Filtration department within Scott Labs where the focus is on sustainable filtration and stabilization technologies with applications such as wine, cider, beer (including seltzer), distilled spirits, RTD cocktails and others.

Zach Pierce

Ingleside Vineyards

Winemaker

Zach entered the wine industry in the summer of 2020, looking for a job that would relate to his chemistry degree: enter Ingleside Vineyards. They needed harvest help and Zach was willing to be a grunt for a while. His first harvest filled his head with questions about different techniques and methods of doing things, and he was hooked. Eager to learn more, he took on more responsibilities within the cellar. At the end of his second harvest the winemaker left; Zach applied, got the job, and is now at the start of his third harvest, the first as winemaker. Attention to detail and sanitation are his main priorities.

Phil Plummer

Montezuma Winery

Head Winemaker

Phil Plummer has been making wine in New York’s Finger Lakes region for over a decade, spending the bulk of those years at Montezuma Winery, where he has served as head winemaker since 2013. In his time at Montezuma, Phil has taken a lead role in the development and production of a wide-ranging portfolio of wines made from grapes, fruit, and honey, and was instrumental in the launch of Montezuma’s sister wineries, Idol Ridge and Fossenvue.

Joyce Rigby

Principal, Rigby Viniculture, LLC & Vineyard Manager, Boxwood Estate Winery

Joyce has been professionally involved with eastern viticulture since the early 1980s and has worked or consulted for vineyards and wineries in MD, NC, PA, RI, TN and VA. Her experience includes all aspects of vineyard management, business planning, winery design, plus a short time as winemaker. Her business partner and husband, Stephen Rigby, provides the winemaking expertise for the business. In addition to consulting, Joyce oversees day-to-day vineyard operations and Stephen oversees winemaking at Boxwood Estate Winery in Middleburg. Joyce is a member of the Virginia Vineyards Association, the Maryland Grape Growers Association, and the American Society of Enology and Viticulture–Eastern Section.

James Roblee

ATP Group/Fermentis

Technical Specialist

Jim began his wine career in the Finger Lakes after graduating from Cornell University. He followed his passion for wine to the West where he held winemaking positions with some of Napa’s biggest and most luxurious brands for over 14 years. Now with the ATP group, he assists fellow winemakers to find innovative and customized solutions to processing obstacles. Jim lives in Napa and spends much of his free time sailing with his wife.

Aaron Roisen

Three Brothers Winery

Wine/Cidermaker

Aaron Roisen has worked as a winemaker in the Finger Lakes wine industry for over 20 years. Several of those years have been immersed in the making and production of craft hard cider on a commercial scale. His experience with using Enartis products has allowed him to build cider that is consistently expressive of the flavor and aromatics that he finds showcase his products.

Matthew Sheehan

Cornell CALS

Graduate Student

Matthew Sheehan is a graduate student studying flavor chemistry at Cornell University under Dr. Gavin Sacks. His research focuses primarily on the reductive off-aromas associated with canned wine. In 2021, he served as an intern at E&J Gallo in Modesto, CA.

Charlotte Shelton

Albemarle CiderWorks

Owner

Charlotte and her family founded Vintage Virginia Apples in 2001 to capitalize on the collection of heirloom apples the family had been accumulating over the previous decade. After earning her PhD in American History at the University of Virginia, she taught at Virginia Tech before leaving education to go into the finance industry. Her interest in horticulture and pomology have informed her enthusiasm for promoting fine cider and sharing that passion with the growing cider market.

Chuck Shelton

Albemarle CiderWorks

Cidermaker

In 2009, Chuck turned his passion for apples and fermentation into Albemarle CiderWorks. He produces heritage dry ciders that pull inspiration from the numerous apple varieties grown on the family farm in North Garden, VA. His purist philosophy results in ciders that highlight the complexity of varietal character and showcase the quality of fruit being grown in Virginia.

Libby Spencer

Enartis USA

Sales Manager

While earning a BA in Communication from Lewis & Clark College, Libby began her wine career in 2002 at Cristom Vineyards. She and her husband owned and operated a small wine bar in Massachusetts where she was exposed to wines of the world. During her tenure at Willamette Valley Vineyards, she oversaw all sales channels including the wine club, tasting room, in-state sales and a robust distributor network. In 2012, she joined Enartis USA as the Area Manager for North American business outside of California. Meanwhile, she went back to school to study Enology at Washington State University. She was promoted to Sales Manager in 2017.

Libby lives in Oregon with her husband and two sons. She loves hiking, biking, gardening, and reading.

Chris Stamp

Lakewood Vineyards

Winemaker

Chris has spent much of his life in the grape and wine business. He grew up on his family’s grape farm in Watkins Glen, NY. His interest in winemaking was piqued by the newly burgeoning small wineries in the area. Summer jobs at Glenora and Taylor Wine Company augmented his education while he attained a BS in Food Science from Cornell University. He began his winemaking career as winemaker at a small winery in the Finger Lakes. This was followed by a four year stint as extension and research associate at Ohio State University (OARDC, Wooster, Ohio).

In 1989, Chris moved back to the Finger Lakes to help his family start Lakewood Vineyards. Over the years Lakewood has grown to an annual production of over 100,000 gallons, producing a wide range of wines from vinifera to mead. He is an occasional contributor to Wines & Vines magazine and has given dozens of winemaking presentations. Chris and his wife Elizabeth are also sole proprietors of Lakewood Cork, importing and selling high quality wine corks in the Eastern U.S. They have three children (Ben, Abby and Amelia), 1 dog (Piper) and three horses (Buddy, George and Remi). Interests include flying and enjoying wine with friends, but not at the same time.

W02d | Ruby Port Styles

Justin Taylor

Parker-Binns Vineyard

Winemaker

Justin earned his BBA from Georgia State University. In 2011, a visit to the Shelton- Badgett Center for Viticulture & Enology sparked the desire to apply for the AAS degree program for the fall of 2012. Working for Total Wine throughout his studies, Justin was promoted to Wine Sales Associate and completed five of the regional sections for the Total Wine Professional Program.

Upon completion of the viticulture and enology program at Surry Community College, he entered the western North Carolina wine industry, starting out as assistant winemaker to consulting winemaker Tom Payette at Burntshirt Vineyards in Hendersonville, NC. He worked the 2014-2016 vintages at this facility, working closely with vineyard manager Eric Case. In 2017, he took on a new venture of personal and professional significance with Bob and Karen at Parker-Binns Vineyard in Polk County, NC. As winemaker of Parker-Binns his primary focus ranges from all cellar and lab activities to final adjustments on wines prior to bottling to meet the desires of the customer base. Justin currently serves as a director at large for the NC Winegrower’s Association.

Joy Ting

Virginia Winemakers Research Exchange

Research Enologist and Extension Coordinator

Joy works with Virginia winemakers to plan, conduct and evaluate practical experiments in the winery and share results with the winemaking community. She also produces a small line of wines under her own name. Prior to her post at the VWRE, Joy was the enologist and winemaker at Michael Shaps Wineworks in Charlottesville, VA. Joy holds a PhD in Applied Biology from the Georgia Institute of Technology and has worked in the Virginia Wine industry since 2013.

E07 | Chaptalization Trials

Ron Wates

Boordy Vineyards

Vineyard Manager

Ron graduated from NC State in 1993 with a degree in Horticulture and worked in landscape design for 6 years. In 1999 he started managing vineyards. Since 2006 he has worked as the vineyard manager for Boordy Vineyards located in Hydes, MD. He continually works with growers in the Mid-Atlantic region to improve wine quality. Boordy’s philosophy is that “a high tide raises all boats” and they like to share their long-term experiences with other growers. Ron enjoys sharing with others not only on how to avoid making mistakes of the past, but his successes as well. He has experience growing 20 different varieties of grapes, five trellis/training styles, and many different types of soils in three distinct geographic regions in Maryland.

Conference & Workshop Speakers

Eric Aellen

Linganore Winecellars

Tim Benedict

Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards, Hazlitt Red Cat Cellars, East Coast Crush & Co-Pack

Damien Blanchon

Afton Mountain Vineyards

Anthony “Jay” Borzillo III, CPA

HBK CPAs & Consultants

Martin Bucknavage

Penn State University Department of Food Science

Dr. Lawrence R. Coia

Co-Owner, Bellview Winery

David M. Collins

Big Cork Vineyards

Katie Cook

Scott Labs

Robert Crandell

TTF Group, Inc.

Dr. Imed Dami

The Ohio State University

Elisa De Luca

Vivai Cooperativi Rauscedo Research Center

Steve DiFrancesco

David Falchek, Moderator

Dr. Joseph A. Fiola

University of Maryland

Anne Flesch

Fermentis

Tyler Franzen

Enartis USA

David Gadoury

Cornell University

Joe Gaynor

Angry Orchard Cider

Karl Hambsch

Loving Cup Vineyard & Winery

Lee Hartman

Bluestone Vineyard

Gary He

Thermo Scientific

Megan Hereford

Scott Laboratories

Cain Hickey, PhD

Penn State Extension

Caitlin Horton

Horton Vineyards

Molly Kelly

Penn State University

Greg La Follette

Marchelle Wines

Greg Loeb

Department of Entomology, Cornell AgriTech

Ian Merwin

Black Diamond Farm

Lucie Morton

Morton Viticulture

Melanie Natoli

Cana Vineyards & Winery of Middleburg

Jonathan Oakes, Moderator

Leonard Oakes Estate Winery, Steampunk Cider, Schulze Vineyards & Winery

Angela Paul

Cornell AgriTech

Gregory Michael Peck, Ph.D.

Cornell University School of Integrative Plant Science

Maria Peterson

Scott Laboratories

Zach Pierce

Ingleside Vineyards

Phil Plummer

Montezuma Winery

Joyce Rigby

Principal, Rigby Viniculture, LLC & Vineyard Manager, Boxwood Estate Winery

James Roblee

ATP Group/Fermentis

Aaron Roisen

Three Brothers Winery

Matthew Sheehan

Cornell CALS

Charlotte Shelton