Jim Barnard has been making wine at home for 14 years.  He is a graduate of the 4 year Wine Spirit Education Trust Program at Boston University.  Currently, he is employed in sales by MS Walker, a distributor of fine wines and spirits in Massachusetts.  

Timothy Barrett has been a wine enthusiast for many years.  He has experience in designing food service facilities and has partnered with the Connecticut Culinary Institute to conduct cooking courses with wine pairing courses.  He has traveled extensively to vineyards in Connecticut and Napa Valley, and has a special interest in the grapes that are grown in the northeast climate.  Timothy is currently a member of the Connecticut Wine Association.  

Dick Caravati is a winemaker and amateur wine competition judge.  He is a member of the American Wine Society as well as its Northern New England Chapter.  He is a senior partner it DMA Group, Inc. and lives in Hampton, NH.  

Luca Conte has been a home winemaker for 6 years.  In 2007, he was awarded Silver for his chardonnay by the American Wine Society.  He has been a judge with the AWS for 4 years and is a certified AWS Wine Judge, as well as the regional vice president for AWS in Kentucky.  He has also been a judge at the Kentucky Derby Festival and the Kentucky State Fair.  

Bob Czarnecki, a ten year active member and wine judge in the Amenti del Vino chapter of the American Wine Society, has been a winemaker since 1970 and is the 2002 recipient of the prestigious ADV Chevlaier Award "for outstanding service, dedication, and loyalty to the better understanding and appreciation of wine."  Bob considers the learning and appreciation of wine a never-ending process and adventure.  He has toured wineries from the Connecticut Wine Trail to New York State, Pennsylvania, Missouri, and Napa and Sonoma.  

Bob Dabrowski is the winemaker and owner of Candia Vineyards, a boutique winery in Candia, New Hampshire. Bob made his first wine in the early 1980's.  His lifelong love of wine led to him visiting many wineries in the U.S. and beyond, convincing him to start planting his vineyard in 1998.  He was one of the first in New England to grow the cold hardy varieties such as Frontenac, Frontenac Gris, LaCrosse, and others.  Bob has won dozens of awards and had the most medal-winning boutique vineyard and winery at the 2007 and 2008 Eastern States wine competition.  Bob is a member of the American Wine Society, and is the Treasurer of the NH Winery Association.

Joe Dautlick is a graduate of the American Wine Society Judge Training Program.  His interest in wine began as he tasted at wineries in Europe where he worked for four years.  Later he volunteered in a Pennsylvania vineyard, where he had hands-on experience in every stage of wine production from pruning to final blending.  Joe annually organizes several amateur winemaker competitions and judges in numerous amateur and commercial competitions.  He enjoys lecturing on wine aromas and faults.  He is an instructor in the American Wine Society Judge Training Program.

Bob Festa has been making wine at home for 25 years.  He has won many medals, including Double Gold and Best of Show for Merlot in 1999 from the Mt. Carmel Society Wine Competition.  Bob attends several annual wine symposiums, including the Naugatuck Valley Community College symposium and several AWS National Conferences.  He is an active member of the American Wine Society for the past 15 years and judges at several other competitions.  

Mitch Gibson grows vinifera and French-American hybrid grapes, along with various types of berry and stone fruits.  He is a member of the Hudson Valley Wine and Grape Growing Association.  Mitch is an accomplished winemaker, having produced several award-winning fruit and flower wines and appreciates the challenges in making country wines.  He has graduated from American Wine Society's wine judging training program, and is currently studying to become a Certified Specialist in Wine through the Society of Wine Educators.  He has judged amateur and commercial wines over the past 5 years at various local, state, national, and international competitions.  His goal is to one day open a winery and earn the Master of Wine designation.  

Dave Gimbel, currently employed with Vineland Estates Winery, Niagara's premier wine and culinary destination, has been involved in the wine industry for 20 years.  He has worked at Hillebrand Estates as District Manager, and helped RJ Grape Products (now RJ Spagnols) grow and develop their wine kit business.  Dave is currently a member of the American and German Wine Societies.  

Frank Griffin maintains that he is not a winemaker, but rather a wine imbiber.  He has worked extensively in the retail end of the business and has served as a judge in local, state, and national competitions for the past 8 years.  He firmly believes that as a non-oenotechnophile, he adds a balance and a unique perspective to each panel he sits on.  

Ed Guilfoy owns and maintains Galloping Hill Vineyard in Vermont with his son, Ryan, and his wife, Meg.  He has studied at the Washington State University winemaking course.  Ed is a member of the Vermont Grape & Wine Council, and his winery is under construction at his vineyard in Vermont.  

Ryan Guilfoy co-owns and maintains Galloping Hill Vineyard in Vermont with his father, Ed Guilfoy.  Ryan has been making his own wine for 3 years with red and white University of Minnesota hybrid varieties.  He is currently studying for the certificate program in winemaking and viticulture with Washington State University.  Ryan specializes in the development and management of cold hardy grapes anad improving their wine wine quality, and is also a member of the Vermont Grape & Wine Council.

Steve Gunning graduated from a winemaking course at George Brown College in the early 1980's, and joined the Wine Judges Commission of Ontario in 1981 as Judges Coordinator.  In 1986, Steve completed the Judges training program and was certified as a member of the Wine Judges Commission of Ontario and ultimately reached the rank of Deputy Chief Judge.  In 2006, Steve became the Chair and a founding member of the Wine Judges of Canada.  Steve has judged amateur wines at club competitions and fairs across Ontario and also at the Provencal Competition in Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia.  His commercial judging experience includes Fruit Wines of Canada, All Canadian Wine Championships, and Ontario Wine Awards.  He also consults for wine importers in the GTA area. 

Robert Herold, a past American Wine Society Director of Education Services, currently grows grapes and makes wine from his private vineyard and winery in Connecticut.  He has competed successfully in AWS and other national competitions, and is an adjunct instructor at Naugatuck Valley Community College, at M&M Family of Wine, and at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, teaching both viticulture and winemaking.  He was named Connecticut Wine Person of the Year in 2003 by Amenti del Vino and has served as the Supporting Member Liaison to the Connecticut Vineyard and Winery Association.  He is a veteran judge for Amenti del Vino, participating in several amateur and commercial wine competitions.  

Rayona Hobbs first became interested in wine in the 1970's while living in Germany, and has been interested in cooking since she was a child.  She started her wine education by taking classes at Manchester Community College of Connecticut, and has been continuing her education and volunteering at wine competitions ever since.  She has traveled extensively across the country, visiting as many wine regions as possible, and enjoys meeting and talking to winemakers in her travels.  She has been a judge at the WineMaker competition for several years, and continues to seek out wine educational opportunities as often as possible.

Richard Karlo is the winemaker and owner of Karlo Estates, a winery in Prince Edward County, Ontario.  As a judge with the Wine Judges of Canada, Richard also sits on the board.  He contributes as the marketing chair for the Prince Edward County Winegrowers Association (PECWA) and represents Prince Edward County on the board of directors for the Ontario Viniculture Association (OVA).  Richard's wine experience is both old world and new world in style.  The varietals he is making at Karlo Estates include Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Pinot Noir, Frontenac, Marquette, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Geisenheim, and Frontenac Gris.  Richard is also working on the first Port ever produced in Prince Edward County.  

Glenn Lemaire is Professor of Hospitality Management and Coordinator of Culinary Arts at Manchester Community College (CT).  He has been a member of the American Wine Society since 1988 and was the Les Amis du Vin Chavelier recipient in 1980.  In his role as professor, Glenn has taught Beverage Management and several wine appreciation courses at MCC.  He has been the presentor at AWS National Conferences on wine and food pairing for several years, and has been a judge in about 20 wine competitions for Amenti del Vino.  Glenn is also the chair for Manchester Community College's "An Evening of Fine Wines", a wine tasting and wine auction fundraising event for the past 17 years.  

Stasia Lemaire has been married to Glenn Lemaire for 35 years, and during that time has served as assistant to Glenn in many wine events, demonstrations, dinners, and competitions.  Stasia was the Chevaleir Recipient Les Amis du Vin in 1990 and has been a member of the American Wine Society since 1988.  

Micheal and Mary Jane Lamelin are members of Amenti del Vino and the American Wine Society.  Their wine tasting experience includes winery tours and visits in France, Italy, the Napa, Sonoma, and Temecula regions of California, Arizona, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Virginia.  They are constantly improving their skills by attending wine education courses at Manchester Community College of Connecticut. 

Diane Lang has been making wine for 17 years.  She specializes in making dry red or white vinifera varietals with the occasional port.  Her passion for wine has led to her building a wine cellar in the basement and planting 75 vines in her vineyard.  Diane has made several award-winning wines, earning a gold, silver, and bronze medal at the national AWS conference, as well as medals in local contests.  She has completed the first year of the AWS wine judge certification, and this is her 5th year judging in the WineMaker competition. 

Vickie LeGros has been an active AWS member for years and participated in many national meetings as well as chapter wine tastings.  Vickie has judged at several amateur competitions.  She actively participated in her spouse's AWS judge training by creating daily blind tastings and faults.  Her greatest expertise is in advising amateur winemakers on wine faults and fixes in the wine cellar or around the kitchen table.  

Jim Lloyd has been a certified Wine Judge of Canada Member since 2003.  His judging experience includes:  AWO club competitions, AWO Ontario finals, fall fairs, Ontario Fruit Wineries competition, and Amateur Winemakers of Canada competition.  Jim is currently a member of the Amateur Winemakers of Ontario and has been making wine for 22 years.  He is also president of the Kawartha Krushers Amateur Winemakers Association.  

Paul Malagrifa is a Certified Wine Educator who has been avidly pursuing his passion for wine for the last 20+ years.  In the 1980's, Paul began making his own wine from grapes grown in the Finger Lakes region of New York.  This hobby in turn spurred Paul to begin collecting and studying the winemaking of others.  Paul writes, teaches, and lectures frequently on the topic of wine appreciation, and conducts regular classes and seminars in the greater Boston area.  He is currently considering enrolling in the Master of Wine Institute's MW program.  Paul is also the head winemaker for Whistling Frog Winer, a local winemaking endeavor in Massachusetts. 

Richard Marsden has been a member of the American Wine Society for 18 years and a member of the New Mexico Vine and Wine Society since 1998.  He has been an AWS certified wine judge since 1996 and has served as a wine judge at numerous competitions across the country.  Dick has also earned the title of Certified Specialist as a member of the Society of Wine Educators.  He was founder of both the North Alabama Chapter of AWS in 1994 and the Mesilla Valley (NM) Chapter in 2007.  He has also served as Chapter Education Chair.  Dick is a member of the Board of Trustees of the AWS Educational Foundation, the Board of the NMV&W, and is Regional Vice President of AWS for the Southwest States.  

Raymond "Butch" Meyer has been a home winemaker for over 20 years, making much of his wine from grapes grown in his own vineyard.  Butch started growing grapes in 1972 with only a few vines.  Eventually, his vineyard expanded.  In 1988, he decided to try his hand at making wine after receiving a book on winemaking for his birthday.  Thus began a hobby and passion that has led to much success in the world of amateur winemaking.  He first started entering the Kentucky State Fair Wine Competition in 1993.  Since that time he has entered many wine competitions across the country, earning over 800 awards at state, national, and international levels.  Included in those were 38 "Best of Show" awards.  At the 2005 WineMaker Competition, Butch was named "Winemaker of the Year".  Out of 2,200 entries, he won the "Grand Champion" award along with 13 other medals.  Butch is a retired engineer from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and is currently the winemaker at one of Kentucky's newest wineries, Brooks Hill Winery.  

Shirley Nelson became interested in wine in the early 1970's and joined the New Mexico Vine and Wine Society, and is still a member.  As a freelance writer, she contributes to the Hugh Johnson's wine books as well as other publications.  Shirley was assistant winemaker and partner for "Sangre de Cristo" in New Mexico from 1983-1988.  She has judged in various national and international wine competitions.  Shirley's wine interest focuses on the lesser known grapes, such as the hybrids, and assists the New World International Wine Competition in recognizing such varietals.  

Peter Oldak is owner of Jewell Towne Vineyards, New Hampshire's oldest winery.  He has been a professional wine maker for 15 years.  Wines from Jewell Towne Vineyards have won over 100 medals in international wine competitions.  He is Chairman of the Northern New England Chapter of the American Wine Society and President of the New Hampshire Winery Association.  

Diana Parker has been assisting her husband in making their own homemade wines for several years.  She has prior judging experience at the Kentucky State Fair, the Kentucky Wine & Vine Festival, and the Kentucky Derby Festival.  Diana is a member of the American Wine Society, Thomas Jefferson chapter and was its past president and current sommelier.

Scott Prom is currently the winemaker at Shelburne Vineyard in Shelburne, Vermont.  Scott's interest in wine started in 1985 while living in Seattle and working as an engineer for the Boeing Company.  It was there that Scott became active in a unique company sponsored club - the Boeing Employees Wine and Beer Makers Club.  After several years of training and practice, Scott began consistently winning awards at local state fairs, including Best of Show for a 1992 Lemberger.  Originally from Wisconsin, Scott is a mechanical engineer and has worked for 25 years in the aerospace industry, with winemaking always being a serious, passionate pasttime.  In 1996, Scott and his family moved to Vermont and in 1999, Scott began working with Ken Albert to begin Shelburne Vineyard.  Shelburne Vineyard is one of several new wineries in the Northeast working with the new winter hardy grape varieties developed in the midwest (namely LaCrescent, Marquette, Frontenac, and the Swenson varietals).  

Terry Rayner started making wine in late 1979.  He has been awarded Ontario Amateur Winemaker of the Year on six different occasions, and awarded Canadian Champion Winemaker on two occasions.  He has been a judge for Wine Judges of Canada since 1997, and a Master Judge since 1998.  In May of 2002, he joined the Testing & Training Committee for the Wine Judges of Canada.  Currently, he is the Winemaker for Coffin Ridge Winery and is the head consulting winemaker for Scotch Block Winery.

Jim Roche is a co-chairman of the New Haven chapter of AWS.  He has hosted and created numerous wine events, including dinners, tasting, travel events, and wine judging panels.  He is an award winning home winemaker, having won 3 Best of Show awards for his wine.  Jim has been a wine judge for a number of years and has judged this event several times in the past.  He also has represented different wineries and distributors at tasting events.  He continues his work learning and teaching about the many aspects of wine education.

John Ruckes has been making wine since 1979 and has been a member of the AWS and Amenti del Vino since the 1980's where he has participated in national, state, and local events.  John has been judging wine for the last 8 years.  His judging has included both amateur and commercial competitions, including the Connecticut Amateur Wine, the International Commercial Wine, the Pennsylvania Commercial Wine, the Big E Wine, and the WineMaker Magazine Amateur Wine competitions.  

David Salaba has been making wine for over 31 years.  He is a graduate of the University of California at Davis Winemaking Certificate Program, a graduate in microbiology from Purdue University, and a graduate of the Fermentation Technology Program at the Doemens Academy in Munich, Germany.  Dave has worked as a winemaking consultant, authored articles that have appeared in publications such as WineMaker magazine and the Journal of the American Wine Society, and has also been on the faculty of Bucks County College, where he has taught courses in winemaking.  He is active in many organizations, including the American Society for Microbiology, the American Society for Enology and Viticulture, the American Wine Society, the Rhone Rangers, and the Society of Wine Educators.  He enjoys entering winemaking competitions and over the years his wines have earned over 125 awards including Best Red Wine, Grand Champion Red Wine, Concordance Gold, and Best in Show at various national and international competitions.  

Frederick (Rick) Schofield has been a wine buyer for 14 years.  He is an Advanced Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers; a Certified Wine Educator with the Society of Wine Educators (one of 121 around the globe); and International Bordeaux Educator with the Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux; and da Spanish Wine Educator through the Spanish Wine Academy.  He has toured wine regions in Australia, California, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, New York, Oregon, Spain, and Washington and has been a professional member of the American Wine Society since 1995.  Rick has professional experience and expertise giving seminars and tastings, refining wine lists, pairing food and wine, planning events, and training staff.

Paul Stetson will be joining as a judge in the Competition for the 4th year in a row.  In addition to judging in several Amenti del Vino competitions, he is a life member of Tasters Guild where for many years he has judged in their Annual Consumers Wine Competition in Washington, DC.  As a member of the American Wine Society, he has received some training and education at their annual conferences.  As a member of both the TG and AWS, Paul avidly participates in local chapter activities.  He has traveled extensively on wine tours, in Chile, Argentina, and France.  

Barry and Sissy St. Pierre consider winemaking to be a passion of theirs and have received many awards from amateur winemaking competitions, including a couple of Best in Show awards.  Among American Wine Society winemakers, they were ranked 16th in the nation at the end of 2008.  Barry has completed an intensive three years of training from the AWS to be certified as a wine judge and is trained on the utilization of the AWS 20-point scale utilized at the WineMaker Competition.  Both Barry and Sissy are members of the American Wine Society, and Barry is a Regional Vice President for the AWS.  Both have participated in the WineMaker Amateur Competition for the past 5 years.  

Bill Thornton lives in Port Stanley, which is on the north shore of Lake Erie.  He has been competing as an amateur winemaker for over 30 years, having accumulated points with the Amateur Winemakers of Ontario to the level of Senior Grand Master Winemaker and Grand Master Cidermaker.  Bill was certified as a wine judge with the Wine Judges Commission of Ontario in 1996 and promoted to Master Judge status in 1997.  He is currently Chairperson of Training and Testing on the board of Wine Judges of Canada.  Bill has judged amateur wines at numerous club competitions and at Ontario and Canadian finals.  He has experience judging commercial wines for Fruit Wines of Canada and also at the All Canadian Wine Championships.  

Anne Whyte is a nationally ranked beer competition judge.  In addition to making wine, she also brews beer and cider and has been brewing since 1990.  Anne has owned a homebrew supply store in Winooski, VT for 14 years.  She came in second place in the 2005 New England Homebrewer of the Year contest, and has been eligible to enter the Masters Champsionship of Amateur Brewing three times, winning a ribbon for her altbier.  She has been a judge at the WineMaker Competition for 4 years.  

Stewart Wood has been a Certified Wine Judges of Canada member since May 2004.  He has experience in judging AWO Club Competitions and AWO Ontario Finals for 5 years.  He has also judged in numerous fall fairs, independently and with other certified Judges.  Stewart is a member of the London Commercial Wine Tasting Group, which typically meets once per month to judge and assess commercial wines of different classes and regions of the world.  He has been an amateur winemaker, competing for over 10 years.