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ORGANIZATIONS Big reach the WHen tHe AMERICAN WINE SOCIETY SPeAKS, ProdUCerS LiSten story and photos by Fred Minnick Y At the 2010 American Wine Society convention in Cincinnati, members tasted a variety of Mercer wines from Washington State. ou may have never heard of the American Wine Society or had them at your establishment for a tasting. But they are changing the way winemakers sell to the American consumer and are as knowledgeable as most winemakers. Just ask David Forsyth, winemaker at Mercer Estates in Washington State’s Yakima Valley. During his tasting of Mercer whites at the American Wine Society (AWS) confer- ence in November, a member raised his hand and wanted to know whether Forsyth used sulfites. “At any American Wine Society event, there are a number of winemakers in the crowd. They are extremely knowledge- able,” Forsyth says. In fact, many American Wine Society members are certified wine judges, make wine themselves or are reputable wine educa- tors. “We train people to be serious wine judges,” says Willis Parker, President of the organization. “We teach people how to truly appreciate wine. You really get an appreciation for what a winemaker is going through when you’re trying to make a five-gallon batch.” The conference promoted the Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur AOCs, which rep- resent 55 percent of all the Bordeaux wines consumed in the world. 64 / the tasting panel / january–february 201 1