Virginia Secretary of Agriculture Katie Frazier announced the winner of the 2026 Monticello Cup (best of the 12 gold medals in the competition) at the Boar’s Head Inn in Charlottesville on Friday, June 27th. Hark Vineyards winemaker AJ Greely accepts the 2026 Monticello Cup from VA Secretary of Agriculture Katie Frazier Out of the 12 […]
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Wine Writer Frank Morgan Reports on How Virginia Wines “Showed up–and Showed Off in Paris Wine blogger Frank Morgan (“Drink What YOU Like”) just returned from having co-organized a landmark tasting of Virginia wines in a blind tasting against comparable French counterparts, at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. He writes, “What began as an idea […]
The Monticello Wine Trail has officially announced the 2026 Monticello Cup Gold Medal Winners, recognizing excellence in winemaking across the Monticello American Viticultural Area (AVA) and celebrating the depth, diversity, and continued momentum of Virginia wine. Organized by wine educator and writer Frank Morgan, the Monticello Cup competition highlights standout winesfrom across the region, judged […]
Image credit: Best of Craft Beer Awards. Two North Texas breweries have been honored at the 2026 Best of Craft Beer Awards competition. Held in Central Oregon since 2014, and reported on here since locals were first awarded medals in 2016, the Best of Craft Beer Awards is billed as "one of America's fastest growing competitions." For the 2026 edition, the event drew 1,498 entries from 270 breweries, with submissions judged against style guidelines covering 58 beer and beer-adjacent categories and subcategories. Among this year's winners were Flix Brewhouse Frisco/Little Elm and Maple Branch Craft Brewery of Fort Worth. This is the first Best of Craft Beer award for the crew at Flix Frisco/Little Elm, while Maple Branch has now nabbed four medals at the competition. In fact, Maple Branch's winning beer, Raspberry Fields, has been recognized at three separate competitions, including the Great American Beer Festival (2022) and the Texas Craft Brewers Cup (2023, 202
