Chateau MerrillAnne’s “Founded 1734” 2022 was awarded the Jefferson Cup. Owners Kenny and Emily White accepted the sterling silver cup from ASWA President Grant Crandall. Ranked highest among the 367 entries, Chateau MerrillAnne is the only Virginia winery to win seven or more medals in every competition for five years in a row, 2021-2025.

Working with winemaker Mike Heny, Kenny White sourced fruit from the Commonwealth , producing a wine with a Virginia AVA designation. “Founded 1734” is a Bordeaux blend style wine composed of 57% merlot, 38% cabernet sauvignon, and 5% petit verdot. Aged in neutral oak, the wine is characterized by subtle spice notes married with rich, dark berry flavor. Owner Kenny White describes the wine: “Done in the ‘Claret’ style, it is silky with bold flavor and a velvety mouthfeel. With a lasting finish this easy drinking red is perfect for sipping on its own or pairing with food; it is a very versatile wine.”

The ASWA’s annual competition is the largest in the nation focused exclusively on the wines of the East Coast, covering the seventeen states from Maine to Florida that border the Atlantic and including Vermont, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. The Tiffany-produced Jefferson Cup has been awarded since 1982 to the winning winery of the annual competition. Each winning wine and winery is engraved on the cup itself or on a plaque attached to the cup’s wooden base.

A panel of 16 judges from around the country scored 367 wines made in the Eastern U.S. over the two-day event. The 2025 competition produced 89 gold medal winners, 162 silver and 116 bronze. ASWA President Grant Crandall said, “The results of the Competition demonstrate the continuing maturation of the East Coast Wine industry with so many outstanding wines. We are pleased to be able to introduce that quality to audiences who otherwise might not get to taste and appreciate the wines of the East Coast.”

Winning wines are traditionally showcased at the Unified Wine and Grape Symposium in Sacramento, CA, the leading wine industry convention typically drawing 15,000 attendees. ASWA Board members host dinners in California with industry professionals to highlight the strengths of Eastern wines, give educational presentations at UC Davis and additional California venues, and bring focus to Atlantic Seaboard wines through a leading wine and food radio broadcast. The wines are also featured annually at the Eastern Wine Exposition. Opportunities for increased exposure then continue throughout the year.

See the complete list of medal-winning wines here. — By the Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association