32nd Annual
Maryland Governor’s Cup Wine Awards
The Maryland Governor’s Cup Wine Awards is the premier judging of locally-grown wines in the Free State. Wineries from across the state enter their wines for evaluation by judges, representing all segments of the industry.
Whether traditional vintages or creative blends of fruit or honey, all wines presented are proudly Maryland grown and Maryland made.
The top locally-grown grape wine earns the Governor’s Cup Best in Show, while the highest-scoring mead, fruit wine or cider earns the Jack Aellen Cup Best in Show.
The judging takes place at The Center Club in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and is directed by Al Spoler.
Wine Entry Parameters
Learn the ins and outs of entering wines in the competition, from number of bottles to delivery
Enter Wines
for Judging
Whether made from local grapes, fruit or honey, all Maryland-grown wines are eligible for entry.
View & Taste
The Results
View results via the link below. Join us in the Explorer Village at the Maryland Wine Festival Sept 17-18 to taste some of the judging’s top wines.
The Competition
Learn More about the Judging
The competition brings together top wines and qualified judges for a day of analysis, conversation and scoring.
1. Initial Round
Every wine is tasted by a panel of judges, who assign scores based on appearance, aroma, mouthfeel and finish.
2. Semi-Finals
Wines earning Gold are then judged to rank the determine which should move forward to the final round.
3. Final Round
The top wines are entered into a final tasting. The top-scoring wines are honored as Best in Show & Best in Class.
Meet the Organizers
Al Spoler, Director
When it comes to wine appreciation in Baltimore, the name of Al Spoler is very well known. As co-host of the long-running radio program "Cellar Notes," Al has been sharing his enthusiasm and knowledge with the audience for over 25 years. His...
Joe Fiola, PhD, Viticulturist
Dr. Joseph A. Fiola has over 30 years of academic experience in research and extension in viticulture, winemaking, and small fruit production. He is currently the Specialist in Viticulture and Small Fruit for the University of Maryland Extension (since 2001),...
Janna Howley, Manager
Food, farms and economic development have been Janna’s passions since the early 2000s. She most recently worked for the USDA National Organic Program’s Accreditation and International Activities Division, where she conducted auditing and accreditation activities...
Meet the Judges
Vanessa Cominsky, Sommelier
Vanessa Cominsky is a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native who moved to Washington DC in 2017 to work at DBGB Kitchen and Bar as the Sommelier, working with a primarily French and American wine list....
Karl Kuhn, Advanced Sommelier
Karl Kuhn knows that great wine can come from anywhere. The Maryland native started his wine career as a tasting room staffer for an east coast winery. That experience helped to ignite his passion...
William Ferguson, WSET II
William Ferguson is a wine professional working in wine sales and buying. They are passionate about wine, food, and LGBTQ issues. They are also WSET II certified and love reading, writing, and dogs.
John Jung, Sommelier
John Jung, started learning about wine at Tersiguel’s French restaurant in Ellicott City where he became the sommelier. John went on to be the restaurant manager and sommelier at Antrim 1844. For...
Carlo DeVito, Winemaker & Writer
Carlo DeVito has more than 20 years experience as a publishing executive. His authors include Kevin Zraly, Oz Clarke, Matt Kramer, Tom Stevenson, as well as Wine Spectator and the New York...
Jeryl Cole, WSET II & Retailer
Jeryl is the owner of Off the Rocks fine wine retailer in Baltimore, and holds a WSET Level 2. Born and raised in East Baltimore and currently resides in Patterson Park with his three boys and wife....
Brett Drucker, WSET & Sommelier
Brett Drucker, founder and sommelier of Own Your Palate, holds certifications from both WSET and the National Wine School. Brett's passion for learning about wine from vine to glass emerged as a...
Elaine Chukan Brown, Editor, JancisRobinson.com
Elaine Chukan Brown serves as Executive Editor US for JancisRobinson.com, and is a James Beard nominee in Journalism. Brown is responsible for reporting on the California wine scene and...
Paul Vigna, Writer
Paul Vigna has been writing on largely East Coast wines since 2008, first on his blog called The Wine Classroom and now for PennLive.com in Harrisburg. Off the record, it’s a welcome relief from his...
Tim Riley
Mickey Parish, PhD
Dr. Mickey Parish served as the Senior Science Advisor at FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition in College Park, MD until his retirement in 2020. In this role, he provided oversight of...
Titus Green, Sommelier
Titus Green is accredited under the Court of Masters Sommelier. He reigns from Washington DC with one of the best wine lists in the city earning multiple Wine...
Michael Kaiser, WineAmerica
Michael is the main voice of WineAmerica on Capitol Hill, taking WineAmerica’s message to Members of Congress and their staff. As Executive Vice President and Director of Government Affairs,...
Desiree Harrison-Brown, Wine Educator
Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Desiree graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a Bachelor's degree in Communication. In 2017,Desiree Harrison-Brown left her...
Kerrie Tippett, Social Reviewer
Kerrie has been reviewing wines for 5 years on Instagram. She enjoys visiting Maryland wineries and vineyards, has volunteered in both wineries and vineyards around the state. @maryland_wine_snob
David Schwartz
David Schwartz has enjoyed being a part of various aspects of the wine industry for 35 years. A wine enthusiast, David's first foray into wine was purchasing wine futures from France in...
The Maryland Wineries Association was founded in 1984 and represents member wineries throughout the Old Line state.
Address
Maryland Wineries Association
1783 Forest Drive #343
Annapolis, MD 21401
Phone
(410) 252-9463