2025 Industry Excellence Award Recipients

Named after Thomas Volney Munson of Denison, this award recognizes exemplary contributions to Texas grape growing.

The 2024 T.V. Munson Award recipient is Matt Adams of Lahey Vineyards. A West Texas Native, Matt was raised in Brownfield, Texas, and attended Texas Tech University. Before completing his coursework, Matt left Texas Tech to assist his father, Tom, with their family farm. This decision ultimately allowed Matt to use his toughness, work ethic, and resilience to take their small family farming operation to new heights during the next 35 years. Stagnant commodity prices in the early and mid-2000s led Matt to research alternative crops that could provide new business opportunities and diversify his farm. With that, Lahey Vineyards’ first vines were planted in 2013.

In his 65 years, Matt’s contributions to agriculture, his community, and, most importantly, his family left a legacy that will impact generations. After Matt’s unexpected passing in January 2021, his family committed to continuing the ownership and operation of the vineyard in the same way Matt lived his life: hard work, a fighter’s spirit, and unwavering faith.

Honoring the founder of Val Verde Winery in Del Rio, this award recognizes a pioneering spirit in a Texas winemaker or grape grower.

The 2025 Louis F. Qualia Award recipient is Jason Centanni, Head Winemaker at Llano Estacado Winery. He has more than two decades of passion and expertise in the industry. Jason’s journey began with a remarkable bottle of 1982 vintage wine, and today, he’s dedicated to crafting exceptional wines and mentoring the next generation of winemakers.

This award recognizes lifetime achievement in the Texas wine and grape industry.

The 2025 John E. Crosby, Jr. Award recipient is Russell Lepard, owner of Lepard Vineyards in Brownfield, Texas. Russell is a fourth-generation Texas farmer with 46 years of experience cultivating the land. A proud graduate of Brownfield High School, he earned a football scholarship to Texas Tech University, where he played for the Red Raiders and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in biology. Following a brief stint in politics as Chief of Staff for Texas Legislator Jim Rudd, Russell returned to his true passion—farming. He has dedicated his career to working the soil across Terry, Yoakum, Bailey, and Parmer counties. His commitment to agriculture earned him the title of Farm Bureau’s Farmer of the Year in both 1983 and 1985. In addition to his work in the fields, Russell has played a key role in the financial community, serving as a Director at People’s Bank for 26 years and helping to establish the bank as one of its original founders in 1999.

Russell’s journey into viticulture began in 2009 with the purchase of a small 8-acre vineyard, which, through hard work and family dedication, has since expanded to an impressive 120 acres. His passion for farming and winemaking continues to inspire the next generation, as his children proudly carry on the family’s legacy as fifth-generation Texas farmers.

This award is given to wine, food, travel, and agriculture writers for outstanding coverage of the Texas wine industry. This category includes social media, blogs, and state commissions who promote the industry.

The 2025 Wine Press Award recipient is the Come Over October team. Created by wine journalist Karen MacNeil—and public relations and communications veterans Gino Colangelo and Kimberly Noelle Charles, DipWSET—Come Over October (a campaign under the trio’s mission-driven company, Come Together— A Community for Wine Inc.) encourages friends, family, and colleagues to “come over” during the month of October.

This award is given for diligent and altruistic commitment to furthering the Texas wine and grape industry through the legislature and government agencies.

The 2025 Frank Madla Award recipient is Mark Hyman, former president and COO of Llano Estacado Winery. He served as president and COO of the winery for 30 years before retiring in 2025. During his tenure, he helped the winery become a leader in retail distribution and production. 

This award recognizes a woman in the wine industry who is dedicated to quality in all that she does, shows tenacity when facing even the most daunting of challenges, and models grace and courtesy while making her contribution to the Texas wine and grape industry.

The 2025 Bunny Becker Women in Wine Award recipient is Denise Clarke. She has more than 30 years of experience managing public relations, social media, and marketing programs. Her wine PR career started when she represented the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Wine Marketing Program in the early 2000s and helped share the stories and progress around the Texas wine industry to media. Since then, she has also managed public relations for Whole Foods Market’s national wine program. For the past 10 years, she has served as the director of Texas Fine Wine, a marketing group including Bending Branch Winery, Duchman Family Winery, Pedernales Cellars, and Spicewood Vineyards. She is a Certified Wine Educator through the Society of Wine Educators, Level 3 Advanced from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, Certified Sommelier from the Court of Master Sommeliers, and most recently an Advanced Specialist of Texas Wine.