TWGGA Industry Excellence Awards Recipients

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

1985 Dr. Roy Renfro
1986 Dr. George Ray McEachern
1987 Dr. Bobby Smith
1988 Dr. Bill Lipe
1989 Bob Reed
1990 Dr. John Lipe
1991 C.O. Foerster, Jr.
1992 Dr. Barry Comeaux and Steve Morse
1993 Dr. Larry Stein
1994 Freddy and Rodney Bell
1995 Raymond Haak
1996 Lazaro Acosta and Frank and Carolyn Carpenter
1997 Hoss, Laverne, and Neal Newsom
1998 Michael Zerbach
1999 Jerry Watson
2000 Jim Kamas
2001 Steve Johnson
2002 Speaker Billy Clayton
2003 No Award
2004 Alfred Flies

2005 Bobby Cox
2006 Howard Davies
2007 Steve and Joy Johnson
2008 Michel Duforat
2009 Dr. Lisa Morano
2010 Vijay Reddy
2011 Gene Estes
2012 Jet Wilmeth
2013 Larry Young
2014 Andy Timmons
2015 Dr. Ed Hellman
2016 Fritz Westover
2017 Dr. Justin Scheiner
2018 Kirk Williams
2019 Penny Adams
2020 No Award
2021 No Award
2022 Neal Newsom
2023 Frances Pontasch
2024 Martha and Alphonse Dotson

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

1984 Dr. Roy Mitchell
1985 Billy Carr
1986 Dr. Charles McKinney
1987 Kim McPherson
1988 Clinton McPherson
1989 Ed and Susan Auler
1990 John Lowey
1991 Don Brady
1992 Enrique Ferro
1993 Paul Bonarrigo
1994 Alfred Flies
1995 The City of Grapevine
1996 Jerry and Linda Delaney
1997 Trish Williams and Jim Evans
1998 Dr. Bobby Smith and Camille McBee
1999 Paul W. McCallum
2000 Gabe Parker
2001 Merrill Bonarrigo
2002 Ag. Commissioner Susan Combs
2003 No Award
2004 Thomas Qualia

2005 Freddy and Rodney Bell
2006 Gina Puente-Brancato and John Brancato
2007 Rick and Madelyn Naber
2008 Mark Penna
2009 Gary Elliott
2010 Dr. Richard Becker
2011 Cliff Bingham
2012 Neal Newsom
2013 Bobby Cox
2014 Raymond and Gladys Haak
2015 Gary Gilstrap
2016 Gabe Parker
2017 Jim Evans
2018 Howard Davies and Amy Sterling
2019 Bob Landon
2020 Pat Brennan
2021 No Award
2022 Larry and Jeanine Kuhlken
2023 Anthony Mosley
2024 Michael McClendon

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

1992 John E. Crosby, Jr
1993 Speaker Billy Clayton
1994 No Award
1995 Dr. Roy Mitchell
1996 Alfred Flies
1997 Dr. Charles McKinney
1998 Dr. George Ray McEachern
1999 Dr. Bobby Smith
2000 Dr. Roy Renfro
2001 Rod Kennedy
2003 Jim Evans
2004 Alphonse Dotson
2005 Les Constable
2006 No Award
2007 Laverne Newsom
2008 Bobby Cox

2009 Michael Zerbach
2010 Barb Parker
2011 Cord and Sandy Switzer
2012 Mark Penna
2013 Paul V. Bonarrigo
2014 Jerry Watson
2015 Jim Kamas
2016 Bill Blackmon
2017 Neal Newsom
2018 Gene Estes
2019 Greg Bruni
2020 Kim McPherson
2021 No Award
2022 Vijay Reddy
2023 Raymond and Gladys Haak
2024 Ed and Susan Auler

Given to the 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.

1996 Diane Teitelbaum, Austin Morning News
1997 Sara Jane English, Wine Writer
1998 Media Property, Fort Worth Star Telegram
1999 Media Property, Wine Business Monthly, Sonoma, California
2000 Dale Rice, Austin American Statesman
2001 Michael Lonsford, Houston Chronicle
2002 Joy Donovan, Fort Worth Star Telegram
2003 John Demers, Texas Food Lovers Magazine, and Wes Marshall, The Wine Roads of Texas
2004 Tom and Regina Ciesla, Touring Texas Wineries
2005 No Award
2006 Jeff Siegel, Fort Worth Star Telegram
2008 Wes Marshall, The Wine Roads of Texas
2009 Dr. Russell Kane, Vintage Texas
2010 Ron Saikowski, Wine Walk

2011 Robert Champion, Jr., Texas Department of Agriculture
2012 Terry Thomson-Anderson
2013 Dr. Russ Kane, Vintage Texas
2014 Jeff Cope, Texas Wine Lover
2015 Jessica Dupuy, Texas Monthly
2016 Commissioner Sid Miller, Texas Department of Agriculture
2017 Daniel Kelada, Texas Wine Journal
2018 Carl Hudson, Carl’s Corner Wine Blog
2019 Dale Robertson, Houston Chronicle
2020 Denis Clarke, Denise Clarke Publications
2021 No Award
2022 Shelly Wilfong, This Is Texas Wine Podcast
2023 No Award
2024 No Award

For diligent and altruistic commitment to furthering the Texas wine and grape industry through the legislature and government agencies.

2006 Gabe Parker
2007 Cord Switzer
2008 Commissioner Todd Staples
2009 Senator Jane Nelson
2010 Robert Champion, Jr.
2011 Representative Vicki Truitt
2012 Dacota Haselwood
2013 Senator Craig Estes
2014 Representative Larry Phillips
2015 Representative Charlie Geren
2016 Representative Doug Miller

2017 No Award
2018 No Award
2019 Les Constable
2020 Representative Tracy O. King
2021 No Award
2022 General Bentley Nettles
2023 Kyle Frazier
2024 No Award

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. 

2020 Brenda Canada
2021 No Award
2022 Maureen Qualia
2023 Julie Whitehead
2024 Roxanne Myers