2024 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 recipients are Martha and Alphonse Dotson of Dotson-Cervantes Wines. Their journey together and love for each other—and viticulture—has blossomed into something truly extraordinary. Both have a hand in every aspect of their vineyard and winery operation. From the football field to their vineyard acres in Voca, Texas, their endeavors have culminated in the creation of exceptional wines.

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

The 2024 Louis F. Qualia Award recipient is Michael McClendon of Sage’s Vintage. As cofounder of a custom crush winery, he has produced more than 80 labels for nearly 30 winery and brand owners. These wines have medaled in competitions across the U.S. He has been named as a “Young Turk of Texas Wine” by Dr. Russ Kane, featured in the Dallas Morning News, and featured on the cover of Wine and Spirits Magazine as part of their national collective of “Rising Black Voices” in the wine industry.

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

The 2024 John E. Crosby, Jr. Award recipients are Ed and Susan Auler. Susan and the late Ed Auler founded Fall Creek Vineyards in 1975 and worked ardently over the past 40+ years to build a viable and successful Texas winery. Inspired on a trip to France, they returned to Texas with the ambition to make Texas a world-recognized wine region. Never deterred by a challenge, they set off to “grow a Texas Wine Tradition.” As the original growers of Texas grapes, they put their hearts and souls into creating a Texas wine industry, while Ed used his legal practice to aid in writing the early laws regulating Texas wine. Susan created the Texas Hill Country Wine & Food Festival as a promotional tool to establish the Texas Hill Country as a known viticultural region. Ed used his legal expertise to create the “Texas Hill Country” appellation certified by federal law in 1990. Susan, through her wine promotional efforts was named, “one of the Top 50 people in the Wine World” by Wine & Vines Magazine.

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 2024 Bunny Becker Women in Wine Award recipient is Roxanne Myers. A mom, globetrotter, and member of the Lost Oak Winery family, Roxanne is known for wearing a lot of hats. From tasting room to president, she can be credited with growing Lost Oak Winery 600% in the last 13 years, developing a robust event business and helping Lost Oak to expand in to the Hill Country.