Award for Exceptional Contributions to the American Wine Industry Bestowed by the Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association
April 2nd – Todd Steiner has been a force in the wine community for more than three decades. From his seminal role as a lab technician in 1996, Steiner has progressed through positions from Program Manager to Outreach Specialist leading the Ohio State University Enology Program. As such, he serves as liaison to the Ohio commercial wine industry.
For the past 25 years, Steiner has organized the annual Ohio Grape and Wine Conference, one of the longer-running events which regularly draws 300+ attendees. He provides approximately six in-state workshops per year covering the evaluation of wine quality, laboratory analysis, sensory evaluation techniques and essential wine production practices.
Steiner was instrumental in the creation of the Ohio Quality Wine Program (OQW). This highly regarded seal holds wines to a benchmark quality standard recognized by consumers and media alike. In addition, he developed a system for the Ohio Wine Competition to analyze entries and inaugurated the practice of distributing judges’ notes to the participating wineries.
During the pandemic 2020/21, Steiner created virtual workshops and webinars as well as spearheading the virtual version of the Ohio Grape and Wine Conference. In all, his on-line achievements have provided an enormous amount of information to the wine community including free one hour consultations with his virtual team of winemakers and consultants as well as a “train the trainer” initiative to service Ohio’s 400+ wineries. In 2022, he published the Wine Production Guide through the OSU Extention Publications, a valuable resource of essential information in the production of sound, quality wines.
The Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association inaugarated the sterling silver Monteith Trophy in 1980. It is one of the most elegant awards in the U.S. wine industry. Weighing in at 123 ounces of pure sterling silver, the bowl was created in 1980 by Tiffany & Co. for the Vinifera Wine Growers Association (now the Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association). As early as 1689, designs similar to the Monteith were used in the service of wine in England. Smaller versions used by George Washington are on display in the Mount Vernon dining room.
ASWA presents the trophy to individuals or organizations that have made exceptional contributions to the development and sustainability of the American wine industry by actively providing leadership and motivation, in addressing both legislative and regulatory issues, supporting innovative and technical research, encouraging wine and health related studies, and contributing to consumer education and appreciation through the arts, literature and the media.
The Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association promotes American wine produced in the seventeen eastern states: all those that touch the Atlantic Ocean plus West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Vermont. This trade organization was founded in 1973 as the Vinifera Wine Growers Association, and renamed in 2008 to reflect an expanded regional focus. ASWA’s mission is to increase awareness of the fine wines of the Atlantic seaboard through trade and consumer education. Members liaise with national, state, and regional wine organizations to identify opportunities to highlight the wines and winemakers working here.
