Wayne Crawford, A retired U. S. Army Officer for 27 years with an MS in Logistics Management, Wayne holds the Certified Specialist of Wine, WSG French Wine Scholar, WSG Master in Champagne. He has done judges’ training with the American Wine Society, is a wine educator, and has published Georgia Vineyards and Wineries -Historical Guide to Modern Georgia Wines. For the past 16 years, he has written the monthly “Wayne on Wine” column for Big Canoe Smoke Signals in North Georgia, covering the wine business, trends, tasting notes and food pairings. He lived for five years in Europe, where his interest in wines began. Wayne joined the Georgia Trustees Wine & Spirits Competition board of directors eight years ago after serving one year of judging. Then he assumed duties for the past six years as the Senior Wine Judge. He has judged in numerous Southern wine competitions, speaking to numerous historical groups or organizations on Georgia’s wine history and current trends. He frequently hosts wine dinners focused on pairing food selections with wines.
Douglas C. Mabry A founding member of the Georgia Trustees Wine & Spirits Competition, Doug has a background in historic research, much of it devoted to the history of wine and grape growing in Georgia and the South. He also was a founding member of the Vineyard & Winery Association of West Georgia, which he helped organize, and an original member of the founding board of Georgia Wine Producers. A graduate of West Georgia University (anthropology) and Mercer University (education), he has secured a number of grants allowing him to pursue his research. Doug designed the wine history exhibition displayed in the visitor’s center at the Georgia-Alabama state line.
Jane Garvey A Founding Member of the Georgia Trustees Wine & Spirits Competition, she holds a doctorate in Romance languages from the University of Georgia. She earned the Certified Specialist of Wine awarded by the Society of Wine Educators and served as the wine columnist for. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for about 15 years, then as wine instructor for the Atlanta Wine School and wine reviewer for its newsletter. She has written about Georgia wine, spirits, and beer for Georgia magazine. She also served as tasting panel participant and wine writer for the Atlanta Wine Report. While writing for the newspaper, Jane judged a variety of notable wine competitions across the country. Jane has visited wineries throughout Europe, South America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
Ryan Reardon A graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law, Ryan has worked in a wide variety of restaurants serving as general manager as well as beverage alcohol manager. He has served as judge with the competition for many years and has secured numerous benefits for both the judging and the competition banquet.
Bill Reynolds, a retired U.S. Army officer, holds the CSW, WSET Level 3 and FWS (French Wine Scholar) credentials. Bill is an investor and instructor with Vino Venue/Atlanta Wine School. Bill is enrolled in the American Wine Society’s judges’ training program and has judged the Georgia Trustees Wine & Spirits Competition numerous times since its founding in 2015. Bill has visited numerous wineries around the globe, including Israel.
Michelle Schreck: Vice-president of sales for the Atlanta Improvement Company, an importer and broker, Michelle Schreck has judged for the competition since its founding. She also worked with Vino Challenge and the Northwest Wine Summit, both competitions sponsored by Atlanta Improvement Company, for several years. Michelle holds the WSET Level 2 designation and has worked in both beverage alcohol retail and distribution. Former owner of a popular restaurant, Michelle travels extensively throughout the wine world in both Europe and South America. Michelle is working toward her American Wine Society certification as a wine judge.
Wayne Sloop: A former restaurateur, Wayne Sloop has worked with the competition for many years, serving as judge and recruiting competitors as he visits wineries and distilleries around the state.
L-R: Ryan Reardon, Michelle Schreck, Jane Garvey, Doug Mabry, Wayne Sloop. Not pictured: Wayne Crawford, Bill Reynolds.