Menu
CLARKSBURG, CA, April 21, 2025 - American sweet wine pioneer, Andrew Quady of Quady Winery (Madera, Calif.), was recognized amongst his peers Wednesday evening with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the California State Fair Wine Competition.
The State Fair Commercial Wine Competition is the oldest wine judging competition in the U.S., dating back to 1854. Since the late 1990s, the Competition has honored luminary wine leaders with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Quady was selected by a Wine Advisory Task Force - a group of nine longtime wine-industry veterans charged with recognizing people, families, or institutions who are pioneers based on their lifetime contributions to the California wine industry. Also receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award Wednesday evening was the Trinchero Family Estate, while Vineyard of the Year was awarded to Marian's Old Vine Zinfandel, currently owned by the Fry family.
"Personally, I love the fact that this year of all the honorees are from the San Joaquin Valley or have a large footprint here," said the competition's chair and cheif judge, Mark Chandler. "Andy joins good company; just a sampling over the years includes Robert Mondavi, Gina Gallo, Jess Jackson, Harold Olmo, Jerry Lohr, Gary Eberie, the Boeger and Bogle families - you get the idea!"
In his acceptance remarks, Quady credited Darrell Corti from Corti Brothers Market for starting him on his path when Corti requested 100 cases of Zinfandel port for his supermarkets in 1975. At the event, guests enjoyed a glass of Quady's flagship Essensia Orange Muscat for dessert. Essensia was the first premium fortified Orange Muscat varietal wine produced in the U.S.
This year marks Quady's 50th producing sweet and aperitif wines from muscat varietals that thrive in the warm and sunny climate of the San Joaquin Valley. Quady and his wife, Laurel, still own and manage the operations of Quady Winery, along with their children, Herb and Allison. Quady Winery is a certified sustainable winery that currently produces 150,000 cases per year/ It sells wine to 48 states, exports to 17 countries, and employs more than 30 people.
For Andrew Quady – who turned 80 on April 18 - 2025 marks 50 years of making innovative wines and opening up new wine categories in the U.S.
