Date: Thursday, June 24
Time: 9:00 am – 10:00 am

The ASEV Merit Award is presented annually to an individual who has significantly contributed in an outstanding distinguished manner to the progress and advancement of enology and viticulture or to the Society itself. This award acknowledges excellence in the fields of education, technology, research, management, public relations or any discipline related to enology and viticulture.

We are pleased to honor Dr. Koki Yokotsuka and Ms. Ellen Butz with the ASEV Merit Award based on their many accomplishments and outstanding contributions to an ASEV chapter. Please read below to view their impressive achievements.

The Impact of ASEV on Wine Science and Winemaking in Japan

Dr. Koki Yokotsuka
ASEV Japan Chapter Executive Director

Since the early 1980s, Dr. Yokotsuka has served as the executive director of the ASEV Japan Chapter and was instrumental in its formation and ongoing operations. Dr. Yokotsuka is also professor emeritus and vice president and executive director for research and planning at the University of Yamanashi. He has worked with the University since 1970, when he began as associate professor of enology. He also studied enology in California at UC Davis. During Dr. Yokotsuka’s 38-year tenure, he has conducted chemical studies of the relationship between wine quality and grape components. As a result of his extensive career, he has published 100 papers in English journals, 54 papers in Japanese journals, 35 reviews and 10 books.

Life among the Grand Crus

Ellen Butz
Vintage Winery Consultants, Indiana

Ellen Butz, a 25-year veteran of wine production, works as a consultant at Vintage Winery based in Indiana. Since 1988, Butz has been a member of the board of directors of the ASEV Eastern Section and played a key role in the chapter’s development. She was an active chapter board member for eight years, holding positions as chairperson and treasurer. Butz’s extensive wine career has taken her around the world. In 1995, she received a notable honor when the Volunteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance invited her to participate. As a result, she spent two weeks in Tirana, Albania, with a project title of “Wine Quality Control Technology and Applied Research,” followed by one week in Krasnodar, Russia, working with the Temryk Small Scale Wine Production Project. Butz co-authored the book Commercial Winemaking, From Grape Growing to Marketplace with Dr. Vine, and upon her retirement in 2007, she and Richard Vine established Vintage Winery Consultants.