The Richmond Wine Society
Wall of Fame
Award criteria: An honoree should have been a long-time member of the Richmond Wine Society and should have actively participated in the RWS by serving on the Board of Directors, serving in a leadership capacity and/or hosting events or providing a beneficial service to the RWS.
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Bill Reinhart, a long-time contributing member of the RWS, and Joe Formica, a founding father, are the newest members of the RWS Wall of Fame. They were unanimously named to the Class of 2025 by the Board of Directors from nominations sent in by RWS members.​
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They join five long-time and ultra-active members of the Richmond Wine Society elected to the 2023 RWS Wall of Fame. “Their love of wine and dedication to the Richmond Wine Society laid the foundation for many of us who were novices when we joined the Wine Society; they inspired us,” the RWS Board said. Along with long-time secretary-treasurer Bill Schrage, who was elected in 2022, the first year of the RWS Wall of Fame.
The RWS Board of Directors, which has the option of voting in any number of people, or none, elected these five from nominations sent in by the general membership.
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William "Bill" Reinhart
When talking about highlight events the Richmond Wine Society has hosted through the years, one always seems to rise to the top.
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“A Dinner to Remember,” a clever creation of the
last meal served on Titanic’s fateful maiden journey across the Atlantic, stands out as the hallmark of
the creativity of Bill Reinhart.
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Bill, a long-time contributing member of the RWS, and Joe Formica, a founding father, are the newest members of the RWS Wall of Fame. They were unanimously named to the Class of 2025 by the Board of Directors from nominations sent in by
RWS members.
Joe Formica
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Tony and Mildred Bell
Tony was RWS president three times and on the Board of Directors 12 years. Tony and Millie, who was on the Board eight times, were heavily involved in directing events starting in the late 1970s.
Phil and Virginia Eckert
Phil was president four times and on the Board 11 times; Ginny was president three times and on the Board 11 years. They have been involved with the RWS since the early 1980s and directed numerous events through the years.
Craig Kennedy
Craig was RWS president seven times and a member of the Board of Directors an incredible 24 times. Of the many events he directed from the mid 1970s on, he was perhaps best known for his Top 100 wine dinners, which often drew in excess of 100 attendees.
2022 Winner
Bill Schrage
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Bill was the Richmond Wine Society's secretary/treasurer, then treasurer for more than 25 years. During that time, he was very detail oriented, and his extensive experience and knowledge of the history of RWS was invaluable. He provided exceptional service and vast institutional knowledge directly to the Board of Directors. This input has been vital to growth of the Richmond Wine Society
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