Bill Maher and Ralph Ott of LaPorte, occasional winemakers, can once again lay claim to championship status with a gold award for their 2013 Italian Pinot Grigio, presented by the Cellarmasters Amateur Winemaking Competition in California. They also earned a silver for their Brola, a red wine, a bronze for their Cal Syrah Shiraz, and an honorable mention for their 2013 Riesling.

Despite the accumulating accolades, the winemakers insist that R and B Bacchus will never go commercial. They make wine for the joy of it and for the pleasure of drinking it and giving it away.