Franklin Hill Vineyards Honored with Award of Excellence

The held its banquet Saturday night, and the guest of honor was .

Elaine Pivinski -- with her , assistant and family at her side -- was presented with the chamber’s Award of Excellence by Tina Smith, president of the chamber, and Daniel Thierry, chairperson of the chamber.

She also received certificates of appreciation from the , State Reps. Joe Emrick and Marcia Hahn, and from state Sens. Lisa Boscola, Pat Browne and Bob Mensch.

The Lower Mount Bethel Township winery, which owns four retail locations across the Lehigh Valley, is an environmentally conscious grower, producer and marketer of wine of the highest quality and value, Thierry noted.

"Franklin Hill Vineyards founder Elaine Pivinski is a very visible member of the community who does a vast amount of charity and fundraising events," Thierry continued. "The Nazareth Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to have Franklin Hill Vineyards as an integral part of our chamber membership."

Pivinski first thanked the chamber and its members for nominating Franklin Hill Vineyards for "such a great honor."

She noted -- humbly -- that after previously taking home the following awards...

• Woman of Merit from the University of Scranton
• The prestigious Athena Award
• The Nike Award
• Top 50 Women in Business in the State of Pennsylvania from Gov. Rendell

... she wasn't quite sure what more she could possibly do.

"I was working on an exit plan and was moving toward handing the business over to my children," Pivinski said. "Suddenly, I decided to add two wine warehouses. Then I decided to buy more land. And then I decided to add a tasting room."

Pivinski continued, "I hope in 10 years you will nominate me for this award again and see how well I do."

In a plaque from the Senate of Pennsylvania, the accolades for Pivinski and Franklin Hill Vineyards continued.

"[Franklin Hill Vineyards] has developed a strong reputation for the highest quality of service since its inception. By steady adherence to the principles of fairness, reliability and integrity, it has become a leader in the community and a model that is worthy of emulation," a portion of the plaque reads.

Saturday morning -- on Nazareth Patch -- Bonnie Pysher, the chief winemaker, announced that the winery's Sir Walter's Red won a gold medal and the Pomegranate won a silver medal in The San Diego International Wine Competition.

Other award recipients for the night included:

• Volunteer of the Year Award: Donald Flad,

• Historical Preservation Awards:
  Tammy and Eric Kocher, / , Nazareth, Pa.
  Carol and Darrin Heckman, 1813 Joseph Steckel House and 1804 Daniel Steckel House, Bath, Pa.

Editor's Note: This article has been changed from its original version. The first version mistakenly listed Frank DeRosa as the winner of the Volunteer of the Year Award when that was incorrect. DeRosa was honored for his work as the 2011 chairperson of the chamber.