 Jon Winroth closely followed the progress of these local wines and shared the joy of his winemaker friends when they finally attained "Appellation d'origine contrôlée" status in 2000.He continued writing, with samples arriving by mail and truck and articles dispatched by fax, until his retirement in 2000.He was made a "Chevalier de l'Ordre du Mérite Agricole" in 2004.