Wine Press FINAL 10-14-10

May 5, 2012

 

             Long Island gets great coverage, New York Gold from Michigan, fake Chinese "ice wine", and lots more.

 

             Cheers!          

             Jim Trezise

Long Island Featured in Wine Spectator

 

           The May 31 edition of Wine Spectator, with legendary New York restaurateur Danny Meyer on the cover, has a great spread on Long Island wine country, combining captivating photos of wineries and wine personalities with enticing narrative and lots of practical information about touring the region

            "Exploring the East End" includes superb photos of Macari Vineyards, Channing Daughters, Pellegrini Vineyards, Bedell Cellars (with the vintage red truck),  the vineyards at Peconic Bay being hand-harvested last fall, and a picnic at Pindar Vineyards.  Pictured also are some of the industry's iconic figures: Michael Lynne (owner of Bedell Wine Cellars and Corey Creek Vineyards), Richard Olsen-Harbich (Bedell's winemaker and a Long Island pioneer), Wolffer Estate Winery's winemaker Roman Roth, and the Channing Daughters team (Walter and Molly Channing, Larry Perrine, Allison Dubin, and Christopher Tracy).

             Supplementing the photos is a great map of the region with a listing of wineries and recommended restaurants for really getting the flavor of a great wine region.

             Long Island is New York's youngest wine region, with the first vines planted by Alex and Louisa Hargrave less than 40 years ago.  In the early years, some described Long Island as "New York's Bordeaux" as a frame of reference--maritime climate, abundant sunshine, long growing reason, great for reds.

             No longer: Long Island is Long Island, a great and unique wine region with its own identity.

             The Long Island Wine Council, which represents virtually all of the region's wineries, does a great job providing information about the region and its happenings.  And it just unveiled a new and colorful "van wrap" with great graphics on the van that is like a mobile billboard.  Visit www.liwines.com.

              Another organization, now named Merliance, just changed its name from Long Island Merlot Alliance and also broadened the wines it focuses on.  The orginal "LIMA" promoted only 100% Merlot wines, including a special blend made from its member wineries called Merliance.  The group recently decided to adopt that name for its organization and to broaden the range of wines it promotes to those which predominantly feature Merlot but may include other varieties as well.

 

   

More New York Gold...from Michigan and New York
 
               New York wineries brough home a total of 176 medals from the recent Tasters Guild International Wine Competition in Michigan, including 5 Double Gold, 29 Gold, 92 Silver, and 50 Bronze. 
                  Double Gold medals were awarded to Chateau Frank 2006 Blanc de Noirs and  2006 Blanc de Blancs; Keuka Spring Vineyard 2010 Miller's Cove Red; Lakewood Vineyards  2010 Long Stem White; and Thirsty Owl Wine Company 2011 Diamond.
                  Winner of Gold medals included Chateau Frank Celebre; Chateau LaFayette Reneau 2010 Finger Lakes Late Harvest Riesling and 2009 Finger Lakes Cabernet Sauvignon; Dr. Konstantin Frank 2011 Muscat Ottonel and 2010 Semi-Dry Riesling; Glenora Wine Cellars 2003 Brut; Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards Red Cat, Branble Berry and 2008 Merlot; Heron Hill Winery 2010 Semi-Sweet Riesling; Hosmer 2010 Riesling and 2010 Dry Riesling; Hunt Country Vineyards 2010 Vignoles and 2010 Valvin Muscat; Keuka Spring Vineyard 2010 Late Harvest Vignoles, 2010 Gewurztraminer, and 2010 Epic Reserve; King Ferry (Treleaven) Gilded Lily and Silver Lining (Unoaked) Chardonnay; Lakewood Vineyards 2010 Vignoles and 2010 Abby Rose; Liberty Winery Purple Haze; Pompous Ass Winery High Falutin; Schulze Vineyards Concord; Thirsty Owl 2011 Vidal Blanc, 2010 Riesling, and 2011 Riesling; Treleaven 2010 Dry Riesling; and Wagner Vineyards 2007 Meritage.
                    Next up, this week, is the superb Riverside International Wine Competition run by California wine journalist Dan Berger at the fabulous South Coast Resort and Spa in Temecula, CA.  Watch for lots of New York Gold.
                    Meanwhile, in the recently completed Ultimate Wine Challenge in New York City, among the Chairman's Trophy Winners (the top rating) was Dr. Konstantin Frank 2011 Finger Lakes Dry Riesling. Other winners with scores of 90 or above included Chateau Frank 2006 Blanc de Noirs (93), and Sheldrake Point Winery 2011 Dry Riesling (91), with several other New York wines receiving scores in the 80's.
Free Run... 

 

               Grape crop development is variable across the state, with the most apparent damage in the Lake Erie region and some spotty, localized damage in parts of the Finger Lakes, but the other regions seem to be OK.  In the Niagara region, for example, the vines look fine but the fruit crop (apples, cherries, peaches, etc.) is essentially gone for the year.  Compared with other fruits, so far grapes are faring relatively well.  New York Farm Bureau has asked Governor Andrew Cuomo to declare a disaster so farmers can qualify for federal disaster relief aid.  It's all a vivid reminder that Nature is in charge.

 

                    Decanter magazine from the United Kingdom, which, modestly describes itself as "The world's best wine magazine", includes an inside-front-cover full-page ad encourging visitors to sample New York wines at the upcoming London International Wine Trade Fair.  It's part of our export program, and there will be 58 different New York wines to taste under the guidance of Teresa Knapp, Bob Madill, Scott and Ruth Osborn, and others.

 

                    Silver Thread Vineyard on the east side of Seneca Lake has begun a new era with the release of its 2011 vintage wines made by new co-owner Paul Brock, a talented winemaker and director of the Finger Lakes Community College Viticulture & Enology program.  He and his wife and co-owner Shannon Brock purchased the winery from long-time owner Richard Figiel last September.  This week at the New York Wine & Culinary Center, I purchased and shared a bottle of their terrific 2011 Dry Riesling.

 

                    Casa Larga Vineyard, with an impressive view of the Rochester skyline, has unveiled its Lilac Hill wine for the 2012 Lilac Festival from May 11-20.  The annual Lilac Festival is truly a feast for the senses, and the mildly sweet white wine in a blue bottle with a special label bearing the festival's official design fits in perfectly.

 

                    Niagara Wine Trail is celebrating its anniversary on Mother's Day weekend (May 11-13) with a "Wine Trail Blossoms" event that includes a wine picnic gift set as the event giveaway.  Each visitor receives a souvenir wine glass from the first winery visited, a ticket for three tastes of wine at each winery, and a picnic item from each of the wineries they visit (there are 16) to assemble their picnic basket.  For more info: www.NiagaraWineTrail.org.

 

                    Chinese Counterfeit Ice Wine is the target of Senator Charles Schumer's latest initiative to help the New York wine industry.  On Thursday he met with several of us at Sheldrake Point Winery, a top ice wine producer active in our export program, and announced that he has written a letter to six top-level officials in different departments which deal with international trade, including the Secretaries of Agriculture and Treasury along with the Tax and Trade Bureau, asking that they stop China from making counterfeit New York ice wine before they even get started.

                    Canadian ice wines have already been hurt by the fraudulent Chinese "ice wines" comprised of water, sugar, honey, and table wine, and some experts estimate that 50% to 80% of "ice wines" in the Chinese market are fake. Genuine ice wines are made with grapes naturally frozen on the wines, are very expensive to produce, and in China can fetch up to $200 per bottle.  So the fake ice wines, which cost hardly anything to produce, return huge profits.

                    Senator Schumer has been a strong advocate of the New York wine industry, and last year was able to get the Tax and Trade Bureau to greatly speed the approval of wine labels.

 

                    Du vin a New York?  That was the opening question for a major article in Le Figaro, France's largest circulation daily, by Bernard Burtschy.  The article traces some of New York's history as a wine region, as well as the most dominant grape varieties today.  It's great so see New York wines written up in Paris.  Sacre bleu!

 
     
 

 

   "God made only water, but man made wine."

               --Victor Hugo

 
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