June 2, 2012

             Great press for the Hudson Valley, great eats at the Upstairs Bistro, I Love NY is back, Winery Benchmarks conference, and much more happening in New York Wine Country.

             Cheers!          

             Jim Trezise

           The Hudson River Region, one of the nation's most historic wine regions, got some great coverage this week by Patricia Savoie in the Sommelier Journal.  Patricia is Chair of the Wine Media Guild in New York City, and wrote a great, detailed profile of "American's first wine region."

            The charming region, with wineries on both the east and west sides of the magestic Hudson River, got its start in 1677 when French Huguenot immigrants first planted vines for wine production.  Benmarl Winery in Marlboro, which became New York's first licensed farm winery after the Farm Winery Act of 1976 was passed, includes the nation's oldest continuously producing vineyard; and Brotherhood Winery, first established as Jacques Brothers Winery in 1839, is the country's oldest continuously operating winery, having stayed open during Prohibition by producing sacramental wines.

             As in other regions of New York State, Ice Age glaciers left a legacy of topography and soil composition conducive to grape growing in certain areas.  The Hudson River, starting as a tiny stream in the Adirondack Mountains and flowing past Manhattan on its way to the Atlantic Ocean, has a moderating effect on the climate, as do the warm winds from the south.

             While still a small grape-growing region with only about 500 acres, the Hudson River Region--New York's first officially recognized American Viticultural Area (1982)--now has more than 40 wineries and counting.  This article includes profiles of Benmarl Winery, Brotherhood Winery, Clinton Vineyards, Hudson-Chatham Winery, Millbrook Vineyards & Winery (whose owner, John Dyson, was largely responsible for passage of the Farm Winery Act and the "I Love NY" tourism campaign), Oak Summit Vineyard, Stoutridge Vineyard, and Whitecliff Vineyard.

              The article is available at http://www.sommelierjournal.com/articles/article.aspx?year=2012&month=05&articlenum=54.  However, unless you're a subscriber, you'll need to pay $1.99 to access it.

               Much of the recent coverage of the Hudson River Region is the good work of Carlo DeVito, co-owner with his wife Dominique of Hudson-Chatham Winery and the volunteer president of the Hudson Valley Wine Council.  His winery, along with Shinn Estate Vineyards on Long Island, was recently cited by New York Times wine writer Eric Asimov in a blog about restaurants featuring local wines: http://eastcoastwineries.blogspot.com/2012/05/shinn-estate-vineyards-and-hudson.html.

               As fate would have it, my office is roughly 23 steps from the new, improved Upstairs Bistro at the New York Wine & Culinary Center.  So guess where I eat lunch most days.

                   Happily, it never gets old. They serve only New York wines, and only New York beers, and their selections let me try something new every day. (The Steampunk Cider from Leonard Oakes Winery in the Niagara region is fabulous, as many New York City restaurants and retailers have discovered, thanks to our "NY Drinks NY" program.)  The food also has a New York focus in terms of locally sourced ingredients, with a nice selection of creative recipes, reasonably sized portions (not super-sized, thank goodness), affordable prices, and a knowledgeable and friendly staff.

                   Many years ago, I lived in France for three years and became addicted to moules-frites (Mussels cooked in dry white wine and shallots, with French fries) which, happily, the Upstairs Bistro offers.  The mussels are great, but the fries--which I never, ever eat anywhere else--are unbelievable: hand-cut, hot, crisp, and perfectly seasoned with truffle oil and herbs.  Out of habit, I once asked for ketchup, but never used it, not wanting to compromise the great flavors of perfect fries.  I only wish they had escargot as well, so I'll work on that.

                    The New York Wine & Culinary Center will turn six years old in a couple weeks, and it has been a great resource for the New York wine, food, agri-tourism, and culinary tourism sectors.  Its overall mission is to educate people about New York State's agricultural bounty, and its many programs reflect that.  The driving force in the Center's creation was Constellation Brands, with other founding partners including the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Wegmans Food Markets. Executive Director Alexa Gifford has done a fabulous job of making sure that all New York wine regions are well represented in terms of wine selections and wine education.

                      What are the benefits to the New York wine industry?  There are many "soft" ones like education and promotion, but if you need tangibles, how about $2 million worth of New York wine purchases in six years.  How many New York  wine retailers or restaurants can match that?

                       For more information: www.nywcc.com

            Governor Andrew Cuomo is reviving the "I Love NY" advertising campaign with a new twist on the iconic heart symbol created by legendary New York City artist Milton Glaser backed by a $5 million budget which is part of the Governor's $50 million "New York Open for Business" initiative.

         Due to the fiscal crisis and budget constraints for the past several years, the I Love NY campaign has not appeared on television for over three years, even though New York ranks as the nation's third largest tourist destination after California and Florida. The new campaign will run in several major markets in and surrounding New York State, and includes a new interactive feature inviting website visitors to select their own drawings of what they love most about New York State, including wine country.

         The campaign was developed by BBDO Advertising for the New York State Division of Marketing, Advertising and Tourism, which is part of Empire State Development.  Tourism is the lifeblood of the New York wine industry, and we are pleased that the Governor has reinstated some funding for this initiative.  The wine industry is also the fastest growing segment of the tourism sector, with a tremendous value-added benefit to other businesses, rural economies, and the state.

         Still, we in New York face tough competition: Florida has a $90 million tourism marketing budget, California $50 million, and even Michigan devotes $25 million to attracting tourists.