Wine Press FINAL 10-14-10

October 6, 2012

 

             Harvest winds down, "Harvest House" starts up, more New York Gold and great ratings, New York Beer and Wine Summit announced, and much more happing in wine country. 

 

             Cheers!          

             Jim Trezise

Harvest 2012: Small but Great

 

           In most regions and for most grape varieties, the 2012 harvest is starting to wind down, with an overall assessment that the crop is smaller than expected but the fruit quality is superb. While some of the late ripening red wne varieties, as well as grapes left hanging for late harvest and ice wines, remain to be harvested, most of the whites are in the tanks happily bubbling away.  

           2012 will go down as one of the earliest harvests on record, with the fall weather generally cooperative but with some challenges caused by many grape varieties ripening simultaneously rather than in sequence, putting pressure both on press availability and tank space--not to mention the hard-working winemaking crews.  But soon it will be over, with time to chill out and toast a successful year.

           I've also been in touch with colleagues in other northern hemisphere states and countries, all of whom are also bullish on the prospects for the 2012 harvest.  For their comments, visit www.drinkriesling.com.

           Ironically, now that the harvest is almost over, our "Harvest House" crew is arriving tomorrow, starting with a welcome luncheon at the New York Wine & Culinary Center.

           "Harvest House" is part of our New York City promotion program, which essentially  involves an "exchange" between people from the Big Apple and winery representatives visiting it.  Tomorrow a group of New York-based media, sommeliers, and wine store managers will arrive for a week of work at various wineries in the Finger Lakes--picking grapes, working the press, bottling, cleaning the cellars, and doing all the work that is part of harvest.

            They will stay in three separate but adjacent houses on Seneca Lake, work at different wineries during the day, then cook their meals (using local foods) to enjoy with Finger Lakes wines in the evening.  (We've even secured some fresh grape juice--Concord, Cabernet Franc, Riesling and Traminette)--from Fulkerson Winery so they can taste what it's like before fermentaton.)  After a week of toil in the vineyards and cellars, the group will be treated on Friday evening to a special dinner created by Brud Holland of Red Newt Bistro, the mecca for truly local foods.  

              The idea of all this is to provide an experience for our New York City friends that they will not only remember but share with their colleagues and customers once they return to the City.  The next chapter in our promotion, just a week away, is a visit by a different New York City group to Long Island wine country, like those which have already occurred in the Finger Lakes, Niagara and Hudson Valley regions.  Then, in March, participating wineries from those regions will descend upon New York City for a week of orientation and tastings highlighted by another blowout tasting for media, trade representatives and consumers at Astor Center in lower Manhattan.

               Our New York City program is orchestrated by Michael Gitter and Kayt Mathers of First Press Public Relations, with whom Jennifer Cooper and I communicate every day.  This has been a hugely successful program as reflected most recently by a great tasting at Corkbuzz wine bar.  It was limited to 100 consumers who could get into a lottery from Tasting Table, a social media platform.  We were hoping that about 1,000 people might be interested, but more than 3,000 responded, so clearly there is great interest in New York wines.  And, having been there, I can assure you that those who came were exactly the audience we want to reach.      

 New York Gold and Rave Reviews

 

            Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars, birthplace of the "vinifera revolution" now celebrating its 50th year, continues raking in Gold medals and great rankings in various places.  At the 2012 World Value Wine Challenge, the Dr. Frank 2011 Semi Dry Riesling--which won our Governor's Cup award this year--scored 92 with a Gold Medal & Best Buy designation; the 2011 Dry Riesling received 91 along with a Gold Medal & Best Buy; the 2011 Gewurztraminer got 92, Gold, Best Buy, and Best U.S. Gewurztraminer; the Salmon Run 2010 Chardonnay 91, Best Buy, and Best White Wine under $10; and the Chateau Frank Celebre Cremant 90, Gold, and Best Sparkling Wine under $20.  The Gewurztraminer also got a Gold medal in the Sommelier Challenge competition. The fact that these wines are rated as such great values debunks the myth that New York wines are expensive.

           Other recent New York Gold included Sherwood House 2009 Estate Chardonnay at the Sommelier Challenge, and a Double Gold/Best of Class for Coyote Moon 2011 Fire Boat White at the International Women's Wine Competition.

            Separately, the current (November) edition of Wine Enthusiast has great ratings for a whole range of New York wines, but especially Rieslings.  Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards 2011 Riesling ranked #34 in the Top 100 "Best Buys" of 2012, and its 2010 Vidal Ice Wine received a score of 90.  Other 90 or above ratings wen to Glenora 2010 Late Harvest Riesling; Lamoreaux Landing 2011 Red Oak Vineyard Riesling; Ravines 2011 Dry Riesling; Red Newt Cellars 2011 Sawmill Creek Vineyards Riesling;Ravines 2010 Sauvignon Blanc; Red Newt Cellars 2010 Glacier Ridge Cabernet Franc, and 2010 Viridescens (red blend); and Sheldrake Point 2010 Riesling Ice Wine (91, and the "Best Dessert Wine" at our New York Wine & Food Classic).  The Wine Enthusiastic reviews were done by Anna Lee Iijima, who has shown a great understanding and appreciation of New York wines.

 Wine & Beer Summit

            Governor Andrew Cuomo will hold a New York Wine & Beer Summit toward the end of this month which we are looking forward to. 
              The Governor's father, former Governor Mario Cuomo, did more for the New York grape and wine industry than any other Governor in history, essentially rescuing it from financial disaster with a series of legislative initiatives which tranformed our industry into the fastest growing part of the agricultural and tourism sectors.  Bills involving winery deregulation, the sale of wine "coolers" in grocery stores, wine tastings in liquor stores, and creation of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation combined to turn our industry around.
               The continuing public-private partnership has paid a huge dividend to the State of New York, which annually benefits from $3.76 billion in economic activity generated by our industry--not to mention enhancing the State's reputation for making quality products.  A few years ago, then-Commissioner of Agriculture Patrick Hooker convened a Wine and Grape Task Force with industry representatives from throughout the state and chaired by Kareem Massoud of Paumanok Vineyards on Long Island.  Happily, virtually all of the task force's recommendations have now been put into effect, enhancing New York's business climate for wine. Former Deputy Commissioner Jackie Moody-Czub, who organized the task force's work, is now Governor Cuomo's agriculture representative.
                 We don't yet know what will be on the agenda, but we are encouraged by the Governor's initiative.  We also know that under his Administration there have already been major positive changes in the relationship between government agencies and our industry.  And this week he signed into law legislation that allows New York micro-distilleries sell their products at farmers' markets and fairs throughout the State, just as farm wineries have been able to do since the 1984 "winery deregulation" act.  Wine, beer, spirits, and hard cider all use New York farm products, so the more they can sell the better for the State as well as the indusry.
Free Run...

 

              Does Wine Grow on Trees? (Continued)  Not surprisingly, my blurb in the last Wine Press about free wine drew lots of responses from wineries, but also from a wine educator and someone who actually purchases wine and then promotes it at the charitable event (we need more people like that!).  My friend Harriett Lembeck, the wine educator, said it's not just wine that people want for free, it's also tastings and lectures, with the pitch that it will help give the wine educator more "exposure".  The response from a mutual friend, the late Bob Schoolsky: "If I had any more exposure I'd die of pneumonia."  Anyway, the winery responses were very good, and we will probably try to assemble a set of general voluntary guidelines for wineries plagued by the free wine syndrome.                            

                  Hudson Valley Wine Country put together a nice brief video, Fall in Love with Hudson Valley Wines, that's available on YouTube.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nG66qm0Mz0Y&feature=channel&list=UL&noredirect-1

                  Finger Lakes Region is featured in a nice article in Delta Sky magazine by Danielle Lebreck. http://deltaskymag.com/Destinations/Richester-NY/Destination-Posts/Wine-Country.aspx

                  Federweisser--A Riesling Harvest Celebration is taking place this weekend and next at Johnson Estate Winery in Westfield (Lake Erie region), reflecting a German harvest-season tradition of serving partially fermented Riesling wine with onion tarts.  Johnson Estate's Riesling (93) and Dry Riesling (92) were awarded Gold medals by the Beverage Testing Institute, and the winery has a renovated tasting room.  For more information: www.johnsonwinery.com

                  Viticulture 2013 conference agenda is now finalized and will include speakers from around the country and world, including award-winning winemaker Phillipe Coquard of Wollersheim Winery in Wisconsin and Stefano Poni of the Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Piacenza, Italy.  The three-day conference (February 6-8 in Rochester) features viticulture, enology, marketing, financial, and legal/regulatory seminars, as well as a great trade show.        

 
 
  "Wine is a chemical symphony." 
--Professor Maynard Amerine
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