November 20, 2012

             Sorry for the long silence from The Wine Press, but I have been on the road or in the air for the past few weeks, including a rare experience called vacation (which I don't do very well).  Anyway, I'm back on the ground in the fabulous Finger Lakes on a perfect, warm, late fall day, and I want to wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving.

             Cheers!          

             Jim Trezise

           Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday by far because of its elegant simplicity: food, wine, family and friends. And also because it can bring out the best in so many different types of wine that accompany the varied flavors of the feast.

            This weekend at the Pride of New York Harvest Fest in Albany, which drew over 1,000 consumers, one of my seminars was "Thanksgiving Wines--A Rainbow of Flavors".  The Desmond Hotel where we held the Fest created plates with small bites of white and dark turkey meat, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie.  The wines I chose to accompany them were, respectively, Dry Riesling, Cabernet Franc, Gewurztraminer, Apple Cranberry Wine, and Late Harvest Vignoles.  I explained my selections in terms of the main goals (balance and harmony among food and wine), encouraged people to try different combinations (e.g., the Gewurz with the white meat) and offer their own suggestions, which always came back to the original pairings due to...balance and harmony.

              It was a fun way to illustrate the basics of food-and-wine pairing, and to give people something immediately useful as they shop for wine for the holidays.

              Meanwhile, three New York wines from three different regions received very nice mentions as delightful Thanksgiving wines in a New York Times article on "Wines that make friends at a crowded Thanksgiving table."  Dr. Konstantin Frank 2008 Finger Lakes Rkatsiteli, Millbrook 2011 Tocai Friulano Proprietor's Reserve from the Hudson River Region, and Paumanok 2011 Cabernet Franc from the North Fork of Long Island.

               The Washington Post recommended the 2011 Ravines Dry Riesling as one of its Thanksgiving picks.

                Saveur magazine's Betsy Andrews, one of the media participants in our New York City program, wrote a great article about Long Island in general and the Macari 2009 Block E Viognier, a luscious dessert wine. 

             New York Gold was found in Sonoma, California at the recent Grand Harvest Awards, including Coyote Moon 2011 Fireboat Red and 2011 Brianna; Heron Hill 2011 Semi-Dry Riesling and 2011 Dry Riesling; Hunt Country 2011 Vignoles; Liberty Vineyards 2011 Traminette and Trifection; Lime Berry Diamond; Penguin Bay 2011 Riesling; and Swedish Hill 2011 Dry Riesling.

          Niagara Wine Trail recently raised over $7,300 for charities and donated over 1,100 non-perishable food items as part of its annual "Share the Bounty" event.  This is a terrific program where wineries may choose which charities they wish to support with the funds they raise.  Good goin', guys.  www.niagarawinetrail.org.

           "Deck the Halls" of the Seneca Lake Wine Trail was the first holiday-focused event ever created by a wine trail more than two decades ago, and not only is it still going strong, but has inspired similar events by other trails throughout the state, like "Wreath Fineries at the Wineries" of the Shawangunk Wine Trail, "Keuka Holidays" on the Keuka Lake Wine Trail, and "Holiday Shopping Spree" along the Cayuga Wine Trail.  In most cases, the events have become so popular that they've been extended to two weekends--and they've also greatly extended the tourism season to these regions, helping the economy in what used to be a very slow season.  Wine: the economic engine.

             Hurricane Sandy certainly left devastation in the tri-State area (CT, NY, NJ), but this year the wine regions were lucky.  Long Island, most vulnerable to hurricanes on an annual basis, felt very little effect.  The Hudson River Region, devastated last year by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee, was also spared.  And even though the weather-guessers showed Sandy taking a sharp left turn inland directly aimed at the Finger Lakes, it never happened.  However, we genuinely feel for all those who have suffered damage and hardship.

              Viticulture 2013 is shaping up to be an awesome conference and trade show, with lots of vendors of different types already signed up, and a fabulous array of speakers on key topics.  It's a great value, with the full three-day conference for only $295 and great rooms at the Hyatt for just $109 per night, single or double occupancy. We've also invited Governor Andrew Cuomo to be our keynote speaker and we hope he'll accept.  www.vit2013.com