Wine Press FINAL 10-14-10

August 17, 2013

 

             Governor Cuomo presents Governor's Cup to Keuka Spring, announces McCall Wines is Winery of the Year, unveils new wine TV ad campaign, and more from New York Wine Country.  What a week!

  

             Cheers!          

             Jim Trezise

The 2013 Classic: A Classic Indeed

 

              On Tuesday evening, Governor Andrew Cuomo personally announced and presented the Governor's Cup to Len and Judy Wiltberger, owners of Keuka Spring Vineyards, for their 2012 Riesling, which topped 841 other New York wines to win overall "Best of Show" honors in our 2013 New York Wine & Food Classic competition.  Their daughter Jeanne (marketing and public relations) and winemaker August Demiel were also present at the occasion.  He also announced that McCall Wines from Long Island was named Winery of the Year for its strong overall showing.

               The Governor's Cup gala dinner at the fabulous Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel, where the Classic was held on Monday and Tuesday, was the culmination of a major "Governor's Cup Wine Tour" hosted by Governor Cuomo for about 200 New York City and upstate wine retailers, restaurateurs, wholesalers, media, and public officials.

               The group enjoyed a "Taste NY" experience at three wineries--Anthony Road Winery, Glenora Wine Cellars, and Lakewood Vineyards--with award-winning wines from all other New York regions as well.  In addition, the New York Wine & Culinary Center catered the New York-focused menu at Anthony Road, followed by another local food selection from Glenora's Veraisons restaurant.  At Lakewood, award-winning New York spirits and ciders were served alongside the wines.  Finally, the New York-centric dinner at the Harbor Hotel was accompanied by a selection of Gold medal wines from the Classic, with diners also receiving a bottle as part of their I Love NY gift bags.

                The tour was the latest example of Governor Cuomo's strong support of the wine industry, especially when he capped the day and evening with a preview of a 30-second television commercial for New York wine that will start airing in September as part of a $1 million advertising campaign this fall. The ad directs consumers to a new "Taste NY" web site that provides information about various agricultural products, including wine, with the content for that portion coming from our site.  Visit www.Taste.ny.gov.

                 It's all a follow-up to the announcements the Governor made last October at the Wine, Beer & Spirits Summit in Albany when he promised significant promotional support as well as legal and regulatory changes to make it easier and more profitable to be in the wine business in New York.  It's happening.

                 New York is Open for Business.

 Keuka Spring, McCall Win Top Awards

           

          The New York Wine & Food Classic has many significant awards, but the top two are the "Governor's Cup" for the best wine in the competition, and "Winery of the Year" for the strongest overall showing in terms of top medals.

           This year the Governor's Cup was awarded to Keuka Spring Vineyards 2012 Riesling, while Winery of the Year went to McCall Wines on Long Island. The awards emanated from a day and a half of evaluating 842 New York wines by 22 expert judges from around the world and country--Paris, London, Napa, New York City, other parts of New York State, and several other states.  On its way up to the Governor's Cup, the Keuka Spring 2012 Riesling was rated Best Medium Dry Riesling, Best Overall Riesling, and Best White Wine. McCall Wines' winnings included "Best Pinot Noir" along with several other Double Gold and Gold medals.

             The Governor's Cup final round is a tasteoff among the "Best of Category" wines (Sparkling, White, Rose, Red, and Dessert) which were, respectively: Sparkling Pointe 2008 Blanc de Noirs from the North Fork of Long Island; Keuka Spring Vineyards 2012 Finger Lakes Riesling; McGregor Vineyard 2012 Rose D'Cabernet Franc, also from Keuka Lake; Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards 2010 Cabernet Franc, from Seneca Lake; and 21 Brix 2011 Vidal Ice Wine from the Lake Erie Region.

              Those "Best of Category" awards were based, in turn, on tasteoffs of many "Best of Class" awards such as "varietal" wines like Chardonnay, Merlot, or Seyval, or blends with a "proprietary" name such as Estate Red.  And leading up to those were various Double Gold or Gold medal wines.  In short, it's sort of like a "Wine Pyramid" with the entire group of entries at the bottom and the Governor's Cup at the apex.

               A few years ago, we added spirits and cider categories to the competition in recognition of the growth of those related sectors.  This year the Best Spirits award went to McKenzie Rye from Finger Lakes Distilling, and the Best Cider to Wort Hog from Earle Estate Meadery, which also won Best Specialty Wine for its Raspberry Reflections.

               The list of Double Gold (54), Gold (98), Silver (299), and Bronze (224) medal winners is far too extensive to list here, but is available at www.newyorkwines.org under the Awards and Accolades section.  This is not only an ideal shopping list for great New York wines, but also the basis for how we select wines for our promotions throughout the year.

               We thank the wineries which entered their wines, the judges who evaluated them, the incredible backroom staff which served the wines, and especially Teresa Knapp and Jennifer Cooper who essentially organized the competition.  We will be back in 2014.

 Harvest East End to Toast 40 Years of Long Island Wines

 

              Forty years ago, Alex and Louisa Hargrave planted the first vines on the North Fork of Long Island amidst skepticism from locals and wine experts alike.  Today, Long Island has over 3,000 acres of grapes, some 70 wine producers, and an international reputation for high quality wines.

              That vision and accomplishment will be celebrated next weekend at Harvest East End, a major event involving 42 Long Island wineries and 34 top regional chefs.  Serendipitously, it will be held at McCall Vineyard & Ranch in Cutchogue, the winner of our "Winery of the Year" award this week. This is the first time the annual event, normally held in The Hamptons, will move to the North Fork.

                Long Island pioneer Louisa Hargrave, now a wine writer and author, will be honored, as will chef/author John Ross, the father of North Fork farm to table cuisine.  The event will be Emceed by wine writer and Best Cellars founder Joshua Wesson, with Wine Enthusiast magazine as the presenting sponsor.

                The McCall Vineyard & Ranch includes merlot and pinot noir grapes as well as a herd of white Charolais beef cattle.  The 42 wineries will be pouring barrel samples and special selections, with more than 30 prominent chefs offering creations made with local Long Island ingredients from farm and sea, showcasing the natural bounty of the region.

                Harvest East End takes place from 7 - 9:30 pm next Saturday, and the ticket price is $150 per person, with a special Vin-IP ticket available for $250.  The event is organized by the Long Island Wine Council with support from Merliance, and is a fundraiser for several local charities.  www.harvesteastend.com.

              

                                                           
                               
  "The discovery of a great wine is of greater moment than the discovery of a constellation.  The universe is too full of stars."
                                                                        --Benjamin Franklin
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