Wine Press FINAL 10-14-10

November 23, 2013

 

             Happy Thanksgiving, and Happy Hanukkah!

             This is one of the very rare times when the first day of Hanukkah coincides with Thanksgiving--last in 1888, and next in 77,798 years--so we can all celebrate one another together.                 

              But first read today's Wine Press for some of what's happening in New York wine country.

  

             Cheers!          

             Jim Trezise

Thanksgiving: The Perfect Meal for Wonderful Wines

 

                This Thursday's annual feast of sweet and savory dishes, and a rainbow of flavors, invites the same tasteful diversity in the glass, making Thanksgiving lunch (or dinner) the perfect meal for enjoying many wonderful wines.

                 Two examples recommended by Eric Asimov's tasting panel at the New York Times are the Fox Run 2010  Finger Lakes Cabernet Franc and Pindar 2012 Sauvignon Blanc from Long Island.  Also in the Times, Howard G. Goldberg's LI Vines column cited a fascinating lineup of unique wines from Long Island including Channing Daughters VerVino, Anthony Nappa Anomaly, and Macari Early White, a Chardonnay nouveau.

                  The magic of New York wines is their incredible diversity of heritage--from traditional Native American to French-American, Cornell,  Minnesota, and classic European varieties--and their range of flavors.  So with virtually each course, you have a choice of different wines with similar taste profiles.  Examples:

                  o Fresh fruit and vegetable appetizers: Medium Sweet Riesling (or Cayuga White, or Valvin Muscat, or Diamond, or Frontenac Blanc)

                  o White meat: Dry Riesling (or Seyval Blanc, or White Catawba, or Brianna)

                  o Dark meat: Cabernet Franc (or Noiret, or Marquette)

                  o Stuffing with sage, mushrooms and celery: Gewurztraminer (or Traminette, or Vignoles)

                  o Cranberry sauce or relish: Pinot Noir (or Chancellor, or Concord)

                  o Pumpkin pie: Late Harvest or Ice Wine made from Riesling (or Vignoles, or Vidal, or Delaware)

                  These are just a few of many examples celebrating the great diversity of New York wines--like the great diversity of New York City's population--which makes both so fascinating and vibrant.

                   And let's not forget our friends in the beer, spirits, and cider sectors, whose products can also make any Thanksgiving Day an even more special occasion.

                   But whatever you imbibe, make sure it's NEW YORK!  Cheers!

                  

                        

 More Rave Reviews

    

          It's that time of year when major wine magazines do their "Best" lists, which always include some New York wines.

          This year, Ravines 2012 Dry Riesling (91, $17) was #33 in the "Top 100 Wines of the Year" in Wine Spectator, as well as a Top Value.  Glenora 2012 Gewurztraminer (a great Thanksgiving wine as well) received 93 as well as Top White Wine $15 and Under from Beverage Testing Institute's World Wine Championships.

          Meanwhile, Chateau Frank Celebre ($21) received 90 points and a Best Buy designation from Wine & Spirits, which also awarded 91 each to Lamoreaux Landing 2012 Finger Lakes Riesling, Round Rock Vineyard, and Lamoreaux Landing 2012 Finger Lakes Dry Riesling (a Best Buy at $14).  

          Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards 2012 Vidal Ice Wine received 90 points from Wine Enthusiast, which also features the Finger Lakes as America's premier producer of ice wines (from grapes frozen on the vine) and iced wines (picked, then frozen), with some wineries producing both.  Recommended producers include Casa Larga, Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards, Heron Hill, Sheldrake Point, and Standing Stone.

          So far this year (which isn't over), New York wines have won hundreds of Gold medal and above wines, and scores of 90 and above, and they're all listed in the Awards and Accolades section of www.newyorkwines.org.  It's the perfect wine shopping list for the holidays!       

            

 

               

 Industry Growth Grows

 

                That means it's accelerating, not just growing. This week I attended a day-long meeting in Albany recapping what has been accomplished since the Governor's Wine, Beer, Spirits & Cider Summit last October, as well as what remains to be done moving forward.  It was impressive, and inspiring.

                 Today there are 270 farm wineries, 74 wineries, and 51 branch offices (satellite stores of farm wineries) in New York State--a total of 395.  Of that total, 35 have opened during the last year, and 116 (30% of the total) since January 2011 when Governor Andrew Cuomo took office.  And our industry dates back to 1839!  That's 30% of the businesses in less than 2% of the time.

                 Similar explosive growth rates have occurred in the other farm-based craft beverages, which we consider our partners.  Wineries and associations in some states see them as competition, while we see them as compatriots, cooperators, and collaborators in a common cause--get more people to consume more New York farm-based craft beverages.

                 There have also been lots of high-profile promotional events during the past year, with more to come in 2014.  And there will be a very significant Grand Opening this week which I can't tell you about until next week.

                  Meanwhile, we continue working on our updated and expanded economic impact study, which should be completed in early January.  In 2008, the grape and wine industry generated over $3.76 billion in economic benefits to New York's economy, and given our explosive growth since then it should be much more based on 2012 data.  We are also including our friends in the beer, spirits, and cider sectors in this new study.

 

Doing Well AND Doing Good
 
                     $9,700 was raised for local charities by the "Share the Bounty" event of the Niagara Wine Trail USA last weekend, as well as over 550 non-perishable food items donated to local food banks.  It's one of many examples of wine trails and individual wineries giving back to the community by sharing the bounty.
                      On Long Island, this summer's big Harvest East End event raised more than $46,000 for three local charities, and the Long Island Wine Council or individual wineries participate in more than 10 other charitable events each year.
                      And let's not forget the  huge amount of wine that's donated to good causes throughout the year.  Charitable contributions are part of what our economic impact study is measuring, and my guess is that the total will be a real eye-opener. 
                 
                    
        
  
"A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry."
--Ecclesiastes
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