February 8, 2014

             New York Gold from Florida, NY Drinks NY, New York farm-based craft beverages grow, and much more happening in New York wine country.

             Cheers!          

             Jim Trezise

               Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards and Swedish Hill Winery swept three of the five "Best of Show" awards last weekend at the Florida State Fair International Wine Competition in Tampa.  New York wines won a total of 139 medals including 17 Double Gold, 20 Gold, 56 Silver, and 46 Bronze awards.

                Hazlitt 2012 Dry Riesling won Best White Wine and its 2012 Vidal Blanc Ice Wine was voted Best Dessert Wine, while Swedish Hill Spumante Blush once again garnered Best Sparkling Wine honors.  The competition involved hundreds of wines from five countries and 40 different states, so to have New York wines take a majority of the big awards is huge.

                 Other Double Gold medals went to Casa Larga 2012 Medium Dry Riesling; Earle Estates Traditional Honey Mead; Goose Watch 2012 Pinot Grigio; Hazlitt 2012 Homestead Reserve Riesling and 2012 Gruvee; Heron Hill 2011 Late Harvest Vidal; Liberty Vineyards Richter Red; Swedish Hill 2011 Cabernet Franc-Lemberger, 2012 Chardonnay Reserve, and Viking Red; Thirsty Owl 2012 Diamond and 2012 Riesling; Torrey Ridge Catawba and Blue Sapphire.  Many of these wines were featured in the "Sweepstakes" round as Best of Class.

                  Gold medals were awarded to Earle Estates Apple Enchantment and Blueberry Wine; Goose Watch Pinot Noir Brut Rose and Golden Spumante; Hazlitt White Cat, Cabin Fever, White Stag, and Schooner Red; Heron Hill 2012 Unoaked Chardonnay; Keuka Spring 2012 Epic Reserve and Clara's Red; Lakewood 2012 Chardonnay; Liberty Vineyards Reds Whites Blues, Fredonia, and 2013 Riesling; Swedish Hill 2012 Cayuga White and 2012 Marechal Foch; Torrey Ridge Cayuga, 2012 Riesling, and Niagara.

                    Elsewhere, at the Winemaker Challenge competition, Penguin Bay 2012 Riesling won Best of Show White, while sister winery Swedish Hill got a Platinum for its Blanc de Blanc and Gold medals for the 2012 Cayuga White and 2012 Riesling.

                    By the way, the quote at the end of this Wine Press from a King of England wasn't referring to wine competitions, but it sure could.

              Tomorrow I will welcome 11 people--sommeliers, wine directors, wine writers--to the New York Wine & Culinary Center to begin a three-day tour of Finger Lakes Wine Country, but starting with a walk-around tasting and luncheon featuring wines from the Lake Erie, Niagara Escarpment, and Greater Niagara regions.

              It's all part of our NY Drinks NY "exchange program" in which we bring influential New York City trade and media members to various regions, then bring New York winery representatives to the Big Apple in March for market activities capped off by a Grand Tasting at Astor Center on Monday, March 17.  We're now into Phase III of our program, which is made possible by a grant from the Genesee Valley Regional Market Authority and coordinated by our partners Michael Gitter and Kayt Mathers of First Press Public Relations in Manhattan.

               Among the restaurants represented on this trip are Bar Boulud and Boulud Sud, Balthazar and Al Fiori, along with retailers Acme Wines and Waterfront Wines, and a wine writer from the New York Daily News.  The three-day itinerary will include visits to several wineries on Keuka, Seneca, and Cayuga Lakes as well as wine maker luncheons and dinners, with lodging at the elegant Inn at Glenora.

                New York City is by far the world's toughest wine market, but this program has clearly opened many doors by giving key members of the trade and media first-hand experience in wine regions right in their back yard.  Later on this year we will host a similar trip to Long Island

             The number of New York farm-based craft beverage licenses--for wineries, breweries, distilleries, and cideries--has increased by 72% in the past two years. 

              The 78 new farm wineries represent a 40% increase, from 195 to 273, with farm winery branch offices growing 76% from 29 to 51 and commercial wineries jumping 33% from 55 to 73.

               Farm distilleries rose 320% from 10 to 42, with Class A and B distilleries up 136% from 14 to 33.

               There are currently 26 farm breweries, with about a dozen applications pending, while microbreweries grew by 133% from 40 to 93, and restaurant brewers increased by 130% from 10 to 23.

                Hard cider producers jumped by 340% from five to 22.

                All of this is no coincidence.  It's the result of "entrepreneurial government" initiated by Governor Andrew Cuomo and the support of the New York State legislature in creating a totally new business climate for these farm-based enterprises in this State.

                During these past two years, and especially following the Governor's Wine, Beer & Spirits Summit in October 2012, significant regulatory reform and legislative changes have been implemented, along with a State Liquor Authority that today is a partner with industry rather than an adversary, and which has greatly expedited the processing of licenses.

                  In addition, the "Taste NY" program has provided enormous promotional support, from the PGA Golf Championship to the Super Bowl, along with the opening of several Taste NY stores, and in many other ways.

                   In the wine business, we are always talking about the climate because, after all, you need a good climate to grow good grapes that make great wine.  But you also need a good business climate to grow the industry.

                   Happily, that is what we now have.

                 "Not only does one drink wine, but one inhales it, one looks at it, one tastes it, one swallows it, and one talks about it."

                                                                   --Edward VII, English King