November 22, 2014

            "Wine Region of the Year" store promotion, Big Apple invasion,  Thanksgiving (New York) wines, Riesling innovation, Wine & Culinary Center awards, and more from New York wine country.

             Cheers!          

             Jim Trezise

A Store That Gets It

                   "New York State Wine Region of the Year" has a huge presence at Amherst St. Wine & Liquor in the Buffalo area, promoting New York wines to an extent I have rarely seen.

                    The store, which just opened a couple weeks ago, has enormous signs saying, "New York--Winery of the Year"..."We're proud to support our New York suppliers"..."Try wines from our region".  There are also "New York" aisle markers, huge floor stackings of different wines, poster-photos of winery families, and so much more.  In addition, the store is right in front of a large Wegmans store, so will certainly get good traffic.

                     This week's legendary snowfall in the Buffalo area may have slowed business a bit, but based on what this new store is doing right out of the box, Amherst St. Wine & Liquor is destined to be one of the State's major retailers for New York wines.  www.amherststwineandliquor.com.

                      We hope other stores will follow suit and proudly promote New York as the Wine Region of the Year.  It's good for everyone.

                    The Big Apple is one of the world's most competitive wine markets, and New York wines don't get a break because they're "local"--in fact some uninformed people think, "If it's local, it can't be good".  Wrong! 

                     Our NY Drinks NY promotion is designed to break down those prejudices and barriers, and it's clearly working.  For example, one winery which has participated in the program since the beginning has increased its New York City sales from 137 cases in 2012 to 329 in 2013 and 716 in 2014, with the number of accounts nearly doubling in one year from 37 to 64.  Another winery went from 786 cases in 34 accounts in 2013 to 1370 cases in 147(!) accounts in 2014--and the year's not even over yet!

                      Those wineries are not alone.  A follow-up survey of the 32 wineries in last year's promotion showed 136 new restaurant and 128 retailer accounts; average sales per winery of 23 cases to restaurants/wine bars and 28 cases to stores within two months of the promotion, with an average value of $5,317 per winery.  And of course many more sales occurred after that.

                       Perhaps most dramatic, a wholesaler with a good New York wine portfolio for both upstate markets and New York City showed that while the upstate market for New York wine is essentially flat at best (because of too many wineries vying for limited shelf space), the New York City market for New York wine is booming.  While their upstate case sales actually dropped by about 5%, sales in New York City exploded by more than 280%, and the number  of accounts boomed by over 180%.

                       A key ingredient of success is persistence: being in for the long haul.  The wineries that have fared the best are the ones which have been in it since the beginning, realizing that building any market--especially the Big Apple--takes time and patience.  And now it's all paying off.

                       As one participating winery owner said, "Over the last two years, we've seen an increase of more than 100% sales in the New York City market.  Our wine is now being served at such places as Tribeca Grill, Grand Central Oyster Bar, and the Carlisle Hotel, to name just a few."

                       The NY Drinks NY program has been made possible by grants from the Genesee Valley Regional Market Authority, with support from the New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets, and orchestrated by Michael Gitter and Kayt Mathers of First Press Public Relations in conjunction with Jennifer Cooper and yours truly at the New York Wine & Grape Foundation.  It's a very exciting, productive, and successful program which we hope to continue well into the future.

                        Excelsior!

                        Heron Hill Winery, perched high above the southwest end of Keuka Lake with a gorgeous view of the "Bluff" (the peninsula dividing the lake into east and west branches, forming a "Y"), has been a leader in Finger Lakes Rieslings since the winery's creation in 1977.

                       And now owners John and Josephine Ingle have unveiled a new Single Vineyard Riesling Series to compare five unique Finger Lakes vineyards from five different lakes--Canandaigua (where Ingle Vineyard is located), Keuka (the winery's vineyard), Seneca (Morris Vineyard), Cayuga (Patrician Verona Vineyard), and Skaneateles  (Hobbit Hollow Farm).

                        As a way to help people better understand and appreciate the concept of "terroir" and how it affects grapes and wine, winemaker Bernard Cannac will treat the lots of grapes from all five vineyards exactly the same in the cellar, from crush through fermentation, so that differences will reflect the vineyard sites rather than winemaking decisions.  The decision to launch this new series was based on a trial last year which yielded fascinating and promising results.

                        The wines are available only at the Keuka Lake winery and its two additional tasting rooms on Canandaigua and Seneca Lakes.  www.heronhill.com.  

                   "Thanksgiving Wines" recommended by major media include more New York wines than ever before, and highlight different types from different regions.

                    The MarketWatch section of the Wall Street Journal has the headline, "Who needs California?  Here's a New York wine to pair with your turkey", with a recommendation from Charles Passy for Dr. Konstantin Frank 2013 Finger Lakes Dry Riesling as well as a mention of New York State as "Wine Region of the Year".

                  Also in the Wall Street Journal, "American Wines for Thanksgiving" by Lettie Teague profiles two New York City establishments which feature only domestic (and mostly New York) wines, including Humboldt & Jackson and The Marshal (which is virtually all New York wines, as well as craft beers, spirits and ciders.  I've dined there, and it is truly awesome!

                  Meanwhile, among the "6 Essential Wines for Thanksgiving" on foodandwine.com are Cabernet Franc (Bedell Cellars) and Pinot Noir (Heart & Hands).

                  Hermann J. Wiemer Riesling got a double hit, with recommendations in both Food & Wine and Bon Appetit's Thanksgiving issues.

                   It wasn't very long ago that New York wines were largely ignored, but now they're the talk of the town--the "30-year overnight success."                   

                   New York Wine & Culinary Center tonight will present its "New York State of Mind" awards to businesses or organizations which have made outstanding contributions to promoting New York foods, beverages, and tourism.

                  The EAT NY award is going to the Brown Hound Bistro (last year it was 61 Local of Brooklyn).

                  The DRINK NY award will be presented to Abandon Brewing Company (last year it was Brooklyn Brewery)

                  The GROW NY honor goes to Bostrom Farms (Mason Farms was last year's winner)

                  The LOVE NY award will be given to Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance (Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel won last year) 

                  The Center, now in its eighth year, was created to educate people about New York's bounty of agricultural businesses and products, and how they contribute to the State's economy, reputation, and quality of life.                 

                    White Birch Winery on Skaneateles Lake is one of New York's newest, extending Finger Lakes Wine Country onto yet another beautiful lake.  The tasting room in the charming village of Skaneateles features White Birch's own wines as well as "sister" wineries such as Heron Hill on Keuka Lake. 

                     Wine & Christmas Trees may seem an unlikely combo, but the New York Christmas Tree Growers and Upper Hudson Valley Wine Trail think otherwise and are conducting a joint promotion.  The concept: Encourage people visiting wineries to also visit a local tree farm, and vice versa.  About a dozen wineries and a dozen tree farms are participating in the cross-promotion, which officially starts on November 29, in Saratoga and other nearby counties.  Happy holidays!

                      Three New York wineries have received grants ranging from $175,000 to $200,000 from the USDA Rural Development's Value-Added Producer Grant Program.  Black Willow Winery, Casa Larga Vineyards, and Victorianbourg Wine Estate received funds for product development and marketing, as well as operations.  This program is one of the important parts of last year's Farm Bill, which was advocated by the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, New York State Wine Grape Growers, New York Wine Industry Association, New York Farm Bureau, and WineAmerica among many other organizations.

                       Not to worry is the basic takeaway message from a recent report of the Wine Market Council focusing on whether other beverages (craft beer, spirits, cider) are cannabilizing the market share and customers of wine.

                       Discussion groups with top sommeliers around the country concluded that beer and wine can be complementary, but that venue atmosphere and beverage lists in a particular establishment may determine which gets more attention.  Other factors involved in beverage choice include the number of people (the more there are, the wider the beverage selection), how formal or casual the occasion is, and the amount of money people are willing to spend.

                        The Wine Market Council will hold its annual research conference on Tuesday, January 27 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.  www.winemarketcouncil.com.