Wine Press FINAL 10-14-10

December 6, 2014

 

            More New York Gold, wine store "Court of Honor",  the great Grape Discovery Center, an industry profile, doing good, in search of "terroir", and more from New York wine country.  Phew...lots going on!

  

             Cheers!          

             Jim Trezise

California Loves NY Wines

 

                    Hunt Country Vineyards led a strong showing of New York wines in the recent Grand Harvest Awards in Sonoma, CA, with its 2013 Seyval Blanc voted Best White Wine (as well as Best of Class and Double Gold), and its 2013 Vidal Blanc Ice Wine also receiving Best of Class and Double Gold honors.

                    Altogether, New York wines won 90 awards including 1 Best of Show, 4 Best of Class, 6 Double Gold, 35 Gold, and 36 Bronze medals.

                   Other Best of Class (and Double Gold) included Penguin Bay Maroon Four and Wagner 2013 Dry Riesling, with additional Double Golds going to Swedish Hill 2013 Vidal Blanc and Thirsty Owl 2013 Diamond.

                    Gold medals were awarded to Black Willow Depeche Meow and Black Widow Berry; Brooklyn Oenology 2010 Merlot and 2013 Cabernet Franc Rose; Fulkerson Gruner Veltliner; Goose Watch Snow Goose; Liberty Richter Red; Penguin  Bay 2013 Gewurztraminer; Rooster Hill 2013 Gewurztraminer; Swedish Hill Riesling Cuvee, 2013 Blue Waters Riesling, and 2013 Blue Waters Gewurztraminer; and Wagner 2013 Riesling Ice Wine.

 

                     New York wines also did well in Beverage Testing Institute tastings, with Lakewood 2013 Valvin Muscat earning 93 points, a Gold medal and Best Buy designation while their 2013 Riesling got 90 and Best Buy.  Woodbury 2012 Chardonnay, Vintners Reserve received 91, and Knapp 2013 Riesling 90 and Best Buy.

 

                     The New York wineries that enter wine competitions and bring home the Gold help raise the quality profile of New York wines...another reason New York State was named Wine Region of the Year by Wine Enthusiast magazine.

 

                  

                     

'Tis the Season!

                       Ryan's Wine & Spirits in Canandaigua is now advertising on TV that it is offering more than 900 different New York wines for the holiday season, and encouraging their customers to "buy local".  I went there myself yesterday (as I often do), and confirmed that indeed it's true.  In fact, of Ryan's Top 25 Wines & Spirits of 2014, 7 of 20 wines (over 25%) are New York--in a store that carries a great international selection.

                       Stephanie Rudat of Ryan's is one of our judges at the New York Wine & Food Classic, which gives her a great opportunity to sample what's out there and buy what her customers are most likely to like.

                       There are other wine retailers throughout the State who have also caught on and are now giving much more support of New York wines, providing  recommendations to their customers, which we appreciate.  The Taste NY point-of-sale materials that many are using have also helped focus attention.

                       We're compiling a large list of retailers statewide who reliably have a good supply of New York wines, but until that's ready, we can always recommend the past winners of our "Retailer Award" which recognizes "excellence in promotion New York wines to consumers".  By market, they are:

 

-- New York City: McAdams Buy Rite, and The Greene Grape 

-- Westchester: Suburban Wines & Spirits (Yorktown Heights), and Zachys

-- Ithaca: Northside Wines & Spirits

-- Elmira: GCP Discount Liquors

-- Rochester: Bombace Wines & Spirits, Century Discount Wines & Liquors, House of Bacchus, Marketview Liquors

-- Buffalo: Premier Wines & Liquors, The Wine Room, The Wine Sellar

 

                      These stores have been on the cutting edge for a long time, and we encourage you to stop and shop--asking for New York wines, of course!

          

 

Discover the Grape Discovery Center

                        This week I had the pleasure of experiencing the fully finished Grape Discovery Center just outside of Westfield, New York in the Lake Erie grape and wine region.  I had been there once before when it was a work in progress, and what a difference!

                        This was the dream of several people whose hard work have not made it a reality, including the determined GDC President Helen Baran  The Concord Grape Country Heritage Association run by Andy DuFresne was also a catalyst behind the idea of having a building devoted to educating people about Concord grapes, the products they are used in, and the region where they're grown.

                        There are lots of great photos and interactive exhibits that get visitors directly involved--like sniffing the smells of fully ripe Concord vs. Cabernet Sauvignon grapes--along with a nice wine tasting bar featuring local wines and an attractive gift shop showcasing local products.  (I bought some "Farmer Steve's" Grape Heritage Pasta Sauce in honor of the late grower Steve Baran, with Concord grape concentrate included in the sauce; Baran Vineyards Concord Lite Vinaigrette; and Concord Grapeseed Vinaigrette.  All of this came in a purple "Grape Discovery Center" plastic bag with a hint of the luscious aroma of ripe Concord grapes.  They've thought of everything!)

                         The Center is housed in a former automobile dealership, but you'd never know it by how classy it looks today.  In addition, there's still plenty of room for more exhibits and new activities including educational seminars and festivals.

 

                          While I was in the neighborhood, I also visited Johnson Estate Winery, New York State's first estate winery which recently underwent a major expansion and increased its sampling and sales program to include New York spirits.  Fred and Jennifer Johnson are the third generation carrying on a family tradition, with the vineyard and winery remaining an anchor of the regional industry.  Their excellent wines are also preserved by a unique closure, "glass cork", which is both elegant and very effective in protecting wine quality.  Why more wineries don't adopt these is a mystery.

 

                           Nearly across the street is Mazza Chautauqua Cellars, which includes a farm winery, a farm distillery, and soon a farm brewery all under one roof--thanks to new legislation initiated by Governor Andrew Cuomo.  Bob and Cathy Mazza started out with Mazza Cellars in North East, PA, then added Mazza Chautauqua Cellars across the border in Westfeld, NY, and have other "branch offices" in both states as well.  It's an empire!  Their son Mario Mazza is also deeply involved in the business, having spent a couple years making wine in Australia, and the entire family is warm and welcoming.  In fact, we had a wonderful dinner of the Grape Discovery Center Board, staff and supporters at the Mazza's South Shore Inn, a historic structure also in North East.

 

                            Johnson Estate and Mazza Chautauqua Cellars are just two examples of the exciting things happening in Lake Erie Wine Country, which is now enjoying a renaissance. 

Free Run...

                   390 wineries are now scattered in 58 of New York's 62 counties, not to mention 67 branch offices (remote tasting rooms), and an analysis of licenses over the past two years shows there's been growth in virtually every corner of the State. As usual, the Finger Lakes has the most (128), followed by Long Island (72) and the Hudson Valley (60), and then the Niagara region (22), Lake Erie (21) and Greater Adirondacks area (20).  The total number of New York wine producers has more than doubled since the beginning of 2011 when Governor Andrew Cuomo took office.

 

                 Niagara Wine Trail raised more than $10,500 for local charities along with 1,200 non-perishable food items for food banks in the area.  The "Share the Bounty" event included many of the trail's members who each got to designate the charity of their choice.  It's a great event for great causes, and reflects the spirit of the season.

 

                 Taste North Fork festival this year more than doubled its attendance, from about 1,000 to 2,300, thanks in part of the "I Love NY" jitney that transports people from New York City out to Long Island Wine Country and within the region.  It's made possible by a grant from the I Love NY program, with the van "wrapped" with colorful images.

 

                  Repeal of Prohibition turned 81 yesterday, and it's interesting to note that the year after Repeal (1934) Americans consumed 10 times the alcohol as in 1918 before the "Noble Experiment" began.  And of course people were drinking a ton in speakeasies and elsewhere during Prohibition.  What a stupid idea!

 

                  Finger Lakes Riesling gets some nice exposure in the December edition of  Wine & Spirits magazine's cover story titled, "A Sommelier Scavenger Hunt: Tracking Down American Terroir".  Basically, the magazine sent teams of three sommeliers each to five different regions famous for producing high quality wines from specific grape varieties (like Finger Lakes Riesling and Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon) to discover what they could about the "terroir".

                 The Finger Lakes team included sommeliers Matthew Kaner (LA), Pascaline Lepeltier (NYC) and Steven Morgan (Chicago).  All the wines had to be Dry Rieslings, and in addition to Tierce (made by winemakers from three wineries--Anthony Road, Fox Run, and Red Newt) the ones they preferred came from Bellwether, Kemmeter, Ravines, Hermann Wiemer, and Bloomer Creek.  It's a very interesting concept with regional descriptions to match.

 

  Words on Wine...
 
  " I hadn't seen light like that in the U.S. --a very soft light, very long-lasting.  I think light is critical to understanding the way a wine tastes."
 
                 --Pascaline Lepeltier, Sommelier, Route Tomate, on the Finger Lakes 
  
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