New York wines greeted the New Year with a toast--three Best of Class, 7 Double Gold, 19 Gold, and lots of Silver and Bronze medals at the San Francsco Chronicle Wine Competition, the nation's largest with over 7,000 entries. 

                 Best of Class awards went to Black Willow Classic Diamond, Keuka Spring Vineyards 2014 Gewurztraminer, and Wagner Vineyards 2014 Riesling Caywood East Vineyard. 

                  Double Gold medals were awarded to 1911 Spirits McIntosh Wine; Dr. Frank 2014 Semi-Dry Riesling; Keuka Spring 2014 Riesling, 2014 Semi-Dry Riesling, and Apres; Rooster Hill 2014 Dry Riesling; and Wagner Vineyards 2014 Dry Riesling. 

                  Gold medals went to 21 Brix Thirsty Elephant; Belhurst 2014 Chardonnay and 2013 Cabernet Franc; Black Willow Black Cat Blush, DePeche Meow, Trilogy White, and Black Willow Berry; Brooklyn Winery 2013 Finger Lakes Riesling; Buttonwood 2014 Chardonnay; Chateau Frank 2010 Blanc de Blanc; Chateau Lafayette Reneau 2012 Cabernet Sauvgnon, 2013 Chardonnay, and 2014 Late Harvest Riesling; Dr. Frank 2014 Gewurztraminer and 2014 Dry Riesling; Knapp 2014 Dr Riesling; Kontokosta 2014 Orient Chardonnay; Lamoreaux Landing 2011 Chardonnay; and Sparkling Pointe Topaz Imperial. 

                   Next up, in a couple weeks, is the Florida International, and a couple weeks later East vs. West in northern California.  Competition season has begun, which means Gold will be flowing to New York.  Visit the "Awards and Accolades" section of our web site to keep up to date.

                   Many thanks to the many people who sent warm wishes my way after last weekend's Special Edition of The Wine Press announcing my intention to step aside at the end of this year or so.

                   Some people interpreted that as "retiring", but the "R" word isn't even in my vocabulary, so how could that be?  The reality is that this will be a very loooonnng, slooooww faaaaaade rather than any abrupt change.  I'm hangin' around.

                   So why that message?  Because in fact we do want to find an Executive Director who can assume some of my current responsiblities--like fund-raising, industry politics, Albany politics, administration, communication--and that is likely to take some time.  The New York Wine & Grape Foundation is a very complicated organization, and my position is the most complicated of all, so this will not happen overnight.  It will take a thorough, deliberate search, and then a significant amount of time when I can overlap with that person in order to ensure a seamless transition.

                    This is not about Jim Trezise.  It's not even about the Foundation, except insofar as the Foundation supports the industry.  It's all about the industry--grape growers, juice manufacturers, winery owners--and how we can all work together to forge a brighter future for all those people and businesses.  It is also about our valued partners--Cornell University and Cooperative Extension, New York Farm Bureau, the New York State Restaurant Association, and others who are so important to our success.  The Foundation is simply a catalyst in the middle of it all.

                     And of course it's about the State of New York.  Without the 30-year, highly productive public-private partnership, our industry would not be close to where it is today.  The first priority of any new person must be to maintain that close relationship, to everyone's benefit.

                     So...thanks for the kind thoughts, but don't be surprised if you see me around for a long time.

                   Governor Andrew M. Cuomo this week delivered his annual State of the State message, with lots of major new policy initiatives.

                   Among those that we enthusiastically support is an overhaul of New York's Prohibition-era alcohol beverage control (ABC) laws.  I originally requested this at the Governor's Wine, Beer, Spirits & Cider Summit last October, and since then the State Liquor Authority has convened an industry working group to consult with them on desired changes.  Steve Bate, Executive Director of the Long Island Wine Council, has done a superb job representing the wine industry with input from several sources.  We are hopeful that this will result in significant new benefits for our industry.

                    Since coming to office in 2011, Governor Cuomo has worked hard to cut red tape and break down bureaucratic barriers in order to help the state's growing wine, beer, spirits and cider producers flourish--and that has clearly paid off not just for those industries but for the State as well, stimulating new investment, jobs, tourism, and taxes.

                    We also strongly support the Governor's proposals to cut taxes and fees for craft beverage manufacturers that will be reinvested in our businesses, and to expand the highly effective Taste NY initiative, showcasing New York-made beverages throughout the State.

                   It's "entrepreneurial government" at its best.    

                    Ron Reals was one of the nicest, cheeriest, and warmest people I have ever known, and we were shocked this week to learn that he passed away suddenly and totally unexpectedly while on vacation with his wife.

                    Ron was truly devoted to the New York wine industry, having first created a small distributorship called Finger Lakes Premium Wine many years ago to market several brands.  That business was bought by Opici, a larger wholesaler which also had the good sense to hire Ron as the person spearheading the marketing of New York wines.

                    Years ago we created a new award, the Distributor Award, specifically to recognize the dedication and accomplishments of Ron Reals, and of course he was the first recipient. 

                    Ron has been serving on our Board of Directors for the past two years and, because he lived right here in Canandaigua, he often popped into our office spontaneously, which was always a great pleasure.  We will miss his sunny presence, and we send our condolences to his wife Shari and their sons.

                     Rich Smith is another great friend and colleague who will be sorely missed.  Few people in New York know him except for me, John Martini, Jim Bedient, and others who have been involved with WineAmerica and Winegrape Growers of America.

                     Rich, his wife Claudia, and their family own Paraiso Vineyards & Winery in California's Monterey region.  He was one of those people who was always "there" for the industry--joining organizations, serving on Boards, sharing his considerable expertise, particularly in the area of research.  In 10 days John and I will attend the annual meeting of the National Grape and Wine Initiative in Sacramento, as well as Unified Grape and Wine Symposium, and there will be a definite emptiness since Rich will not be there this year.

                      It's a reminder to be grateful for every day that we are given the gift of life, and to cherish those who mean so much to us.