New York wines won more than 500 medals last weekend at the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition, including 19 Double Gold, 38 Gold, 307 Silver, and 156 Bronze awards.

                  Double Gold medals went to 21 Brix 2013 Semi-Dry Riesling; Anthony Road 2014 Vignoles; CK Cellars Niagara; Colloca Estate 2014 Lake Effect Vineyard Riesling; Dr. Frank 2014 Rkatsiteli; Goose Watch 2015 Viognier; Heron Hill 2014 Semi-Sweet Riesling; Jamesport 2014 Late Harvest Riesling, and 2013 Dry Riesling; Liberty Vineyards Diamond Select; Miles Wine Cellars 2009 Lemberger; Penguin Bay 2014 Dry Riesling; Sheldrake Point 2014 Riesling; Sparkling Pointe Topaz Imperial; Swedish Hill 2014 Riesling; Thirsty Owl 2014 Diamond; Three Brothers 2014 Estate Reserve Gruner Veltliner; Victory View 2014 Lafayette; and Wolffer Estate 2013 Diosa Late Harvest.

                 Gold medals were awarded to A Gust of Sun Winery & Vineyard 2013 Westies Cab Franc; 21 Brix 2011 Vidal Ice Wine; Americana 2014 Cabernet Franc; Amorici 2014 Cabernet Franc; Atwater 2013 Syrah; Baiting Hollow 2014 Riesling; Badwin Vineyards Spiced Apple; Bella-Brooke Vineyard 2014 Adelle; Chateau LaFayette Reneau 2013 Meritage; CK Cellars 2013 Baco Noir; Coyote Moon 2013 Brianna, Twisted Sister, and 2014 Marquette; Fulkerson Sunset Blush; Glenora 2006 Brut, and 2014 Dry Riesling; Goose Watch Golden Spumante; Hazlitt 2013 Gewurztraminer; JD Wine Cellars 2014 Free Flight; Johnson Estate Concord, and 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon; Lucas 2014 Semi-Dry Riesling; Palaia 2015 Pearl Power; Rooster Hill 2014 Dry Riesling; Sheldrake Point Ice Apple Wine; Sparkling Pointe 2011 Blanc de Blancs; Swedsh Hill Riesling Cuvee; The Champlain Wine Company 2014 Full Sail White; The Winery at Marjim Manor 2015 Spring Lake Steuben; Thirsty Owl 2014 Gewurztraminer; Thorpe Vineyard Evenig Glow; Thousand Islands 2014 Semi-Dry Riesling, and 2015 Moscato; Treleaven 2013 Dry Riesling; and Tug Hill 2015 Black Ice.

                    Next up, in a few weeks, is the awesome Pacific Rim International Wine Competition, followed by Dan Berger's International  Wine Competition and the Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition--three California-based events where New York wines always shine.

                     Thanks to the wineries that enter competitions and show the world just how good New York wines have become.

                   Baby Boomers and Millennials (in many cases the Boomers' kids) are the two demographic groups that draw the most attention from wine marketers because of their sheer numbers, their attraction to wine, and trends within their respective generations.

                  Wine Market Council, the leader in sophisticated market research, offered some interesting observations at recent conferences:

-- Millennial adults (79 million) now outnumber Boomers (75 million)

-- There are more Millennial wine drinkers in the US than Boomers (36% vs. 34%)

-- There are more "High Frequency" wine drinkers among Baby Boomers than among Millennials, resulting in the Boomers cosuming more total volume than Millennials, although the gap is small and closing each year

-- Over the past 15 years, the Millennial shares of the U.S. wine drinking total population and High Frequency wine drinking population have grown significantly

-- Younger generations continue to modestly increase their wine consumption, while older generations are modestly decreasing theirs.

                The only constant in life is change, and certainly the changes in the wine market, while evolutionary rather than revolutionary, provide an excellent example. 

                   Cabernet Franc may well be the red version of Riesling in the Finger Lakes, based on the opinions of many winemakers as well as a great article in Wine & Spirits magazine by New York wine specialist Patrick Comiskey.

                  The classic European variety, grown in the Bordeaux and Loire regions of France, also grows well in the Finger Lakes, and a combination of hands-on experience and Cornell research has allowed growers and winemakers to tame the "vegetal" character often associated with the wine.  High scores for several FLX Cab Francs also reflected its promise. 

                  In addition to producing robust, food-friendly reds, Cabernet Franc is also used by several producers to produce Dry Rose, which is exploding in popularity.

                   Wegmans is my Disneyland.

                   I live on Keuka Lake (a.k.a. paradise) near Penn Yan (cute town, but unfortunately no Wegmans), so I look forward to driving the 30 minutes to our office in Canandaigua, where there is a...Wegmans!  I stop every morning, even if I don't need anything, because it just makes me feel good.  It's way better than a cup of coffee as a mood booster: All that great food, and all those happy people!  Not just the shoppers, but also the workers.  I'm so happy...happy...happy!

                    Well, for the 19th year in a row, Wegmans is among the Fortune 100 Best Places to Work, ranked #4 this year, but in the past has been #1 more than once.  It is the epitome of superb customer service that reflects not only great training but a culture of caring for their employees, who in turn take care of us. Every day we get their best.  

                     Café Chardonnay.. Del Posto...Gramercy Tavern...Hearth...Terroir Wine Bar.  These were just a few of the scores of great restaurants represented at our recent Grand Tasting in New York City, which drew over 300 members of the trade and media, and more than 250 eager consumers.  Among dozens of wine retailers were Astor Wines, Bottlerocket Wine & Spirit, Eataly, Michael Towne Wines, Sherry-Lehmann Wine & Spirits, and Union Square Wine & Spirits.  They were joined by numerous representatives of the wholesale sector, plus many different consultants.

                     It was the last event of our current NYDrinksNY program, and a great success all around.  We're hoping to start a new chapter in the near future, and we thank the Genesee Valley Regional Market Authority for the grants that have funded this.