Wine Enthusiast magazine has a nice feature by Anna Lee Iijima on "The Future of Long Island Wine", featuring four winemakers from very different backgrounds working for very different wineries.

                 Kareem Massoud of Paumanok Vineyards is part of a total-family operation started by his parents, Charles and Ursula, with brothers Nabeel and Salim also involved.  Named Winery of the Year at our 2015 New York Wine & Food Classic, Paumanok has long been a quality pacesetter on the North Fork

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                 Regan Meador jumped into wine after a diverse career in finance, music and advertising, and with his wife Carey created Southold Farm + Cellar.  They still don't have their own winemaking facility, but have been able to produce their wines with the help of neighboring wineries.

                 Kelly Urbanik Koch, a Napa Valley native, was skeptical when offered a job with a Long Island winery--until she flew across the country, tasted the wines, and experienced the region.  After a few years at Bedell Cellars, she landed at Macari Vineyards--our Winery of the Year two years ago.

                  Anthony Nappa makes wine for Raphael as well as his own brand, Anthony Nappa Wines, sold in his cooperative tasting room, The Winemaker Studio.  After making wines in California, southern Italy, New Zealand, and elsewhere, he finally landed on Long Island.

                   All four acknowledge that there are distinct challenges making wine on Long Island--but that's a big part of the attraction.

                    Meanwhile, Bedell Cellars, Wolffer Estate, and Grapes of Roth all got nice mentions in Wine Spectator's article, "The Hipster's Guide to the 2016 Grand Tour".  Bedell Musee was described as a "grand vin" of New York; and winemaker Roman Roth, of both Wolffer Estate and his own Grapes of Roth, was dubbed the Long Island garagiste.

                     Elsewhere, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate gave scores of 90 to Bedell 2014 Chardonnay and 2014 Sauvignon Blanc, as well as Wolffer Estate 2014 Chardonnay Perle and 2015 Grandioso.

                    Coincidentally, Bedell's CEO Trent Preszler is Chairman of the Board of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation (and, in a month, of WineAmerica as well); and Roman Roth received our Phyllis Feder Unity Award this spring.

                    Great wines, great people.

                    On another front, the Long Island Merlot Alliance (Merliance, or LIMA) raised $3,500 from a five-course dinner paired with Long Island merlots, with the money to be awarded to a local student accepted to Cornell's Enology and Viticulture program.  This will also include an internship to work with each of the group's member wineries in the summer in order to get hands-on experience, learn more about the grape, and collect data for LIMA's Block Registry Program.

                     Congratulations to the LIMA members and Executive Director Amy Zavatto, who will again serve as one of our judges at this year's New York Wine & Food Classic. 

                   Amorici Vineyard, Victory View Vineyard, and Marquette got some great publicity in a recent New York Times feature, including some nice photos.

                   The theme: Extreme cold hardy grapes like Marquette, often referred to as "Minnesota varieties" because of where most were developed, are now making it possible to grow grapes and make wines in places like the Upper Hudson Valley (where these wineries are located), Champlain, Thousand Islands, and other North Country regions.  In addition, many of these wines are winning Gold medals and other awards in major wine competitions held in California and elsewhere.

                   For the past several years, Tim Martinson of Cornell Cooperative Extension has led an extensive, multi-state Northern Grapes Project designed to enhance the production, marketing, and reputation of these wines--and it's clearly paying off.

                   The cultivation of those vines in unlikely wine regions also helps explain why 59 of New York State's 62 counties now have wineries.  They're everywhere!                 

                    Wine & Spirits magazine's "Top 100 Values of the Year" included both Dr. Frank 2014 Semi-Dry Riesling (92, $15) and Wagner Vineyards 2012 Cabernet Franc (88, $15).  The June edition also has a wonderfully creative guide to "Value Brands of the Year" listing the top three each from California, Washington, and New York as well as several other countries.  W&S Wine Critic Patrick Comiskey, who covers New York wine and judged at last year's Classic, selected Anthony Road, Dr. Frank, and Keuka Springs.  It's one of the most playful and creative layouts I've seen.  Buy it!

                    Wine Enthusiast's "Spring Ahead" article touting the delights of Dry Rieslings as a summer sipper included several recommendations from major Riesling producing regions around the world.  Anna Lee Iijima chose Empire Estate 2014 Dry Riesling (91) and Keuka Spring 2014 Dry Riesling (90) from the Finger Lakes, and Paumanok 2014 Dry Riesling (91) from the North Fork of Long Island.

                         Clinton Vineyards in the Hudson River Region has released a special wine--2014 Victory White--for toasting former Secretary of State and former New York Senator Hillary Clinton as she sets her sights on the White House.

                         Winery owner Phyllis Feder decided to create this special bottling to say thank you:  "As Senator, Hillary Clinton proved herself to be a tireless and peerless friend to farmers, grape growers and winemakers here in the Hudson Valley.  We return the favor by asking fellow Hudson Valley residents and businesses, wine lovers, and supporters nationwide to raise a glass in honor of Mrs. Clinton in her run for the Oval Office.  We hope the toast will be made with our Victory White 2014, the perfect wine for celebrating all victories, large and small."

                         Starting in 2002, then-Senator Clinton hosted New York Farm Day in the Senate Caucus Room, showcasing New York State beverages and foods in order to educate her colleagues that New York is a major farm state.  She also visited the Hudson Valley after a severely cold winter in 2004, listened to local concerns about vine damage, and secured federal disaster relief for New York's grape farmers.

                        Founded in 1976 by Phyllis's late husband Ben Feder, for 40 years Clinton Vineyards has been a pioneer in the region's agritourism industry. In addition, our "Unity Award" is now named after Phyllis due to her selfless and inspiring leadership during three years as Chair of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation.

                        Environmental sustainability, social responsibility, trade facilitation and consumer issues highlighted a recent FIVS Global Trade Policy Forum & Conference in Brussels, Belgium.  FIVS is an important international association of associations and producers in the beverage alcohol sector, with members from over 25 countries, and observer status with several key international governmental organizations like the World Trade Organization, World Health Organization, and International Organization of Vines & Wines.

                        Another highlight of the meeting was presentation of the first-ever Jim Finkle Award to Steve Guy of Wine Australia. Jim literally rescued FIVS more than 20 years ago, and served as its President until very recently; the award reflects the values that Jim Finkle exemplified: communication, collaboration, consensus, and commitment.

                       Tim McNally, a great friend and talented wine judge from New Orleans, is a one-man media conglomerate (blog, radio, TV) and a long-distance supporter of New York wines.  I had the pleasure of judging with him most recently at Pacific Rim, and we shared our frustration that there are virtually no New York wines in one of the premier restaurant cities on the planet.

                       So he promptly went back to NOLA and wrote a great piece, "Nope, You Can't Have It (All)", bemoaning how the archaic three-tier system keeps lots of good wines out of the hands of the Crescent City's restaurants and consumers.  Especially Riesling: "Creole, Cajun, Vietnamese, even Italian cuisine pair up well with a bone-dry Riesling."

                      While mentioning New York Rieslings and Cabernet Franc, he also notes that several other states--Texas, New Mexico, Idaho, Michigan, Washington, and more--produce some really great wines that just aren't available in Louisiana.

                      Anyway, he and I are going to keep trying until we break through.

                      http://www.myneworleans.com/Blogs/Happy-Hour/April-2016/Nope-You-Cant-Have-It-All