Saturday, January 5, 2008
HAZLITT RIESLING is the latest New York wine to be featured in one of the major in-flight magazines (Delta Sky) by wine and spirits editor Paul Pacault: “If a more elegant wine exists for year-end holiday functions of all kinds, it hasn’t passed through my office.” The 2006 Homestead Reserve Riesling Finger Lakes also was rated Best of Class at the Long Beach (CA) Grand Cru competition last July, and has won several other awards.
RIESLING still has a very long way to go in terms of trial and acceptance among “core” wine drinkers, and New York Rieslings face a particular challenge, according to a new survey by Wine Opinions in the Napa Valley. The well-known market research team of John Gillespie and Christian Miller recently polled high-frequency consumers’ attitudes toward Bordeaux wines, unoaked Chardonnay, and Riesling in terms of actual trial as well as interest in trying them. Even though Riesling is the fastest growing white wine in the U.S. and second only to Pinot Noir, the survey showed that among these frequent consumers the lingering perception that Riesling is “a sweet white wine” diminished their appreciation of the wine and their interest in trying it. Overall, German Rieslings were most highly rated and New York Rieslings the lowest despite the consistent winnings in major wine competitions and critical acclaim among wine critics. This may well be due to the fact that New York wines have very limited distribution, so many of the respondents may not have actually tried them. In any case, if Riesling is to permanently occupy a significant share of mind among wine consumers, producers throughout the world need to work together to make that happen. That’s exactly what the new International Riesling Foundation is all about. John Gillespie will make a presentation on these findings at the group’s next meeting on January 31 in Sacramento. The full report or individual sections are available for purchase at http://www.wineopinions.com.
VINTAGE 2007 in New York got an “A” rating in the Wine Spectator online, as did our friends in Washington on the other side of the country. We all knew that this year was superb, so that’s no surprise, but the real significance is that New York is finally being recognized as a major player in the American wine industry. (The other regions covered were three in California and Oregon, all with “B” ratings for this year.) To a great extent, our challenge is size: we’re too small. The quality of New York wines, regardless of type, is widely recognized and consistently proven by Gold medals in major wine competitions (nearly 400 last year). With few exceptions like Bully Hill, Centerra and Royal Kedem, the New York wine industry consists of relatively small producers with limited distribution. This means that far fewer consumers have the opportunity to taste New York wines, so national publications like The Wine Spectator have little incentive to feature them. By contrast, California represents about 90% of total U.S. wine production, many wineries in Washington (the #2 state) have national distribution, as do several in Oregon, including some that are the same size as many New York wineries. The 2005 direct interstate shipment law has helped somewhat in terms of both sales and national media coverage, but the bottom line is that the New York wine industry needs to grow not just in the number of wineries but the volume of production if we want to consistently be in the pages of national publications.
SHINN ESTATE VINEYARDS on Long Island has one of the best and most personal e-newsletters I’ve seen in the wine industry. David Page and Barbara Shinn, who years ago received our “Restaurant Award” for featuring New York wines at their Home restaurant in lower Manhattan, now have a vineyard and winery as well as an inn (farmhouse) on the North Fork of Long Island. The weekly e-letter is warm, personal, informative and well-written, and a great way to track the cycles of winegrowing. For more information, visit http://www.shinnestatevineyards.com.
BRIDGE VINEYARDS, also from Long Island, plans to move its winery to a major consumer base: Brooklyn. Owners Greg Sandor and Paul Wegimont have a 20-acre vineyard on the North Fork, about 80 miles east of the winery and tasting room in the Williamsburg section where the wine will be made. While most people associate wineries with rural landscapes, an increasing number of wineries (like Brooklyn Oenology) are popping up in places like San Francisco, Seattle and Portland. The grapes are still grown in rural areas but transported into the cities for winemaking and, of course, marketing. The trend reflects the younger age of many wine aficionados who live and work in cities, a built-in neighborhood market, and lower costs than having to establish a winery in traditional wine regions.
WINE WOMEN will get together in mid-March to give their collective opinions on hundreds of wines at the National Women’s Wine Competition. This is the only wine competition judged solely by women, including Masters of Wine Lisa Granik and Mary Ewing Mulligan, Master Sommeliers Belinda Chang and Sally Mohr, and writers like Leslie Sbrocco and Diane Teitelbaum. Since women make the majority of wine purchasing decisions, this is a great gauge of taste preferences. In addition, the competition benefits the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC, the only museum in the world dedicated exclusively to recognizing the contributions of women artists. Winners will be able to pour at the October public Grand Tasting in the museum. For more information, visit http://www.nwwc.info.
LAKE ERIE CONCORD GRAPE BELT on the western end of the state is getting increasing recognition as a grape destination, thanks to the work of the Concord Grape Belt Heritage Association. Last year an economic impact study showed that the grape juice and winery sectors support over 1,900 jobs and contribute over $340 million to the regional economy annually. The association’s director, Andy DuFresne, has helped shape our promotion program on the health benefits of Concord grape juice. And this year they’re working on a Concord Grape Belt Discovery Center. The Lake Erie region represents about two-thirds of New York’s total grape acreage and tonnage, with the vast majority devoted to Concord grapes for juice, but there are also 16 wineries in the region.
RED WINE AND PURPLE GRAPE JUICE are cited for their various health benefits in the latest edition of the world’s largest circulation magazine: AARP. The January/February issue, featuring Caroline Kennedy on the cover, has a cover story titled, “Eat Well. Live Longer” which essentially recommends the traditional Mediterranean Diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, nuts, olive oil, fish, whole grains, and red wine. Fortunately, the “Fruit of the Vine” section also notes that purple grape juice has many of the same benefits as red wine, with the polyphenols in both liquid foods helping to lower bad cholesterol (LDL), raise good cholesterol (HDL) and increase the elasticity of blood vessels.
“Some years ago, seekers after the gastronomic truth discovered what the French have known for centuries, and pronounced that a little red wine is good for you.”
Peter Mayle, Encore Provence
A Votre Santé To Your Health
Jim Trezise
585-394-3649, fax
JimTrezise@nywgf.org, email
http://www.newyorkwines.org/, web
http://www.healthyconcordgrapes.com/, web