Jim's latest e-mail. check out the web address of the International Riesling Foundation (IRF) - they "borrowed" my e-mail identity- proud day to be Ed
Saturday, September 6, 2008
FOX RUN VINEYARDS on Seneca Lake has been named one of the top 100 wineries in the world by Wine & Spirits magazine, and will celebrate that achievement with a press conference and wine-and-food tasting on September 17 from 1 to 3 pm. Wine & Spirits editor and publisher Joshua Greene noted that the magazine staff tastes over 9,000 wines a year, with the top 100 wineries selected on the basis of a range of wines that score at the top of their categories. For years, Fox Run has been widely recognized as one of the top quality producers in the Finger Lakes and New York overall, with the hallmark of quality across a broad range of wines. Being in Wine & Spirits’ top 100 is not only a major achievement for Fox Run, but also a great reflection on both the Finger Lakes and New York overall. Congratulations and thanks to the Fox Run team. More information about the event is available by calling Leslie Kroeger at 800-636-9786 or email foxrunmarketing@foxrunvineyards.com.
http://WWW.HUDSONVALLEYWINECOUNTRY.ORG is the brand new web site promoting that historic region as home of “The Roots of American Wine”. With the leadership of Phyllis Feder of Clinton Vineyards and the Dutchess Wine Trail, and Susan Wine of Rivendell Winery and the Shawangunk Wine Trail, and with financial support from the New York Wine & Grape Foundation’s “regional branding” program, the Hudson Valley wine community now has a program which ties together the history, natural beauty, outdoor activities, historic sites, and culinary treasures of wineries, farms and restaurants. The regional wine industry dates back some 330 years to1677 when French Huguenots planted the first vines on hillsides of the Hudson Highlands and started the winegrowing tradition. The country’s oldest continuously operating winery (Brotherhood) and oldest vineyard (Benmarl) remain active today in the wine region that is closest to New York City (45 miles north), New Jersey, Vermont, Connecticut and Massachusetts, and extends northward to Saratoga Springs above Albany. Home of the Culinary Institute of America, the region also boasts a long and exciting farming and culinary tradition, and in some ways was a precursor to the current “locavore” movement, since many prominent New York City chefs bought fresh Hudson Valley farm products at Union Square Greenmarket or right at the farms. Another project in the works is the development of a Hudson River Valley Wine & Culinary Center that will serve as a showcase for local wines and foods, as well as those from other regions of the state. The website has a wealth of information on all aspects of the region, and practical tools like a trip planner for visiting the area. For years, the Hudson Valley has been overshadowed by the Finger Lakes and Long Island regions, but now they’re determined to get their place in the sun.
RIESLING TASTE PROFILE has been announced by the International Riesling Foundation (IRF) as a way to help both producers and consumers enjoy the wonderful diversity of Riesling styles and tastes. Spearheaded by California wine journalist Dan Berger with input from winemakers around the world, the project took several months of conference calls, emails, and drafts of both the technical guidelines for winemakers and graphic options for back labels on wine bottles. The end results include technical guidelines using a combination of sugar, acid and pH to help predict what a particular wine will taste like; the selections of four categories—Dry, Medium Dry, Medium Sweet, and Sweet—as the recommended verbal descriptors for the wines; and four graphic options to communicate that on back labels, point-of-sale materials, and other means. The four options, developed by Rochester-based artist Book Marshall, essentially include different combinations of possible wording or logos, with wine producers able to select the one that best fits their needs. The taste profile also reflects key findings from in-depth Riesling market research conducted by John Gillespie and Christian Miller of Wine Opinions which confirmed that many consumers still view Riesling as only “a sweet white wine”, and are often unwilling to try it because of that misperception. In reality, one of Riesling’s greatest strengths is its versatility—with tastes ranging from bone dry to very sweet, and many levels in between—but that can also be a vulnerability if a consumer expects one taste from a bottle and gets another. The idea behind the IRF Taste Profile is to create a simple, standardized way to describe the taste in a bottle so the consumer knows what she or he can expect, retailers will have a way to communicate that through POS materials, and sommeliers will be able to refer to the back label for guidance. The next step, to be accomplished within a couple weeks, is the development of specific guidelines for wineries to use this new mechanism in time for labels from the 2008 vintage. While the IRF is in the process of developing its own web site (drinkriesling.com), information on the taste profile is available at http://www.rieslingrules.com/taste-profile.
VERAISON TO HARVEST newsletter mentioned last weekend is a great way to keep track of the 2008 harvest progress, and now it’s available on line at http://blogs.cce.cornell.edu/grapes/08- ... ewsletter/. Thanks to Tim Martinson and all the Cornell Cooperative Extension colleagues who put this valuable piece together.
“GRAPE GROWING FOR WINEMAKERS, WINEMAKING FOR GRAPE GROWERS” is another great new project created by Cornell Cooperative Extension, specifically Chris Gerling (enology) and Hans Walter-Peterson (viticulture). In the latest edition of Finger Lakes Vineyards Notes, the new endeavor is aimed “to help each side of the winemaking equation, grape growers and winemakers, to better understand each others’ needs and issues when it comes to their own success and that of the grape and wine industry of New York.” While Chris and Hans were initially envisioning technical subjects, their conversations with growers and winemakers instead showed an emphasis on communication overall, including understanding goals and expectations, timing, tasting the wines, and other things that can help things go more smoothly for everyone. Just as the Cornell researchers are vital in creating an ever-expanding base of knowledge, the Cornell Cooperative Extension professionals are vital for disseminating that knowledge and improving communication within the industry. For more information, you may email Chris at cjg9@cornell.edu or Hans at hcw5@cornell.edu.
“Wine—soil, sun, water, and the hand of man.”
--Anonymous
A Votre Santé To Your Health
Jim Trezise
585-394-3649, fax
JimTrezise@nywgf.org, email
http://www.newyorkwines.org/, web
http://www.healthyconcordgra