The New York Wine & Grape Foundation reports a record number of entries for this year’s New York Wine & Food Classic Competition, which will be held Aug. 16 and 17 in Watkins Glen.
The coveted Governor’s Cup will be awarded to the top wine from the competition. Last year, Anthony Road Winery’s 2008 Semi-Dry Riesling took top honors last year and quickly sold out.
The competition is open to all New York wineries and all New York appellation wines.
Of the 849 wine entries, about 60 percent are from the Finger Lakes (or sub-appellations), 15 percent from Long Island (or sub-appellations), 15 percent labeled “New York State,” and the remaining 10 percent from the Lake Erie (3 percent), Niagara (2 percent), Hudson River (3 percent) and other regions.
“This reflects the facts that the Finger Lakes has the most wineries, which generally get involved in competitions and submit the most wines on average; so just as a matter of percentages, it should be no surprise if Finger Lakes wines take a significant share of medals, as they routinely do in international competitions,” explains James Trezise, president of the foundation.
The numbers of entries by varietal or type also reflects what the industry is making and seems most proud of. The largest category by far is Riesling with 133 entries (separated into the four “Taste Profile” categories of the International Riesling Foundation), Chardonnay with 70, then 48 Cabernet Franc, 45 Merlot, 27 Pinot Noir, and 23 Cabernet Sauvignon. There are also 50 vinifera red blends and 25 vinifera rosés as well as 27 ice wines.
Pricing is also interesting to compare, with the average price of all entries at $17.97 but the range from $6.99 to $100. Wines from the Lake Erie region have the lowest average price ($12.81), followed by the Finger Lakes ($16.50), the Niagara region (about $18.00), Hudson River ($22.01) and Long Island ($25.60 for North Fork, and $30.60 for The Hamptons). In other words, generally speaking the closer you get to New York City the higher the prices become. Surprise, surprise!
