View from Dr. Frank's Winery Photo courtesy of drfrankwines.com
New York Wines are deserving
of your palate and attention
Being that wine is my business, I have been fortunate
enough to try a lot of wines I would never have been
able to purchase on my own, or even glance at on the
shelf. I love wines from all over the world. There is
nothing like a classic white Burgundy or a firm
Bordeaux, each having complexities and nuances
that only a poet could write about. When I make
Italian food, I always find a new bottle from Italy.
I never wait for a special occasion to pop the cork
on a bottle of sparkling wine; I just make the wine
the occasion. Exploration is fun and I encourage
everyone to seek out wines from all over the world.
I try to remember one thing when I am exploring
the world of wine; explore my own backyard and
try the high quality, food friendly wines of New York
State.
I work for one of the largest wine retailers and one busy Saturday morning, a customer asked for my help.
She was buying a case of wine for a party and was looking to try something new. We began picking out
wines from all over the world, but looked shocked when I suggested a wine from New York. She
sarcastically said, "If I wanted sweet grape juice, I would save the money and buy Welch's at the grocery
store." I am a professional and handle every situation with care, but curiosity got the best of me. I proceeded
to ask the customer what wines she had tried from New York. She told me she had tried a few table wines,
but had never tasted a Riesling from the Fingers Lakes or a Merlot from Long Island, two quintessential
vinifera grapes (European) that New York excels with. I was able to convince her that New York State is not
all sweet and can produce well-made vinifera wines. She bought one of my favorite Rieslings and hopefully
enjoyed it as much as I do.
I would be willing to bet that, like myself, the vast majority of locals would say that their first taste of locally
made wine was a sweet one. Maybe a Niagara, Concord, or Catawba was that first sip. Was it? It was not
long ago when the only choices for local wines at your wine shop were sweet wines that might have even
come in a jug. In fact, it was in 1951 that creator of the local favorite, Dr. Konstantin Frank, arrived in the
Finger Lakes and shortly after began growing vinifera grapes. With nearly 300 years of failure in front of
him and all the skeptics placing bets against him, Dr. Frank figured it out. It wasn't the cold weather, bad soil,
or the countless other things; it was a lack of a proper rootstock. The revolution had begun. European wines
were now being grown in the eastern United States. Dr. Frank's wines have since become a household name
among local retailers. They have won numerous awards opening the door to quality winemaking in our region.
Our local winemakers and grape growers are creative and passionate, yet humble craftsmen. I don't believe
they even give themselves the credit they deserve. Over the past few years, I have been watching the steady
growth or the New York State wine industry. Our wines are consistently winning top awards and gold medals
in competition all over the world. Reputable household institutions like Wine Spectator and Robert Parker's
Wine Advocate are rating our wines higher than ever before. Receiving 93 points from Wine and Spirits
June 2007 issue, Fox Run's 2006 Reserve Riesling became the highest rated New York State wine.
Remember this when you head off to your local wine retailer to purchase something new. Arguably some of
the best wines in the world are made in old world countries like France and Italy. They have hundreds of years
of winemaking tradition in their blood. They have fought through years of bad weather, disease, and wars to
keep their vines and craft a major part of their local life. If they didn't sip and savor their own local products,
they would have never maintained this tradition. All great wines start with local care and attention. New York
State wines are now coming into their own, and will only continue to exceed growing expectations year to year.
This is an exciting time for the New York State wine industry. In the spirit of tradition and exoration, try buying
local wines the next time you head to the store. You will be pleasantly surprised.
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