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One of the criticisms New Yorkers often hear is that we’re not supportive enough of our local wine industry. With so many top-flight restaurants in Manhattan, how come more of them don’t showcase New York wines? Yes, many will have one or two, but good luck finding the New York section of the wine list. For a while, The New York Wine and Grape Foundation even produced cards for consumers to leave behind at their favorite restaurants imploring the sommeliers to offer more New York wines.
Lately, even wine critics have come under attack by an industry that seems determined to put the blame everywhere else but on itself. Jim Trezise, the head of The New York Wine and Grape Foundation, wrote this spring in an e-mail newsletter, “Where are the 90s?” He went on to comment about Wine Spectator and ourselves here at Wine Enthusiast, “”While the tasters at these publications are certainly qualified, their ratings simply do not match the opinions of panels of expert judges who sample the wines blind at wine competitions. Why the gap? I don’t know, but it’s not new.”For a partial explanation, one need look only at the results from the 8th Annual Finger Lakes International Wine Competition, in which 2 New York Rieslings took double gold and 8 took gold, against what must be called negligible competition–no Riesling medals from Austria, France, Germany, or New Zealand, and only 3 modest wines from Australia. No wonder the New York Rieslings looked good. Against slightly tougher competition at the recent San Francisco International Wine Competition, New York Rieslings failed to win a single gold or double gold.
Our reviewers need to compare the quality they’re finding in New York Rieslings and relate them to the quality found in the top Rieslings from all around the world. Viewed in that context, New York wines–even the Rieslings–still have a long way to go. As a guy who grew up in the Finger Lakes I want the local team to do well, but our wineries have yet to show that they can regularly produce wines at the level of the world’s best. I do think some of them can compete on a value basis, but in terms of overall quality there isn’t a single New York Riesling producer at the level of such wineries as J.J. Prüm (Germany), Grosset (Australia), Bründlmeyer (Austria), or even Felton Road (New Zealand). As this is the caliber of producer we are talking about when we are talking about wineries that consistently score 90 points or more for their Rieslings, it should be no surprise that New York wines haven’t yet achieved those heights.
To blame critics for these failures is to shoot the messenger. It understates the challenges posed by climate and geography and the many positive strides the New York wine industry has made over the years. Taken as a group, New York wines are much better than they have ever been, spurred by advances in viticulture, greater winemaking expertise and increased capital investment. Senior Editor Susan Kostrzewa will be visiting the Finger Lakes later this summer and I’m sure will return with a great appreciation for the efforts of the men and women in those wineries. But only when those efforts are bottled poetry under blind-tasting conditions will the wines consistently reach 90 points and higher.
Since 1999, four NY Rieslings have scored 90 points in the magazine (listed below), and I can recall tasting a few others that I probably would have scored at that level if I had tasted them under properly controlled conditions. I’m sure that there will be many more to come.
90 Ravines 2005 Dry Riesling (Finger Lakes); $16. Editors’ Choice. (8/1/2006)
90 Silver Thread 2002 Riesling (Finger Lakes); $13. Best Buy. (8/1/2003)
90 Standing Stone 2001 Ice Riesling (Finger Lakes); $32/375 ml. (8/1/2003)
90 Pindar 1999 Ice Wine Johannisberg Riesling (Long Island); $35/375 ml. (4/1/2001)
Filed under: Critics/Competitions, New York
6 Comments
6 Responses to “Local Wines, International Critics”
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August 12th, 2008 at 8:30:09 AM
Joe, which blind tastings do you feel are the most significant to the WE reviewers and other critics? Is the San Francisco International Wine Competition among the most well-respected in your eyes? You didn’t mention the Indy International Wine Competition and the many medals won by NY wineries there including Best White Wine for Penguin Bay’s 2007 Gewürztraminer, so I’m trying to get a better understanding of your standards. Thanks!
August 12th, 2008 at 11:44:17 AM
Joe, good post. You nailed it with your observation that some of these big competitions do not attract the highest caliber wines, so that a gold medal means very little. It’s also important to keep in mind that the big competitions consist of many judges and the eventual scores are the results of a committee, not a single, dedicated taster with palate expertise. In my opinion, the most trustworthy critical reviews come from dedicated tasters, not panels.
August 12th, 2008 at 3:41:50 PM
Greetings Joe,
At a recent meeting of New York producers to discuss marketing strategies for the City market, the pithy observation of a City-smart rep was that all one needed for success was the best possible wine at the best possible price. Producers from around the world want access to the 100 or so top restaurant accounts. Within this context high scores (90+) mean quite a lot. But not necessarily very much about “character” nor “quality”. I am a reader of The Enthusiast, The Wine Spectator and Decanter and the contrast between the first two and the latter in terms of wine evaluation is quite marked.
The recent Riesling Rendezvous at Chateau Ste. Michelle included a tasting of two vintages of Pierre Trimbach’s Cuvee St. Emile. The 2002 and the 2004. These are compellingly fine but austere wines. Reminiscent to me of the Grosset style but less extreme. In other words, even as an experienced taster, I find some of these style of wines not very accessible. And I have judged enough competitions to have an appreciation of the range of palates and preferences that one encounters including my own.
Jeffrey Steingarten has written a wonderful book “The Man Who Ate Everything”. If memory serves he realized that his own palate was such that he needed to eat a new food about seven times before he enjoyed it. I have only tasted Grosset’s Riesling twice and I very much suspect that limits my ability to comment on the quality of that wine. By the way, how does one find a cellar with vintages with sufficient age?
I can’t help but ask the question; just how many judges have tasted Finger Lakes Rieslings over the vintages such that one can truly say that there in an informed palate at work? Curious that during private conversations at Riesling Rendezvous several name European producers independently offered the observation that they understood and acknowledged Finger Lakes Riesling for their evocation of character and place. Mind you, many of them would only have tasted wines from this region a few times.
My own vision for Finger Lakes Riesling lies less within the context of a wide spread market but as we are a collection of 102 or so small producers, more within the notion of pockets of aware enthusiasts across the US. Our challenge is two fold. One the one hand to grow grapes and ferment wines that exhibit regional specificity, and on the other, to get the word out. Viewed in this way, I am not so sure that achieving 90+ points matters as much as some of think.
Regards,
Bob Madill
Winegrower, Sheldrake Point Vineyard
August 14th, 2008 at 12:37:39 PM
It is obvious that Joe is trying to be nice to New York wines in this post, but based on the well-reasoned response by Bob Madil, it is clearly not working. As long as the magazine continues to use a ratings system that give an impression of both precision and permanance, it should come as no surprise that vintners in the state feel disrespected.
Perhaps the magazine would serve readers better by having writers attend and cover events like the Riesling Rendevous, instead of devoting so much time to blind tastings in sterile conditions. In the context of blind tastings by a single palate, NY apparently don’t stand a chance in WE mag. In the context of life, they are better than ever and very deserving of more attention. Standing Stone, Dr. Frank and Lafayette-Reynau are three Finger Lakes Rieslings that I have had for several vintages, and they are excellent!
August 26th, 2008 at 4:28:07 PM
Being a Long Islander and having gone to school in the Finger Lakes I want to see New York’s vinifera wineries succeed, especially having tasted some excellent wines in the past couple of years and seeing constant improvement from the leading wineries and some serious newcomers. I realize how distressing it is for those who have not received the glorified “90″ or above, as it doesn’t make it easy to sell wine. However, I think it is as important to focus on markets outside of New York to grow the name and prestige of New York’s wine regions as it is to make wines that receive high scores from the press. If these wines are not available in the major U.S. markets, they will never enjoy the same prestige as their counterparts from California, Oregon or Washington. The size of New York’s vinifera wine industry makes it difficult to grow, but I feel that the ever-increasing quality from Long Island and the Finger Lakes means that if they can group together and market their wines in the right manner, they will have much deserved success.
December 12th, 2008 at 12:48:49 PM
I’m with you Mike. I grew up on LI and went to school in Rochester and my sister lives there…and agree that the wines seem to be improving each year.
If you want to check out a large number of New York Wines – upstate and LI, go to the New York Wine Expo in February at the Javits center. If you buy tickets by 12/31, you can get $30 off the price of a ticket at the door. Spread the word – discount code is 09NY45.