2007 New York Wine & Food Classic Results from Napa CA

Written and sent by Jim Tresize:
At the 2007 New York Wine & Food Classic in Napa Valley…



Thirsty Owl Wine Company wins “Governor’s Cup”



Red Barn Winery rated “Winery of the Year”



NAPA, CALIFORNIA, AUGUST 8—Thirsty Owl Wine Company of the Finger Lakes Region won the coveted “Governor’s Cup” trophy at the 2007 New York Wine & Food Classic competition, held on August 7 & 8 at Copia—The American Center for Wine, Food & The Arts in Napa, Ca. The “Winery of the Year” award went to Red Barn Winery in Central New York.



The elegant Governor’s Cup, a large silver chalice, recognizes the “Best of Show” or top prize of all 790 entries in the Classic, known as “The Oscars” of New York wine. The “Winery of the Year” award is presented to the winery with the best overall showing based on the level and number of awards in relation to entries.



“We are deeply grateful to Peter Marks and his colleagues at Copia for again hosting our competition,” said Jim Trezise, President of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation which sponsors the all-New York event. “Copia truly is the AMERICAN Center for Wine, Food & The Arts, and while being based in Napa is clearly committed to the entire American wine industry.” The Classic was also held at Copia in 2003, before direct interstate shipment legislation allowed the sale of most New York wines in California.



This year’s competition included 790 New York wines from Long Island, the Hudson Valley, the Finger Lakes, Niagara Escarpment, Lake Erie, and other regions of New York State. The 2006 Dry Riesling was also voted Best White Wine, and Best Dry Riesling on its way to the ultimate award. Red Barn Winery received 1 Double Gold, 2 Gold, 1 Silver, and 2 Bronze awards on its way to that honor.



The top awards were announced at a special “Governor’s Cup Celebration Luncheon” at Julia’s Kitchen in Copia, named after the legendary “French Chef” Julia Child. Executive Chef Jeff Mosher used last year’s top winning Classic New York wines to create a special “East Meets West” luncheon featuring all Napa Valley ingredients. Exceptions were New York’s Mercers Dairy Wine Ice Cream and McCadam cheese, which recently won “Best American Cheese” at a national cheese competition held in Wisconsin.



The awards were based on blind tastings by 24 expert judges—10 from California, 6 from New York, 6 from other states, and 2 from other countries. Judges included prominent wine writers, restaurateurs, retailers, and wine educators. Four-judge panels determined the initial awards, with top-scoring wines evaluated by all 24 judges for Best of Category and Governor’s Cup awards.



“We maintain that many New York wines are now world-class in quality,” said Trezise. “The fact that we held this New York-only competition in Napa, and have three-fourths of all judges from places other than New York, confirms our confidence in that belief. These are all very qualified judges, so we let the wines speak for themselves.”



Celebrating its 22nd year, the Classic is organized by Teresa Knapp of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, and is open to all 239 New York wineries from all regions. In 2007, a total of 29 Double Gold, 50 Gold, 231 Silver, and 203 Bronze medals were awarded. In addition, “Best of Category” and “Best of Class” designations were awarded to wines rated as the finest in various areas. Double Gold medals require unanimity among a panel’s judges that a wine deserves a Gold medal, whereas Gold medals require a majority vote.



The “Best of Category” awards, all eligible for the Governor’s Cup, went to Swedish Hill Vineyards NV Spumante Blush for Best Sparkling wine, Thirsty Owl Wine Company 2006 Dry Riesling for Best White wine, Barrington Cellars 2006 Buzzard’s Blush for Best Blush wine, Pindar Vineyards 2005 Cabernet Franc for Best Red wine, Red Barn Winery 2006 Raspberry for Specialty wine, and Mazza Chautauqua Cellars 2005 Ice Wine of Vidal Blanc for Best Dessert wine.



The “Best of Class” awards for different varietals or proprietary blends, which were tasted off for “Best of Category” awards, went to Osprey’s Dominion Vineyards 2002 Rose de Noir for Best Vinifera Sparkling Wine, Swedish Hill Vineyards NV Spumante Blush wine for Best Other Sparkling wine, Thirsty Owl Wine Company 2006 Dry Riesling for Best Dry Riesling wine, Rivendell Winery 2006 Soho Cellars Johannisberg Riesling for Best Semi-Dry Riesling wine, Peconic Bay Winery 2005 La Barrique Chardonnay for Best Oaked Chardonnay wine, Cayuga Ridge Estate Winery 2006 Chardonnay for Best Unoaked Chardonnay wine, Hunt Country Vineyards 2006 Pinot Gris for Best Pinot Gris wine, Glenora Wine Cellars 2006 Pinot Blanc for Best Pinot Blanc wine, Standing Stone Vineyards 2006 Gewürztraminer for Best Gewürztraminer wine, Bloomer Creek Vineyards 2006 Reserve White for Best Hybrid White Blend wine, Anthony Road Wine Company 2006 Vignoles for Best Vignoles wine, Long Point Winery 2006 Vidal Blanc for Best Vidal Blanc wine, McGregor Vineyard Winery 2006 Cayuga White for Best Cayuga White wine, Penguin Bay Winery 2006 Valvin Muscat for Best Other White wine, Barrington Cellars 2006 Buzzard’s Blush for Best Other Blush wine, Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards Cabin Fever for Best Catawba wine, Six Mile Creek Vineyard 2005 Pinot Noir for Best Pinot Noir wine, Pindar Vineyards 2005 Cabernet Franc for Best Cabernet Franc wine, Bedell Cellars 2005 Merlot for Best Merlot wine, Osprey’s Dominion Vineyards 2002 Flight Meritage for Best Vinifera Red Blend wine, Fox Run Vineyards NV Fox Trot Red for Best Native Red Blend wine, Swedish Hill Vineyards 2005 Late Harvest Vignoles for Best Late Harvest wine, Mazza Chautauqua Cellars 2005 Ice Wine of Vidal Blanc for Best Ice Wine, Red Barn Winery 2005 Pauley’s Port for Best Port wine, Torrey Ridge Scarlet Red for Best Mead wine, and Red Barn Winery 2006 Raspberry wine for Best Fruit wine.



Complete results of the 2007 Classic will soon be posted under “New York Gold” at http://www.newyorkwines.org, which also includes Gold medal New York wines from other major competitions.



Media Contact: Jim Trezise, 585-394-3620, ext. 203





2007 New York Wine & Food Classic

COPIA: The American Center for Wine, Food & the Arts
Napa, CA

August 7 & 8, 2007





Governor’s Cup

Thirsty Owl Wine Company 2006 Dry Riesling





Winery of the Year

Red Barn Winery





Best Sparkling Wine

Swedish Hill Vineyards NV Spumante Blush



Best White Wine

Thirsty Owl Wine Company 2006 Dry Riesling



Best Blush Wine

Barrington Cellars 2006 Buzzard’s Blush



Best Red Wine

Pindar Vineyards 2005 Cabernet Franc



Best Dessert Wine

Mazza Chautauqua Cellars 2005 Ice Wine of Vidal Blanc



Best Specialty Wine

Red Barn Winery 2006 Raspberry Wine





Best of Class



Best Vinifera Sparkling

Osprey’s Dominion Vineyards 2002 Rose de Noir



Best Other Sparkling

Swedish Hill Vineyards NV Spumante Blush



Best Dry Riesling

Thirsty Owl Wine Company 2006 Dry Riesling



Best Semi-Dry Riesling

Rivendell Winery 2006 Soho Cellars Johannisberg Riesling



Best Oaked Chardonnay

Peconic Bay Winery 2005 La Barrique Chardonnay



Best Unoaked Chardonnay

Cayuga Ridge Estate Winery 2006 Chardonnay



Best Pinot Gris

Hunt Country Vineyards 2006 Pinot Gris



Best Pinot Blanc

Glenora Wine Cellars 2006 Pinot Blanc



Best Gewürztraminer

Standing Stone Vineyard 2006 Gewürztraminer



Best Hybrid White Blend

Bloomer Creek Vineyards 2006 Reserve White



Best Vignoles

Anthony Road Wine Company 2006 Vignoles

Best Vidal Blanc

Long Point Winery 2006 Vidal Blanc



Best Cayuga White

McGregor Vineyard Winery 2006 Cayuga White



Best Other White

Penguin Bay Winery 2006 Valvin Muscat



Best Other Blush

Barrington Cellars 2006 Buzzard’s Blush



Best Catawba

Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards Cabin Fever



Best Pinot Noir

Six Mile Creek Vineyard 2005 Pinot Noir



Best Cabernet Franc

Pindar Vineyards 2005 Cabernet Franc



Best Merlot

Bedell Cellars 2005 Merlot



Best Vinifera Red Blend

Osprey’s Dominion Vineyards 2002 Flight Meritage



Best Native Red Blend

Fox Run Vineyards NV Fox Trot Red



Best Late Harvest

Swedish Hill Vineyards 2005 Late Harvest Vignoles





Best Ice Wine

Mazza Chautauqua Cellars 2005 Ice Wine of Vidal Blanc



Best Port

Red Barn Winery 2005 Pauley’s Port



Best Mead

Torrey Ridge Scarlet Red



Best Fruit Wine

Red Barn Winery 2006 Raspberry Wine







Written ans

[James Roscoe]

Ed, have you tried the Thirsty Owl Dry Riesling? How does it compare to the Dr. Frank's model? That Riesling has been great!

James, I have not tried it. I hope to acquire some and try it. I'm excited because if it even comes close to the other '06 Finger Lake Rieslings that I've tried it will be awesome.
Ed

I noticed a lot of the "Old Guard" producers missing from the awards list. I wonder what that means.

Thomas,
At http://www.newyorkwines.org/informationstation/hottopics/topic.asp?BlurbID=976
You will find a complete list, plenty of the old guard amoung the gold, silver and double golds. I will admit though that many of the top winners flew in under my radar, nice to know that the industry is growing fast enough that that happened.

Ed, have you tried the Thirsty Owl Dry Riesling? How does it compare to the Dr. Frank's model? That Riesling has been great!

I tried it this evening. I'm in Canandaigua for the weekend. I have a brother who tries the Governor's Cup wine every year, and he's also in town with his family. We opened a bottle of the 2006 Thirsty Owl Riesling with dinner tonight.

The nose shows lemon/lime, lime rind, and an herbal note. The palate has crisp acidity that gives the wine a nice liveliness, along with lemon and citrus rind flavors. It reminds me of Treleaven's Riesling, particularly the herbal note. The Thirsty Owl is a bit weightier, though. I enjoyed it a lot, though I wouldn't rank it above some of the other 2006 FL Rieslings I've tried. My brother says that he paid $12 for the bottle, so it's excellent QPR.

Ed, have you tried the Thirsty Owl Dry Riesling? How does it compare to the Dr. Frank's model? That Riesling has been great!

I tried it this evening. I'm in Canandaigua for the weekend. I have a brother who tries the Governor's Cup wine every year, and he's also in town with his family. We opened a bottle of the 2006 Thirsty Owl Riesling with dinner tonight.

The nose shows lemon/lime, lime rind, and an herbal note. The palate has crisp acidity that gives the wine a nice liveliness, along with lemon and citrus rind flavors. It reminds me of Treleaven's Riesling, particularly the herbal note. The Thirsty Owl is a bit weightier, though. I enjoyed it a lot, though I wouldn't rank it above some of the other 2006 FL Rieslings I've tried. My brother says that he paid $12 for the bottle, so it's excellent QPR.

Can't believe anything you say, Steve. You are simply a Finger Lakes admirer.

(Just trying to keep Thirsty Owl from raising its price...)

The price of Thirsty Owl Riesling at the winery on Friday was $14 with a 3 bottle limit. Earleir in the day I had stopped at Northside in Ithaca where it was $11.99, but sold out.

Although I haven't tried the Thirsty Owl Riesling yet, I have had the Hunt Country Pinot Gris which won in that varietal category. It is excellent. A chewy Pinot Gris, unlike those I've ever had from Alsace or Italy. If Pinot Gris like this can be produced consistently in the Finger Lakes it would make a fine addition to the Rieslings.

Thomas - didn't my comment about other 2006 Finger Lakes Rieslings that I like as well suggest that I was trying to prevent a run on the Thirsty Owl?

As for Dan's note on the Hunt Country Pinot Gris, Anthony Road usually makes a nice one (the 2005 was excellent in late 2006, seven or so months after it was released, and I liked the 2006 - tasted shortly after release - enough to buy a bottle). I also purchased a bottle of the 2006 Dr. Frank Pinot Gris after tasting it last May. Haven't tasted the Hunt Country PG, so I don't know if these are in a similar style.

...and I've had past versions of Sheldrake Point Pinot Gris that I liked a lot. The variety has a place here, and why shouldn't it?

...and I've had past versions of Sheldrake Point Pinot Gris that I liked a lot. The variety has a place here, and why shouldn't it?

Dan, that price story of the Thirsty Owl Riesling is one reason I am beginning to despise wine competitions and ratings. Rather than do what they are intended to do--promote the wine region or wineries--they instead swell the heads of the winners...if not their bank accounts. Plus, they make a lot of people who normally are too fearful to try a wine on their own run out to buy the latest Double Gold or Governor's Cup so that those who have been buying the wine can't find it anymore or when they do, they have to pay more for it.

....Dan, that price story of the Thirsty Owl Riesling is one reason I am beginning to despise wine competitions and ratings. Rather than do what they are intended to do--promote the wine region or wineries--they instead swell the heads of the winners...if not their bank accounts.......

Amen. I used to purchase the Heron Hill Ingle Vineyard Riesling every year - until they won some sort of award and jacked the price way up. Nice way to treat customers that stuck by you before you had a big fancy building....

Pinot Gris isn't my favorite Alsace type grape, but the FL versions are coming along nicely. Must try the Hunt Country. Now we need to get someone to attempt a nice dry muscat....