I spent a week last month on an intensive wine tour of New York's Finger Lakes wine region and was very impressed with what I saw and tasted.
I knew that NY state is the third largest producer in the USA after California and -- I thought Oregon -- but I've just got the figures and it surprised me.
New York represents just 2% of U.S. grape production, behind California (90%) and Washington (5%), with the other 47 states accounting for the remaining 3%.
And in NY two-thirds of the crop is Concord. Much of NY grapes go to products other than wine, e.g. Welches grape juices and grape jellies, flavourings etc.
Helps explain why NY wines have a such a small presence on wine lists even in NY state.
GRAPE CROP this year is estimated at 170,000 tons, or 28% higher than last year but near the long-term average for the state. The 2009 Concord crop, representing about two-thirds of the total harvest, was unusually small due to unfavorable weather patterns, though this year the Chautauqua-Lake Erie grape belt has had great weather.
New York’s other grape regions have enjoyed excellent weather as well, and harvesting will begin from one to three weeks ahead of the normal schedule, reducing the risk of a severe fall frost prematurely ending the harvest. Going into the harvest season, potential quality is looking excellent, but weather patterns during the next two months will ultimately determine that.
quotes and figures from The New York Wine & Grape Foundation