Each year, the New York Wine & Grape Foundation organizes the New York Wine Classic, a competition that celebrates a diverse selection of world-class wines from producers within the State. Wines entered are sent to the Beverage Tasting Institute, and its sensory panel—comprised of beverage directors, sommeliers, top bartenders, retail buyers, and educators—scores each wine.
The top scorers in the various categories deservedly earn bragging rights to say they were winners in their category. In the 2024 New York Wine Classic, some of the wineries earned double bragging rights—winning two Best in Category Awards—including Wölffer Estate Vineyard and Harbes Vineyard.
Harbes Vineyard’s Attention to Detail Pays Off
Located in Mattituck on Long Island, Harbes Vineyard was North Fork’s first certified sustainable vineyard, earning that certification through the Long Island Sustainable Wine Growing program.
“Our vintages come from what was a 5-acre vineyard until a few years ago,” says Jillian Andersen, vice president of operations for Harbes. ”It’s a small, carefully managed vineyard where we prioritize attention to detail. We hand-pick our grapes during harvest, and our commitment to both the quality of the fruit and the final product is what sets our wines apart.”
In the 2024 New York Wine Classic that attention to detail certainly set two of its wines apart. Harbes was awarded Best Ice Wine for its 2010 Proprietor’s Reserve Chardonnay Ice Wine with a score of 96 points, garnering a Platinum Medal. It also took Best Merlot for its 2014 Proprietor’s Reserve Merlot with a score of 94 points, earning a Gold Medal.
Harbes got some help from Mother Nature, too. Anderson says the growing conditions from both the 2010 vintage and the 2014 vintage were “especially favorable.”
“The 2010 vintage in particular was a banner year across the industry with beautiful weather that extended into the early fall with limited precipitation. In particular, we were able to really extend the hang time on the chardonnay to get as much flavor as possible that we captured with our ice wine,” she says.
The winery was able to make 115 cases of that now-Platinum award-winning wine, which sell for a retail price of $35 a bottle. The Gold Medal-winning 2014 Merlot also sells for $35. That 10-year-old vintage is the current Merlot release at Harbes.
Anderson also credits the sustainable practices—such as reducing chemical inputs, enhancing biodiversity, and managing water resources efficiently—in the vineyards for the quality of Harbes’ wine.
“Healthier vines produce grapes with more concentrated flavors and complexity, which directly influences the depth and character of the wine,” she says. “By taking care of our environment, we’re also ensuring that every vintage reflects the best of our vineyard’s terroir, making our wines stand out in competitions like the NY Wine Classic.”
Winning the “Best in” categories in the competition offers Harbes an exceptional platform to promote its wines and the medals reinforce the quality and craftsmanship behind its wines.
“We’re always proud when our dedication is acknowledged through awards at the NY Wine Classic. While the recognition doesn’t always lead to immediate impact, it’s deeply gratifying when it does, highlighting the quality of our work,” says Anderson.
Wölffer Helps “Ring the Bell” for New York Wines
“We’re quite proud of our Pinot Noir program,” says Roman Roth, winemaker at Wölffer Estate on the South Fork of Long Island. “My ‘94, ‘95, ‘97, they still are in fabulous shape when we open one of them every now and then.”
The key to making rich, intense Pinot Noir in the region is keeping disease pressure as low as possible from the start of the growing season, he believes. A lot of hand labor goes into the winery’s Pinot Noir—including ensuring there’s no extra canopy growth—because growing it is tricky in Long Island’s humidity.
In 2020, the hand labor that went into the Christian’s Cuvee Pinot Noir, $125 a bottle, did the job it was supposed to do. The vintage took home the best Pinot Noir in the 2024 New York Classic, with a score of 91 points, earning a Gold Medal.
He describes the 2020 as an outgoing wine yet classic, rich, and fruit-driven with lovely depth and texture, making it special. It will age, he believes for 25 or 30 years. Despite having great success with Pinot Noir, Roth says he “wouldn’t want to build my whole business on it.” In the past 12 or 13 years, there have been three vintages where this Pinot Noir hasn’t been made.
Roth sees it as a blessing that Long Island can do so many varieties really well.
“Because of the sun intensity that we have, because of the cool sea breeze that we have, we can make these elegant vibrant white wines, and we can make fabulous red wines,” he says.
One of those fabulous white wines is Wölffer’s Antonov Sauvignon Blanc. The 2022 vintage earned a score of 94 points, earning a Gold Medal in the 2024 New York Wine Classic.
Wölffer’s first Sauvignon Blanc vintage was in 2018. The winery produced just 238 cases. It now produces 1,300 cases a year.
“Sauvignon Blanc is a fantastic variety for Long Island,” Roth says.
The sun exposure on Long Island and the long hang time for the grapes (because it’s the last area in New York state to get a frost) create a unique combination of freshness and ripeness in the Sauvignon Blanc.
“It’s very special, food-friendly, pleasing,” says Roth. The wine, which spends five and a half months on the lees, does well in the restaurants that choose to support New York wines, too, and wine club members “gobble it up.”
Last year, the Robb Report named it one of the Best Sauvignon Blancs in the world, in the same list with Chateau Margaux’s $500 bottle, according to Roth. (You could buy 15 bottles of the Antonov for that.)
“It’s a fabulous value and stands up to some of the greatest wines in the world,” says Roth, “I’m pretty proud of this wine.”
He’s glad Wölffer’s wins can help “ring the bell for New York wines.”
“It doesn’t matter if I win or anyone else wins the best of show,” says Roth. “I really don’t care. As long as somebody can bring attention to New York wines.”
Then he adds, “Of course I’m competitive. I want to win. But if I don’t, it makes no difference. Whoever wins, hallelujah, it’s great for New York.”
