New York Wine Classic 2023
Organized annually by the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, the New York Wine Classic celebrates a diverse selection of world-class wines from producers within the State. Judging for the 2023 competition took place from April 15th – June 15th, 2023 and included 749 entries from 108 wineries from across the state. A total of 10 Platinum, 320 Gold, 294 Silver, and 81 Bronze medals were awarded.
NYWGF has partnered again with the Beverage Testing Institute (BTI) to judge wines submitted. Scores will be awarded by BTI’s trained sensory panel comprised of beverage directors, sommeliers, top bartenders, retail buyers and educators.
Top award winners were announced live during a Virtual Awards Ceremony on July 13th. The complete list of results is linked below.
Governor’s Cup
Paumanok Vineyards 2019 Late Harvest, Sauvignon Blanc
Winery of the Year
Paumanok Vineyards Aquebogue, NY(North Fork of Long Island)
The New York Wine & Grape Foundation is proud to announce the following “Best of Category” winners:
Best White Wine
Boundary Breaks 2022 Gewurztraminer
Best Red Wine
Keuka Spring Vineyards 2021 Blaufrankisch
Best Sparkling Wine
Jason's Vineyard 2021 Bubbly Rosé
Best Pink Wine
Wölffer Estate Vineyard 2022 Estate Rosé
Best Dessert Wine
Paumanok Vineyards 2019 Late Harvest, Sauvignon Blanc
Best Specialty Wine
Middleburgh Winery 2022 Blackberry Wine
Scroll down for the list of “Best in Class” winners, and a link to download the full list of competition results.
“The New York Wine Classic is a time where New Yorkers can celebrate the wine and grape industry, and also highlight New York’s incredible, local-grown wine selections. Congratulations to Paumanok Vineyards on receiving this reputable award. The wine industry in the State of New York is a crucial part of our agricultural economy, and I am proud to be able to support local farmers and wineries here in the state.”
Governor Kathy HochulNew York State 
“We are thrilled and honored to receive both the 2023 Governor's Cup and Winery of the Year Awards from the New York Wine Classic. This recognition means a lot to us. It validates our long-time dedication to producing high quality wines. We thank the New York Wine & Grape Foundation for this honor. Above all, we thank our entire hard-working team at Paumanok Vineyards for their commitment to producing outstanding, delicious wines. We congratulate all of our colleagues for their awards.”
Kareem MassoudWinemaker, Paumanok Vineyards 
“I look forward to this event every year as it is a great celebration of our industry and the all the fantastic wines being produced across the state from our own New York terroir.”
Sam FillerExecutive Director, New York Wine & Grape Foundation 
“Congratulations to Paumanok Vineyards on winning the Governor’s Cup and Winery of the Year, as well as to all of the winners and participants of the 2023 New York Wine Classic. This esteemed competition is an annual opportunity to raise a glass to New York's diverse, innovative wine industry, which continues to set itself apart and produce some of the very best wines in the world. I thank Governor Hochul and the New York Wine & Grape Foundation for their continued support of New York’s wineries and our agricultural community that produces the ingredients used to create these outstanding varietals.”
Commissioner Richard A. BallNew York State Department of Agriculture and Markets 
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The New York Wine & Grape Foundation is proud to announce the following “Best of Class” winners:
| CLASS | WINE | SCORE |
| Best Cabernet Franc | Anyela’s Vineyards, 2015 Estate, Cabernet Franc, New York State. $21 | 96 |
| Best Cabernet Sauvignon | Osprey’s Dominion, 2019 Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, North Fork of Long Island. $45 | 96 |
| Best Chardonnay (Oaked) / Best Overall Chardonnay | Wölffer Estate Vineyard, 2020 Perle, Chardonnay, The Hamptons. $32 | 94 |
| Best Chardonnay (Unoaked) | Borghese Vineyard, 2020 Chardonnay, North Fork Of Long Island. $25 | 93 |
| Best Force Carbonation/transfer Method | Jason’s Vineyard, 2021 Bubbly Rosé, North Fork Of Long Island 1.05% rs. $30 | 96 |
| Best Fortified (port-Like) | Weis Vineyards, NV One Eighty Three Dessert Wine, Finger Lakes 11.8% rs. $39/375 ml | 97 |
| Best Fruit Wine | Middleburgh Winery, 2022 Blackberry Wine, New York State. $20 | 90 |
| Best Gewurztraminer | Boundary Breaks, 2022 Gewurztraminer, Seneca Lake 3% rs. $22 | 96 |
| Best Gruner Veltliner | Dr. Konstantin Frank, 2021 Gruner Veltliner, Finger Lakes. $18 | 91 |
| Best Iced Wine (frozen After Harvest) | Boundary Breaks, 2020 Ice Wine, Riesling, Seneca Lake 19.8% rs. $69/375 ml | 95 |
| Best Late Harvest | Paumanok Vineyards, 2019 Late Harvest, Sauvignon Blanc, North Fork Of Long Island 17% rs. $50/375 ml | 97 |
| Best Lemberger/Blaufränkisch | Keuka Spring Vineyards, 2021 Blaufrankisch, Finger Lakes. $23 | 97 |
| Best Malbec | Wölffer Estate Vineyard, 2020 Cellar Series, Malbec, Long Island. $32 | 94 |
| Best Merlot | Coffee Pot Cellars, 2015 Library Selection, Merlot, North Fork of Long Island. $37 | 95 |
| Best Other Red Vinifera Varietal | Dr. Konstantin Frank, 2020 Reserve, Saperavi, Finger Lakes. $29 | 94 |
| Best Other Vinifera White Varietal | Sheldrake Point Winery, 2022 Blanc De Noir, Gamay, Finger Lakes. $24 | 93 |
| Best Pétillant Naturel (Pét-Nat) | Toast Winery, 2022 Pétillant Naturel, White Muscat, Finger Lakes. $24 | 93 |
| Best Petit Verdot | Château LaFayette Reneau, 2018 Estate, Petit Verdot, Seneca Lake. $29 | 95 |
| Best Pinot Gris | Sannino Vineyard, 2022 Single Vineyard, Pinot Grigio, North Fork Of Long Island. $30 | 90 |
| Best Pinot Noir | Wölffer Estate Vineyard, 2019 Landius, Pinot Noir, Long Island. $50 | 93 |
| Best Red Blend (Vinifera & Non-Vinifera) | Knapp Winery, NV Pasta Red Reserve, Finger Lakes 2.05% rs. $15 | 92 |
| Best Red Blend (Vinifera) | Osprey’s Dominion, 2015 Flight Meritage Red Blend, North Fork of Long Island. $35 | 95 |
| Best Riesling (Dry) / Best Overall Riesling | Anthony Road, 2017 Art Series, Riesling, Finger Lakes. $29 | 95 |
| Best Riesling (Medium Dry) | Sheldrake Point Winery, 2021 Estate, Riesling, Finger Lakes 1.05% rs. $18 | 92 |
| Best Riesling (Medium Sweet) | Dr. Konstantin Frank, 2021 Reserve Medium Sweet, Riesling, Finger Lakes 4.05% rs. $24 | 94 |
| Best Riesling (Sweet) | Weis Vineyards, 2021 Winzer Select A, Riesling, Finger Lakes 6.2% rs. $26 | 94 |
| Best Rosé | Wölffer Estate Vineyard, 2022 Estate Rosé, Long Island. $19 | 93 |
| Best Sauvignon Blanc | One Woman, 2019 Sauvignon Blanc, North Fork Of Long Island. $25 | 93 |
| Best Syrah | Château LaFayette Reneau, 2018 Estate, Syrah, Seneca Lake. $22 | 94 |
| Best Traditional Method | Sparkling Pointe, 2018 Méthode Champenoise Blanc De Blanc, North Fork Of Long Island 4.05% rs. $48 | 95 |
| Best Traminette | CuKi Fine Wines, 2016 Serenity, Traminette, Finger Lakes. $23 | 91 |
| Best White Blend (Vinifera) | Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards, NV Schooner White Blend, Finger Lakes. $14 | 91 |
Competition Rules
The competition is open to any wine produced in and bearing an approved New York AVA as established by the TTB.
A complete listing of New York AVAs can be found here: https://www.ttb.gov/wine/established-avas#New-York
- Finger Lakes/Cayuga/Seneca
- Hudson River/Upper Hudson River
- Lake Champlain
- Lake Erie
- Long Island/North Fork/Hamptons
- New York/New York State
- Niagara Escarpment OR a New York County
The competition is also open to specialty wines (non-grape wines) and mead produced in New York State.
Non-grape wines and mead will have their own award and are not eligible for the Governor’s Cup round.
- All entries must be commercially available in New York state at the time of entry
- All bottles must have a government-approved label attached
- Varietal wines must contain 75% of the labeled grape variety, otherwise it must be entered as a blend
- In order to be eligible for the Winery of the Year Award, a winery must enter seven (7) or more grape wines
- There will only be a Best of Class winner for a given class if there are 7 or more entries in the class and at least one entry achieves a gold medal.
The entry deadline is April 1st. The deadline for samples is April 15th.
FAQs
BTI’s Points-to-Medals conversion scale:
- 96-100 – Superlative (Platinum Medal)
- 90-95 – Exceptional (Gold Medal)
- 85-89 – Highly Recommended (Silver Medal)
- 80-84 – Recommended (Bronze Medal)
- 79/NR – Not Recommended (No Medal)
For this engagement, BTI’s Platinum medal would be equivalent to a Double Gold medal.
You can read more about BTI’s methodology and judging panel at: https://bevtest.com/lab/
Ship Two (2) 750 ml bottles or equivalent to:
The Lab
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4849 North Milwaukee Avenue
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Chicago, IL 60630
Provide shipper with our phone 773-930-4080 and email reviews@bevtest.com
Our facility is temperature-controlled, you may ship as early as you like. Bottles will be appropriately stored and cared for based on style.
Top award winners will be announced live during the 2023 Classic Virtual Awards Ceremony (date TBA). The complete list of individual wine results will be released following the event and published on our website.
Still have questions?
If you are a winery with questions regarding submissions reach out to BTI’s Client Marketing Manager, Matthew Richardson, via e-mail matthew@bevtest.com or call 773-930-4080.
If you have any questions regarding this year’s competition, reach out to Jennifer Cooper, Membership & Events Manager at: jennifercooper@nywgf.org or call 315-924-3700.