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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 this year’s competition was conducted over a 4-month period, from November 1, 2020 – February 15, 2021 and included 607 entries from 96 wineries from across the state.
New this year, NYWGF partnered with the Beverage Testing Institute (BTI) to judge wines submitted from across New York state. A total of 1 Platinum, 138 Gold, 355 Silver, and 104 Bronze medals were awarded by BTI’s trained sensory panel comprised of beverage directors, sommeliers, top bartenders, retail buyers and educators.
The Governor’s Cup, a large silver chalice, recognizes the “Best of Show” or top prize of all entries in the New York Wine Classic. This year, the Governor’s Cup was presented to Pindar Vineyards for its 2019 Dr. Dan’s Signature Collection, Gewurztraminer from the Long Island region. In addition, Paumanok Vineyards from Long Island was presented with the ‘Winery of the Year’ award, for the best overall showing based on the level and number of awards in relation to entries.
In addition to winning the Governor’s Cup, Pindar Vineyards, based in Peconic, also received the only Platinum Medal of the competition for Best White Wine. Pindar Vineyards was founded by Dr. Herodotus “Dan” Damianos – a pioneer that helped create the winemaking industry on Long Island in the early 1980’s—and continues today to be a family-run operation. Pindar produces over 70,000 cases of wine a year, making them the largest vineyard on Long Island.
Paumanok Vineyards, located in Aquebogue, also took home from the New York Wine Classic Gold Medals in Best Vinifera Red Blend; Best Traditional Method Sparkling Wine and Best Sauvignon Blanc. Paumanok’s 127-acre estate is owned and managed by Ursula and Charles Massoud, and their three sons. At Paumanok, premium vinifera grapevines are planted, consisting of Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The traditional dense planting of the vineyards at 1100 to 1400 vines per acre produces more concentrated fruit and therefore higher quality wines.
Pindar Vineyards Dr. Dan’s Signature Collection Gewurztraminer 2019
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:
Pindar Vineyards Dr. Dan’s Signature Collection Gewurztraminer 2019
Paumanok Vineyards Blanc de Blancs 2016
Paumanok Vineyards Assemblage 2015
Ryan William Vineyard Pinot Noir Rosé 2019
Boundary Breaks Riesling Ice Wine
Scroll down for the list of “Best in Class” winners, and a link to download the full list of competition results.
"Congratulations to Pindar Vineyards for not only coming in first, but for showcasing why New York State is a premier wine destination. Thanks to our strategic investments, New York’s wine industry has seen unprecedented growth over these past few years, and as we reopen our state, wine enthusiasts can enjoy this unique part of the New York experience all across the state."
"As a New York Corporation founded in Ithaca in 1981, Beverage Testing Institute has deep roots with the great state of New York and its wines. Over the last few months we have been privileged to deepen those connections through our partnership with the New York Wine & Grape Foundation and our execution of the 2021 New York Wine Classic. It's difficult to describe the excitement and fulfillment of being a contributing part of this year's Classic. We're proud to have been able to implement processes that are compliant with best practices for labs operating in the COVID-19 era and combine them with our industry-leading methodology to offer a safe evaluation and marketing option for New York's wineries."
The New York Wine & Grape Foundation is proud to announce the following “Best of Class” winners:
| Best Cabernet Franc | Lamoreaux Landing 2019 T23 Unoaked, Cabernet Franc, Finger Lakes. |
| Best Ice Wine (frozen on the vine) | Boundary Breaks 2019 Ice Wine, Riesling, Finger Lakes. |
| Best Lemberger/Blaufränkisch | Adirondack Winery 2018 Stargazer, Lemberger, New York State. |
| Best Merlot | Goose Watch 2015 Merlot, Finger Lakes. |
| Best Pétillant Naturel (Pét-Nat) | Fossenvue Winery 2018 Eighteen Forty-Eight Pétillant Naturel, Diamond, Finger Lakes. |
| Best Riesling (Medium Dry) | Rooftop Reds 2017 Riesling, New York State. |
| Best Riesling (Medium Sweet) | Wagner Vineyards 2019 Select, Riesling, Finger Lakes. |
| Best Riesling (Sweet) | Penguin Bay 2019 Sweet, Riesling, Finger Lakes. |
| Best Cabernet Sauvignon | Brotherhood 2017 New York Premium Selection, Cabernet Sauvignon, New York State. |
| Best Chardonnay (Oaked) | Millbrook 2019 Proprietor’s Special Reserve, Chardonnay, Hudson River Region. |
| Best Force Carbonation/Transfer Method | Stony Lonesome 2019 Sec, Chardonnay, Finger Lakes. |
| Best Gewurztraminer | Pindar Vineyards 2019 Dr. Dan’s Signature Collection, Gewurztraminer, North Fork of Long Island. |
| Best Gruner Veltliner | Dr. Konstantin Frank 2019 Gruner Veltliner, Finger Lakes. |
| Best Other Red Hybrid Varietal | Northern Cross Vineyard 2018 Estate, Frontenac, Upper Hudson. |
| Best Other Red Vinifera Varietal | Dr. Konstantin Frank 2018 Saperavi, Finger Lakes. |
| Best Pinot Gris | Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards 2019 Pinot Gris, Finger Lakes. |
| Best Pinot Noir | McCall Wines 2014 Reserve Corchaug Estate, Pinot Noir, North Fork of Long Island. |
| Best Red Blend (Vinifera & Non-Vinifera) | Atwater 2019 Stone Bridge Red Blend, Finger Lakes. |
| Best Red Blend (Vinifera) | Paumanok 2015 Assemblage Red Blend, North Fork of Long Island. |
| Best Riesling (Dry) | Anthony Road 2019 Dry, Riesling, Finger Lakes. |
| Best Rosé (0 to 2% RS) | Ryan William Vineyard 2019 Rosé, Pinot Noir, Seneca Lake. |
| Best Sauvignon Blanc | Paumanok 2019 Sauvignon Blanc, North Fork of Long Island. |
| Best Traditional Method | Paumanok 2016 Blanc De Blancs, Chardonnay, North Fork of Long Island. |
| Best Traminette | Johnson Estate 2018 Estate Grown, Traminette, Lake Erie. |
| Best White Blend (Vinifera) | Pindar Vineyards 2019 Dr. Dan’s Signature Collection White Blend, North Fork of Long Island. |
WHITE
PINK
SPARKLING
RED
DESSERT
SPECIALTY
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
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.
Enter online through the Beverage Testing Institute Client Portal HERE.
There are two entry options that provide different levels of promotional tools and deliverables detailed here. Both options are for the same competition, the New York Wine Classic.
NOTE: No paper entry forms will be accepted. You MUST enter online, directly through BTI in order for your wines to be judged in this years competition.
*NYWGF MEMBERS: Please contact Jennifer Cooper at jennifercooper@nywgf.org to obtain your code to receive a discount of $10 per entry.
**Be sure to click the 2021 SCHEDULE under the US Wine Review Schedule tab when you’re entering. The link for the Classic can be found in the January 1st block (please see below).
Ship Two (2) 750 ml bottles or equivalent to:
The Lab
OK Imports, LLC
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Chicago, IL 60630 USA
P: 773-930-4080
Please note: To comply with shipping regulations and to avoid a fine, you must include ASR (Adult Signature Required) in the reference field of your airway bill and affix an ASR sticker to the outside of your package.
Shipping info, FAQs and other handy info can be found here: https://bevtest.com/services/reviews/resources/#shipping
BTI’s Points-to-Medals conversion scale:
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/
Entries are accepted and progressively reviewed starting November 1st, 2020 through January 31, 2021 with three submission deadlines on the first of every month. Individual wine results will be distributed directly to the wineries 45 days after the submission deadline.
| Enter by: | November 1st | December 1st | January 1st |
| Results Received: | December 15th | January 15th | February 15th |
Still have questions?
If you have any questions regarding submissions reach out to BTI’s Client Marketing Manager via e-mail Diana@bevtest.com or call 773-930-4080.
If you have any questions regarding your membership status with the Foundation, or how this year’s competition is different from year’s past, reach out to Jennifer Cooper, Membership & Events Manager at: jennifercooper@nywgf.org or call 315-924-3706.
The New York Wine Classic is a program of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation.
The mission of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation is to promote the world-class image of New York grapes and wines from our diverse regions to responsibly benefit farmers, producers and consumers through innovative marketing, research, communication, and advocacy.
One Keuka Business Park, Suite 208, Penn Yan, New York 14527 | (315) 924-3700 | info@newyorkwines.org
The 2024 New York Vineyard Report provides detailed information on bearing acreage, grape varieties by AVA and region, as well as classifications by origin (vinifera, American, hybrid) and color.
