News – New York Wines

Fulkerson Winery Wins ‘Best Pink Wine’ in New York Wine Classic

Kathleen Willcox and Robin Shreeves September 3, 2024

With more and more wine lovers eager to think and drink pink, Fulkerson Winery has had a lot to celebrate since first launching its line of Syrah Rosé. That the wine was even released, never mind won ‘Best Pink Wine’ is a coup in and of itself, its sixth-generation owner and operator admits. “I was very reluctant to use Syrah for rosé because it’s such a rare grape in the Finger Lakes, and it felt

A Look at the State of Hybrid Grapes—and Selling Wines Made from Them—in New York

Kathleen Willcox, Robin Shreeves, and Dan Belmont August 30, 2024

In the ever-evolving world of wine and grape production, research plays a crucial role in advancing knowledge, improving practices, and ensuring the sustainability of the industry. NYWGF’s commitment to research is evident in its annual research budget, which typically ranges between $350,000 to $600,000. The NYWGF Board of Directors is proud to share the results of 2023-24 funded research projects through individual reports, articles, and a series of webinars in 2024-25. Featured in this article

In a Region That’s ‘Built for Sparkling,’ Damiani’s 2017 Brut Comes Out on Top in the 2024 New York Wine Classic

Robin Shreeves and Kathleen Willcox August 20, 2024

“Only the unimaginative can fail to find a reason for drinking Champagne,” playwright and poet Oscar Wilde is quoted as saying, and he’s not wrong—but we’d go even further. There is never a wrong time to sip a well-made sparkling wine. It goes with every meal, every celebration, every moment alone sitting on your front porch. New York wine producers technically can’t make Champagne. That honorific can be given only to bubbly made in the

The Pioneering Dr. Konstantin Frank Wins Best White for Reserve Riesling

Kathleen Willcox and Robin Shreeves August 13, 2024

It seems fitting that the winery that launched a vinifera revolution in the Finger Lakes and reinvigorated wine lovers’ passion for Riesling snagged Best White for its 2022 Reserve Riesling in this year’s New York Wine Classic. “My great-grandfather was a researcher and scientist, and his approach is foundational to what we do here today,” says Meaghan Frank, who joined her family’s winery, Dr. Konstantin Frank, 11 years ago and manages the day-to-day operations alongside

From a Perfect Vintage, Raphael Wine’s 2019 Reserve Cabernet Franc Wins Best Red in the 2024 New York Wine Classic

Kathleen Willcox and Robin Shreeves August 6, 2024

In the U.S. no regulation stipulates what can be labeled as a reserve wine. But a winery that’s focused on quality and authenticity will bottle a reserve wine only when it’s truly warranted. “It’s not every year we can do the reserve wines, but when the vintage is spectacular we will,” says Julia Petrocelli-Vergari, owner-operator of Raphael Wine in Peconic. “The 2019 vintage was perfect. The stars were aligned. I believe it was one of

How Scientists Are Helping Grape Growers Combat Pests and Pestilence

Kathleen Willcox and Robin Shreeves August 2, 2024

Growing grapes isn’t for the faint of heart. A delicate crop utterly dependent on the whims of Mother Nature, the challenges have always been significant, but in recent years amid climate change, the situation has felt, at times, existential. This past year’s harvest was summarized in Cornell’s documentary-style newsletter Veraison to Harvest 2023 thusly: “Spring was early, fall was late and summer was difficult.” It continued: “The abrupt changes in weather patterns, crop estimates, and

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