Cabernet Franc flourishes in the cool climate of four of New York’s AVAs, and has rightfully risen to fame as a stand-alone varietal in recent years. Lively moderator Kevin Zraly, wine educator and author, will lead a roundtable discussion with outstanding Cabernet Franc producers from Seneca Lake, Long Island, Hudson Valley and the Finger Lakes and debate what it takes to produce a wine that has claimed the title of
I’ve always liked rocks. As a child growing up on Long Island, I had a rock “garden” in the backyard, and trips to the mall were highlighted by a visit to the store Natural Wonders where I’d spend my pocket money on a new gem stone for my collection that was kept in a secret hiding spot in my bedroom. When Fluorite came home with me? Big day. I remember being a very self satisfied eleven year old for knowing the difference between igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks before it was taught in science class. I like the thrill of the “hunt” for the right rock. Maybe I was just overly influenced by the adventures of Indiana Jones? Stones were my long lost artifacts.
In March 2020, one week before the Coronavirus pandemic shutdown, Jenny Menges was on a press trip in London. She was there with the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, representing Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard, where she’s the Director of Operations. “No job is perfect,” she smiles, “but this one is pretty close.” For Jenny and the rest of the team, working at Wiemer is more than a job. It’s more like an extended family, and she was eager to get home to it.
Each year, I judge in about a dozen different wine competitions throughout the United States, but mostly in California. I also get many questions from consumers about wine competitions: What are they? How are they run? Who are the judges? What do the results mean? This article will answer those questions, and probably raise more. In most cases, I’ll be referring to the competitions in which I serve as a