Applauding New York, Softly
LEAD: AN opulent dessert wine made by the Great Western Winery in the Finger Lakes region of New York State won the Governor's Cup for the second consecutive time in this year's statewide wine competition.
AN opulent dessert wine made by the Great Western Winery in the Finger Lakes region of New York State won the Governor's Cup for the second consecutive time in this year's statewide wine competition.
Although the winning winery did not change, the contest did - significantly. The competition, called the New York Wine Classic in 1986 and 1987, when it ran for a day, was renamed the Wine and Food Classic and expanded to two days this year. The object was to pair the winning wines with 25 dishes devised by New York State restaurants.
James Trezise, the president of the New York Wine and Grape Foundation, the contest's sponsor, said economic necessity had given birth to the changed format. Nationally, the wine industry is under pressure from anti-alcohol forces. 'Today, wine has to be understood as a food, and its future is with food,' he said.
The 30 judges examined 212 wines, then tasted the winning wines with small portions of food. Dry whites, for example, were sampled with a seafood stew in an autumn-squash broth, made from a recipe submitted by the Bridge Cafe. Dry reds were served with sauteed Long Island duck breast with corn relish; that recipe was from the '21' Club. Both restaurants are in New York City.
While Great Western's gold-colored 1987 ice wine took honors as 'best of competition,' New York's premium wine industry, which is based more and more on European vinifera grapes, did not do well in the contest. The principal reasons were the rainy '87 harvest and wine makers' inexperience in dealing with problems that bad weather poses for European vinifera grapes.
The judges, who gathered at Keens Chop House in New York City, found no wines worthy of a platinum medal (symbolizing 'extraordinary' wine). The sole gold medal ('outstanding') was won by Great Western's ambrosial ice wine, made from the Vidal blanc grape, a French-American hybrid. Eight wines won silver medals ('superior') and 61 took bronze medals ('above average').
The nine highest-rated wines were all whites. The judges - restaurateurs, retailers, wholesalers, consumers and wine writers - were asked to vote for their three favorites.
Second place went to the sweet '87 late-harvest riesling made by the Bridgehampton Winery (it sells for $11.99). Third went to the '87 chardonnay made by Palmer Vineyards ($11.99). Both are on Long Island.
The other top wines, all silver medalists, were ranked thus: 4.A sweet '87 vignoles from the Rolling Vineyards Farm Winery, Finger Lakes ($5 for a half bottle). 5.A sweet '87 riesling, Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard, Finger Lakes ($18). 6.An off-dry '87 seyval blanc, Widmer's Wine Cellars, Finger Lakes ($4.99; rated as a 'best buy'). 7.An '87 chardonnay from Peconic Bay Vineyards, Long Island ($10.99). 8.A near-dry '87 seyval blanc ('Centennial Reserve'), Widmer's ($6.99). 9.An '87 seyval blanc, Hunt Country Vineyards, Finger Lakes ($4.99).
In 1987, the outcome was sunnier: judges tasted 251 wines and awarded 3 platinum medals, 26 golds, 33 silvers and 18 bronzes.
Since the contest is intended to provide a profile of wines from the state's five wine districts, the results looked like bad news at first for the Wine and Grape Foundation, a promotion and research organization.
Many judges seemed depressed at the outset, because relatively few wines shone. But by the time the wines made it to the luncheon table, their mood improved noticeably. 'These wines are showing beautifully with food,' said Jon Newmark, who owns Orange Plaza Wines and Spirits in Middletown, N.Y. 'Some might have earned platinum medals.'
'Make no mistake, there are some good buys' among the 1988 bronze medal winners, said William Moffett, who organized the contest. He is the publisher of Vineyard and Winery Management magazine in Watkins Glen, N.Y.
Great Western, established in 1860, is United States Bonded Winery No. 1. It produced about 100 cases of 24 half-bottles of its ice wine, which contains a lofty 19 percent residual sugar. Some Vidal blanc grapes were left on the vines until the morning of Dec. 7, 1987, and some until Jan. 5, 1988. On those two mornings, when the temperatures were below 18 degrees Fahrenheit, they were handpicked frozen. When pressed, the shriveled berries exuded small quantities of densely concentrated, nectarlike juice.
Many judges agreed privately that the outcome of the contest might not tell the whole story of the '87 vintage. The reason is that only 42 of the state's 89 wineries entered. Those that stayed out - some of the best -gave various reasons, said Mr. Trezise, the president of the Wine and Grape Foundation. He said Willy Frank, the proprietor of the Finger Lakes winery named for his father, Dr. Konstantin Frank, a vinifera pioneer, ran out of wine.
One obstacle for small vintners was the entry fee of $75 a bottle (up from last year's $50), which was intended partly to defray the $20,000 cost of the contest and, Mr. Trezise said, partly to make 'vintners be more selective about the wines they entered.'