2011 Vintage Riesling Launch Kick Off Meeting August 8, 20112
Flwa riesling seminar for american culinary federation 9.17.12
1. Finger Lakes Rieslings
World-Class Rieslings from
North America’s Premier Cool-Climate Wine Region
For the American Culinary Federation
Ravenwood Country Club
September 17, 2012
Lorraine Hems, MS, Rochester Institute of Technology
Certifications CS, CWE, CSS, CWJ
2. Finger Lakes Wine Alliance
In our 11th year…..
40+ wineries working together to
promote the visibility of the Finger
Lakes as North America’s premier cool-
climate winegrowing region.
8. 10,000 Years In the Making
• South of Lake Ontario & Lake Erie to west
• Atlantic Ocean to east
• Carved by glaciers
• 11 long, narrow, roughly parallel lakes, oriented
north-south
• Among the deepest lakes in North America 450
to 600 ft. deep
• Main winegrowing lakes - Keuka, Seneca,
Cayuga
9. The Winegrowing Puzzle
• Climate – moderated continental related to
proximity to water bodies
• Weather – limitation of extremes of cold and heat
with risk of rain during ripening season
• Soils – glaciated, complex and somewhat
vigorous
• Vineyards – north to south rows at various
distances and elevations from lakes
• Varieties – native, hybrid, vinifera
11. Lake Effect: The Cool
Difference
• Lake Ontario to the north
• Lake depth provides a beneficial “lake effect” to
the vineyards that flank their shores.
• Warmer minimum temperatures in winter
• Cooler maximum temperature in summer
• Variation in ripening – elevation, distance from
water
12.
13. Soils - the Real Dirt
• Glacial activity has produced complex soil patterns.
• Gravelly & low organic sites to loamy & fertile.
• North 50% to 60% of Seneca and Cayuga Lakes
include limestone base with pHs closer to 7 and south
lower.
• Due to ancient glacial activity & flooding, the Finger
Lakes Region features includes shale.
• Significance = diversity in fruit characteristics
14. Vineyards
• Run north to south & vines face east and west
• Moderately to moderate+ vigor due to soils and
water availability
• Critical
– manage canopy
– sun exposure
– balanced to ripen fruit
– ensure airflow to reduce disease pressure
• Trellis – VSP, Scott Henry, Geneva Double Curtain
15. What It All Means
• Regional complexity and variability
• Producer and vintage specific regional
expression
• The Finger Lakes Region is ideally suited to
the production of world-class and truly
distinctive wines
• Especially Rieslings & aromatic white wines
• Reflective of winegrowing circumstances
16. History
• 17th century with Dutch and Huguenot
plantings in the Hudson Valley
• 1862 first bonded winery in the US - Pleasant
Valley Wine Company in Hammondsport
• Dr. Frank promoted Vitis vinifera in New York –
hired by Charles Fournier (French Champagne
maker; Clicquot) and president of Gold Seal
• 1962 Vinifera Wine Cellars founded (Dr. Frank)
• New York Farm Winery Law passed in 1976
17. The Numbers Add Up
106+Finger Lakes wineries
1/3rd+ of NY wineries
9300 acres of grapes
65% is white grapes
20% Vinifera (most acreage is Riesling)
1900 acres ~ 5800 tons ~ 350,000 cases
NY grape, grape juice & wine industry
$3.76 billion economic benefits in 2008
18. Riesling: King of Finger Lakes
Whites
• ~ 700 acres • Stylistic Diversity
• + 26% since 2006 • Dry, Lean, taut
• ~ 2100 tons • Off-Dry, lush, with
• ~ 140,000 cases balanced acidity
• ~ 7% of US • Sweet, dessert-
Riesling market style (Ice Wine &
Late-Harvest)
19. Finger Lakes Are In Good
Company
• Classic Riesling Regions - Alsace,
Germany, Austria, Australia
• United States - Finger Lakes, Washington,
Oregon, Michigan
** Finger Lakes
** Fresh, energetic, vibrant, balanced
quality, value, local
22. What the Experts Say
“From dry to sweet versions, the Finger Lakes
is slowly but steadily cementing its reputation
as this country’s best source for Riesling.”
----James Molesworth, Senior Editor, Wine
Spectator
“Some of the best wines of New York’s Finger
Lakes region are steely Rieslings.”
----Jancis Robinson, MW, How To Taste
23. What the Experts Say
“The Rieslings from our region have been outstanding in
quality for many years and now that Riesling in
general is gaining
in popularity we are thrilled.”
---- Kevin Zraly, FingerLakesTravelJournal.com, April 2008
“Americans are turned on to Riesling and the Finger Lakes
has what Riesling loves: life at the cool margins and layers
and layers of slate. There’s no better place to find crisp,
refreshing, mineral-tinged Riesling in the States.”
----Joshua Greene, Publisher and Editor, Wine & Spirits
Magazine
24. What the Average Consumer
Says
“I’m confused.”
Are all Rieslings sweet? How can I tell by
looking at the label?
25. IRF Scale
• Created by the International Riesling Foundation in late
2008. The scale now appears on back labels of more
than 30,000,000 bottles of Riesling in the U.S. market.
By simply looking at the back label, consumers can tell
whether that wine is Dry, Medium Dry, Medium Sweet,
or Sweet.
• Examines relationship between acid and sugar, and pH
• http://drinkriesling.com/wp-
content/themes/irf/images/tasting-profile-standards.pdf
• Voluntary
27. Tonight’s Dinner Wines
• Swedish Hill Winery Riesling Cuvee
2011
• Ravines Wine Cellars Dry Riesling 2011
• Standing Stone Vineyards Riesling 2011
• Fulkerson Winery William Vigne Juicy
Sweet Riesling 2011
28. Swedish Hill Winery
Riesling Cuvee 2011
• Peterson family farm in Romulus near
Cayuga Lake
• 1969 – planted grapes to sell to other
wineries
• 1985 – started making their own wine and
produced 1200 cases
• Now making 60,000 cases annually
• Goose Watch and Penguin Bay Wineries also
29. Ravines Wine Cellars
Dry Riesling 2011
• East side of Keuka Lake and new
tasting room on west side of Seneca
Lake
• Morton Hallgren, owner and winemaker,
is from Provence, France
• 2003 – opened tasting room
• Wine made to go with food
30. Standing Stone Vineyards
Riesling 2011
• East side of Seneca Lake in Hector
• Tom and Marti Macinski
• 1993 – started making their own
wine and produced 800 cases
• Now making 8,000 cases annually
31. Fulkerson William Vigne
Juicy Sweet Riesling 2011
• West side of Seneca Lake in Dundee
• Fulkerson family started farm in 1805
• 1830s – first vines planted, but expanded in 1970s
• Owner and winemaker, Sayre Fulkerson, is 6th
generation
• William Vigne (Vin-Ya) was the first generation of
Fulkerson’s in New Amsterdam in about 1619
• 20+ wines produced and more than 33 varieties of
fresh juices sold to home winemakers
