Hudson Valley awards go to extremes

Winners in the 2007 Hudson Valley Commercial Wine Competition ranged from the nation's oldest winery to one of its newest.

The competition, sponsored by the Hudson Valley Wine & Grape Association, was for New York wineries in an area ranging from south of Albany, the state capital, to the outskirts of New York City, flanking the Hudson River.

The award for "Best White Wine" went to Brotherhood Winery's 2005 Seyval Blanc. Brotherhood, located in Washingtonville in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains, was founded in 1839.

The Cornell Cup for "Best Hudson River Region (AVA) Wine" went to Brookview Station Winery's 2006 Semi-Dry Apple Wine. Brookview is located at Goold Orchards in Castleton, just southeast of Albany. Although the orchard complex has been in the family for several generations, the fruit winery is a new enterprise.

The Best of Show Cup went to Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery's American Fruits Cherry (Sour) Liquor, and Best Red Table Wine went to Oak Summit Vineyard's 2005 Pinot Noir.

These awards and other gold, silver and bronze medals will be awarded at a March 24 awards dinner at Stoutridge Vineyards in Marlboro.

The gold medalists by category:

Sparkling Grape: Baldwin Vineyards, Memories.

Chardonnay: Millbrook Vineyard & Winery, 2005 Castle Hill Chardonnay.

White Hybrid: Brotherhood Winery, 2005 Seyval Blanc.

White/Riesling & Flowery: Adair Vineyards, 2006 Cayuga White.

Pinot Noir: Oak Summit Vineyard, 2005 Pinot Noir.

Cabernet Franc: Millbrook Vineyards & Winery, 2005 Proprietor's Special Reserve.

Merlot: Whitecliff Vineyard & Winery, 2005 Merlot.

Red Hybrid: Benmarl, 2005 Baco Noir.

Cabernet Sauvignon: Whitecliff Vineyard & Winery, 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon.

Sparkling Fruit: Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery, Doc's Hard Apple Cider.

Apple/Pear: Brookview, Semi-Dry Apple.

Other Fruit: Adair Vineyard, 2006 Peach.

Dessert Non-Fortified: Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery, American Fruits Cherry (Sour) Liquor.

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Is the drought ending in Ohio?

While it is true that there is at least one winery in every state of the Union, they're not all treated with the same acceptance in their own geography.

Take Ohio, for example. Despite having an annual state fair as virtually all states do, it has in the past shunned showcasing any of Ohio's wines as well as its breweries, which is unlike other states' events where local wines and beers are sold.

This year, according to a report in the Columbus Dispatch, the oversight board of the Ohio State Fair has asked staff for proposals on serving Ohio-made beer and wine at this year's event.

Then-Gov. Bob Taft didn't support the wine and beer idea -- his wife, Hope, was involved in several causes to fight alcohol-related problems, so the Ohio Expositions Commission last considered beer and wine sales in 2003.

Now that Ted Strickland is the governor, the commission is hoping such a proposal will be better received as a way to increase the fair's revenue potential and boost marketing for the state's breweries and wineries, according to commission spokeswoman Christina Minier.

"Gov. Strickland will review all proposals with an eye toward tradition and protecting a family friendly environment at the fair," spokesman Keith Dailey told the newspaper.

Click here to check out Ohio's wine trails.

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New drink from an elderflower

• This entry actually can be found in my "Spirits Notebook" section since the final product is a liqueur. However, as is the case with these hybridized processes that involve more than one sort of the creative process and, thus, cross over the lines between wines, spirits and brews, I like to keep readers of all sorts up to speed. In this instance, we're talking a cross between an eau de vie and a floral liquor.

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The Russian (sort of) is coming!

If the snow storms in western New York haven't daunted your enthusiasm, you may want to look into visiting McGregor Vineyards in Dundee, NY, on Keuka Lake, the weekend of March 3-4.

That's when the annual release of McGregor's acclaimed Black Russian Red will be celebrated. The limited-quantity 2004 vintage -- very limited, given that there were only about 150 cases -- will be poured along with barrel samples of the 2005 vintage. Futures for the latter are being sold. Sean McElroy, McGregor's assistant manager, told me there will be about 300 cases of the 2005.

A special menu will be made available both days. Tickets are $10 each or $18 per couple for the event. Reservations are not required, but are suggested by calling (800) 272-0192 or going online.

The iconic Black Russian Red, the only such blend made in America, is an unusual joining of two European grape varietals: Sereksiya Charni, traditionally grown in Romania but grown exclusively in the U.S. by McGregor, and Saperavi, an ancient wine grape originating in the republic of Georgia.

The hand-harvested grapes are fermented and aged for nearly two years in American oak barrels, resulting in a complex dry red, with notes of numerous berries, black cherry and the oak, tannic and dry.

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Drinks and a movie

As the 79th annual Academy Awards presentations close in on us this weekend, one spirits company after another has been sending out suggestions for cocktails tied to (a) a movie theme, and (b) increasing their profits.

Nothing wrong with that, of course, but I'm an old-fashioned guy who would rather pay attention to cocktail classics as presented in the films themselves. It seems to go over rather well with the opposite sex, especially for those of us normally bereft of romantic imagination -- the sort of men who break out in a cold sweat lest our ideas be compared to those of other men and found wanting.

Relax, and visit your favorite public library or video store for inspiration. Avoid such bar-centric flicks as 1988's "Cocktail" and 2000's "Coyote Ugly." They're all flash and no soul. And, even if they're funny drinkers like Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughan in 2005's "Wedding Crashers" or vaguely instructive like Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church in 2004's wine country epic "Sideways," all you learn there is that overindulgence makes asses of people you might otherwise like.

Likewise, avoid such cinematic drunks as those portrayed in classics from Ray Milland in 1945's "The Lost Weekend" to Jack Lemmon in 1962's "Days of Wine and Roses" to Nicholas Cage in 1995's "Leaving Las Vegas." Lots of soul, zero romance.

Rather, I'm suggesting a cozy, dimly lit setting at home, with a few light hors d'oeuvres, a tape or disc of a classic romantic movie with a definite cocktail component, and drinks appropriate to the film. After all, cocktails, wine and movies have long had a companionable relationship. Even 1977's "Star Wars" had a great bar scene.

At one time, classy bars and cocktail parties were used as part of the courtship ritual, both on-screen and off.

When asked for a drink to accompany a romantic film, most people I surveyed immediately said, "Champagne, of course." Given the popularity of the bubbly, whether in the hand of a suave Robert Redford in 1974's "The Great Gatsby" or of a tipsy Katharine Hepburn in 1940's "The Philadelphia Story," such a mind-set is understandable.

However, nothing on film rivals the martini for romance, elegance and mystery. It was the favorite drink of sophisticated 1930s productions in which everyone was immaculately groomed and impeccably dressed even if they were of meager financial means.

William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles in the "Thin Man" classic 1930s-'40s film series helped make champagne and especially the the cocktail a religion of sorts, often having as much fun creating as consuming drinks.

"The important thing is the rhythm. Always have rhythm in your shaking," private eye Nick Charles instructed wealthy wife Nora. "Now, a Manhattan you shake to fox trot time, a Bronx to two-step time, a dry martini you always shake to waltz time."

Of course, this was long before Powell helped the aforementioned Jack Lemmon mix up an atrocious fake Scotch potion in the immortal 1955 Navy film "Mr. Roberts"

That reluctant romantic Humphrey Bogart not only gazed soulfully at his lady love over the rim of a cocktail glass in 1942's immortal "Casablanca," he even owned the place that dispensed adult beverages to Ingrid Bergman and other glamour pusses. It was a place where champagne cocktails abounded along with bourbon, brandy and "a fine French wine." Star-crossed and sad, but romantic nonetheless.

If one is into romance of the guns-gadgets-tuxes genre, there is always that old reliable, James Bond. Finding the proper drink to go with a 007 flick isn't that difficult. Bond was just as specific about his beverages as he was about the caliber of his guns and his girls, as shown in this photo with Sean Connery and Shirley Eaton from the 1964 film "Goldfinger."

Most of us remember Bond's signature vodka martini in "Dr. No" - and the instruction that it was to be "shaken, not stirred." In the same 1962 film, he turns up his nose at a 1955 Dom Perignon champagne, snootily telling his villainous host, "I prefer the '53 myself."

In 1964's "Goldfinger," Bond says of a brandy he is served, "I'd say it was a 30 year old Fine indifferently blended, with an overdose of Bon Bois."

You may get extra points from your companion of the evening by casually letting it drop that because brandies sometimes are concocted from grapes from different areas of France's Cognac region, those from less well-regarded areas as Fine (or Fins) Bois and Bon Bois are inferior. Of course, you run the risk of being called a pretentious jerk. Your choice.

As the old saying goes, love is where you find it.

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Grape expectactions

• This entry actually can be found in my "Spirits Notebook"section since the final product is a cognac. However, as is the case with these hybridized processes that involve more than one sort of the creative process and, thus, cross over the lines between wines, spirits and brews, I like to keep readers of all sorts up to speed. In this instance, we're talking what began as grapes, became an eau de vie and a fine cognac.

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Virginia wineries may get legislative help

Christopher B. Saxman (right), a Republican member of the Virginia General Assembly, has proposed a bill that would give Virginia wineries the right to distribute up to 3,000 cases of wine a year directly to retailers.

A U.S. District Court ruling in 2005 made use of distributors mandatory for wine businesses. The court held that since wineries from other states were required to use distributing companies to place their products in the Virginia market, if Virginia wineries did not follow the same practice they would be guilty of discrimination.

Ann Heidig, president of the Virginia Wineries Association, said that decision has caused wineries in the state to lose significant amounts of profit. In turn, consumers are given fewer wine choices -- particularly from among the Virginia producers -- and higher costs.

Whether Saxman's bill will have traction is up for debate. Literally.

Fellow Republical legislator Terry Kilgore said he is in agreement with the basics of the proposal, but wants to hear discussion on the committee floor before making a decision.

One amendment already proposed to the bill would use a state-established corporation as mediator, allowing the wineries to distribute their own producst, but the state would be the wholesale license holder. Then, in addition to providing wholesale wine services to wineries, the corporation would be responsible for annual reports of business activities at the wineries.

Go here for a guide to Virginia's four wine trails.

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A voice in your head

We've all heard a little voice telling us to be careful not to drink too much. Most of the time we didn't know where it was coming from. If you're a guy and find it happening in New Mexico, there's a simple explanation.

The state has shelled out $10,500 for 500 talking deodorizer cakes to be used in men's room urinals in bars and restaurants.

Recorded messages embedded in the sanitary supply tell the patron, in a woman's voice, "Hey, big guy. Having a few drinks? Think you had one too many? Then it's time to call a cab or call a sober friend for a ride home. Remember, your future is in your hand."

The program is an offshoot of the sort of thing used in anti-drug capaigns in various parts of New York, Colorado, Pennsylvania and in Australia.

New Mexico had 143 alcohol-related deaths in 2005, the country's eighth-highest rate, and men have 78% of all drunk-driving related convictions in the state.

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San Antonio test awards 32 golds

Photo by William M. Dowd

SAN ANTONIO, TX -- The final medal result are in for the 7th annual San Antonio Express-News Wine Competition, which I helped judge last month at the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort & Spa.

The 39 judges awarded 350 medals overall, 32 gold, 122 silver and 196 bronze. Not all categories had entries that rose to the gold level. The "Chardonnay, Under $15" category turned out six gold medalists, largest from any one category.

Here are all 32 gold-medal winners:

• Cabernet Sauvignon Blends: Meritus Texas Hill Country Cabernet Sauvignon, 2003. $39.99.

• Cabernet Sauvignon, Over $15: Kunde Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma, CA, 2003, $18.99; Mt. Veeder Cabernet, California, 2003, $35; Robert Mondavi Napa Reserve Cabernet, Napa, CA, 2003, $120; Rodney Strong Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon , Sonoma, CA, 2002, $34.99.

• Chardonnay, Under $15: Clos du Bois Chardonnay, North Coast, CA, 2005, $11.99; Irony Chardonnay, California, 2004, $14; J. Lohr Estates Riverstone Chardonnay, Arroyo Seco, CA, 2005, $11.99; Napa Ridge Napa Valley Chardonnay, Napa, CA, 2004, $12.99; Pheasant Ridge Chardonnay, Texas High Plains, 2004, $14; Sister Creek Chardonnay, Texas High Plains, 2005, $14.95.

• Italian Appellation Blends: Dievole Reserve Chianti Classico, Italy, 2001, $18.

• Merlot, Over $15: Napa Ridge Reserve Merlot, Napa, CA, 2003, $19.99.

• Other Whites, Dry: Adelasia Cortese, Piedmonte, 2004, $7.99; Haak Blanc du Bois (dry), Texas, 2005, $12.95; Hogue Fume Blanc FF, Washington, 2005, $11; Llano Estacado Signature White, Texas, 2005, $8.99.

• Pinot Grigio: Trinity Oaks Pinot Grigio, California, 2005, $6.95.

• Pinot Noir: Sebastiani Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, CA, 2005, $18.

• Porto, Other: Ficklin 10 Yr Tawny Port, Madera, Non Vintage, $25.99.

• Rhone Blends: Cline Red Truck blend, California, 2004, $9.

• Riesling: Monchhof Riesling Kabinett, Urziger Wurzgarten, Germany, 2005, $15.

• Sauvignon Blanc: Terrunyo Sauvignon Blanc, Casablanca, Chile, 2005, $19.99; Whitehall Sauvignon Blanc, California, 2005, $15.

• Spanish Varietals: Tapena Garnacha Red Blend, Tierra de Castilla, Spain, 2005, $8.99.

• Super Tuscan Blends: Viviano, Texas, 2003, $33.99.

• Syrah/Shiraz: d'Arenberg 'The Footbolt' Shiraz, McLaren Vale, 2004, $19; St. Hallet Faith Shiraz, Barossa, Australia, 2004, $16.99; Yellow Tail Reserve Shiraz, Southeastern Australia, 2005, $9.99.

• White Dessert: Konzelmann Ice Wine, Ontario, 2004, $49.99.

• Zinfandel, Over: Rodney Strong Knotty Vines Zinafandel, Sonoma County, 2004, $16.99; Wild Oak Zinfandel, California, 2004, $25.

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Wineries, 'dineries' team up in Pa. Dutch country

A "sneak preview" of sorts will be offered during March at the 11 wineries of Pennsylvania's UnCork York Wine Trail as part of their 2nd annual Tour de Tanks.

Visitors will be able to sample wines taken straight from the barrel or tank at the wineries in the Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Tickets, available online or at participating wineries for the event scheduled for each Saturday-Sunday in March, are $15 with one ticket good at all participating wineries for all five weekends. Ticket holders get a 10% discount on wine purchases.

One difficulty with touring any wine country with which you're not familiar is finding decent dining. The Tour de Tanks has set up 11 "dineries" to go with the 11 wineries, offering all-inclusive menus every Friday through Sunday in March for $30 per person. The full list is available online. It looks like a fairly convenient way to visit what is a rambling tour area covering parts of three contiguous counties -- Adams, York and Dauphin -- in the Harrisburg / Lancaster / York / Getysburg region of south central Pennsylvania.

Participating wineries are, alphabetically, Adams County Winery, Allegro Vineyards, Four Springs Winery, Fox Ridge Vineyard & Winery, Glen Mere Winery, Marburg Estate Winery, Moon Dancer Vineyards & Winery, Naylor Wine Cellars, Nissley Vineyards, Seven Valleys Vineyard & Winery and West Hanover Winery.

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Global glut could help U.S. consumers

Careful shopping should be netting U.S. consumers some very good buys in Australian and South African wines, courtesy of the worldwide grape and wine glut that is forcing price reductions.

South Africa's wine companies, in the midst of what they say is "economic disaster," are offering farmers up to US$124 a ton not to harvest contracted grapes next year. In addition, many wine grape farms are up for sales, particularly in the famed Stellenbosch area where more than 50 are on the block because of dwindling profits. And, they're often being purchased for non-agricultural use.

Australian wine producers have been suffering from a glut of product for several years, forcing price cuts and even drastic moves such as destroying grapes to cut down on supply.

Curiously, however, in the midst of this problem period Australia is importing more wine than ever from neighboring New Zealand. According to the latest New Zealand reports, export wine sales for the past year topped US$411.3 million, doubling earnings of 2004. Overall volume of wine exported in 2006 was up 13% over the previous year. While exports to both the U.S. and UK were up more than 20% over the previous year, sales in Australia increased by almost 50%.

In South Africa, farmers are seeing prices of red grapes falling from $1,300 a ton to as little as $206.

Unlike in other areas where strong domestic consumption helps the native wine industries, South Africans historically have a comparatively small consumption rate.

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A wine taken to another level

Photo by William M. Dowd

LAS VEGAS -- As we were assembling for a private dinner over the weekend, I was chatting with Frank Du, a Chinese-American journalist who works for a Chinese-language newspaper in Los Angeles.

Seine Kim, a Korean-American representative of The Thomas Collective, a New York public relations firm, walked into the room. Du smoothly switched to Korean to greet her, explaining to me that although Mandarin is his native tongue, he had lived in Korea and picked up the language there.

The marketing lady -- whose name was taken from the French river her parents had seen before her birth -- exchanged a few pleasantries in Korean with Du, then switched into perfect English with me. Although raised in Seoul, she explained, she had been born in Ithaca, N.Y., and wanted to move back to the U.S., so she studied English. In Beijing, China. Her time as a Manhattan resident has buffed away any residual accent.

The sound of French and French-accented English also wafted through the room as our hosts from the Martell House of Cognac arrived.

The mix emphasized the human interplay in a global economy that is continually erasing borders and making producers think beyond historic boundaries.

Martell is known for a long line of cognacs, but producers cannot rest on their laurels in the highly competitive field. Thus, the company was timing the U.S. debut of its Creation Grand Extra Cognac for the Lunar New Year (the Year of the Pig on the Chinese calendar, although celebrated all across Asia) to try enhancing its already strong image in Asian communities throughout the U.S.

A little background. Cognac is a brandy, a grape-based product -- an "eaux-de-vie'' fermented like wine then twice distilled. By French law, supported by the World Trade Organization, the spirit can originate only in the town of Cognac and six surrounding viticultural areas.

There is more than one kind of cognac due to the variety of soils in the region. The grapes used are from several white wine varieties, principally the Ugni Blanc, known elsewhere as the Trebbiano grape. Cognacs must be aged in wood at least two years. Most producers use Limousin oak; Martell prefers the more aromatic Troncais oak.

Any number of cognac labels may be familiar to Americans, such as Hennessey, Remy Martin, Courvoisier, Camus and Delamaine, but Martell is the oldest existing one, founded in 1715 by Jean Martell.

Photo by William M. Dowd

Jacques Menier (seen here), Asia Pacific sales director, was the main presenter of the new Creation Grand Extra, representing cellar master Bruno Lemoine. He guided participants through a special menu prepared at the Wing Lei restaurant in the Wynn Las Vegas hotel to describe how various cognacs can be paired with foods just as is done with wines. Not a bad direction to take since the U.S. is the world's largest consumer of cognac.

For our light starters -- lobster wonton soup, pork pot stickers and spring rolls -- the Martell Noblige worked well, with its light consistency and notes of pear, citrus and definite vanilla from a younger wood. The very popular Cordon Bleu -- perfumey from a flowery soil that speaks of violets and bits of citrus and walnut -- worked nicely with a wider variety, a diver scallop with jalapeno, cilantro and ponzu vinaigrette, Pacific cod with a fricassee of mussels, clams and Chinese sausage, and even a Sichuan beef filet with corn, bell pepper, water chestnut and rice noodle. X-O worked well with a dessert sampler tray ranging from light fruit sorbets to ganache-stuffed chocolate cake, once I was able to coax out its reluctant dried-fruit hints of apricot and plum.

The finale was the Creation Grand Extra. It's a soft, almost buttery, open distillation with an instant "montant,'' the first fragrance released from cognac. Definite notes of cedar and spice make this an immediately pleasing product.

However, my preference in the Martel line remains the Cordon Bleu, a "gouleyant'' cognac, meaning its body is fresh and light despite aging and, thus, easily enjoyed.

For what it's worth, cellar master Lemoine says his favorite drink is Cordon Bleu on the rocks.

Creation Grand Extra, with a suggested retail price of $299 for a 750-milliliter bottle, will be on the American market in May.

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Sales sweepstakes point upward

Fast Track Brands, Established Growth Brands, Rising Stars and Comeback Brands.

Not exactly cocktail party topics, unless you're in the hospitality business. Then, they're a big deal.

Each year the Adams Beverage Group, the Connecticut company that tracks the beverage alcohol industry and publishes Cheers, Beverage Dynamics and StateWays magazines, analyzes domestic sales in those categories. Here's how Adams breaks them down:

• Fast Track Brands: Those with sales exceeding 100,000 9-liter cases in 2006 and double-digit growth over the past four years.

• Established Growth Brands: Those operating from huge sales bases, with more modest percentage gains, although total volume can be very high.

• Rising Stars: Those showing significant growth but on the market for less than five full years.

• Comeback Brands: Those that saw a sales decline two years ago but rebounded last year.

Adams, which will announce the full awards in the March issues of its magazines, provided this advance look at the awards:

"Among those winning Adams Growth Brand spirits awards, Diageo took top honors with seven (led by Captain Morgan Rum and Johnnie Walker Black Label Scotch), Pernod-Ricard USA received four (led by Stolichnaya Vodka), and Bacardi took four (led by Bacardi Rum's dominance and Grey Goose Vodka's continued explosive growth). Six other companies (Barton Brands, Beam Global Wine and Spirits, Brown-Forman Beverages, Heaven Hill Distilleries, Moet Hennessy USA and Sidney Frank Importing) saw their spirit brands take home three honors. Impressive brand performance sent honors to Jagermeister, Skyy Vodka, Patron Tequila, Ketel One Vodka and Svedka Vodka as well.

"In the wine category, the Australian phenomenon Yellow Tail continued its dominance among imported wines, while Beringer was the largest volume award winner. Constellation split 13 awards between its Centerra Wine and Pacific Wine Partners divisions, and Robert Mondavi Private Selection. E&J Gallo picked up eight awards, led by the fast moving Barefoot Cellars. Bronco Wine Co., Brown-Forman Beverages and Foster's Wine Estates Americas picked up five awards each. Other high performance brands include Foxhorn, Cavit, Riunite, Lindemans and Clos du Bois.

"In the Established Growth Brands category, of the 27 brands cited, six were vodkas, four tequilas, and three each rums, American whiskies, Cognac/brandy or cordials."

Overall, according to Adams researchers, spirits were up in 2006 in volume by 3.7 percent, while wine overall grew 3.4 percent, a continuation of a multi-year growth spurt.

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Prospecting for a gold pedigree

This is the season of show biz awards -- the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild and the upcoming Academy Awards -- but the wine world takes a backseat to no one when it comes to handing out the trinkets.

I just returned from judging (shown here) in the 7th annual San Antonio Express-News Wine Competition, in which more than 700 wines were put through the swirl/sip/spit cycle by 39 judges split, unevenly, into seven panels.

As we plowed through the chardonnays, the Spanish varietals, the malbecs, the zinfandels and the various pinots and cabernets shipped in from around the globe for the event, one topic kept coming up in conversation: What have you heard from other competitions?

Many judges participate in several competitions each year, so the insider gossip about emerging stars and declining labels is non-stop. Likewise with discussion of the competitions themselves.

Two schools of thought contend for supremacy. One is that the more medals given out, the more popular the event will become -- and the more entries it will attract. The other is that the more discerning and hard-nosed the judges are, the more valuable medals from those events will become -- and the more entries it will attract.

As always, reality lies somewhere in between. In a field replete with outsized egos, there are judges so stingy in finding praiseworthy wines they knock down legitimate contenders just to keep looking tough. Conversely, some competition managers actually seek out at least a few judges who are, to put it mildly, pushovers.

Not all events announce the winners right away. Most results are held until, for example, a sponsoring publication goes to press with the whole list or until an awards banquet is held.

In the case of the San Antonio judging, even I won't know the entire list of gold medalists until later this month. If sweet-talked, however, I might be able to provide two buying tips that came out of my panel: a 2003 Napa Ridge Reserve from the merlots-over-$15 category and a 2005 Clos du Bois from the chardonnays-under-$15.

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