NY International Wine Awards to be unveiled

William M. Dowd photo

There's a new wine competition in town. At least there will be in New York City.

Dori Bryant, president of The Polished Palate, and spirits writer Adam Levy tomorrow will announce the debut of the New York International Wine Awards (NYIWA).

The NYIWA is a competition that will award the best wines in various categories as judged by the people on the front line of consumer contact. Trade-only judges will consist of restaurant owners, sommeliers, liquor store buyers, and distributors and importers of fine wine.

Jack Robertiello of Drinks Ink will act as the competition host and lead the judging panel.

Bryant and Levy hosted the premiere New York International Spirits Awards in June 2009. The success of that inaugural event led to the expansion of the franchise to include wine.

The judging for the NYIWA will take place in closed sessions the week of February 6, 2010, at the Astor Center in New York. The deadline for brands to enter is January 22, 2010.

“The NYIWA is the first wine competition to rely solely on the results of trade-only judging," said Bryant. "These judges are the front line of consumer purchases on a daily basis.”

Details and entry forms are available online.

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Wine exciting enough to cry over

When Dick Vermeil (below) was a head coach in the National Football League, he was known for his emotional, teary outbursts as much as for his success in the won-lost columns.

He coached two Super Bowl teams, losing with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1981 but winning with the St. Louis Rams in 2000.

Now retired from that world and at age 73, Vermeil is working hard on Vermeil Wines, his boutique winery founded last year in Calistoga, CA. Its first offering, Jean-Louis Vermeil Cabernet-Sauvignon named after his late father, has gone to market.

What's the quality level?

Robert Parker Jr., the globally well-regarded critic for the Wine Advocate, said:

"His initial dive into the wine world is impressive. It goes against the rule of thumb that celebrities rarely achieve anything special in the world of wine."

Vermeil, who was born in his great grandfather’s home in Calistoga, leases a 178-acre vineyard near the Silverado Pass from the Frediani family. He is producing only about 1,500 to 2,000 cases of upmarket wines this year -- cabernet sauvignon, sauvignon blanc, zinfandel, cabernet franc and a charbono. Most of it will be online or in the winery's store.

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A celebri-quote: James Bond

• Author Ian Fleming's fictitious spy James Bond has uttered many a lasting quote in print and on film. Here's one from the film version of "Goldfinger," as spoken by Sean Connery.

"My dear girl, there are some things that just aren't done, such as drinking Dom Perignon '53 above the temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit.

"That's just as bad as listening to the Beatles without earmuffs!"

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MA farmers markets seek wine-sales OK

• From the Boston Herald

Go to any farmers’ market in Massachusetts and you can pick from a mouthwatering array of fruits and vegetables, fresh-baked breads, homemade jams and other products straight from local farms. You can’t, however, sip a chardonnay, sniff a merlot, or purchase any other offerings made at the nearly three dozen farm wineries and vineyards from Cape Cod to the Berkshires.

Now, a group representing winemakers, with the support of state agriculture officials, is pushing to change state law to permit wine to be sold at the roughly 200 farmers’ markets that are held each week in Massachusetts.

It would be a change long overdue, according to Kip Kumler, owner of Turtle Creek Winery in Lincoln and chairman of the Massachusetts Farm Winery and Growers Association. ...

Sen. Jamie Eldredge (top), D-Acton, calls winemaking a "hidden secret" of Massachusetts agriculture. He’s the lead sponsor of a bill that would permit wine tastings and sales at farmers’ markets.

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Maine's wine, spirit makers on the prowl

• From McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

CAMDEN, ME -- Maine wine and spirit makers face an uphill battle to win market share, but they are welcoming the challenge.

C.C. Peet of Cellardoor Winery in Lincolnville, Steve Linne of Blacksmiths Winery in South Casco, Bob Bartlett of Bartlett's Winery in Gouldsboro and Bob Harkins of Cold River Vodka in Freeport detailed the challenges of the wine and spirit business during a panel discussion ... at the 4th annual Maine Fare celebration.

Maine Fare's goal is to assist in preserving, protecting and sharing Maine's culinary history and resources. The event highlighted Maine products through panel discussions, tastings, exhibits and samplings. The wine and spirit panel was moderated by Jack Scully of Belfast's Easterly Wine.

All agreed that the key thing they have working for them is the Maine brand. Whether marketing wine or spirits, having a product that is made in Maine makes it easier to attract buyers.

"There is a tremendous loyalty to Maine-made and -grown foods," Scully said. "The possibility for growth in the wine and spirit field is terrific. I think the growth of Maine products both inside the state and outside the state has great potential."

All three vintners said that because wine has a certain "snob factor," it's difficult to convince buyers that wines made of blueberries and other fruits can match up with grape wines from France or California. Bartlett, who has been in the business more than 30 years, said some wine drinkers are reluctant to sample his wines simply because they are made from fruit. He said working with restaurants individually is one way of overcoming that problem.

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Christie's looking to '21' for bigger numbers

NEW YORK, NY -- A stash of Prohibition-era wines from a secret cellar in New York's legendary '21' Club will be part of a selection going up for auction Saturday at Christie's International in Manhattan.

There were 640 bottles in the cellar, according to Charles Curtis, Christie’s head of North American wine sales, including rare Bordeaux and Burgundy selections.

The auction will be held at Christie's, 20 Rockefeller Center.

The company is betting that the slightly improved economy will bring up prices for fine wines. Last fall, prices dropped by as much as half, which Christie's said was the company's worst experience ever. Prices at auction are generally 10 to 20% lower than last year's best, according to Lix-ex, the London electronic wine exchange.

Among the other highlights are six bottles of 1999 Musigny, Vieilles Vignes from the famous estate of Comte Georges De Vogüé, packed in the original wooden case (estimate: $2,200-3,000); three bottles of newly-released Domaine de la Romanée-Conti’s La Tâche – Vintage 2006 (estimate: $1,500-2,000); a dozen bottles of 2001 Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, packed in the original carton (estimate: $2,400-3,200); and a case of 1998 Barbaresco from Santo Stefano di Nieve (estimate: $1,000-1,500).

Go here for a detailed list of wines scheduled to be up for bids.

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A celebri-quote: Ricky Gervais

• British actor/comedian/producer Ricky Gervais ("The Office," "Extras") was interviewed by Bon Appétit magazine about alcohol, food and other things in his life.

Q: Any favorite indulgences?

A: Here's the bottom line. Cheese, wine and Champagne are amazing. Salt and chocolate are amazing. It's not rocket science. We're mammals -- we like fat, salt and alcohol. Mammals love alcohol.

You know, drunkenness occurs the same in animals as in adults, from mammals down to insects. Antelopes eat fermented apples and go down to the watering hole the next day and they're hung over.

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