The Press Deck
News from the New York Wine & Grape Foundation
April 3rd, 2019
Field Notes...
From Sam Filler, Executive Director
Dear Friends,
We begin April at the Foundation with the wind beneath our sails as we start a new fiscal year. We recently received the positive news that the Foundation was awarded a $56,000 increase in the approved New York state budget . I especially want to thank Governor Cuomo and his office for his support of the grape and wine industry. Governor Cuomo has consistently supported the priorities of our industry, which has contributed to our ongoing growth and success.

I want to also recognize Assembly Agriculture Chair Donna Lupardo , who spearheaded efforts to work with the Senate to safeguard agricultural funding We also appreciate Senate Agriculture Chair Jen Metzger and Rural Resources Commission Chair, Senator Rachel May , for their efforts to highlight the importance of farming in their conference. We value the support from Governor Cuomo and our State Legislators because it allows the Foundation to provide critical marketing and research support to our industry.

In addition to the budget news, we concluded the latest program year of NY Drinks NY with our annual Grand Tasting in New York City. This year we hosted the Grand Tasting at the iconic Rainbow Room at the top of Rockefeller Center. We celebrated the best of New York wines paired picture perfectly with the stunning skyline views of New York. Almost 50 New York State wineries poured over 200 wines from around the state. Special recognition goes to Jenn Cooper, Special Projects Manager, and Paul Brady, New York Wines Brand Ambassador, from the NYGWF who planned and executed a flawless event.
Our view from the Rainbow Room. Cheers!
Photo credit: Brindamour Photography
Trade and Media Tasting at The NY Drinks NY Grand Tasting
And, kudos to Dan Mitchell from Fox Run Vineyards who connected us last summer with Amy Devahastin, Rainbow Room Sommelier. Amy’s by-the-glass menu at Bar 65 is 100% New York Wines. It was a pleasure to work with Amy and the Rainbow Room events team to celebrate New York wines. We had almost 400 trade and media attend and 250 consumers, and the Rainbow Room team made the event run seamlessly. The air was buzzing with excitement, energy, and appreciation of New York wines!

ICYMI: View the excitement in this news interview !
The New York Wine & Grape Foundation Team at our NY Drinks NY Grand Tasting (l-r): Sam Filler, Dana Alexander, Kim Hughes, Julie Purpura Hosbach, Paul Brady, Jennifer Cooper and Valerie Ross.
April is going to be a busy month at the Foundation so stay tuned for more exciting updates. In the meantime, I encourage you to check out my recent interview with Erica Paolicelli on her podcast Tenacious We.
Cheers,
Sam Filler, Executive Director
New York Wine & Grape Foundation
Industry News...
Expect These 4 Wine Trends to Pop up Throughout 2019 
We're starting to see which trends are going to gain momentum in the wine industry this year. As our own New Year's resolution, we told ourselves we would never give up wine as a resolution ever again, and have been reading up on trends since. Below, we picked out a few of the most interesting ones we think you should be on the lookout for throughout 2019. Read more...
"Likes" to Replace Wine Scores by 2020
The nation’s top wine publications announced in tandem that numbered wine scores, also known as the 100-point system, will be replaced by crowd-sourced “likes” by the summer of 2020. “Millennials have rendered wine scores all but obsolete," said Bill Paide. Paide lead the mostly media and trade audience through a multitude of slides illustrating the refreshed approach to wine reviews. “On our website, we’ll be asking subscribers to click the “like” emoji from white to red, to demonstrate their fondness for a wine.” Modeled on Instagram’s white-to-red heart approach, a clear emoji, shaped like a wine bottle, may be clicked upon to turn red, indicating the consumer’s approval. Read more...
Top 10 Apps for Wine Lovers
Apps have become a staple tool in modern life, helping to manage every aspect of one’s personal and professional life. Wine, for many, is no exception, with an increasing number of apps offering a method of indulging an interest in wine with ease. Services can range from helping to record your tasting notes and sourcing bottles for purchase to checking the price of a bottle of wine and booking on to local wine events and masterclasses. Read more...
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New York in the News...
Quality Above All: Johannes Reinhardt's Exquisite Wines  
Imagine for a minute that you are the owner of a factory that makes, say, ball bearings. A few weeks before the completion of the manufacturing process, you tell the factory manager to throw out 50 percent of the almost-finished ball bearings. Sounds crazy? But that’s exactly what Johannes Reinhardt, the owner and winemaker of Kemmeter Wines in Penn Yann, does in his vineyard every year: 45 percent in 2016 and a whopping 60 percent in 2017.  Read more...
Owner Of Bedell Cellars, 'Passionate Advocate of LI Wines,' Dies 
"With profound sadness, we announce the death of our beloved owner, Michael Lynne," wrote Richard Olsen-Harbich, winemaker at Bedell, on social media. "There was no greater or more passionate advocate of Long Island wines. His unwavering commitment to quality winemaking was the driving force behind our success for the past 19 years. We will now carry the torch for him in all that we do at Bedell Cellars. It has been an privilege to work for Michael Lynne and we will continue to honor his memory with every wine we make." Read more...
Heron Hill Winery Owners Earn Top Grower Award
John and Jo Ingle currently cultivate a combined 50 acres of vinifera grapes and have the largest acreage of vinifera plantings on Canandaigua Lake. “It was over 48 years ago that I knew this is what I wanted to do with my life - working outdoors, cultivating the land, being my own boss and producing crops that I could be proud of; this would be my life’s work,” said John Ingle at the Unity Awards Banquet when he was just announced Grower of the Year. Read more...
Welcome New Winery & Business Members
Sparkling Ponds Winery : A Sparkling Experience! At our winery, we believe a wine tasting should be more than just sampling a few wines. It should be a Sparkling Experience! When you come to visit, you can expect your visit to be relaxing and pleasurable.
Salvatore and Maryann Diliberto [Winery] are passionate about their Italian heritage and their wines. Their tasting room on Manor Lane in Jamesport, New York is the ultimate expression of a lifelong dream come true. After 36 years in the legal profession, the Dilibertos began crafting their wines in 2001 in the heart of the Long Island North Fork Wine Trail. With only a few years of bottling experience, they were awarded gold medals for three different wines at the New York State Wine Classic in 2004 , and have continued to attract outstanding reviews and awards ever since. 
The Long Island based law firm of Fratello Law, P.C. was founded in 2012 by attorney Cheryl L. Fratello. With offices located in Nassau County and Suffolk County, our attorneys serve clients in Long Island, Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan. Our firm takes pride in focusing on each client’s individual needs and taking the time to understand those specific needs. We welcome the opportunity to meet you and discuss your legal concerns.
Welcome Back!
(Renewing Members from January 15th to February 28th, 2019)
Noble Winery, Vizcarra Family Vineyards at Becker Farms, Thorpe Vineyard, Glorie Farm Winery, Whitecliff Vineyard and Winery, Schwenk Wine Cellars, Boundary Breaks, Heron Hill Winery, Bowman Farms Inc., Stork Insurance Agency, Warwick Valley Winery, Hancock Estabrook LLP, Heart & Hands Wine Company, Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards, Inc., Laurel Lake Vineyards, 21 Brix Winery, BASF Business Representative, Anyela's Vineyards, Bella Brooke Vineyard, Fox Run Vineyards, New York Wines s.a.r.l., Headley's Liquor Barn, Harris Beach PLLC, New York State Pollution Prevention Institute, Century Enrollment and Benefit Services LLC, Nixon Peabody LLP, Thompson Ag, Amberg Grapevines, LLC, Bowman Farms Inc.
Member Corner: News, Benefits, Events & More
Wine and Climate From the Past to the Future with Dr. Benjamin Cook [Webinar]
April 11th, 2019 2:00PM to 3:00PM
Dr. Benjamin Cook is a climate scientist at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies. He specializes in the study of drought and the role of the land surface and vegetation in the climate system, including how climate change is likely to affect ecosystems and agriculture. His lecture will illuminate the historic relationship between drought, temperature, and the timing of wine harvest and examine how this relationship has evolved over time due to the influence of climate change.  Register here...
Digital Wine Marketing Webinar: Winery Websites
This workshop, led by digital wine marketing specialist,  Laura Perret Fontana , will cover the fundamentals of websites: guidelines, best practices, ideas to provide a better experience to consumers and trade.
Most marketing and sales teams understand the importance of having a winery website, but not all recognize the consequences of not properly maintaining the website. Whether keeping the site updated with current vintages, updating with fresh content to keep visitors engaged or optimizing the flow of the site to encourage sales, websites are an important tool in the sales process that should not be ignored. Members save $25 . Register here...
The Vine Hotline: Financial, Accounting & Tax-Focused Help Desk for Wineries and Growers in New York State
The day-to-day questions that most often challenge growers and winery owners do not have to do with the vines and winemaking themselves, but rather with overseeing the financial management of the business and ensuring compliance with tax rules and other regulations. In order to help New York Wine & Grape Foundation members tackle the complex issues of alcohol regulations and excise taxes, tax credits, tax preparation, grant applications, business planning, and more, we’ve partnered with our Business Associate Member Mengel, Metzger, Barr & Co., LLP to provide you with a Members Only Help Desk . NYWGF Members can now submit their confidential questions online here . These will be answered each week by Anthony Sandonato and his team at Mengel, Metzger, Barr & Co., LLP. The answers will be sent directly to you within 48 hours.
Sip & Sample
Monday, May 6th 4-7pm in Albany, New York
Sip & Sample is organized by the New York Wine Industry Association. This event provides a wonderful opportunity to showcase New York wines and foods to legislators, staff members and other government leadership in Albany's Legislative Office Building. There is no charge to participate. Please send an owner, principle or experienced staff member to offer your product. Reserve a spot... .
Upcoming Wine Trail Events