Finger Lake USA Award Winning Wineries

[Don Giovanni]

Finger Lake USA Award Winning Wineries Put To The Test and Failed

Jancis resent trip to our region was staged and very misleading…first I am very outspoken about the value of ‘award winning wineries’ …with over many thousands of competitions in the world each year ….anyone can win a metal or an award if you enter enough of them…so I never enter any because it’s a business…they are in it to make money and also have fun then maybe they get it somewhat right on scoring a wine and someone wins…I salute the winemaker or wineries that never enter a contest…in our region the humble make the best wines…far greater and complex than the metal seekers…we put our money in our wine not big buildings that people comment the best thing about XYZ winery was the view, after tasting your wines…we have producers, winemakers that used to work for the big wineries who opened up and are making very good wines…their voice is muted by Trade Associations that charge $10,000 per year to join them…also by the inept Uncork New York head that never grew a grape or made a wine in his life… I have on many occasions told them the truth about a few articles they wrote about and knew nothing as to the science of making wine…it’s nice to know political people to get the job that someone more qualified should be doing…I can think of many who would be doing a much better job…retired winery owners…winemakers...etc…not some marketing person with no history of viticulture…other then by walking through one…

So what’s my point …well Jancis wasted her time…not her fault…because she did not taste the wine from the best producers…the small handcrafted winemakers who used to make wine for the big wineries and are being ignored because they are like me not playing a fixed game…the scores Jancis gave out were also a bit off…way too high for one producer who is the joke of the region amongst customers…day in and out…real big building very nice view…retched wine…

What did I learn …well that the public is being overloaded with ‘award winning wines’…this is what they are after… someone to show them the way…unfortunately it’s the wrong way…the right way is a cliché …find the small producers the cult wineries, as they make the best wines …at least in our region…

I can think of as many as 30 wineries whose wines would have showed nicer than the ‘Award Winning Wineries’…more confident than I ever have been on how I am building my business…word of mouth and it’s what’s in the bottle that counts not how big or pretty the view is…so we renegade winemakers are in the background ROFLOAF when we see the dog and ugly pony show that Jancis and many other critics are subjected to…next time you are in the Region give me a ring I will secure quality wines…rather than manipulated ‘Award Winning Wineries’ and do a quality wine tasting…back to harvest…best and better than 95, 01, 05, now 07’ three vintages in a decade and I live to work them…I feel truly blessed…

As for the tricksters and hucksters I will leave what they do best…run the spin machine make noise about a region and then fall on their face at presentation time…inept, ignorant, and egotistical sheep…going for the gold…somewhere even if a dog a cat a pig and a goat were the judges…it all about the gold…not the wine…what a shame…someday someone will present our region right…if I have years that someone will be me…good day...cheers...!!!

[MattJohnson]

As a consumer, I've grown very suspicious any time someone starts pouring me a wine and leads with "gold medal winner." When you look at the contest name its always something silly - "Association for winemakers with 3 legged white dogs and a bad case of gout"

If it makes you feel any better, I asked my friend who makes several trips a year to your neck of the woods if he'd heard of your winery and he right off the bat said it was his favorite for reds.

[Graphix]

can you offer a list of some producers who you think make the grade? I live somewhat locally (Albany) and would be interested in trying some of the producers you think are putting out great wine from this region.

thanks

B

[MSRadell]

Don, is there a link to the results of the competition you're talking about? I like to see what the Finger Lakes "big" wineries are making these days. I moved from the area many years ago and really haven't kept up with winemaking in that region.

I'd like to also see list of the Boutique Wineries that have sprung up in the area. When I left there were very few of them and the ones there were, were shall I say cultish? The most well known of them was Bully Hill which while having a good philosophy was not yet producing any world class wines. The story of Walter Taylor (not associated with or part of that Taylor Wine Company) the owner was a wonderful story and needs to be heard by every one.

If you've got a list or a link to the Boutique Wineries in the area would you please post it or send it to me.