We don’t link to New York wine stories published by other publications very often, but this piece by John Christensen is more than deserving.
In the piece, Christensen starts off with some surprising news:
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The New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets may be the organizers of the New York State Fair, but they seem to have forgotten that New York is in the wine business.
According to local sources attending the fair, the Empire Room, despite the hundreds of wineries in the Empire State, serves only one New York wine (from Glenora), yet offered several wines by Robert Mondavi – from California.”
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As you can read in the full piece, Christensen didn’t have much luck when he contacted organizers and State organizations, trying to find out how this happened and why. But, not surprisingly, the Finger Lakes winery owners he spoke to had plenty to say:
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David Whiting of Red Newt Cellars doesn’t mince words when he says, “It’s really stupid. The fair always could have been a better venue to feature New York wines. It’s a shame they can’t stand up for New York produce. That’s the purpose.”
Scott Osborn of Fox Run Vineyards was even more frustrated. “It is idiotic. Do they feature milk or cheese from Wisconsin? If you go to Burgundy in France, all the restaurants serve wines from Burgundy.”
Peter Martini of Anthony Road Wine Co. just shook his head, saying, “I don’t know why the fair has such a difficult time keeping its nose clean.”
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I’d encourage you to read the full piece and voice your opinions here and with the Fair’s organizers.