NY State is Nation’s 4th Largest Wine Producer, But NYers Prefer Int’l Spirits

By:  Mario Mancini

New York is a massive wine producing state, the fourth most popular in the United States. Only California, Oregon lead in in their amounts of wine produced. An exclusive New York Post report finds that it is becoming increasingly rare to find New York wines on the shelves in local stores.

Park Avenue Liquor Shop owner Eric Goldstein, who stocks a few regional wines like Wolffer Estate from Long Island’s East End, confessed he feels “like there might be — I don’t want to say a stigma on New York wine — it’s just not top of mind. It’s not thought of, period.”

Carl Campanile and Haley Brown write that New York wines remain the most popular among tourists to the city.

“You only have a limited amount of space so you have to have what the people want… New York wines while they’re good — some of them are very good — they don’t have the cache or the history of wines from Europe, California even,” the 44-year veteran wine seller Vito Massulo Soho Spirits & Wine owner said.

Meaghan Frank, vice president of Konstantine Frank Winery in scenic Hammondsport along Keuka Lake, spoke to The New York Post and called it unfortunate “our region gets overlooked. There is a perception issue we have to contend with.” She said wines are easier to sell in closer upstate markets of Rochester, Ithaca, Syracuse and Buffalo than in the Big Apple.

Long Island Rep. Lee Zeldin, the GOP candidate for governor who represents the wine-making East End, said policy makers have to “totally reimagine” how to promote local wine and other beverages by providing tax incentives to market the products.

“From the east end of Long Island to the Finger Lakes and beyond, vineyards and craft breweries are producing some of the very best wines and beers in America, but you can’t tell that by looking at which products are being stocked up on shelves in New York stores,” Zeldin told The New York Post.

Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul defended the state’s role in promoting local wineries.

“Governor Hochul has invested millions to promote and market wineries, cut red tape to help wine producers open and expand, and continues to work to bolster the innovation and grape success of New York’s wine industry,” said Hochul spokeswoman Hazel Crampton-Hays.

The state budget provides $6 million in Taste NY funding — $1.075 million for the NY Wine & Grape Foundation and $252,000 for concord grape research, her office said.

Meanwhile the WSJ is running 3 extensive articles highlighting the best NY Wines:

Lettie Teague Writes:

Why are NY Wines so hard to find in New York City? For many years, the answer was clear: because the wines weren’t particularly good. Today, that’s no longer true. There are some very good wines produced all over the state. I’ve had terrific Rieslings from Hermann J. Wiemer and Ravines Wine Cellar in the Finger Lakes, excellent Pinot Noir from McCall Wines on the North Fork of Long Island and good Cabernet Franc from the Hudson River Valley’s Fjord Vineyards. I’m so convinced that New York wines are finally having their moment, I’m devoting a three-column series to the topic, beginning with New York City, the wine capital of the world.

With all this added publicity, one can expect this trend of NY Wines missing in NY State’s shelves and restaurants to reverse.