Geneva Winery Wins Governor's Cup

Winners of the 2015 Governor’s Cup wine competition have been announced.

At an award ceremony today in Canandaigua, Ontario County, Lt. Gov..Kathy Hochul presented the 2015 Governor’s Cup to Ventosa Vineyards from Geneva for its 2011 Lemberger, Estate Grown. 

This ceremony followed the state’s first-ever Taste NY Culinary Tour, which provided more than a dozen of the region’s leading chefs and restaurateurs with a first-hand look at the quality and diversity of New York agriculture in the region.
The Governor’s Cup award is a large silver chalice, recognizing the Best of Show or top prize from 910 entries in the annual New York Wine & Food Classic competition, organized by the New York Wine & Grape Foundation. 

In addition, Paumanok Vineyards from Long Island’s North Fork won the Winery of the Year award.
This year's competition included 858 wines, 20 hard ciders and 32 spirits from across the state. The awards were based on blind tastings by 22 expert judges, four from California, 10 from New York, seven from other states and one from France. 

Judges included prominent wine writers, restaurateurs, retailers and wine educators. Judging panels determined the initial awards, with top-scoring wines evaluated by all 22 judges for the Best of Category and Governor's Cup awards.
The Governor also announced the following winners from the 2015 New York Wine & Food Classic competition:
The "Best of Category" awards, all eligible for the Governor's Cup, were:

· Best Sparkling Wine – Goose Watch Winery Pinot Noir Brut Rosé · Best White Wine – Paumanok Vineyards 2014 Semi-Dry Riesling · Best Rosé/Blush Wine – Lime Berry Winery Bunny Bunny Blush · Best Red Wine – Ventosa Vineyards 2011 Lemberger, Estate Grown · Best Dessert Wine – Sheldrake Point Winery 2014 Riesling Ice Wine

The "Best of Class" awards, which are given to Double Gold or Gold medal wines in classes of at least 10 wines, were:

· Best Oaked Chardonnay – McCall Wines 2013 Chardonnay Reserve
· Best Unoaked Chardonnay – Glenora Wine Cellars 2014 Chardonnay
· Best Gewürztraminer – Mazza Chautauqua Cellars 2014 Gewürztraminer · Best Dry Riesling – Dr. Konstantin Frank 2013 Dry Riesling
· Best Medium Dry Riesling – Dr. Konstantin Frank 2013 Riesling, Semi-Dry  
· Best Medium Sweet Riesling – Paumanok Vineyards 2014 Semi-Dry Riesling
· Best Sweet Riesling – Glenora Wine Cellars 2014 Riesling  
· Best Overall Riesling – Paumanok Vineyards 2014 Semi-Dry Riesling
· Best Sauvignon Blanc – Martha Clara Vineyards 2014 Sauvignon Blanc, Estate Reserve
· Best Pinot Gris – Dr. Konstantin Frank 2013 Pinot Gris · Best Other Vinifera White Varietal – Inspire Moore Winery 2014 Rhythm  
· Best Vinifera White Blend – Casa Larga Vineyard 2014 Chard-Riesling  
· Best Traminette – Goose Watch Winery 2014 Traminette  
· Best Hybrid White Blend – Tug Hill Vineyards 43° Lat White
· Best Niagara – Americana Vineyards Crystal Lake
· Best Vinifera Rosé – Kontokosta Winery 2014 Rosé
· Best Cabernet Sauvignon – Osprey’s Dominion Vineyards 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve  
· Best Merlot – Harbes Vineyard 2013 Hallock Lane Merlot
 · Best Pinot Noir – Martha Clara Vineyards 2013 Pinot Noir, Estate Reserve  
· Best Cabernet Franc – Idol Ridge Winery 2012 Cabernet Franc
· Best Lemberger – Ventosa Vineyards 2011 Lemberger, Estate Grown  
· Best Other Red Vinifera Varietal – Standing Stone Vineyards 2013 Saperavi
· Best Vinifera Red Blend – Fox Run Vineyards 2013 Cabernet Franc/Lemberger
· Best Hybrid Red Blend – Raymor Estate Cellars Sunset Red
· Best Fruit – Baldwin Vineyards Strawberry Wine
· Best Cider – Kaneb Orchards St. Lawrence Cider  
· Best Spirit – Black Button Distilling Citrus Forward Gin
· Best Late Harvest – Swedish Hill Winery 2014 Late Harvest Vignoles
· Best Ice Wine – Sheldrake Point Winery 2014 Riesling Ice Wine  
· Best Vinifera Sparkling White – Sparkling Pointe Vineyards & Winery 2005 Brut Seduction, Methode Champenoise

First-Ever Taste NY Culinary Tour
The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets led the tour, visiting four farms and processors across Yates and Ontario counties.-- Wegman’s Organic Farm (vegetable farm), Hemdale Farms (dairy farm), Climbing Bines (hops farm) and Birkett Mills (buckwheat).
The tour, which was the first of three to be held across the state, kicked off at the New York Wine and Culinary Center in Canandaigua and participants visited four farms and processors. 

At Wegman’s Organic Farm, restaurateurs toured the 5-acre organic vegetable farm that grows about 25 different vegetables and herbs, including cherry tomatoes, leeks, beets, squash, dandelion greens, eggplant, cilantro, basil and parsley, for its restaurant and several Wegmans stores. 

The farm strives to grow the best-tasting varieties and extend growing seasons, making local farms more economically sustainable. 

The group also toured Hemdale Farm, which opened its milking parlor more than half a century ago and today has grown to an 11,000 cow, 21^st century dairy operation. The farm uses 19 automatic, robot milking systems and produces 80,000 pounds, or more than 9,000 gallons, of milk daily.
The tour moved to Penn Yan and visited Climbing Bines Hop Farm, a 1.5-acre site that consists of seven cultivars and nearly 1,500 hills.The farm is dedicated to growing premium New York state grown hops for the local brewing industry and beyond. 

At the final stop, participants visited The Birkett Mills, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of buckwheat products. The mill has over 200 years of buckwheat, soft white wheat, and custom grain milling experience. Throughout the year, finished products are shipped across the United States, Canada and Western Europe.

Two additional Culinary Tours are planned for the coming weeks. A tour will be held on Long Island later this month and in the Hudson Valley in October.