StateWays is the only magazine exclusively covering the control state system within the beverage alcohol industry, with annual updates from liquor control commissions and alcohol control boards and yearly fiscal reporting from control jurisdictions
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27 StateWays ■ www.stateways.com ■ January/February 2015 interest, giving up-and-coming wine regions the spotlight. New York State wines have made tremendous strides over the last several years; along with an increase in quality, cus- tomer interest has been piqued. One such winery that has championed Long Island wines is Bridgehampton-based Channing Daughters. Its super-blends, like the Mosaico (Pinot Grigio, Chardon- nay, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat, Gewürtzraminer, Tocai), change every year. Lieb Cellars, close by in Mattituck, debuted two new blends under its Bridge Lane brand in 2014: the Bridge Lane White Blend (29% Chardonnay, 26% Pinot Blanc, 18% Riesling, 14% Viognier, 9% Sau- vignon Blanc, 4% Gewürztraminer) and the Bridge Lane Red Blend (46% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Petit Verdot, 5% Malbec). Likewise, up in the Riesling- dominant Finger Lakes, Anthony Road Wine Company in Penn Yan has had great success with its more uncon- ventional Cabernet Franc-Lemberger blend. "Blends are becoming increasingly popular among New York wineries, especially with certain grape variet- ies like Cabernet Franc and Lemberger, and Riesling and Gewürztraminer," notes Jim Tresize, president of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation. "These variet- ies, as well as others, can make some stunning wines by themselves. But sometimes blending can give you a whole that's greater than the sum of its parts - it's taste synergy." Blends are also a choice introduction to more serious single varietals. Franciscan Estate Winery, in St. Helena, for example, makes Equilibrium (72% Sauvignon Blanc, 17% Chardonnay, 11% Muscat), a far more approachable blend than the robust wines often associated with the region. Clean, crisp and ideal with food, it paves the way for bolder Chardonnays. The same could be said of Franciscan Estate's hearty meritage blend, the Magnifi cat (79% Cabernet Sauvi- gnon, 12% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec), which serves as a warm-up to those pervasive, powerful all-Cabs. Michael Warner, co-founder and man- aging director of Washington, DC-based wine boutique DCanter, notes that his customers seek out blends for pragmatic reasons: They are sophisti- cated buyers who crave "a complete wine that provides balanced fruit, acidity and a lingering fi nish," he says. "While many single varietals are strong in one or two of those areas, well-made blends consistently deliver in all three." Not surprisingly, many of DCanter's customers recognize blends as a great value. DCanter's clientele, who often choose blends over single-varietal wines, tends to lean toward traditional styles. "Red Rhône blends, like the classic Grenache- Syrah-Mourvèdre, sell exceptionally well, as does white Bordeaux," he says. "White blends that incorporate a small amount of Viognier consistently outsell the single NY-based Waterfront Wines & Spirits. Bridge Lane White and Red Blend Esporão Assobio