Area wineries earn symposium awards

GENEVA—Three area wineries, Glenora Wine Cellars, Fox Run Vineyards, and Hosmer Winery, all earned top awards in the Finger Lakes American Viticultural Area (AVA) Riesling Challenge, Saturday, March 23, in Geneva.
The contest was part of the inaugural Wine Symposium of the Finger Lakes held the same day at Hobart and William Smith Colleges to showcase New York wines.  The winners in each category were: Glenora Wine Cellars Dry 2011 Riesling (medium dry); and Fox Run Vineyards 2011 Reserve Riesling (medium sweet); and Hosmer Winery’s 2011 Dry Riesling (dry).
The winners presented  during a luncheon attended by more than 130 people.  The wines were judged based on the International Riesling Foundation’s (IRF) taste profile, which highlights the different attributes of this cool-climate wine.  All finalists and the winners were highlighted in a tasting that ended the event.
“The Finger Lakes is known as North America’s cool-climate home for Riesling,” explains Bob Madill, co-chair and host of the Wine Symposium of the Finger Lakes and general manager at Sheldrake Point Winery. “The Finger Lakes AVA Riesling Challenge wine competition provides Finger Lakes winemakers with the opportunity to select and honor the very finest Finger Lakes Riesling wines produced by their winemaking colleagues in all styles from dry to sweet wines.”
The inaugural Wine Symposium of the Finger Lakes was aimed at wine enthusiasts.  Attendees learned from and tasted wines alongside international experts and, in the process, gained knowledge about the Finger Lakes AVA in the context of the world’s key wine producing regions.
To be held annually, the Wine Symposium of the Finger Lakes is a collaborative effort of Geneva Growth and the Finger Lakes wine industry, with support from the New York Wine and Culinary Center, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, the city of Geneva and the Geneva Area Chamber of Commerce. For more, visit www.winesymposiumfingerlakes.com.