HUDSON VALLEY WINE CELEBRATION

Steve Osborn's Stoutridge Winery meeting rooms and banquet halls were filled and sparkling, as the Hudson Valley Wine and Grape Association celebrated its Award Winners yesterday afternoon.

The food and people were great, and the wine was wonderful! And everyone was there. Tables filled with wonderful parings dazzled the eye. Salmon and Balwin's Sparkling Wine, roast beef and Summit Oak Pinot Noir, mushrooms and Brotherhood Seyval Blanc, desserts and Warwick Valley's new cherry and appple liquors, and of course, many other wines at the tasting bar in the big hall.

Non-Commercial Award Winners

Steve Casscles

In a field of accomplished home-winemakers, Steve Casscles and Paul Denino fared the best. Both of these gentlemen are well known on the Hudson Valley winemaking scene. Steve's Chambourcin (Hudson River) won a Blue Ribbon, Tied for best Red Hybrid and Best of Show, Best Hudson River AVA Wine. He also won for his Chancellor '05, Red Ribbon for Red Hybrid and NY 64.533 ’04 (Hudson River), Red Ribbon for Red Hybrid.

Paul Denino's Chancellor '05 took home a Blue Ribbon, Tied for best Red Hybrid and Best of Show. He also took another for his Cayuga White, which won a Blue Ribbon for White Hybrid

Other standouts included such notable home vinters as Dave Ahlgren, Myles Weintraub (2),
Kathy Noble, Stephen Kistner, Dennis Desario, John Hudelson (A New York wine favorite) and Bruce Trip.

Commercial Winners

(Mike Migliore, Doug Glorie, Marc Stopke)

The room and patio were flooded with sunlight and warm spring weather. Much of the talk, with the recent thaw, turned towards pruning, and the winemakers were comparing vineyard notes. That's the best thing about one of these events - they're better than the Academy Awards. Here, you can chat with the winemakers, while sipping award winning wines. You think the Academy is going to let you back stage with Jennifer and Brad? I don't think so.

(Cesar Beaza and John Graziano)

The who's who of Hudson Valley wine showed up. John Graziano of Millbrook, John Bruno of Oak Summit, Cesar Beaza of Brotherhood, Marc Stopkie of Adair, Rick from Alison, Mike Migliore and wife Yancey of Whitecliff, Doug Glorie from Glorie Farms, Richard Lewit of Alison Wines, Steve Osborn of Stoutbridge, Kristop Brown from Benmarl, Jason Grizzanti from Warwick Valley Winery, and Ed and Sue Miller and almost the entire staff of Brookview Station (and well deservedly so).

(Brookview took home the top prize for their Semi-Sweet Apple, and many other wineries came away with lots of loot as well.)

While the award presentations were the reason for the Hudson River confab, the real message was absolutely clear - Hudson River wines have come a long way. Marc Stopke's Pesche was real evidence of that. If it came from California it would have already risen to cult wine status (actually, it's sold out every year early, so it already is getting there).

But the news of the day was that the quality of the wines was wonderful. Tremendous even. If you don't have a few bottles of Hudson River wine in your kitchen, diningroom or cellar, you need to start stocking up. Now!

Read more at:
Gran Awards: http://www.hvwga.com/2007CommercialGRANDWINNERS.htm
Other Awards: http://www.hvwga.com/2007CommercialWinners.htm