on August 14, 2015 at 11:11 AM A 2011 Lemberger red wine from Ventosa Vineyards near Geneva won this year's Governor's Cup for the top wine in New York state. The award is top honor given each year at the New York Wine & Food Classic in Watkins Glen, considered the "Oscars" of state wine competitions. Medals and awards are given in a variety of wine categories, along with separate entries for spirits and ciders. Paumanok Vineyards on Long Island's North Fork won the award as "Winery of the Year," given to the winery with the best showing across all categories. The Ventosa Lemberger, like all that winery's offerings, is estate grown, meaning all the grapes come from its own vineyards. Ventosa is at 3440 Route 96A, on the east side of Seneca Lake south of Geneva. It specializes in older vintage dry red wines. The winery's tasting notes describe the Lemberger as having a "powerful spicy oak nose, botanical notes of juniper and eucalyptus on the immediate palate.

Sharp tannins, under-ripe blackberries, fiery pepper lingering on the finish." Lemberger is an Austrian grape variety, also known as Blaufrankisch, that grows well in cool climates like Upstate New York. best wine bar bruxellesIt is one of the red varieties that Finger Lakes winemakers have been increasingly turning to in their search for a signature red.best wine bar food The New York Wine & Food Classic competition was held Aug. 11 and 12 at the Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel in Watkins Glen. best wine bars usaThe Governor's Cup itself is a large silver chalice, awarded to Ventosa by Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul.wine by the case discount

This year, there were 910 entries in all categories: 858 New York wines, 20 hard ciders and 32 craft spirits. Entries came from across New York, including Long Island, Hudson Valley, Finger Lakes, Niagara Escarpment and Lake Erie.beer and wine shop in new delhi The Ventosa Vineyards 2011 Lemberger, Estate Grown was also voted Best Red Wine and Best Lemberger on its way to the top award. best wine bars on the upper east sidePaumanok Vineyards won Best White Wine and Best Overall Riesling on its way to the Winery of the Year. The awards were based on blind tastings by 21 expert judges. This is the event's 30oth year. Here are the top awards, or the "best of category" winners: Goose Watch Winery Pinot Noir Brut Rose Paumanok Vineyards 2014 Semi-Dry Riesling Lime Berry Winery Bunny Bunny Blush

Ventosa Vineyards 2011 Lemberger, Estate Grown Sheldrake Point Winery 2014 Riesling Ice Wine These are the "Best of Class" awards, given to Double Gold or Gold medal wines in classes of at least 10 wines:. McCall Wines 2013 Chardonnay Reserve Glenora Wine Cellars 2014 Chardonnay Mazza Chautauqua Cellars 2014 Gewurztraminer Dr. Konstantin Frank 2013 Dry Riesling Best Medium Dry Riesling Dr. Konstantin Frank 2013 Riesling, Semi-Dry Best Medium Sweet Riesling Glenora Wine Cellars 2014 Riesling Martha Clara Vineyards 2014 Sauvignon Blanc, Estate Reserve 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 Goose Watch Winery 2014 Traminette Best Hybrid White Blend Tug Hill Vineyards 43deg Lat White Americana Vineyards Crystal Lake Kontokosta Winery 2014 Rose Osprey's Dominion Vineyards 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

Harbes Vineyard 2013 Hallock Lane Merlot Martha Clara Vineyards 2013 Pinot Noir, Estate Reserve Idol Ridge Winery 2012 Cabernet Franc 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 Baldwin Vineyards Strawberry Wine Kaneb Orchards St. Lawrence Cider Black Button Distilling Citrus Forward Gin Swedish Hill Winery 2014 Late Harvest Vignoles Best Vinifera Sparkling White Sparkling Pointe Vineyards & Winery 2005 Brut Seduction, Methode Champenoise Complete results of the 2015 classic will also soon be posted under "Awards and Accolades" at the web site of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, sponsor of the competition. » What are the Finger Lakes' best Rieslings? » A Keuka Lake Riesling that will get your attention: A Wine Forecaster review » 5 best Finger Lakes wineries for great wines and outstanding tasting rooms

Contact him by email, on Twitter, at Google+ or via Facebook.Health effects of red wine: Where do we standChat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds.JUST WATCHEDReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHStory highlightsCurrent research says it's safe for most people to have a glass of red wine every dayWhile there are likely some heart health and other benefits, there are risks, tooThe story of red wine's effect on cancer and dementia is cloudier -- some studies found it increased the risks, other studies suggested a decrease. The most recent addition to the research found that people who drink red wine had a higher risk of cancers that are related to alcohol consumption, such as breast and liver. But the rub with all these studies is that people who drink red wine, or any kind of alcohol, might be different from non drinkers in other ways, such as diet, exercise level and smoking status.3000 B.C.: Wine is the best medicineMillennia before Jesus turned water into wine, the ancient Egyptians turned wine into medicine.

Researchers found a jar in the tomb of King Scorpion I dating back to 3150 B.C. that contained traces of wine along with residue from balm, coriander, sage and mint. The finding suggests that ancient Egyptians dissolved herbs in wine, and then drank the cocktail to treat stomach problems, herpes and other ailments.750 B.C.: Wine does not pair well with womanhood400 B.C.: Hippocrates prescribes red wine for digestion1250: Sip some grog to clear your mental fogHundreds of years before studies suggesting that red wine may help protect against the common cold, Arnaldus de Villa Nova, a physician in southern France, detailed how wine can help sinus problems. De Villa Nova was also ahead of his time in writing about the benefit of wine for dementia. Current research supports the possibility that red wine in moderation could reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease.1850: Don't drink the water, drink the wine instead1920: Beware the evils of vino1988: Migraine sufferers, put down your glassAll of you who complain that red wine gives you migraines got some vindication from science.

A small 1988 study in London found that nine out of 11 people with this complaint did indeed develop a migraine within a few hours of sipping a Spanish red, whereas another eight people served vodka with lemonade remained migraine free. Both beverages were served chilled and in a dark bottle to disguise their identity. The authors of the study concluded that alcohol on its own is not to blame, and that ingredients in red wine such as flavonoids could precipitate the debilitating headaches.1992: The French secret to heart health? Red wine, bien sûr!In the early 1990s, the French paradox made headlines, and forever more (at least, so far) put red wine in a healthy light. Doctors described the paradox that the French had lower death rates from heart disease in the 1980s than countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom, even though they had similar rates of smoking, blood pressure and other risk factors. The doctors suggested the reason could be that the copious amounts of wine -- in particular, red wine -- protects from heart disease.

Many have questioned whether red wine deserved credit back then for lowering heart disease deaths. For one thing, the French actually had less fatty diets in the decades before the 1980s than the UK, which could have been what brought down death rates. But even if the role of red wine in the French paradox was overhyped, other studies in the 1980s and 1990s backed up the link between red wine and increased levels of good cholesterol and antioxidants. 1995: Drink to your longevityDanish researchers found that, among 6,000 men and 7,000 women, those who drank three to five glasses of wine a day had a 49% lower rate of death over a 10-year period. Drinking the same amount of beer was not associated with lower death rate, and three to five glasses of hard alcohol increased the death rate by 34%. The researchers did not look at lifestyle factors, though, so it is possible that wine drinkers live longer because they eat healthier or exercise more, for example2005: Can red wine put a cork in prostate cancer?2007: Smile: Red wine fights cavities2013: Men, liquoring up may help your libido but hurt your fertility2015: Does the next Alzheimer's treatment hang on a vine?2015