Saturday, March 06, 2010

HUDSON-CHATHAM WINERY
PARTICIPATES IN
THREE SISTERS PROJECT

I was sitting with David Jackon one day, our sales director, and we were in ameeting discussing different ideas about sales and marketing for the up-coming year. At the end of the meeting, I asked David if that was all, and he said he had one more thing.

"I've come up with an idea I call 'The Three Sisters,'" said David. He looked at me.

"Good title, what is it?" I said, of course knowing there was a Chekov play by the same name.
Maybe David knew that too, I didn't bother to ask.

Anyway he explained the idea, and I immediately ran with it. He and I approached Lenn Thompson and Evan Dawson, two New York state wine experts who might be able to introduce us to wineries in the Finger Lakes and Long Island that would be open to such an idea. The sell was as easy to them as it was to us, and the easy part was that several of the wineries asked who the other winery in the Hudson Valley would be, and expressed an interest in Benmarl. And boom it was done. At that point Evan and Lenn recused themselves from the roject, which was understandable. Then David and I immediately started working on the rest.

We're hoping this becomes a yearly April promotion, with the idea of people sharing wine and ideas, helping each other to get their product out, and exchanging varietals that that are popular in other regions. Our real hope would be that we would be able to make this an exciting draw for consumers and winemakers. We've had fun so far.

Special thanks to Lenn Thompson, Evan Dawson, all the winery owners and executives that have made this possible, Jim Trezise, our designer Laura, and all the people who've been so helpful putting this together!

THREE SISTERS PROJECT
Kickoff weekend is April 3rd and 4th, 2010

The Three Sisters Project is an innovative, new cooperative project that shares the best wines between three of New York's greatest wine growing regions. In each region, there are two wineries, that for the month of April, 2010, will taste and sell select wines from the other regions.

The three participating regions include: The North Fork of Long Island, the Finger Lakes, and the Hudson Valley. The goal of The Three Sisters Project is to help increase overall consumer awareness of the great local and quality wines being made in New York State, and to give wine buyers a chance to sample some of the great local wines from around the state.

These three regions all share something in common - water. The Finger Lakes region encompasses deep, clear water lakes that were gouged by Ice Age glaciers. The deep waters create a lake effect that tempers lush vineyards flanking their shores. Long Island is surrounded by water, with the Atlantic Ocean on one side, and Long Island Sound on the other. The North Fork of Long Island is on the north eastern shore of the island, between Long Island Sound and Peconic Bay with soils loaded with minerals. Through the rich and fertile Hudson Valley follows the great and mighty Hudson River, first explored by Henry Hudson and his men more than 400 years ago, that stretches from north of Albany down past Manhattan into New York Harbor.


Participants in the event include:

HUDSON VALLEY
Benmarl Winery
Hudson-Chatham Winery

FINGER LAKES
Anthony Road Wine Company
Fox Run Vineyards

NORTH FORK OF LONG ISLAND
Lieb Family Cellars
Macari Vineyards

This has been a great way to work with our sister wineries, share information, try new styles, introduce new wines into our tasting rooms, and get the word out on New York state wine. Interest in local foods and wine have never been hotter. We think this is a great opportunity.

“We love to support our neighbors in New York and are glad for the chance to do it. We’d like to think this gives people a chance to see that New York wines are delicious, food-friendly and hand-crafted,” said Leslie Kroeger of Fox Run Vineyards

"The major thing with New York wines is building awareness,” says Matthew Spaccarelli, owner of Benmarl Winery. “The Quality and consistency is already in place. This program is a great way to showcase what the wineries throughout New York are producing.”

Alexandra Macari of Macari Vineyards said it best, when she said, “From the Lake, to the River, to the Sound, wine from the Finger Lakes, Hudson Valley and North Fork of Long Island will be sampled at Macari Vineyards, Mattituck…….come and meet the Three Sisters!”

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