Squeeze threatens state wine industry(1)
Governor Paterson is about to make an epic mistake that could easily derail New York's flourishing wine industry.
For the first time since its creation in 1985, which means through good times and bad, and governors of both parties, the New York Wine and Grape Foundation is not being funded in the governor's proposed budget.
In tough years, such as those Mario M. Cuomo faced, the funding was only $500,000. In more recent and better years, the funding was between $2 million and $3 million. But always there was something to keep this critical outfit functioning as the primary marketer, research-funder and promoter of New York wines. But not this year.
I've watched this fragile industry come roaring back from the dismal dregs 30 years ago to heights of quality and international respect unimaginable at the time. I've also occasionally judged wines for the foundation. So to me, the idea of killing off the team that was a major contributor to that success is stupefying. How very, very shortsighted and counterproductive, for New York state agriculture, for upstate where successes of any sort lately are counted on one hand, and for New York pride generally.
I'll wager few consumers, even those who fancy themselves informed buyers of New York's top-notch rieslings, have ever heard of the five-person foundation, or its president, a perpetual motion machine named Jim Trezise. No reason to, since for the most part they are behind the scenes players.
The foundation was created by the Legislature after Governor Cuomo and others saw grim desperation written large over the state's grape-growing and wine-making industries in the early 1980s, particularly around the Finger Lakes. Grape growers were going bankrupt and plowing up their fields. The few established wineries were about to fold. In addition, New York wines had a lousy reputation for being foxy and too sweet, and public was losing interest in them.
The nonprofit, public-private foundation was created to ''centralize and coordinate the promotion and research programs'' associated with grape growing, grape juice and wine making. In essence, to help revitalize and refocus the industry. The emphasis shifted to European-style grapes, a much higher quality of wine-making, cooperation among wineries and better branding and marketing, The proof that they have done remarkably well, often on a shoe string, is in the wide choice of top-quality rieslings you can buy locally as well as at the wineries.
Of the state's 255 commercial and farm wineries, 198 were created after the foundation was formed. Today, the New York wine industry is worth $3.4 billion, and 90 percent of what's made in New York is consumed by New Yorkers. The very definition of produce locally, consume locally.
While the foundation receives funding from a variety of sources, state funds are its lifeblood. Past governors have been supportive, and successive legislatures have usually enhanced whatever he governor has proposed.
