If you've been meaning to take a trip to the wineries of the Finger Lakes, Greater Niagara region, North Fork or the Hudson Valley but haven't had the time, consider letting them come to you instead.

The 8th annual NY Drinks NY Grand Tasting will offer over 200 wines from almost 50 wineries across the state at The Rainbow Room, high atop Rockefeller Center. A quintessentially New York institution, the Rainbow Room has welcomed guests for over eight decades in an opulent, glamorous and iconic destination.In addition to wine, there will also be a spread of New York cheeses and charcuterie with artisan breads and sweet butter.

In addition to Finger Lakes, Hudson Valley and Long Island wines, you'll also be able to sample some made as far away as the Niagara Escarpment region of Western New York.

PLEASE NOTE:

• The Trade Tasting portion of this event will be held from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
• ALL TRADE & MEDIA TICKET REQUESTS ARE SUBJECT TO VERIFICATION.
• The New York Wine & Grape Foundation may require a business card and/or additional information and reserves the right to void tickets to trade which cannot be verified.

• The Consumer Tasting portion of this event will be held from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM only.

The event is part of NY Drinks NY, a promotion organized by the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, a not-for-profit corporation that promotes the wineries and grape-growers in the state.

Trade & Media Seminar Options
For our Trade & Media guests, we have added two (2) educational seminars. Space is limited to 40 participants for each session. 

SOLD OUT: The Past, Present and Future of New York's Hybrid Grapes  
1:00 PM to 2:00 PM  - Moderated by Pascaline Lepeltier, MS and Mike Colizzi, Viticulturist, Cornell
New York state boasts well over a century of fine wine production. But what exactly were the grapes that went into the wines that made their way to 19th century Europe to claim medals? And what about the subsequent phases of wine-grape exploration that followed in the university? In this seminar, we'll explore the history of hybrid grape wine production that began with our native labrusca grapes then transitioned to the cold-hardy crosses that take history in France as well as our own universities, such as Cornell. Join sommelier Pascaline Lepeltier, MS, and viticulturist Mike Colizzi of the Cornell Agriculture Experiment Station in Geneva, who, along with six of our state's winemakers, will moderate this seminar with an approach that addresses the past, present, and future of these grapes so important to northeastern North American wine culture.

Featured Wines:

• Thirsty Owl Wine Company, 2017 Traminette, Finger Lakes (Shawn Kime)
• Keuka Lake Vineyards, 2017 "Turkey Run" Vignoles, Finger Lakes (Staci Nugent)
• Anthony Road Wine Company, 2016 Dry Vignoles, Finger Lakes (Peter Becraft)
• Damiani Wine Cellars, NV Marechal Foch "Vino Rosso," Finger Lakes (Phill Arras)
• Benmarl, 2015 Bacco Noir, Hudson River Valley (Matthew Spaccarelli)
• Red Newt Cellars, 2006 "Legacy," Niagara Cream Sherry (Kelby Russell)

Simply Red: Exploring the Variety of Red Vinifera Grapes from Across New York  
3:00 PM to 4:00 PM - Moderated by Erin Scala, Sommalier and Mike Colizzi, Viticulturist, Cornell University
From the east end of Long Island, all the way to the northwest corner of the Niagara Escarpment, our state produces a diversity of red wines almost too vast to believe. Join sommelier and journalist Erin Scala, as well as Cornell viticulturist and vineyard owner Mike Colizzi, for this deep dive into our state's red vinifera grapes. This seminar will present a variety of red wines and their vignerons from the North Fork of Long Island, the Hudson Valley, the Finger Lakes, and the New York side of the Niagara Escarpment, of different structural textures, from rich blends with almost a decade of age to single variety bottlings of light, refreshing reds for the table or the bar.

Featured Wines:

• Bedell Cellars, 2017 Malbec, North Fork (Rich Olsen-Harbich)
• Macari, 2010 "Bergen Road," North Fork (Joseph Macari)
• Whitecliff Vineyard & Winery, 2016 Gamay Noir Reserve, Hudson River Valley (Brad Martz)
• Fox Run Vineyards, 2016 Lemberger, Finger Lakes (Peter Bell)
• Hermann J. Wiemer, 2015 Cabernet Franc, Finger Lakes (Fred Merwarth)
• Arrowhead Spring Vineyards, 2015 Meritage Reserve, Niagara Escarpment (Robin Ross)