Casa Larga Vineyards wins Gold in New York competition | Business

Gold honors were given to Casa Larga’s Tapestry and 2009 Gewurztraminer at the 2011 NY Wine & Food Classic last week. The 2008 French Oak Chardonnay, 2009 Dry Rose, Rosso and Vineyard Hill Riesling received silver medals in the competition.

The competition was held on August 15 & 16 at the Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel in Watkins Glen. The NY Wine & Food Classic had entries from all over New York State, including Long Island, Hudson Valley, Finger Lakes, Niagara Escarpment and Lake Erie with a total of 726 wines and 15 spirits.

“These are among the very first awards for three of our newest wines,” says Andrea Colaruotolo O’Neill, Director of Operations at Casa Larga Vineyards. “That our newest wines are winning top awards right away is a great accomplishment.”

The 2009 Gewurztraminer, 2009 Dry Rose and the 2008 French Oak Chardonnay are 3 of the 9 wines released by the winery so far this year. Tapestry was re-launched in May with a flavor profile similar to the original Tapestry wine made by the winery’s founder, Andrew Colaruotolo. Dry Rose was also one of the winery’s first wines; this style of light, dry red is now regaining popularity for its old-world flavors.

Tapestry and 2009 Gewurztraminer were available for tasting at Celebrate the Classic 2011. Celebrate the Classic showcased Gold and Double Gold winners from the competition and was held at the New York Wine & Culinary Center on Friday, August 26. The event included recipes by great regional chefs using fresh, local seasonal ingredients created specifically to complement the featured wines.