Media
Contact:
Camille Campanaro
office: 585-394-0787 x3
cell: 585-752-2661
International
Awards for Casa Larga Chardonnays
Fairport,
NY - Wines produced by Casa Larga Vineyards came home recently with
awards from the Beverage Tasting Institute Northeast Regional Wine Review
and the 2015 Florida State Fair International Competition.
Four of the awarded wines are
Casa Larga Chardonnays. The winery produces 6 types of Chardonnay.
According to the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, roughly 150-200
wineries
out of 400 in New York State produce Chardonnay wines. Of those wineries,
only one other produces as many as 6 Chardonnays.
The Finger Lakes Region is
well known and focused on Riesling. Although Casa Larga produces Rieslings,
the winery has a special niche focus on Chardonnay. It is one of the first
varietals, along with Riesling, that was planted in the vineyards in 1974.
"The growing conditions here
are the same as France - if you follow the longitude line from France to
New York State, we land in the same region near where Chardonnay grapes
grow," comments Andrea Colaruotolo-O'Neill, Director of Marketing.
"It holds a special place in our hearts as the favorite varietal for
my parents, Mr. and Mrs. C, who founded the winery over 40 years ago, and
the whole family is partial to it. It is always nice to see that focus pay
off with these distinctions."
New York State is the Wine
Enthusiast Wine Region of the Year and sits on a similar latitude to the
Burgundy region in France where they are well known for Chardonnays.
"Our growing seasons are
similar enough that our wines can show similar qualities. Chardonnays from
both Burgundy and New York also maintain lively acidity which brings them
balance. At Casa Larga we use many Burgundian-based production techniques
like barrel fermenting, battonage and malolactic fermentations," says
Casa Larga Winemaker Matt Cassavaugh. "Awards that New York State
wineries bring home consistently demonstrate the versatility of our region
by spanning a variety of vintages, grape varieties, and styles."
Nine wines received awards at
the Beverage Tasting Institute competition: In addition to three gold
medals and six silver medals, several wines received the distinction of
"best buy." The Beverage Tasting Institute is a dedicated tasting lab
in Chicago where professional guest tasters review beverages in their area
of expertise using a carefully developed blind tasting methodology.
Seven of these nine wines are
available for purchase at the Casa Larga wine shop, on the Casa Larga
website, and at select Rochester liquor stores. The 2013 Reserve Riesling
is only available to the winery's club members and the 2012 Old Vine Chardonnay
is only available in the Casa Larga wine shop.
Gold Medals
2013 Muscat Ottonel, 92 pts
& Best Buy ($14.99)
2012 Hungarian Oak
Chardonnay, 92 pts & Best Buy ($18.99)
2013 Reserve Riesling, 91 pts
(Wine Lover Club exclusive, $30.00)
Silver Medals
2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, 89
pts ($24.99)
2012 American Oak Chardonnay,
89 pts ($17.99)
NV Meritage, 89 pts ($21.99)
2012 Old Vine Chardonnay, 88
pts ($24.99)
2013 Medium Dry Riesling, 88
pts & Best Buy ($13.99)
2012 French Oak Chardonnay,
87 pts ($19.99)
Two of these wines also medaled at the Florida State Fair Competition:
Meritage and the 2013 Medium Dry Riesling.
Gold Medal
NV Limited Release Meritage
($21.99)
Silver Medals
2013 Medium Dry Riesling
($13.99)
NV Tramonto ($9.99)
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About
Casa Larga
Located
in Fairport, NY, Casa Larga Vineyards is one of New York's premier wine
producers, highly regarded for its production of award-winning, world-class
Ice Wines. Casa Larga produces a wide range of wines, including Chardonnay,
Merlot, Riesling and other proprietary wine blends. For more information
call (585) 223-4210 or visit www.CasaLarga.com.