FLXcursion is an international Riesling expo gathering wineries, sommeliers, journalists, buyers, and consumers in the Finger Lakes of upstate New York. The weekend is packed with seminars and tastings that celebrate the diversity of Riesling and the factors impacting its place and perception in the industry. Enjoy this highlight video that showcases some of our favorite moments from the conference.
Our Riesling rendezvous in the Finger Lakes began with a Winemaker Dinner at Torrey Park featuring wines from Schlossgut Diel, Kruger-Rumpf, and Dönnhoff all from Germany’s Nahe region. Each winemaker shared their story of what makes Riesling from the Nahe distinct from other regions. This small winemaking region is nestled between the Rhine and Mosel valleys. The vineyards here benefit from a unique microclimate of mild temperatures and excellent sunshine.
Each day featured morning and afternoon seminars at local wineries. We explored topics like the impacts bodies of water have on Riesling growing regions, the climate changes and winemakers’ required adaptations to those changes, and the overall story of Riesling—how it is evolving and who is telling Riesling’s story.
Fellow Oregon Riesling freaks! Claire Jarreau and Janie Brooks Heuck from Brooks Winery pose for a selfie with Kirk Wille
Of course, no Riesling rendezvous would be complete without some social shenanigans and libations! Monday evening the crew headed to downtown Geneva for the Riesling Crawl where we traveled from one iconic local restaurant to another, tasting incredible Rieslings from around the globe that were paired with equally delicious and locally sourced morsels.
Paula Sidore, publisher of Trink Magazine, led a very engaging discussion about “The Story of Riesling.” That is, what makes Riesling special and how do we communicate that to consumers without having to oversimplify its complex and diverse nature? We agreed that heritage and culture are important aspects for many renowned wine estates (certainly those in our portfolio!), but they can’t just rely on past glories. Wineries and wine marketers must find fresh language that will captivate eager-to-learn consumers, without turning a thrilling tasting into a dull history lesson.
Dan Rapata from Wine Trends teaches Grand Tasting guests about the Mosel
Conference events concluded on Tuesday afternoon with an all-star panel of women in wine anchored by Maiah Johnson Dunn, wine writer and Beverage Education Manager at New York Kitchen. We discussed a multitude of factors impacting our industry from climate change to diversity, equity and inclusion, to the role of AI (artificial intelligence) and how that may shape the future of winegrowing and winemaking.
Loosen Bros. USA sponsored the farewell dinner at Kindred Fare, a local eatery committed to working with locally sourced and seasonal ingredients. We shared multiple wines from our portfolio, while most were Rieslings, there was an Oregon Pinot Noir and Australian Shiraz part of the fun, too! There’s no better way to celebrate another successful year of FLXcursion than with industry friends, great food, and amazing wines.
Head over to our YouTube channel for more videos about the estates in our portfolio. And be sure to check out Kelly Richardson’s “Kelly’s Convos” where she interviews legendary winemakers.
