WINE COUNTRY USA

[Music] so [Music] so [Music] i can tell you a lot about the finger lakes now but that evening in the big city they were nothing but an odd sounding name to me i'm bob robertson by the way helen that's my wife and the other half of our photojournalism team and i had been invited out to dinner our host bill wilson editor of american view magazine who had just returned from his vacation in what he called the finger lakes region of new york state on the map the lakes stretch out like the fingers of a hand that's why they call them the finger lakes the whole region's a wonderful vacation playground here's to vacation playgrounds i'm all for them me too what has this one got to offer just about everything the lakes of course provide swimming and boating sailing is a real specialty with regattas and meats on every lake sailing kuka lake is quite a trick you know especially near the shoreline where a sudden change of wind can catch you unawares if you're not watching of course some people use the lake for more athletic pursuits [Applause] as well as more sedentary ones though they tell me that lake fishing can keep you pretty busy if you're using a seth green rig my kind of fishing though is trout fishing and there's plenty of that in the finger lakes region all those lakes are surrounded by streams and they're just loaded with big ones to put up a terrific fight but they lose often enough to make it interesting the activities however are not confined to the lakes and streams for instance the world's fastest sports cars and drivers race at watkins glen u.s grand prix is held there a grueling 253-mile race for the championship of the world and everywhere there are things to see the famous corning glass center [Music] the racetrack at canandaigua fabulous golf courses the rose center of the world and everywhere waterfalls large and small the number in the thousands naturally in the wintertime the large lakes make perfect settings for skating and ice boating one of the fastest and most exciting sports going ice boating is a real favorite with many of the year-round residents of the area [Music] but to get back to our trip we stopped at hammondsport at the foot of cuca lake and visited the glen curtis museum this aviation pioneer through his efforts made hammondsport the cradle of aviation and flew the world's first flying boat off cuca lake near hammondsport the hills are so steep that your car groans but to reach the top is well worthwhile what a view you look down and below you you see beautiful keuka lake and every foot of those hillsides is covered with vineyards and it was right on that spot that you got the great idea how did you know it had to happen sooner or later we've been waiting for it busy editors don't take writers out and wine them and dine them just because they like their company not this busy editor unless of course he wants to expose them to a great idea or as he often puts it the germ of a great idea okay so you've got me dead to rights it just happens that i do have the beginnings of an idea of course if uh you two are too busy to handle it oh we never said that did we helen it all depends on the idea well fair enough let me tell you how it occurred to me i was looking out over all those vineyards and i began to realize for the first time how important this branch of agriculture is to the economy of the whole region and to the country the people in the finger lakes are proud of the wineries up there not only because they furnish employment and a dependable market for the small independent grower but also because of the quality of the wines they produce and they have a right to be proud this is one of the great wine producing districts of the world then little things that i hadn't consciously noticed began to come back to me for instance the way that you can hardly walk into a restaurant up there without seeing people enjoying wine why even the motel i stayed at had a chilled bottle of wine in every room but then i began to think this is not a trend that's confined merely to the finger lakes wine and grape district it's something that in a general way is happening all over america i know what you mean right in our own business for instance look how many women's magazines are putting out wine recipes that's right just a few years ago you hardly ever saw one and you see wine glasses and table settings too and wine bottles for decorative effect anywhere people want atmosphere you even see more people drinking wine me for instance well that's the story i want you to get a series of articles covering the subject from beginning to end the story of the new place of wine in american life needless to say we accepted our first stop wine country usa arrangements were made for us to fly up to the new york state finger lakes early in the fall at the height of the grey potholes our destination was the slopes bordering keuka lake near hammondsport new york the center of the vineyard and winery region bill wilson was certainly not exaggerating about the scenic wonders of the finger lakes [Music] [Applause] soon after landing we were in the midst of the vineyards talking to frank adams who as a vineyard supervisor was to be an important source of information for our stories aren't they beautiful what kind of grapes are they they're catawbas one of the first varieties grown in this area in fact it wasn't very far from here that the first grapes cultivated in the finger lakes region were planted by the reverend william bostwick over 130 years ago from what i've seen there must be acres and acres of vineyards around us yes the climate and soil conditions along the finger lakes prove to be ideal for the growth of the many varieties of american grapes that have been developed over the years all of these varieties ives delaware concord elvira have their own special characteristics and particular value to the winemaker their common ancestors are the native grapes that have grown in the northeastern part of america for thousands of years are they all used in making wines yes the harvest of the vineyards here along the lakes particularly along lake cuca are used to make the fine wines that are the products of the wineries in hammondsport you mentioned harvest it must be a big job to pick all these grapes yes it is fortunately the grapes don't all ripen at the same time the years of experience we've had in growing grapes helps in knowing just when a particular variety will reach its peak of ripeness [Music] but it's nature that does the work climate and location here are ideal hot days and cool nights during the summer as the grapes mature now in the fall warm air rising off the lakes protects the vineyards against frost oh bob look at these posts they look like railroad ties they certainly do and i'm sure glad i didn't have to set them that's right most people don't realize what it means to plant and maintain vineyards like these how long will these vines continue to produce well this vision was planted 18 years ago proper cultivation it will last indefinitely some of our vineyards are over 100 years old for the vineyard owner and his crew it's a year-round job every season has its jobs pruning in the winter a special technique called balance pruning is used briefly the number of new buds that are left on the vines are in proportion of the previous year's growth [Music] everything taken from the vines except the juice of the grapes is returned to the soil in recent years tractors have replaced horses and this has allowed more acreage to be planted and maintained [Music] the heavy snow we have in winter protects the vines and provides important moisture as it melts in the spring in the spring too the lakes act as an air conditioner giving off stored up cold air to keep the great buds dormant until the danger of frost is passed new vines are best planted in the spring the location for a particular variety is determined by the type of soil and the distance from the lake in recent years more and more varieties have been planted which have helped to broaden the blending possibilities available to the winemaker spring is important in other ways the vines must be tied to the trellises this is done both to the established vines and to the younger plants which require special training and care until they're ready to bear fruit four or five years after planting as the vines blossom and the grapes form and grow care of the vineyards continues cultivation and spraying are scheduled several times during the spring and summer now in the fall as you've seen all our work is rewarded by these superb grapes there are the pickers now looks like everyone in the neighborhood turns out oh they do is there a special knack in picking the grapes yes i'll show you we use special shears like these now it's important to make a clean cut handle the grapes carefully so they're not bruised experienced picker should be able to pick up to a ton of grapes a day [Music] these boxes are specially designed the raised handles protect the grapes when the boxes are stacked to be taken to the winery these grapes really represent years and years of work and care yes we're still striving to improve methods and yields so the winemakers in hammondsport can provide the great new york state wines that more and more people are enjoying [Music] you know bill they really mean what they say about improving quality and yields and there's one place they get a lot of help it's the new york state agricultural station at geneva their bulletins and extension work cover everything from fertilizing to pruning new york is one state that recognizes the agricultural importance of the grape crop that may be one reason new york state produces a higher proportion of quality wines than any other region in the country one of the outstanding developments here in recent years has been the introduction and improvement of new hybrid grapes having more desirable qualities how about the actual making of the wine itself does that have anything to do with the growing trend toward wine it sure does the whole process is a wonderful mixture of the best of the new with the best of the old right from the start for instance as soon as they arrive at the winery the grapes are washed and transported by modern belts to an automatic machine that mechanically removes the stems pressing too is accomplished automatically that cylinder has an inflatable rubber bag in the center that expands and gently squeezes the grapes [Music] under just the right amount of even pressure the fresh sweet juice is collected and pumped through cooling equipment to these giant fermentation fats here cultivated yeast of a selected strain is added and the bubbling process of fermentation begins tell them about the yeast bob i was fascinated by that yes these wine makers grow and prepare a special yeast culture for each batch of wine some of the strains of yeast used are as much as 100 years old incidentally throughout the winemaking process the control center is here in the laboratory samples of wine in all stages are constantly tested to ensure proper development when the fermentation process is completed we have a vat of new wine now it is set on its way through corning pyrex glass tubes clean stainless and corrosion proof through a series of filters which remove the sediment and eventually is blended with other wines in the proper proportions to assure the same fine quality and taste bottle after bottle case after case year after year after the blending the wine is pumped into large oak or redwood aging vats where it slowly mellows and matures the proper length of time here in the oldest part of one winery are other aging casks still doing the job they were built for many years ago when properly aged the new york state wine is sent once again through the gleaming corning pyrex glass tubes to where it is bottle using modern stainless steel machinery to fill and cap the bottles after which they are given a thorough final inspection [Music] and finally labeled ready for shipment from the finger lakes district to homes throughout the nation [Music] but since wine is essentially a product of taste and since the most precise science cannot duplicate human taste buds every blend of wine is subjected to careful taste tests often by direct descendants of the men who founded these wineries in the last century i think you can see how everywhere in this story from the vineyards to the winery the blend of the old and the new seems to make itself felt well after all that makes sense people have been enjoying wine since biblical times but uh what about the use of wine today have we anything on that oh i have and it's just as you suspected premium quality wine use has quadrupled since world war ii surveys show that half of the american families enjoy wine in their homes and that nearly 90 percent of it is made in the usa they seem to be turning to it as an easy pleasant and moderate way of entertaining just another phase of our new gracious way of living yes and you know which wines are increasing most no which the dinner wines more people than ever are buying wines to serve with food helen and i thought we might do a special feature on the use of dinner wines here's a shot showing the three basic types the red dinner wines such as burgundy and claret the white dinner wine sautern and rhine wine and the increasingly popular rose wines we can take them one at a time showing how red wines for instance go nicely with red meats roasts steaks chops or any rich hearty foods by the same token we can show how white wines go with white meats chicken veal fish and other seafood what about rose we can point out that it's distinctive in between color and taste lets you know it goes with either red or white meat but rose is always right that's a good idea if more and more people are using wine we'll be doing them a service showing them how to use it for greater enjoyment well like serving wine it seems to me it's kind of complicated all that chilling and everything it isn't really complicated at all we thought that we could show it through a series of pictures of an ordinary housewife serving wine at a dinner party not an ordinary housewife dear a modern homemaker who lives in a house like this designed for gracious living with a kitchen something like this she has just returned from doing her shopping where she bought the food for dinner meat and vegetables and of course a bottle of wine in this case rose she knows that only the red dinner wines are served at cool room temperature rose and the white wines are best served chilled so she just wait a minute in the refrigerator what about those fancy buckets i see in the restaurants she can serve it that way for show if she wants but the simplest way to chill it is where she chills everything else in her modern refrigerator in setting the table she puts the wine glass to the right of and slightly below the water glass when it's time to serve the wine her husband better help her with the corkscrew no corkscrew needed bill these new york state dinner wines come with modern threaded caps for better protection and easier opening a sample for the host and she's ready to serve her guests ladies first of course filling the glass only part way allows the delicate bouquet to escape and be enjoyed to avoid dripping a twist to the wrist will catch the last drop of course you don't need a special occasion like this to enjoy wine wine makes every occasion a special one whether it's a family dinner or a neighborhood barbecue [Music] and especially when dining out now that so many restaurants are making fine new york state wines available at such reasonable prices more and more people are ordering a bottle with the meal and very often the meal itself is prepared with wine this is true both in restaurants and in homes wine cookery has become so popular that we'd never be able to cover the whole subject not at your prices you can't pick up a magazine without finding a wine recipe we don't need to duplicate them no but we thought it might be a good idea to include a few general rules you take soups for instance a clear soup like consomme tastes so much better with a tablespoon of burgundy while a cream soup calls for new york state sherry use wine for basting your meats using the rule red wine with red meat white wine with white meat for wonderful seafood salads marinate fish before mixing in white wine of course to fruit cocktails add a tawny port before chilling the general idea is that whether it's in food or with food when you have wine you're no longer eating you're dining good phrase remember that i noticed before that you talked about sherry and tony port they're not dinner wines are they no they belong to the before and after dinner wine group sweet wines such as cream cherry port and tokay go great with dessert or in place of it while dry sherry and vermouth are favorites before dinner these wines particularly sherry are delicious with snacks or alone for entertaining at any time of the day well i must say you've dug up a lot of information but uh i'm afraid there's one thing you've overlooked what champagne oh that champagne he said we didn't overlook it we just saved the best and to the last the making of bottle fermented champagne is such a careful time-consuming skill-taking process that only the premium quality wine producers even attempted i might add that new york state wineries make more than half of the premium quality champagne produced in this country to illustrate this we must go back to the winery the basic wine or cuvee is made in the same manner as other wines but when the wine is filled in the champagne bottles special cultured yeast and sugar are added a temporary cap is applied and the bottle is placed away on its side for a period of a year or more during this time another second fermentation has taken place inside the bottle since the bottle has been capped the gas produced has not been able to escape and has been absorbed in the wine ready to create the popular champagne effervescence the bottles are now removed and are shaken in machines to loosen the sediment which is formed during the long fermentation and aging period they are then stored necked down in clearing tables every day for a period of five or six weeks each bottle is lifted given a quarter turn and dropped into place until all the sediment has collected in the neck when this happens the bottle is placed still necked down in a cooling tank where the temperature is reduced to 38 degrees fahrenheit then these bottles are transferred to another tank where the brine freezes the plug of ice in the neck the bottle can then be tipped upright and the discouragers skillfully removes the cap the pressure inside forces out the plug of sediment because of the low temperature the champagne and natural effervescence refuse to be released the space left by the sediment is filled with a sweetened wine called dosage the bottle is corked and the cork held in place by the traditional wire hood [Music] once again it is sent to the wine cellars for further aging and mellowing then and only then is it labeled and wrapped for shipment where it is destined to be served at the wedding of a beautiful bride you're just hopelessly romantic champagne is used for all kinds of celebrations and don't forget that the champagnes include pink champagne and a robust red sparkling burgundy which goes with a man's hearty meal like a roast or venison i know but i still like that wedding shot it's the one i'd like to feature in the article on champagne and you know i even have a caption for it something old something new referring to the wine of course of course naturally helen had her way and our story was considered a great success i don't know what impressed other people most about it but i do know what impressed me what started out to be a story on wines of the finger lakes had turned out to be a story of all america certainly when it comes to the enjoyment of fine wine our whole country qualifies as a new land of wine but when you're thinking of the production of fine wines in america when you're thinking of growing the grapes that produce them then you must be thinking of the finger lakes district of new york state for that is truly wine country usa [Music] foreign