Recently, Geneva and environs played host to a professional conference for Riesliong, organized by Kelby Russell of Red Newt and co-owner Oskar Bynke of Hermann J. Wiemer (and others) under the brand FLXcursion. The event was July 15ish to July 22, depending on how you look at what counted as part of the event! I went to a variety of events organized for both public and professionals. It was - I have to say - a total blast meeting professionals from winemaker to distributors to writers, tasting rieslings (including at 9 am), wandering with the dog on Linden Street and drinking a bit of grower's champagne, and more. My partner and I were part of the "Grand Tour" on Sunday July 18, as the end of the day speakers, and we spoke about Seneca Falls and women's rights (partner) and religion in upstate (me) at People's Park in Seneca Falls.
A few notes on FLXcursion:
Prior to the public events, we went to a dinner pairing Rieslings with food at Kindred Fare. We had a blast, largely because the conversation was amazing with a new friend who writes (among other things) for Wine and Spirits. The food was. . . nothing to write home about . . . though there was a bit of sausage that was made in house that was delightful. The wines? A great start to the days of Riesling. We tasted von Winning wines and wines from Selbach-Oster, both of the Mosel in German. At least the latter is distributed in the US by the folks at Skurnick who were also in attendance. Best learning of the evening: to read a piece on Palestine and wine posted here by Jamal Rayyis (and, to be honest, to look forward to the new Henrietta Hudson wine format coming soon).
The next day was the aforementioned "Grand Tour," followed by a tasing and chicken barbecue at the (Seneca) lake front under a tent. The food (wood grilled chicken, corn, salt potatoes, beans) was the best food I had of FLXcursion, though I did not go to the lunches and most of the dinners. The wines - set up on tables at the front of the tent - were a range of local wines displayed and poured on tables with wooden platforms (I can't quite get the word right!) with the lakes outlined on them in what I assume was wood burning and then the wineries in their approximate locations. All in all a blast, though the wines varied immensely. A quibble: the wine makers could have been more audible when they spoke if they had enunciated! And, while I love Gap Mansion, the music was a tad too loud. I/we met the women from the Swirl Suite, which ranks as the best learning I had in the entire event - and I strongly recommend looking into their work. For those of us interested in JEDI in our own "industries" learning from other industries can truly shift one's perspective in very useful ways. This was also the day of the grower's champagne event at the Linden Social Club complete with karaoke. We sat outside with our dog which made us loads of new friends to converse with -- and then moved down the street to Microclimate which hosted a wines of Germany pop up throughout the conference. We're hoping the pop ups are a harbinger of a re-opening and have heard rumors that someone has purchased it!
The two days of the professional event, I attended only two events; (a) a bit on having a seat at the table on Monday morning; and (b) the key note on Tuesday. The first event I mentioned was at 9 am on Monday, and I have to admit I was a tad . . . tired . . from an unduly late evening the night before. The panel included Sarita Cheaves and Glynis Hill from Swirl Suite and Carlos Aguilera from West Haven Farm. And, there were 6 Rieslings to taste. I get why there were wines to taste, but I have to admit I think it distracted from what was a robust but limited conversation about race, gender and class (as well as immigrant status) in relation to the wine industry. Carlos was fascinating as someone who came as an agricultural worker, shifted to that work in the wine industry, and now owns an important organic farm near Ithaca. His points regarding access to money, fair treatment of workers, the impact of language differences and more opened my eyes. And, the women from Swirl Suite, in various ways pointed to the ways their race and gender led them to be dismissed when ordering wine with the assumption they knew nothing and wanted sweet wines, and also brought into question the notion of joining someone else's table rather than moving on outside of what today constitutes the table. Having their expertise dismissed - and they are most definitely experts - was part of their incentive into the work but so too was the love of wine. I truly wish there had been a more robust conversation - for example, of the ways sweetness/sugar has a different radicalized relationship to wine today than sugar had in the 19th century. Fascinating words and thinking - and I needed it! (A third member of their group was part of a conversation I had and she really linked environmental science (her day job) to intersectional feminism and anti racist work.)
The key note was the last official event (other than a closing dinner) and took place at the Cracker Factory in Geneva, one of my favorite but not frequently visited venues. There was a lunch (which I skipped despite loving Rio Tomatlan) and then a key note, ostensibly starting at 2 pm. When I arrived, folks were drinking various wines (which had been served with play lists) and chatting like mad. I had some terrific conversations with a variety of people, most notably women in the wine industry (including Kerry Shiels of Cote Bonneville, estate bottled DeBrul Wineyard in Washington). As I noted above one of the things about attending a professional conference in an area well outside one's own expertise is how much I learned - and I would say I learned a lot from the women I talked with about the samenesses and differences between my experience and expertise regarding women in higher education and that of women in the wine industry.
As for the key note: it was a hoot. The speaker -and singer - was Andrea Immer Robinson - a sommelier, television personality, and former wine manager for Windows on the World. She was - to be honest - a great "after dinner" type key note, clearly an insider who referenced many people in truly entertaining ways even for the clueless and got the tables engaged in a pseudo marketing campaign for Riesling. Branding exercises in one's own profession are one thing - but I have to say this one was a real education in Riesling humor and more.
All in all the standing ovation for the team who put this conference and set of events together was well deserved.
Best Conversation: Because it went on across days, I have to give a new friend kudos: Jamal Rayyis who I even heard sing. And, of course, the conversations about race and more with the women os Swirl Suite.
Best Wine: Its hard to pick, I have to admit, but I give it to this wine if thinking Europe and am torn in terms of Finger Lakes with too many friends doing too many different things to really pick. Can't wait to continue to try new ones since this conference got me out of our local rut. Among the faves, of course, The Knoll from red Newt and the Hosmer tastings we had!
Best Meal: Heads over all others: chicken barbecue at the lake front.
For a Cooking with Ideas interview with Kelby Russell of Red Newt who was one of the organizers. click here. For other commentary on FLXcursion, I urge you to google!
