{"id":174337,"date":"2026-03-25T08:19:31","date_gmt":"2026-03-25T08:19:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/174337\/"},"modified":"2026-03-25T08:19:31","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T08:19:31","slug":"i-went-all-the-way-to-tokyo-and-found-myself-drinking-a-new-york-state-wine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/174337\/","title":{"rendered":"I Went All the Way to Tokyo and Found Myself Drinking a New York State Wine"},"content":{"rendered":"

I squealed when I saw the glass of wine on the menu. \u201cThey pour Finger Lakes by the glass in Tokyo?!\u201d I said to my dining partner. As I watched the sunset from the 52nd floor of Tokyo\u2019s Park Hyatt Hotel, and listened to jazz at the New York Bar<\/a>, I ordered one of my favorite wines \u2014 one that felt like a taste of home: Hermann J. Wiemer Reserve Dry Riesling<\/a>.<\/p>\n

My surprise wasn\u2019t because Hermann J. Wiemer, located on Seneca Lake in New York\u2019s Finger Lakes region, is a lesser-known winery \u2014 though it is widely respected for producing some of the finest Rieslings since 1979 \u2014 but because I was halfway around the world drinking wine made in my home state. After a mother-daughter trip to New York\u2019s Finger Lakes region<\/a> in the fall of 2024, Hermann J. Wiemer Reserve Dry Riesling \u2014 an elegant wine with racy citrus acidity and floral undertones \u2014 has become my mom\u2019s house wine. She buys it by the case from her local wine shop along the Connecticut shoreline and serves it with everything from summer lobster rolls<\/a> to winter minestrone<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Related: The Finger Lakes Region, Once Famous for Their Bubbly, Is Now Making Excellent P\u00e9t-Nats<\/a><\/p>\n

A by-the-glass position at any restaurant is coveted, but especially at the New York Bar, one of the most beautiful spots in Tokyo to grab a drink and best known for its role in Sofia Coppola\u2019s 2003 film Lost in Translation. By-the-glass wines, especially whites, move quickly. They need to be crowd-pleasing, affordable bottles that punch well above their weight \u2014 yet still interesting enough to entice guests. The New York Bar pours exclusively American wine by the glass, but other than Hermann J. Wiemer, the selections are all West Coast wines, which contributed to my excitement to see New York state\u2019s presence on the concise menu.<\/p>\n

\"Credit:<\/p>\n

Credit: Food & Wine \/ Lucy Simon<\/p>\n

Even so, production remains relatively small. Hermann J. Wiemer makes around 20,000 cases of wine a year. Those bottles end up on wine lists in the United States, but the winery also exports to nine (soon 10) countries, including Denmark, the Netherlands, the U.K., Mexico, and Japan.<\/p>\n

\u201cExports are only about 5-8% of our total production,\u201d says Hermann J. Wiemer\u2019s co-owner, Oskar Bynke<\/a>. \u201cThere\u2019s still a lot of low-hanging fruit closer to home. We\u2019re still working on convincing restaurants in New Jersey, for example, but the international presence is growing.\u201d Wiemer\u2019s Rieslings are beloved by New York City sommeliers and can be found on wine lists at places like Gramercy Tavern<\/a> and Eleven Madison Park<\/a>.<\/p>\n

While Japan is best known for sake<\/a>, wine is a rapidly growing category in the country. During my trip in January, I made it my mission to explore as many of Japan\u2019s wine bars as possible. I tried a fair share of Japanese wines<\/a> (yes, Japan makes wine! Its growing wine regions show real promise), as well as a range of international wines from well-curated lists.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Japan, our presence is rooted in a decades-long relationship with an importer who built deep connections between New York wines and Japanese cuisine, where our lighter, fresher styles \u2014 particularly dry Riesling<\/a> \u2014 pair naturally,\u201d says Bynke.<\/p>\n

Related: Yes, Japan Makes Wine\u2014Here\u2019s Why You Should Be Paying Attention<\/a><\/p>\n

For years, the Finger Lakes has been steadily proving itself as one of the most exciting wine regions in the country, producing bottles that are expressive and precise with every vintage. Warmer average temperatures have played a meaningful role in that evolution, helping growers achieve more consistent ripeness while still embracing the racy acidity and freshness that define the region. While the praise may be more established in the U.S., it\u2019s especially compelling to see the Finger Lakes draw wider global attention \u2014 the kind of recognition that feels not only deserved but long overdue.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Finger Lakes has a critical mass of attention now,\u201d says Bynke. And that sense of discovery is spurring global recognition of wines like the Reserve Riesling \u2014 bottles that offer strong value and a real sense of place. \u201cSommeliers and buyers love to put a stake in the ground for a wine from somewhere you wouldn\u2019t expect. They want to be the person who found it first. That\u2019s a much easier conversation to have now than it was 15 years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

That night at the New York Bar, I sipped my Riesling and snacked on sweet-and-salty puffed rice crackers and, after glass two, beef-fat fries, and thought about my home state from halfway around the world.<\/p>\n

Read the original article on Food & Wine<\/a><\/p>\n