SCHUMER CALLS ON WHITE HOUSE TO USE NEW YORK WINES AT NEXT OFFICIAL STATE DINNER - WILL SHOWCASE WORLD CLASS QUALITY OF NEW YORK'S VINEYARDS AND BOOST MAJOR NEW YORK INDUSTRY
White House Recently Announced There Will Be An Official State Dinner for the President of China
Schumer Urges White House To Showcase NY Wine - Would Highlight Quality of NY Wine For International Audience and Help Industry Grow
Wine Industry Contributes $3.76 Billion to State's Economy and Provides 17,000 Jobs - Still Has Huge Potential for Growth
On Friday, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer released a letter to White House officials urging them to feature New York produced wine at the upcoming state dinner for President Hu Jintao of China. Showcasing New York wine on the international stage will provide a major boost for an industry that provides billions of dollars and thousands of jobs in New York. Schumer said that New York has many award winning vineyards that produce world class quality wine fit to serve to visiting heads of state.
"Over and over again New York's wine producers have proven themselves to be among the best in the country and getting a chance to showcase their products at a state dinner would only add to that reputation and serve to open up new markets for their products," Schumer said. "Wine production is part of the economic engine that moves New York forward - every year wine is a $3.7 billion shot in the arm for our economy that provides 17,000 jobs - it's essential we support it."
Standing at Seneca county's Ventosa Vineyards with wine growers, business leaders and government officials, Schumer made the case that the Administration's upcoming state dinner with President Hu Jintao represents a opportunity to showcase a thriving state industry on an international stage. Having New York wine at such a high level setting would do more than just add to the reputation of the state's wineries, it could lead to the opening of new markets and expanded business opportunities.
New York State is the third largest producer of wine (by volume) in the country, with over 200 million bottles produced annually, 255 wineries statewide, $508 million in sales, and 17,000 employees. According to the NY Wine & Grape Foundation, the New York wine, grape and grape juice industries contributed over $3.76 billion in economic benefits to the economy of New York State in 2008. The state's wineries are also in a unique position to expand their reach internationally. In just the last decade, exports of NYS wine have grown exponentially - over 240 percent making an opportunity to participate in an internationally covered event all the more important. New York's wineries are also an important part of another major economic booster to the state: tourism. Specifically, the more than 100 wineries in the Rochester-Finger Lakes region have become a popular tourist destination for people from all over the country and throughout Canada.
Using domestic wines at official state events is an excellent opportunity to showcase the talents of our vintners here in New York and show the world that our wines compare favorably with the likes of France, Italy and Spain.
Schumer has long been a supporter on the NY wine industry. Earlier this year he fought off a proposed federal rule that would have ended a program that currently provides a rebate for wineries that export NYS wine. Under the program, any federal tax or duty that an American winery pays on wine imported from another country is refunded when that same entity exports American-made wine of roughly the same value. This incentive program is known as "substitution drawback" because vineyards and distributors are "substituting" a US-produced bottle of wine for an imported bottle of wine.
Schumer also is working with Canadian officials and the US Trade Representative Ron Kirk to end Canadian duties on New York Wine. Canadian day trippers are hit with duties and taxes of 80-100 percent of the cost of the bottle of NY wine. In other words, a Canadian tourist that bought a $20 bottle of NY wine would pay an additional $16-20 dollars to Canadian tax authorities in order to bring that bottle back into Canada for personal consumption. The result -- Canadian tourists visit NY wineries and enjoy tasting NY wines, but they never buy.
The full text of Schumer's letter is below:
Julianna Smoot
White House Social Secretary
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC
Dear Ms.Smoot:
I write today to respectfully urge you to consider serving wines produced exclusively by American wineries at future state dinners. Specifically, I'd like to recommend that you feature New York State wines at these events.
In my home state of New York, we have a burgeoning wine industry that is now the third largest in the country, with more than 280 wineries and new ones opening each year. It is one of the bright spots of our economy, employing 17,000 people, attracting more than five million tourists annually and contributing $3.76 billion dollars to the New York State economy. Our five major regions - the Finger Lakes, Long Island, Hudson River, Lake Erie and the Niagara Escarpment - are gaining notoriety nationally and internationally for the high quality, award winning wines they produce. Highlighting these award winning wineries at such high profile international events would provide a great boost to our viticulture, and in these tough economic times, this is the perfect opportunity to champion this industry.
The Finger Lakes Region of New York State is the hidden gem of our nation's wine industry - it has more than 100 wineries and each year produces world class wine. Tucked away in picturesque upstate New York, the region has five different wine trails centered around the four main lakes, boasting over 9,100 acres of vineyards. While the Finger Lakes are known particularly for their Rieslings, growers here also produce a wide variety of wines from dry, crisp whites to full-bodied dry reds to sweet blushes and even many renowned ice wines.
Using domestic wines at official state events is an excellent opportunity to showcase the talents of our vintners here in the United States - particularly New York State winemakers - and show the world that our wines stand with the likes of France, Italy and Spain. Thank you for your consideration, and I look forward to continuing a dialogue with you and your staff on this issue.
Sincerely,
Charles Schumer
United States Senator