Member Home – Wine Submissions
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Purpose: The FLWA wine submission program serves to amplify the reach and recognition of Finger Lakes wines by providing opportunities for member wineries to showcase their best offerings. This program supports our mission to elevate the visibility of the Finger Lakes AVA, creating pathways for industry professionals, media, and consumers to engage with the region’s diverse, high-quality wines.
Overview of Changes for 2025:
- We will move to a monthly rolling submission deadline for all wine drops and paperwork submissions, always by the 2nd Friday of the month. Review the individual publication processes for more information.
- We will begin submitting wines to Decanter Magazine, to be reviewed by Maiah Johnson Dunn. Decanter has a monthly reach of 2.2 million readers between their print and digital channels internationally.
- We will begin submitting wines to Vinous, to be reviewed by Billy Norris. Vinous is a digital publication with a large trade following, and also hosts an app for reviews and powers the wine reviews for the Delectable app.
- Wine Enthusiast has instituted a new digital submission platform and $65 fee per SKU. Their new digital platform and payment structure will require wineries to complete submission paperwork online and submit payment, but the FLWA will continue to ship wines. For now, they are moving to a rolling submission process (e.g., no focus style or variety). Christina Pickard will continue to be the reviewer of New York wines, and they will continue to accept both vinifera and non-vinifera. Full submission guidelines updated here.
- We will move to a monthly rolling submission of recent and upcoming releases only to Wine Spectator Magazine. This change comes based on feedback from the publication. James Molesworth will continue to be the reviewer for New York wines.
- We are no longer submitting to Wine & Spirits Magazine. Wine & Spirits has suspended their print publication and has not released plans about any further reviews or scoring.
| Publication | Submission Guidelines | Process for Submitting via FLWA |
|---|---|---|
| Wine Enthusiast | rolling basis, no focus style/variety | Complete digital submission form and pay fee, print QR code form; forward confirmation email to FLWA with attached sheet in excel format Put printed QR code form in box and drop off at the Tech Farm FLWA office with 2 bottles of each wine submitted by 2nd Friday of the month |
| Wine Spectator | rolling basis, no focus style/variety, new and upcoming (within 3 months) releases ONLY; include SRPs, #9L cases produced, and release dates | Complete Google form submission and submit to FLWA by 2nd Friday of the month Wait for further instructions and to hear if your wine has been requested and receive further instructions |
| Decanter | bi-monthly (every other) month | Complete Google form submission; forward confirmation email to FLWA with attached sheet in excel format Print submission form and put in box and drop off at the Tech Farm FLWA office with 2 bottles of each wine submitted by 2nd Friday of the month |
| Vinous | annual visit; April rosé submission | Exact process for April rosé submission TBD; request for wines and paperwork will be made in the spring and the FLWA will coordinate shipping |
Next Steps for Wineries:
- Review the Publication & Submission Process guidelines and print it out! Post in your office for easy reference!
- We will send a calendar invite reminder for monthly submission deadlines on the 2nd Friday of the month, so feel free to accept that to keep a monthly hold/reminder on your calendar. You will also be reminded in the Membership Monthly newsletter.
- Attend the optional wine submission info session on Zoom scheduled for January 28th at 10am to review the new submission guidelines for 2025 and best practices for getting the most out of the FLWA submission program with a focus on how to maximize the benefits of submitting to wine publications as a part of your broader marketing strategy.
- Determine your submission strategy. We encourage you to use this optional tracking tool to keep organized! The final tab of the tracker includes a toolkit of resources for your consideration as you determine your submission strategy.
Drop off all wines to:
500 Technology Farm Drive, Front Desk
Building Hours: 8am-5pm Monday through Friday, enter through the back door by the loading dock
Geneva, New York 14456
Submit all paperwork requested to:
info@fingerlakeswinealliance.com