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Snapshots from the inaugural Eastern Winery Exposition EDIT OR' S LET TER can grow all of them. California? Australia? When I add Concord and Chambourcin to the list, the riddle gets even more difficult to solve. The only place I know of that grows and makes wine from all these varieties is eastern North America. Hearing growers and winemakers enthusing about these mostly unusual wine types was a highlight of spending five days in Lancaster, Pa., during and around the Eastern Winery Exposition held March 7 and 8. But the eclectic mix of grape varieties gaining ground in the eastern wine industry was just one aspect of the atmosphere of innovation and discovery that surrounded the first-time event, for which Wines & Vines was a sponsor. Two full days of seminars and A a trade show with 136 exhibiting companies drew 934 registrants to this picturesque, Colonial-era city in southeastern Pennsylvania. Here are several examples of what I saw, heard and tasted. lbariño. Cabernet Franc. Grüner Veltliner. Lemberger. Montepulciano. Vermentino. What wine region in the world grows all of these grape varieties? These varieties originated in diverse wine-producing countries including Spain, Austria, Italy and France, so it's difficult to think of one country or region that Innovation and Discovery in the East New technology Observers with a West Coast orientation might find it surprising that many cellars and labs in the east have lots of shiny new equip- ment. Small wineries here are experimenting with or regularly us- ing new tools and techniques that many similarly sized western colleagues are not. Owner Jerry Forest of Pennsylvania's Buckingham Valley Vineyards, for example, has been clarifying his white wine must for several years via flotation, and he gave a presentation about how easy, simple and inexpensive it is to do. He said he travels frequently to the big equipment shows in Europe to see what's new, rather than go to California's Unified Wine & Grape Symposium, where European innovations may take years to arrive. Razor's edge Everyone knows that Eastern grape- growers battle cold winters, spring frosts and late-summer hurricanes. Pennsylvania viticulture extension educator Mark Chien put it plainly: "I think our growing conditions are more variable than anywhere else in the world," he said during the program Growing Cabernet Franc for Fine Wine. "And the closer you are to the coast, the more you are living on Small eastern wineries use new tools and techniques that many similarly sized western colleagues do not. the razor's edge" due to tropical storms in September and October, which everyone also knows are the biggest harvest months. Rain and winds decimated yields, Brix levels and even trellises during the 2011 harvest. Yet, with up to 3,000 degree-days in the Lancaster area that enable vineyards to ripen wines to 13.5% alcohol or more in good years, can you call this a cool-climate region? $2,500 per ton High-quality growers in the east can get $2,500 per ton for their grapes, yet some wineries can sell wines from these grapes at $35 or more, beating the famous Beckstoffer multiple of $1 in bottle price for every $100 spent on grapes. In an area where small estate vineyards are the norm, some of the independent growers feel they are being underpaid at this rate. 8 Wines & Vines APRiL 2012 Sweet vs. dry Inexpensive sweet wines from eastern wineries are very popular at the same time that dry wines are pushing into ever-higher quality tiers. Just as Cali- fornia can be known for Barefoot Moscato and Harlan Estate red wine at the same time, the east has wildly popular and sweet Red Cat from New York and quality standouts like Black Ankle Syrah from Maryland and Waltz Vineyard Reserve Char- donnay from Pennsylvania. Day-trippers Many, many eastern wineries are reachable in a day-trip from multiple major cities. Wineries in Lancaster, for example, are within striking distance of Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. The proximity to huge populations makes direct sales possibly even more valuable here than on the West Coast. But it also encourages wineries to offer a mix of products that might hamper them from rising to wider recognition for high quality. When many of the tourists in the tasting room prefer sweet Vidal to dry Petit Verdot, many vintners respond by offering both, and even small wineries count a dozen or more products for sale. A reputation for sweet table wines doesn't help get a brand onto high-end wine lists and into out-of-state wine retailers, several owners said. What's next? All in all I was very impressed by the diversity, innovation, risk-taking and vibrancy on display at the Eastern Winery Exposition. It will be fascinating to see how this under-rated wine region develops.