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N.Y. Honors Winemakers, Grapegrowers New York Wine & Grape Foundation honors winery owner Saltonstall with Unity award G eneva, N.Y.—"Diversity is our strength; Unity is our power" the is New York Wine & Grape Foundation's slogan to convey the overriding need for the state's wine and grape industry to work cohesively to achieve success. Each year the NYWGF holds a Unity Banquet and presents awards to those who have made important contributions to the New York industry. The 2011 Unity Banquet was held at the Bel- hurst in Geneva, N.Y., as the final event of the foundation's annual seminar. Jim Trezise, NYWGF president, presented nine awards. The Unity Award has been given for 20 years. This year, Peter Saltonstall, co-owner of 10,000-case King Ferry Winery in King Ferry, N.Y., was honored for his leadership role in the long and ultimately success- ful legal and legislative battle to allow direct shipment of wine in New York state. Presenting the award, Trezise noted that WineEast Award recipients at the New York Wine & Grape Foundation's Unity Banquet included (front row, from left) Kevin Faehndrich, Pete Saltonstall, Greg Loeb, Patrick Hooker, Deb Whiting and Dave Whiting; (back row, from left) Jim Joy, Thomas Pellechia and Neil Kratzer. Saltonstall put his own winery at risk to spearhead the contentious campaign. Approximately 100 people attended this Waterloo_Nov10.qxp 8/26/10 11:36 AM Page 1 year's Unity Banquet. The annual affair seems to engender a palpable sense of closeness and identity, the same sense of unity that the foundation promotes as a key to the success of the New York wine and grape industry. —Hudson Cattell Wines & Vines JUne 2011 61