New York State wines to be exported to Puerto Rico for 1st time
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has announced a groundbreaking partnership that will enable New York State wines to be sold in Puerto Rico for the first time.
The collaboration includes the New York State Office of Trade and Tourism, distributor Serrallés Imports, and the Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery located in Steuben County, which will make Finger Lakes region wines available for purchase in Puerto Rico.
The initiative not only marks the first-ever introduction of New York wines into the expanding Puerto Rican wine market, but also uncorks a new era of wine connoisseurship and cultural exchange, Hochul said.
The partnership was announced Monday during a wine-tasting event at the New York State Office of Trade and Tourism in San Juan, which was attended by the New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets Commissioner Richard Ball.
“Puerto Rico has shared so much of its culture, vibrancy, and creativity with New York, and our history and future are intrinsically intertwined,” Hochul said. “Now Puerto Rico will be able to enjoy what wine lovers across the world have long known – the best wines are made in New York. Cheers to this fantastic collaboration!”
The collaboration stems from a shared vision between the New York State Office of Trade and Tourism and Serrallés Imports, one of Puerto Rico’s largest distributors. Together, they recognized the enormous potential for promoting and celebrating New York wines.
Through their partnership with Serrallés and Dr. Konstantin Frank, New York’s most awarded winery, the New York State Office of Trade and Tourism, was able to work through export requirements to introduce Dr. Frank’s wines into the market. They also utilized Serrallés Imports’ extensive distribution network and wine and spirits industry expertise to ensure that New York-made wines are accessible to consumers and enthusiasts throughout Puerto Rico.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to be the first New York State Winery selling our wines in Puerto Rico,” said Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery Vice President Meaghan Frank.
“My great-grandfather was a pioneer in New York when he was the first to plant the European varieties in the eastern United States. We continue to pioneer four generations later and this time bringing our wines to the great people of Puerto Rico,” she said.
“It is an honor to be partners with Destilería Serrallés and we look forward to a long and prosperous relationship. We would like to thank those at the New York State Office of Trade & Tourism and specifically our contact, Betty Enríquez, for facilitating and supporting us in finding distribution in Puerto Rico,” Frank said.
The winery will initially export its Riesling varieties and Rosé, and the State plans to expand the range of wines and participating wineries in this initiative in the future.
“We at Destilería Serrallés Inc. are excited and honored to be able to represent and distribute the most excellent wines of the Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery,” said Silvia Santiago, the distillery’s senior vice president of manufacturing.
“As companies, we have a lot in common: we are family-owned businesses with a long history, the commitment to quality is part of us, and perfecting the products we present to the customer is our obsession,” she said. “Excellent elements for what we expect to be a long and successful partnership.”
New York State is among the top wine-making regions in the world and ranks as the third-largest wine producer in the United States. With 496 licensed wineries across the state, including 394 farm wineries, making the New York wine industry is an important part of the state’s economy and one of its key exports.
