Grape profits Tasty event helps rack up sales By BOB ROZYCKI

Grape profits
Tasty event helps rack up sales
By BOB ROZYCKI

Michael Babcock, president of wineracks.com

Michael Babcock was wiping the sweat off his face as he tried to take a break in his air-conditioned RV.

He reached into the small refrigerator to grab a bottle of water, keeping one eye on the TV set where the Weather Channel was tracking an approaching thunderstorm and also attempting to hold a conversation with a guest at the same time.

His cell phone rang; more water was needed for the workers staffing the stands at the Hudson Valley Wine & Food Festival. His conversation was brief. Babcock may be the producer of the event and the president of wineracks.com, but when the call for water went out on this stifling Saturday afternoon, it was all hands on deck.

The festival, the sixth in the series, was held the weekend of Sept. 7 at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck, having outgrown its original home at The Greig Farm in Red Hook.

Some 2,500 people turned out for the first fest, not a bad showing, Babcock said of an inaugural event. It had 23 wineries and a few food vendors on hand under a white tent.

It doubled in size the following year. This year’s festival had 127 booths, an art gallery, plus assorted food concessions and vendors. Babcock also continued with an event that was introduced at the third festival grand reserve tasting, which was held on the evening of Sept. 7.

All the numbers were not yet counted, but this year Babcock was expecting from 10,000 to 15,000 visitors. Those attending included families with small children.

“We try to be inclusive; in Europe you learn about wine at a very young age.” The father of two young children himself, Babcock included a special play area.

A resident of Clinton Hollow, Babcock’s company is based in Tillson, Ulster County, where he has about 38 employees. Overall, the company has 50 in offices in other states.

He started wineracks.com about 15 years ago in a space about the size of the RV he was resting in.

‘It’s been a fabulous ride,” he said.

“We’ve had pretty good growth,” evolving and changing with the market.

“We’re growing, we constantly hire people. One thing I’ve learned, if you see somebody good, you might not have a job for them at the moment, you grab them and make a job.”

The festival serves a twofold purpose: to introduce people to wine and to his products.

“Wineracks.com supports an event where people are buying wine because the more wine they buy they need to put it somewhere. Whether it’s our racks or glasses or whatever they need.”

Wine tasting and gourmet food go hand-in-hand.

He didn’t have an exact figure for the amount of wine being sold other than one telling detail: “A number of the Finger Lake wineries who have been with us since the start have said this is one their biggest revenue events of the year.”

Babcock hit upon the idea for a Hudson Valley event after returning from the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, Colo., seven years ago.

“I said we should have something like this in the Hudson valley. We have a great culinary influence here, New York state has a budding wine industry that keeps growing every year … we looked around and said if no one else wants to do it, we’ll go do it.”

Most of the Hudson Valley wineries were involved in the latest festival. “Some just don’t have the ability to attend an event like this, they don’t produce enough or have wherewithal to get involved,” Babcock said.

Babcock and his staff work on the festival nearly year-round. He started on next year’s festival several months ago.

As far as it being challenging to put together, Babcock said, “It’s not for the faint of heart.”

Bertolli Girls, Lisa Gabriel and Candice Bruce strike a pose.

“What it takes is vision, organization and a good staff … all of which I’m fortunate enough to have.’’

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