Evan Dawson

When he isn't writing about wine country, Evan is a reporter and anchor at 13WHAM-TV, Rochester's ABC affiliate.There was a time when this deeply passionate wine writer's tastes ran sweet. And shallow.

But Evan found his way into wine the way many do: by simply hitting the trail.

“On my first trip to the Finger Lakes, I made the shocking discovery that White Zinfandel is not all there is to know about wine,” Evan says of the day he first explored wine country with the girlfriend he would later marry.

These days, Evan, of East Rochester, has a more cultivated palate. As his taste has grown, so has his interest in writing about wine. He covers the Finger Lakes region for the award-winning blog, New York Cork Report, and is its managing editor.

The gig developed after Evan got to know the blog's founder, Lenn Thompson.

“He asked me to contribute occasionally, and soon it was clear that this was an obsession,” Evan says.

The New York Cork Report has correspondents from around the state. Evan covers the Finger Lakes and Chautauqua-Lake Erie regions. His wife, Morgan Dawson, is a photographer for the blog.Some of his best posts are human interest stories. Then there are the opinion pieces, sometimes unpopular, for which he offers zero apologies. It's just part of the deal, Evan says.

“I always say that a good writer is not a cheerleader. Critical analysis helps everyone grow.”

Contributing to the blog has helped him grow, too. Evan recently wrote a book, Summer in a Glass: The Coming of Age of Winemaking in the Finger Lakes (Sterling Epicure, 2011).

It tells the stories of people who transformed a countryside known mostly for jug wine into a community of dozens of vintners who've earned international acclaim.

“The more I explored the Finger Lakes, the more I came to feel that the general public understanding of the region was outdated,” he says.

Some context: A generation ago, Ukrainian immigrant Dr. Konstantin Frank found a way to grow traditional European grapes in Upstate New York's climate—and produce a more distinguished wine. He started his winery in 1962. It took years for more to follow.

But they have.

“People know Dr. Frank, Bully Hill, Red Cat, maybe one or two others,” Evan says. “But there were so many fascinating people who had come to the region, or come home to the region, and I thought their stories would be compelling for readers.”

To write Summer in a Glass, Evan spent two years traversing wine country, talking to folks who'd come to the region from all over the world. Some sought a fresh start after personal tragedy. Many arrived with a deep-rooted winemaking heritage. And all brought stories worth sharing. (See the video below for a glimpse.)

So, what's the next chapter for this maturing wine region? Despite the growth of the few past decades, Evan doesn't see more wineries on the horizon.

“I think we're close to being maxed out,” he says. “I see more focused vineyard work, with even better wines and a more coordinated message: We make stunning Riesling, and we're proud to make cool-climate wine.”

“We don't have to try to be anyone else,” he adds.

Why would you, when you know how to bottle summer?

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Although Summer in a Glass is already on sale at a few Rochester-area book stores, tasting rooms, and the usual online outlets, Evan will appear at a string of signings to mark its official release in April. For an up-to-date schedule, click here.

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Summer in a Glass, the book trailer.