Wading River farmer wins prestigious ‘Hop Nose-It-All’ award at industry convention

They came, they saw, they sniffed.

At the end one thing was clear: John Condzella’s nose knows. His olfactory prowess came out victorious at the recent “Hop Matrix” hop sensory competition among approximately 100 industry peers at the 67th annual American Hop Convention in Santa Rosa, CA, January 25-27. 

Entry fees raised funds for hops research conducted around the nation by the Hops Research Council.

“I’m thrilled and honored to be presented with this industry award. ‘The Nose’ trophy has made it safely back to New York! Out of over 100 of my hop growing and brewing peers I was pleased to be recognized in a very competitive national field,” said Condzella, a fourth generation farmer currently working with his father (also known as John) at Condzella’s Farm at 6233 North Country Road in Wading River.

“Entrants walked into a room and encountered a table with eight different  trays of hops. The organizers provided you with a list of 15 different hops they could be. We rubbed our hands together with the hops to release the oil to sense the aromas,” Condzella explained.  

“It was almost like a blind wine tasting. We had to identify each group of hops correctly. One other person, a hop farmer in Washington State, also got five correct. We then moved to a sudden death playoff. Another tray was put in front of the two of us, and the first to tap the tray and correctly identify the type of hops, was the winner.”

The significance of the award was not lost on Condzella. “To be honored this way by an esteemed group of peers is very honorable, and definitely unexpected, due to the caliber of the other competitors,” he said. 

Condzella is familiar to area residents at the Port Jefferson and Sayville Farmers Markets from May to October. He first started growing hops on the farm 13 years ago. In the summer, the 20-acre family farm in Wading River operates a farm stand for asparagus, strawberries and other vegetables.“The hops I’ve grown since 2010 have helped me refine my nose,” he said.

Condzella remarked that the recognition represented a return to state glory of sorts for hop growing. “100 years ago New York State grew 100% of the hops in the country. After some period of dormancy, the industry in New York is rebounding.”