Finger Lakes News Nuggets

-- President Bush will be visiting the Finger Lakes area tomorrow (Tuesday, March 14) with a visit to Canandaigua. Maybe the Prez will stop by the Finger Lakes Wine Center at beautiful Sonnenberg Gardens to sample some Finger Lakes wine. Of course, he would have to spit. You can't drink on duty when you are Commander In Chief. But I hear that his daughters have been known to sip a glass or two or three...

-- My secret Finger Lakes informant "Deep Vine" tells me the name of Red Newt's new refreshing Niagara will be 'Blue Newt White' and "Deep Vine" says that Lakewood Vineyard's 2005 Rieslings are outstanding. In fact, I've been hearing that overall both the Reds and Whites of 2005 will be some of the best produced in the Finger Lakes. Of course, we will have to wait for most of the reds.

-- Don't forget, if you want a chance to rub shoulders with the winemakers of the Finger Lakes and learn how to judge wine, then you'll want to attend the Golden Nose Wine Judging Weekend, a Seneca Lake Wine Trail event. Tickets are still available but I hear they are going fast.

-- Here's some news from our neighbors at Fulkerson Winery:
Recently released wines:
2004 Cabernet Sauvignon- 0%rs, $16.00, 8 months in French Oak, Generous
Fruit forward aromas of blackberries with a touch of leather and tobacco
carry through to a fruity tart taste edged with vanilla that ends on a
serious tannic note.
2004 Vincent- 0%rs, $9.00, 12 months in older French & American Oak,
Awaken your palate with this dense puple red. Nice plum and tea leaf aromas
with a mouth filling juicy taste followed by a kick of tart elderberry. Enjoy
with chicken cacciatore, spicy foods and "a rich Italian"...!
Centennial- 9.8%rs, $14.00, A wine produced for our 200th anniversary
on the farm. So good we brought it back for the 201st year! A candied wild
cherry aroma with a touch of mint followed by a sweet pomegranate tropical
taste.
Notes:
Fulkerson Winery has been busy bottling many wines from the 2004-2005
harvest's. Bottled and soon to be released in the coming months
are: 2004 Reserve Red, 2004 Pinot Noir, 2004 Cabernet Franc,
2004 Gewurztraminer, 2005 Traminette, 2005 Ravat 51 and the Sunset
Blush (Catawba) from '05.
We are soon to run out of the following varieties, so come and get them
while you still can: 2003 Vidal Ice Wine, 2002 Gewurztraminer, 2003
Reserve
Red, 2003 Chardonnay, 2004 Dry Riesling and 2004 Johannisberg Riesling.
The Fulkerson family and staff would like to pass on their heart felt
condolences to the Frank family and the staff at Dr. Frank's Vinifera Wine
Cellars & Chateau Frank for the passing of Willy Frank, one of the Finger
Lake region's great leaders in the wine industry.

-- I received news of a new wine made by not one winery, but three; an unprecedented collaboration by 3 of the Finger Lakes top wineries. I can't wait to try it. Here is the press release:
Anthony Road Wine Company, Fox Run Vineyards and Red Newt Wine Cellars are proud to announce the debut of Tierce, a 2004 Dry Riesling, marking a new collaborative effort in Finger Lakes winemaking. Tierce Dry Riesling will be released on May 5, 2006, kicking off the Riesling Month celebration.Peter Bell of Fox Run, Johannes Reinhardt of Anthony Road and David Whiting of Red Newt, each contributed a portion of Riesling wine, made from fruit grown on the slopes of Seneca Lake, to create 100 cases of a single wine. "This wine pulls together not only the unique vineyard expressions of Seneca Lake, but also the individual philosophies of the participating winemakers," commented Dave Whiting, winemaker and co-owner of Red Newt.Peter, Johannes and Dave not only decided what blend to create, they also chose to seal the bottle with a screw cap because this type of closure works well for wines with delicate aromas, such as a Riesling. Fox Run's winemaker, Peter Bell, noted that, "Screw caps with Riesling wines are quite clearly the way of the future. Corks, natural or synthetic, have a tendency to affect the wine¹s aroma."Fox Run's owner, Scott Osborn, stated, " This is a new level of collaboration among Finger Lakes wineries. In the past, wineries and winemakers have shared information, but this marks the first time three Finger Lakes wineries have worked together to produce and market a wine.""The wine reflects the passion of the three winemakers and opens the door to a new Riesling experience" commented Johannes Reinhardt, of Anthony Road, when asked about this team effort.

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