Finger Lakes Winery Visit Notes

- I am way behind on posting my winery visit notes so far this year, so I will give some summaries below (in no particular order) and work on more detailed reports for later postings.

- I stopped at Ravines Wine Cellars (east side of Keuka Lake) last weekend and found out that their 2005 Dry Riesling had just received a 90 rating in Wine Enthusiast magazine. And I definitely agree! Stop by and try all of Morten & Lisa's finely crafted wines and you won't be disappointed. They will be releasing their new Chardonnay (crafted in a unique way- ask them about it) and new Cab Franc this coming Fathers Day weekend and their new Pinot Noir will be debuting next month.

- I visited the impressive new Ventosa Vineyards facility (Northeast Seneca Lake) and was blown away by the magnificent building. A must-see just for the building alone, but I was also impressed by the Chardonnay(light citrus, light oak, very balanced), Vino Bianco (blend of Chardonnay, Vidal, & Riesling- balanced acidity, bright and flavorful with a lengthy finish), and Saggio (a Bordeaux blend with a fruity cherry aroma, rich and fruity with medium tannins).

- At Hunt Country Vineyards (west side of Keuka Lake), we were greeted by the friendly wine dogs Gus & Barli (beautiful Bernese Mountain Dogs). Hunt Country is celebrating their 25th anniversary and they just get better with age. I particularly enjoy their Dry & Semi-Dry Rieslings (very limited qauntities available), their wonderful Vignoles (2004 sold out, 2005 coming June 22), the easy drinking Foxy Lady Blush, and their rich and caramelly Ruby Port.

- Arcadian Estate's (west side of Seneca Lake) friendly Kim and Jake (another great wine dog) poured their wines for us (Kim poured) and I enjoyed their Snowy Evening (crisp and refreshing), their Cool Hand Peach and Shine On Me Pear (intense fruit flavors), and the Happily Ever After Berry Port. They sure do have some of the most entertaining wine descriptions.

- Skip at Glenora Wine Cellars (west side of Seneca Lake- you can't miss the awesome view) always treats us right and I was fond of the Chardonnay (clean and crisp), Dry Riesling (always good), Alpine White (excellent blend of Cayuga and Chardonnay), Catawba (a little less bite than most Catawba), Syrah (lots of cherry and black pepper), Peach Spumante (unique and awesome), and their refreshing Blueberry Breeze and Peach Passion (for when the temperatures hit the 90's with 100% humidity).

- Summaries to be continued.... I also have a lot of winery photos to post. Stay tuned. The job search continues and that, unfortunately, leaves less time for blogging. But I promise to do the tireless work of visiting wineries and tasting wine... for you my devoted readers!