Finger Lakes Weekend Wino

Stalking the Shaw ’07 Pinot Noir

2010-11-17T18:43:00.002-05:00

Stalking the Shaw ’07 Pinot Noir
by Rob Lane
(Finger Lakes Weekend Wino)

When the 2007 harvest was complete in the Finger Lakes region, I was particularly excited about one red varietal from the barrel tastings that I was experiencing. It was a grape that many experts said could never produce excellent wine in the Finger Lakes – Pinot Noir. And one ’07 Pinot Noir in particular piqued my curiosity – the ’07 Pinot Noir from Shaw Vineyard. Since I know that Steve Shaw, vineyardist/winemaker/owner of Shaw Vineyards on the west side of Seneca Lake, likes to take his time when releasing his reds, I made it a goal of mine to follow this particular wine through its entire journey from harvest to release.

So for the last 3 years, I have stalked this wine (with Steve’s permission, of course) and Steve has given me unprecedented access to tasting the wine at regular intervals over the last 3 years and all along the way I have been convinced that it was going to be a special wine. But let’s return to the birth of the Shaw ’07 Pinot Noir.

The climate in 2007 created good growing conditions with very hot and dry conditions for Shaw’s vines. As Shaw relates, “I like the Pinot vines to be stressed. But since my Pinot is grown in clay soil types, the vines are less susceptible to shutting down from lack of water, even in the almost droughtlike conditions over the summer of 2007”. Shaw has two 1-acre blocks of Pinot, located .6 miles and .8 miles from the lake shore. The Pinot Noir clones planted are Clones 7, 667, 115, and 777. Shaw uses the German-developed trellis system called Pendlebogen on a large portion of the vines. This trellising is essentially a system where the canes are allowed to arch and it gives a somewhat “wild vine” appearance. Shaw says that, in warm years like 2007, this system allows him to take full advantage of the ground heat. Steve relates that bunches closer to the ground can yield sugars up to 1 brix higher.

The vines are spaced 6 feet apart with 9 foot row spacing. Asked if shorter spacing would give any advantage, Shaw replies “The soils are so fertile here that closer spacing does not provide any additional stressing advantages and in my opinion, creates other airflow and disease issues.” He does not however mind some weed growth around the plants to make the vines struggle. Shaw believes wholeheartedly that the Pinot vines must be stressed to produce the best fruit. The theory is that when the vines are stressed, they will produce smaller but more flavorful fruit.

Shaw has been growing grapes in this region for many decades and he seems to have a sixth sense when it comes to timing the harvest. In late September of 2007, Steve called in his crew to pick the Pinot Noir. The Brix varied from 22 to 23.5, with yields of 2.5 to 3 tons per acre and all of the grapes were hand-picked and destemmed whole with no crushing, and with a very light pressing regimen. Shaw emphasizes, “I believe in gentle extraction, lots of patience, being mindful of the living product, and only interfering when necessary”.

Steve uses several European Burgundy variety yeasts with extended contact with the fine lees. 16 barrels of the ’07 Pinot Noir then spent the next 2 years of their lives lounging in 20% new French oak barrels and 80% 2 & 3 year old French oak barrels, with much of the third year spent in neutral oak barrels for micro-oxygenation and softening the tannins. When it came time to bottle, all 16 barrels were evaluated but only 13 were deemed to meet Steve's standards. 300 cases of the '07 Pinot Noir was bottled in June of 2010, allowed to age in the bottle for 5 months and released this month.

I barrel tasted this wine about twice a year for the last 3 years, my anticipation for the final product growing with each experience. But actually, the best part of these tastings (as any wine geek will say) was the wide-ranging wine discussions with Steve, where I got a glimpse inside the mind of someone with Steve’s vast experience. Steve has amazing patience with his wines. I know I wanted it in the bottle 2 years ago. The flavors and mouthfeel were exceptional from the start and became better at each tasting, with beautiful tannic structure that showed this wine’s stellar aging potential.

When Steve announced that he was releasing this wine in November, I was giddy with excitement. After all, I felt like I was, in some small way, a part of this wine. I had spent 3 years tasting it, discussing it, and experiencing it behind the scenes. The moment was at hand where I would finally taste the final product, and it did not disappoint.

First we tasted a new bottle. Right away, I smelled that familiar aroma of candied cherry that I experience in many excellent red wines, along with that classic Pinot earthiness. On the tongue, the rich berry flavors filled the front of the palate leading into deep notes of cassis and plum, with underlyng tones of anise, deep-roasted coffee, and a complex earthiness that made me smile. The tannic structure was still tight in this young wine, but not overly so, with a long complex finish featuring the positive oak elements.

But the real stunner came when Steve poured a glass from a bottle that he had opened the day before and corked overnight to give me an idea of what this wine will be like with several years of aging. Those tannins had unwound and opened up soft, ripe, and juicy berry flavors, with beautiful toasted vanilla from the oak integrating perfectly with the now deepened layers of cassis (with some raspberry undertones on the deep palate), earthiness, and roasted coffee flavors that lingered on longer than an Alaska Senatorial ballot count.

Was it worth the 3 year wait? You bet it was, and it will be worth another 3 year wait to see how this young wine develops. I will need the patience of Steve Shaw, though, to resist the temptation to open my prized ’07 Shaw Pinot Noir’s now snuggled in my wine cellar.

I thank Steve Shaw so much for allowing me into the world of a passionate and talented vineyardist and winemaker. When you talk with Steve, you can sense the intensity at which he pursues excellence in every aspect of his viticulture and winemaking. Shaw Vineyards is located on the west side of Seneca Lake, 14 miles north of Watkins Glen.

FLWW Update

2010-02-03T08:56:00.002-05:00

Yes, I'm still here. Many projects going now. Not a lot of time for blogging.

See my February article in Mountain Home magazine at www.mountainhomemag.com

Finger Lakes Wine Industry 2009 Recap

2010-01-10T07:33:00.002-05:00

Wow. 2009 passed by in a flash. Welcome to 2010! Only a couple more years left (according to the Mayan calendar), so we better get busy enjoying all the Finger Lakes wine that we can. To recap 2009 for the Finger Lakes wine industry, I believe the operative word is “Relief”. Going into 2009, recession worries were rampant and many wineries were bracing for the worst. But happily, consumers shrugged off the bad economic news and continued to visit Finger Lakes wineries. Many wineries reported that even though the total visitor count was down a bit, sales held up fairly well. So that was very good news for the Finger Lakes wine industry.

The news about the wine was just as good, as award after award was earned by Finger Lakes wineries in 2009 with Sheldrake Point Vineyard (Cayuga Lake) and Hermann Wiemer Vineyard (Seneca Lake) being named in the Top 100 wineries of the world by Wine & Spirits magazine. The quality of Finger Lakes wine could be seen across the board with special note being given to the 2007 reds that were released in 2009, especially some of the 2007 Pinot Noirs.

The optimal weather in 2007, along with the increasing experience and knowledge of Finger Lakes vineyardists and winemakers in this relatively young winemaking region, combined to prove that yes, Pinot Noir can be grown here and can be made into outstanding wine. Red Tail Ridge, Billsboro, Fox Run, Belhurst, Heart & Hand, and Ravines all stood out with fine 2007 Pinot Noir’s.

Of course, Riesling continued to lead the way in the Finger Lakes with critics from around the world finally comprehending what I have been shouting to the world for many years now – that the Finger Lakes region can make first-class world renown wine! But two of my top favorite white wines of 2009 were not Rieslings, but Gewurztraminers. The complex and delicious Dr. Frank ’08 Reserve Gewurztraminer ($24.99) shows layers of tangerine, floral, and spice flavors and the Silver Springs Winery (Seneca Lake) ‘04 Gewurztraminer Ice Wine ($42) continues to develop year after year and is now revealing luscious honey and citrus flavors.

Expansion continues in the Finger Lakes with several more wineries opening in 2009, along with several distilleries making fine small-batch artisan spirits. I made visits to 88 of those wineries in 2009 and tasted over 700 Finger Lakes wines. 2009 harvest reports give a mixed view of the ’09 vintage with the weather not cooperating for much of the year. Rieslings and whites in general are looking good, but the verdict on ’09 reds is still up in the air.

I wish everyone a Great 2010 and I’ll see you on the Wine Trails!

Have A Great Holiday Season & A Great 2010

2009-12-18T08:30:00.002-05:00

I wish you all a Great Holiday Season & A Great 2010!!! I hope to get back to blogging in 2010. My newest Finger Lakes wine column is out now in the December issue of Mountain Home Magazine.

Seneca Lake's Newest Winery

2009-07-26T11:11:00.004-05:00

For all of you fruit wine (non-grape) lovers out there, Seneca Lake's newest winery, Fruit Yard Winery, may be right up your alley. Since it is located only a half-mile from my house on Route 14, about 10 miles north of Watkins Glen on the west side of the lake, I have been watching the construction with some curiosity and, with it's roadside farm stand look, I thought I would be buying fresh produce there. On its recent opening, alas, it was a winery.

Fruit Yard Winery is the brain child of Dave Dimarco, who also owns Seneca Shore Winery a few miles to the north, and Dave Shope, an experienced Finger Lakes winemaker with a love of making quality fruit wines. Along with wines such as Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Traminette, etc. (some from Seneca Shore's stock), they produce 7 sweet fruit wines - Pear, Peach, Cranberry, Cherry, Strawberry, Plum, & Blueberry (all in 375ml bottles), with more to come.

The highlights of my tasting were the Strawberry wine ($7.99, 375ml) with strawberry jam flavors and the Plum wine ($7.99, 375 ml), a very complex fruit wine with layers of plum, cherry, strawberry, and apricot into a nice long well-structured finish.

If you are looking for something a little different while you are tasting around Seneca Lake, stop in to the Fruit Yard.

Finger Lakes Wine Festival

2009-07-17T10:33:00.002-05:00

It's time again for the Finger Lakes Wine Festival this weekend and Tommy the Wino and me, The Finger Lakes Weekend Winos Duo, will be performing at the Wine Festival at Watkins Glen Speedway this Sunday from 10am to 1pm in The Brewers Garden. Stop by for some Rock, Blues, & Wino Originals. We'll see you there!!! FLWW

Finger Lakes News & Notes - July 3, 2009

2009-07-03T09:00:00.003-05:00

- Finger Lakes Wine Country has started the Painted Barrels event. The barrel pictured is from Hearts & Hands Winery, whose owner Tom Higgins suggested the idea of Painted Barrels as a way to promote Finger Lakes artists and wineries. Its barrel is beautifully painted by Finger Lakes artist, Melissa Littlejohn, of the famed pottery company. MacKenzie-Childs of Aurora, New York. For more info on Painted Barrels, click here.

- Check out July events in the Finger Lakes

- Holly Howell writes on wine blends

- Naples store showcases Finger Lakes artists

- Wine Spectators James Molesworth enjoys Anthony Road Riesling at Red Newt Bistro

- Also read Molesworths’ blog of his recent Finger Lakes visit here

- Jeff Richards writes on the new Finger Lakes Distillery

- Enjoy wine and racing this weekend at Watkins Glen Speedway

- Proposals for Finger Lakes Museum considered

- Baltimore's Terry Sullivan writes about his Finger Lakes travels

- The Wine Trail Traveler website has some nice info on Finger Lakes wineries

- Enjoy Music and Finger Lakes Wine at Taughannock Falls State Park

- If you are looking for ideas of things to do in the Finger Lakes, check out "100 Things To Do in Finger Lakes Wine Country This Summer"

- Finger Lakes wines do well in Los Angeles International Wine Competition, with Chateau Lafayette Reneau 2008 Dry Riesling and 2008 Late Harvest Riesling winning Best of Class awards. Congrats to CLR!!! See complete results here

- The Why Wine Blog visits the Finger Lakes

- The Professor writes about Finger Lakes wine

- If you are interested in making wine at home, Fulkerson Winery's Steve Fulkerson gives you good advice on his youtube videos

I hope your summer is going great & Happy 4th of July to all my fellow Weekend Winos!!!

My Wine Wins Another Medal

2009-06-25T18:37:00.002-05:00

- As I posted in my May 20th post, myself and 2 friends entered our Concord wine into the Winemaker Magazine Amateur Winemaking Competition last month and we won a medal. Well, we just found out last weekend that we won another medal at the prestigious Indy International Competition! So we must be doing something right.

-Come out and see Mr. Tom and me, the Finger Lakes Weekend Winos Duo, perform acoustic blues, rock, and originals this Saturday & Sunday from Noon to 4pm at Dr. Franks on the east side of Keuka Lake. We had a great time there earlier in the month and this weekend should be even better!

- Also, My June Wine & Dine Column for Mountain Home magazine about winemaker Barry Tortolon of Rooster Hill Vineyard is now online.

Busy Busy Busy. I'll see you on the wine trails.

Finger Lakes News & Notes

2009-06-02T17:44:00.003-05:00

- Mountain Home magazine's June edition is out at wineries and shops in the Finger Lakes with my June column about Rooster Hill Vineyards winemaker Barry Tortolon and my June post for Finger Lakes Wine Country is here.

-Come out and see Mr. Tom and me, the Finger Lakes Weekend Winos Duo, perform acoustic blues, rock, and originals this Saturday & Sunday from Noon to 4pm at Dr. Franks on the east side of Keuka Lake.

- See a complete listing of Finger Lakes events for June at Finger Lakes Wine Country

- If you like to fiddle around, the 20th Annual Fiddlers Gathering is this weekend at Watlins Glen State Park

- More distilleries open in the Finger Lakes

- Red Tail Ridge Winery goes green

- Holly Howell writes on misunderstood Riesling

- In the Eastern International Wine Competition, the 2006 Tierce was named the best dry Riesling, the overall Riesling Champion and the best White Wine of the competition (retail $30). The wine was a collaborative effort by three Finger Lakes winemakers -- Peter Bell of Fox Run Vineyards, Johannes Reinhardt of Anthony Road Wine Co., and Dave Whiting of Red Newt Cellars. See complete results here

- One of my favorite Finger Lakes wines of the year so far, Dr. Frank 2007 Reserve Gewurztraminer (see my notes here) has won a Gold medal at an international Gewurztraminer competition in France.

- Ithaca NY is rated as one of top ten places for wine lovers to retire

- The next generation of Finger Lakes vintners are getting ready

That's all for now. I'll see you on the Wine Trails! FLWW

Finger Lakes Winery Reports - May 2009

2009-05-28T19:51:00.003-05:00

Here are highlights of my May Winery Visits:

Red Tail Ridge Winery, west side of Seneca Lake, They are starting to produce their own estate wines now and I am very excited about the wines here, especially the reds.

> ’08 Estate Semi-dry Riesling, $15.95, 1.8%RS, this Riesling is a bit different (or is it) with lots of green apple flavors instead of peach, leading into rounded lime tones on the finish.

> ’07 Estate Pinot Noir, $19.95, pleasant funky earth and tobacco on the nose, lots of beautiful smoky tobacco tones with deep black cherry undertones and a long mocha finish, an excellent Finger Lakes Pinot Noir!

> ’07 Lemberger, $18.95, from the Martini vineyards, well-defined spicy cherry layers but not much pepper right now, a little heavy on the acidity right now but this has aging potential and should smooth out nicely.

Anthony Road Winery, west side of Seneca Lake, lots to talk about here,

> ’07 Chardonnay-No Oak, $12.99, .6%RS, steely and crisp with spicy pear highlights.

> ’08 Semi-dry Riesling, $14.99, 2.6%RS, nice fresh floral and citrus aromas, bold citrus with underlying honeyed melon and ripe peach, the acidity should smooth out nicely with a little age.

> ’08 Gewurztraminer, $15.99, 1.1%RS, a bit unbalanced to me right now with loads of lychee and spice overwhelming the hints of orange and ginger below the surface, I’ll try again in a few months.

> ’07 Vignoles, $12.99, 1.4%RS, winemaker Johannes Reinhardt always makes a beautifully structured and flavorful Vignoles, nice honeyed grapefruit aromas, expressive melon with smooth citrus and a steely backbone make this a great Vignoles!

> ’06 Martini-Reinhardt Berry Select Vignoles, $45, 14.5%RS, sticking with Vignoles but in a dessert style, Beautiful amber gold color, honeyed lime aromas, sweet but balanced, intense fig, apricot, and honey in this flavor bomb, savor it slowly.

> ’07 Martini Reinhardt Select Riesling, $22, 2.1%RS, structured and steely on the nose, bold but smooth mouthwatering lime on the front with balanced honeyed lychee and spice on the finish, this is a really good value at $22, this is an excellent well-structured and nuanced Semi-dry Riesling that should also age well!

> ’07 Martini Reinhardt Select Cabernet Franc, $30, Correction: .1%RS, At first the 14.3% alcohol overwhelmed me, but after I let it breathe a bit, this wine came to life, a complex wine, very soft with deep plum and coffee tones with hints of anise, tobacco, and leather on the deep palate into a long long cocoa mocha finale, Bravo Johannes!!!

Belhurst Winery, west side of Seneca Lake, After struggling for a few years to find their wine focus, Belhurst has come out with a an impressively solid wine lineup this year; they are still a bit pricey for my wallet but it IS a premium resort with beautiful views and great dining so I guess I can shell out a little extra for excellent wine, although I am not sure where the grapes/juice is from or who the winemaker(s) are. A recent press release from Belhurst president Duane Reeder stated "With a unique winery philosophy, the Belhurst Winery includes a committee of experts who carefully seek fruit, vineyards, wine varieties and winemakers who will contribute to the palette of wines sold by Belhurst. The committee continually collaborates with area winemakers to produce consistently high quality wines which quickly become Belhurst favorites." Hmmmmm??? I assume it's Finger Lakes fruit, but I'm not sure. I will get to the bottom of this!

> ’08 Pinot Grigio, $19.95, Pinot Grigio has disappointed me in the Finger Lakes. The problem is, I have tasted a couple of exceptional Finger Lakes PG’s so I know that it can be done, but for the most part, most Finger Lakes PG’s are flabby and one dimensional, Fortunately Belhurst latest offering is beautifully structured with apple and peach layers into a spicy mineral finish that goes on longer than a Finger Lakes winter! Thank You Belhurst for a nice Finger Lakes PG. Now work on lowering that price for us common folk : ) I guess they need extra $ for that winemaking committee?

> ’08 Chardonnay, $18.95, more lime in this Chardonnay than normal Finger Lakes Chard but I like it, complex with toasted vanilla with a touch of spice with integrated soft lime with melon undertones into a very long finish, Yum.

> ’08 Dry Riesling, $18.95, fresh honeyed citrus aroma, layers of apple and melon with solid mineral finish, Wow, I am impressed! Way to make a comeback, Belhurst. I have only tasted about 10 ‘08’s so far, but this one tops my list right now. It appears that the ’08 Rieslings that I have tasted generally have more apple tones instead of the normal peach tones and there’s nothing wrong with that.

> ’08 Semi-dry Riesling, $17.95, loads of melon and apple but after the excellent Dry version, the finish just can’t compete, still a very good semi-dry Riesling.

> ’07 Pinot Noir, $21.95, the Finger Lakes ’07 Pinot Noirs seem to be coming in to their own now as the Red Tail Ridge Pinot that I reviewed above and this one are revealing, nicely funky earthy cherry on the nose, lots of dried black fruit and juicy black cherry with underlying hints of dried berries, lots of fruit in this very good and perfectly balanced Pinot, Actually this is a good value at this price point.

Fox Run Vineyards, west side of Seneca Lake,

> ’08 Semi-dry Riesling, $13.99, 2.5%RS, My knowledgable server Tim warned me that this had just been bottled, but even with bottle shock, this wine is showing very well already, very soft and smooth layered citrus tones,of orange, nectarine and lime and should continue to get better, Very Nice.

> ’06 Reserve Chardonnay, $14.99, .5%RS, Expressive Chard fruit with nice peach character and a nice long finish. > Artcic Fox, $8.99, a very steely and structured Cayuga even with 2.1%RS, very intriguing apple and citrus layers happening here, a really nice value white.

> ’07 Reserve Pinot Noir, $50, Once again, the Red wine story in the Finger Lakes this year may be the ’07 Pinot Noir, Lush and Velvety, soft smooth cherry with smoky tobacco undertones, this is an excellent wine and may well be worth the $50 price tag, but for a commoner like me, I see better value elsewhere.

Hermann Wiemer Vineyard, west side of Seneca Lake,

> ’07 Dry Riesling, $17.50, .9%RS, Winemaker Fred Merwarth doing what he does so well, the perfect dry Riesling, this is a ménage a trois of perfectly balanced peach, melon, and lime on a bed of smooth mineral and I hope that you are not in the room next door because they could go all night!

> ’07 Dry Riesling Reserve, $23, .7%RS, finely nuanced mineral character with peach layers and honeyed spice undertones, but I actually prefer the Non-reserve this year.

> 2003 Blanc de Noir, Dry Sparkling Wine, 85% Pinot Noir/ 15% Chardonnay, HW doesn’t get enough credit for their sparklers because their Riesling gets all the press, but this one has nicely expressed apple tones with beautifully defined toasty highlights.

> ’07 Estate White, $12, .4%RS, 60% Chardonnay, 20% Riesling, 20% Gewurztraminer, a very complex value blend, I find that winemakers who make the best premium wines also make the best value wines because they strive for the same balance and structure but blends are at lower price points. Sort of the same concept as eating lunch at a fancy restaurant, the chef is going to strive for the same quality as his dinner fare, but you will pay less for that same quality at lunch (yes, I am a cheapskate). This wine exudes layers of peach, apple and melon, with excellent balance and structure, a very good value at this price point.

That's all for now. I'll see you on the wine trails!!! FLWW

My Wine Wins a Medal!!!!!!

2009-05-20T18:04:00.002-05:00

Believe it or not, a wine that I helped make has won a medal at a wine competition.

Okay, so it was just a Bronze. But yesssssssss, a wine I helped make won a freaking award!!!! I am psyched! Well, here's how it came about. I have been making wine, starting with kits and progressing to juice, for the past 10 years or so. Well, last year I decided to make wine together with 2 friends who have been making wine for a while and we decided that we were going to go bigger than we ever had. We got ourselves some 50 gallon fermenters, a pump, filtration system and all the equipment we would need to do 4 fifty gallon batches. We decided to get 50 gallons each of Concord, Niagara, Cayuga, & Dechaunac because that's what we could afford.

We read all the new research we could get our hands on about oxidation and SO2 levels and filtration and cold fermentation, etc. We even built a temperature controlled fermentation room. We were serious. For most of 2008, I had been picking the brains of any winemaker who would answer my stupid questions. Thank You to Mark at Rock Stream, Darren at Villa Bellangelo, & Chris & Liz at Lakewood for putting up with my questions and for giving me good advice!!! I have so much respect for all good winemakers after my years of trying to make something respectable.

After fermentation, we knew the Concord was going to be the best out of the four. We did sweetening trials and the flavors just popped. And it kept getting better and better with fine strawberry/citrus aromas and flavors, actually to me it tasted like the best Catawba I've ever had. We thought it might be too un-Concord like for judges. But we decided to enter it into the 2009 Winemaker Magazine Amateur Wine Competition (There were over 4400 total entries and only 7 medal winners in our category).

And they gave it a Bronze. To me, that is like a Gold and verifies that we are doing something right. Lord knows, we were flying blind at times. But I think every winemaker can attest to the fact that you really never know how a wine is going to turn out until it is in the bottle for many months. So now I can actually say that I AM A WINEMAKER. Our expert peers have deemed our skills to be passable. But now the bar has been set. Can we beat that next year? Well, we are certainly going to try! -Finger Lakes Weekend Wino & Award-Winning Winemaker : )

Rendezvous with Riesling Report & New Finger Lakes Releases

2009-05-17T18:55:00.002-05:00

- It was an eventful weekend this past weekend, with me and Mrs. Wino attending the Rendezvous with Riesling event at the New York Wine & Culinary Center (NYWCC) in Canandaigua on Friday night, which showcased Rieslings from over 30 New York wineries. My goal at this event was to try and get an idea of how the ‘08 Finger Lakes Rieslings were shaping up, but there were only six ‘08’s there and many of them were recently bottled and still suffering from some “bottle shock” and not showing their full potential yet. I find that Finger Lakes Rieslings, especially the dry Rieslings, show very bold acidity right after bottling and it takes a while for them to settle down and smooth out. I will try them again in a few months.

The most interesting Riesling to me was the new ‘08 “Value” Semi-dry Riesling from Red Newt, which they are calling Circle Riesling because of the circular label. Red Newt owner Dave Whiting hopes that this Riesling will be Finger Lakes answer to those other out of state produced value-priced Rieslings, and he hopes that this wine will showcase the quality of Finger Lakes Riesling to a broader audience because of its modest $11.99 price point. After tasting it, I think Dave’s theory may prove correct. This wine shows clean aromas with fresh stone fruit and citrus flavors with honeyed overtones, a good introduction to Finger Lakes Riesling for those who have not tried them yet. 2500 cases produced and it is available now. Click here for a good article about this wine from Evan Dawson at LennDevours blog and a lively discussion in the Comments section.

- Actually, what impressed me more than the wines at the Rendezvous with Riesling was the amazing food! NYWCC Executive Chef Carlo Peretti was cooking up a variety of Risotto recipes that would have impressed even Hell’s Kitchens not easily pleased maestro Gordon Ramsey. In fact, Carlo said that he has tried out for that show, so maybe he will get to cook risotto for the hotheaded fellow Brit Ramsey. Also on hand were truly impressive and tasty samples from Hartmann’s Old World Sausage (delicious meats) , Simply Crepes (heavenly apple crepes), Muranda Cheese (veteran milk producer who recently decided to produce cheese and these are very high quality cheeses), The Pierogie Guy (with a unique pulled pork pierogie), and Renee Suzette’s Chocolate (truly decadent chocolates). Mrs. Wino & I were in culinary heaven. I will be writing more about these quality New York state food producers in my Food & Wine column in Mountain Home magazine.

-On Saturday, I visited Fulkerson Winery for 2 reasons. First, they have just released their first Cabernet Franc Ice Wine and I was anxious to try it. This is one of the few Finger Lakes Cab Franc Ice Wines that I know of, but after tasting it, I think other wineries may want to add one of their own to their wine production. I have long thought, after tasting several sweeter Cab Franc’s, that it’s flavors really start to pop at higher residual sugar levels and that is certainly the case here. This wine possesses some of the most bold but still defined flavors of any ice wine that I have encountered. Full flavored but detailed layers of cherry and strawberry pirouette across your tongue like some crazed ballerina on steroids, and the 16.2% Residual Sugar is kept in check by the full flavor profile. At $44.99, this is not an everyday wine, but it is a perfect special occasion treat or for when you really want to impress someone.

The other reason that I was at Fulkerson was because the Finger Lakes own syndicated TV Chef, Chef William, was doing cooking demonstrations and book signings, and I was there to interview him for an article. Chef William’s story is a truly inspiring one and you can tell that he really loves what he does. I’ll let you know when the article comes out.

- Also in my travels this weekend, I stopped at Villa Bellangelo Winery to see what was new and owner Mike Litterio and his crew were very busy with a full tasting room, but they were very excited to have me try their newest wine addition, a sparkling Moscato ($16.99), made from the Cornell-produced hybrid grape Valvin Muscat. There are a few other Valvin Muscat’s being produced in the Finger Lakes, but this is the first sparkling one that I know of. The unique herbal quality of this grape is sometimes a little off-putting for me, but the low alcohol (6%) and sparkling components of Villa Bellangelo’s offering seems to mute that herbal quality and bring out more zingy pineapple and apricot flavors, producing a refreshing and flavorful low alcohol sipper that is going to be a big seller, especially for the summer. In fact, Mike says that only 112 cases were produced and they are going fast, so get it while you can.

- Memorial Day weekend coming up and it’s going to be another busy week. Remember to try and Buy Local when you can and always Drink Well and Be Safe!!!

Finger Lakes News & Notes - May 3, 2009

2009-05-03T08:48:00.006-05:00

- It has been a busy last several weeks for The Weekend Wino as I have been tasting wines other than Finger Lakes wines. When I travel to other wine regions or do tastings at International Wine Events, I realize how spoiled I am by the quality and great value that Finger Lakes wine represents. Two examples from the last 2 weeks: I traveled up to Long Island to visit with friends and taste the Long Island wine offerings and, although there were some very nice wines, there was absolutely no good values to speak of. I do understand expenses are higher, but tasting prices and wine prices have increased considerably since I visited Long Island just two years ago, with tastings starting at $6 and going up to $12 to taste premium wines. Maybe the recession has not hit Long Island and NYC as much as other areas, but I believe that people are looking for value right now and I just did not see it on Long Island. I also attended an International Wine event in Pennsylvania, with over 100 of the worlds top wineries presenting tastings. Wines with price tags well over $100 were here and I just was not that impressed. I have tasted wines priced below twenty dollars that compared to some of these overpriced wines. Sure, there were some that lived up to there price tags, but quite a few left me shaking my head and longing for the Finger Lakes. I guess I’ve become a Finger Lakes wine snob, but I’d rather have wine that tastes good than wine with good taste, if you know what I mean : )

- My May column for Mountain Home magazine is available here and my April post for Finger Lakes Wine Country is here

- May is Riesling Month in the Finger Lakes with many events to celebrate the signature grape of the region. Some highlights of Riesling month include:
Rooster Hill Vineyards' Rieslings in Riedel lets anyone who comes in for a Riesling tasting ($3) try the wine in both a regular glass and a Riedel glass that many experts say enhances the flavor.
Ravines Wine Cellars' Ravenous for Rieslings is offering dry Riesling and food pairing each Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. through May. Saturday's pairing features shrimp with beurre blanc and shallots. The pairing costs $6 and no reservations are required.

New York Wine & Culinary Center presents Rendezvous with Riesling, a celebration of Finger Lakes Riesling on May 15th, including a special tasting of six older vintage Rieslings.

Enjoy free Finger Lakes Riesling tastings every Friday in May from 6:30pm to 8:00pm at the Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel.

Holly Howell gives a primer on Cabernet Franc

Tom Pellechia highlights some lesser known wines

The New York Wine & Culinary Center makes a big impact

Interesting story on how the recession is affecting a Washington State wine region. From what I see, the Finger Lakes wineries have had pretty good traffic on most weekends so far this Spring, so hopefully the Finger Lakes can weather the recession.

Finger Lakes wineries took home 28 Gold medals at the Pacific Rim International Wine Competition, including Best White Wine award to Dr. Frank ’07 Semi-Dry Riesling (see my review here). See Grand Champion results here

Check out the art of Finger Lakes artist Brenda Sunseri

Rooster Fish Brewery delights with food and beer in Watkins Glen

The Best of Routes 5 & 20

Reviews of Taste Camp East

Interesting discussion at LennDevours about Red Newt’s new “sweeter” Riesling and the economics of wine pricing

John Zuccarino of Silver Springs Winery continues his series of educational wine videos and even plays guitar for us

Dr Frank's is Open

2009-04-23T22:32:00.004-05:00

- I'm sure many of you have heard about the fire that destroyed Dr. Frank's new tasting room. I am happy to report that no one was hurt, although some wine and memorabilia was destroyed. Fred Frank states that tours and tastings will not be disrupted and they are open for business in the unaffected tasting rooms. My acoustic duo, the Finger Lakes Weekend Winos were one of the first to perform in the newly built tasting area and it sure hits home. It was a beautiful tasting room. I guess we will be performing on the original deck when we play there in June. I am sipping the spectacular '07 Dr Frank Dry Riesling right now that I purchased in the destroyed tasting room. The building may be gone, but the memories remain.

- And in other bad news this week, the Golden Nose event which gives us mere mortals an opportunity to judge wine, was canceled due to lagging ticket sales. Oh well, maybe next year.

On a good note, the weather is going to be awesome this weekend. I am heading to Long Island to visit some old friends and taste Long Island wine. My fellow blogger Lenn at LennDevours has given me a list of must visit wineries on LI and I look forward to a very good time this weekend. Have fun and enjoy this great weather!!!

Finger Lakes Vacation Wine Tour Tasting Tips

2009-04-12T10:26:00.003-05:00

Wine Tasting Tour season has started so below are my tips for getting the most out of your wine tasting time in the Finger Lakes:

1. Try to plan at least one weekday into your trip. The wineries can be crowded on the weekends, especially during the fall foliage and holiday season from October to December. However, if you visit the wineries on a week day, the wineries are a lot less crowded.

2. Plan which wineries or which lakes that you want to visit. There are more than 80 wineries on Cayuga, Seneca, and Keuka Lakes. There are around 50 on Seneca, and perhaps 15-20 each on Keuka and Cayuga. It is impossible to visit them all on just a weekend. In my experience, a reasonable goal is 5 or 6 wineries maximum per day. If you know what your taste in wine is, I would suggest researching the wineries and the wines they offer by going to their websites. The Finger Lakes Wine Country website has a good winery directory with website links. This way, you can eliminate the wineries that do not have wines that appeal to you and get more information on the wineries that interest you. Or you can email me with your wine taste preferences and I can suggest wineries that I feel would match your palate. To email me, just fill out the form at the bottom of this page.

3. Once you have narrowed down your winery visit list, plan your route. The Uncork New York website has some good maps of the wineries on each lake. The roads in the area are very good, but if you have never driven in this area before, you will definitely want a good map because it is a rural area and it is easy to take a wrong turn. But the area is very safe and the people are very friendly and will point you in the right direction if you ask. The lakes are within a 20-30 minute drive of each other, so if you want to choose a few wineries on one lake and a few on another, it is reasonably easy to do. Keep in mind that most of the wineries are open from approximately 11am to 5pm, so schedule your time accordingly. As far as driving yourself as you taste wines, please use good judgement. Most of the wineries offer 5 to 8 tastings resulting in perhaps a half glass of wine being consumed at each stop. Take water with you to hydrate and take a meal break at some point and don't overindulge and you should be fine. The police in the area do not target winery visitors, but if you are driving erratically, you will be stopped. If you don't want to risk a DUI and you'd like someone else to do the driving so that you can taste wine safely and enjoy the trip without the hassles of driving, try my friends at Finger Lakes Wine Adventures for a Fun & Educational Wine Tasting Tour of The Finger Lakes- http://www.fingerlakeswineadventures.com/

4. Allot at least 30 minutes at each winery for tastings; more than that if the winery has a gift shop, museum (Bully Hill & Pleasant Valley wineries both have nice museums), or additional features to see such as tours of their facility. A few wineries still have free tastings, but most of the wineries now charge one or two dollars for 5 to 8 tastings; sometimes an additional dollar or two to taste their premium wines, so bring along some cash for tasting fees. Still, even with the fees, you are getting a good amount of wine for the price. And bring your credit card to buy the wine that you like, as well as all those neat gifts that the wineries have for sale.

5. Please be polite and respectful to your fellow wine tasters, especially when the wineries are crowded. The wineries are used to serving large crowds and they will serve you as quickly as possible. A little bit of patience goes a long way. Besides, what could be better- you are in a winery, tasting wine with other wine lovers. And wine people are some of the friendliest people around. You are sure to make some friends as you see the same people traveling from winery to winery on your wine tasting day.

6. Dress for the weather. The Finger Lakes can be very cool in spring and fall, very hot in mid-summer, and downright brutal in winter. There is almost always a breeze blowing off the lakes, which can make it feel even cooler, so it is wise to take a jacket with you in spring and fall. You will be standing a lot at wine tasting bars & walking a lot from the car to the wineries so wear comfortable shoes.

7. Ask questions about the wines that are being served. The winery staffs are very knowledgable and ready to answer any questions. Take good notes about the wines, so that you can remember what you like and don't like. A lot of people like to taste on one day and then go back around and buy based on their tasting notes on another day. Bring your camera. The wineries and tasting rooms are beautiful and the views around the lakes are spectacular. Some folks even bring a picnic lunch with them and have a picnic on the grounds of a winery. Most wineries will allow you to use their grounds, especially if you buy wine from them, but it is good manners to ask before you lay down your picnic blanket; and remember to clean up your trash!

8. Take a look through the Archives here at Finger Lakes Weekend Wino. There are posts on wineries and things to do and see in the Finger Lakes. Have Fun on your trip to The Finger Lakes and maybe I'll see you on the Wine Trail. If you have any questions, please email me at the email address at the top of the page.

Finger Lakes Winery Visit Reports - March 2009

2009-03-29T08:57:00.005-05:00

Here are some highlights from my March winery visits:

Dr. Frank Wine Cellars, west side of Keuka Lake, This well-known winery always produces a quality product and I've been tasting here for many years, but I have to say that this year, I am struck by the consistency of Dr. Frank's '07 vintage white wine lineup. Right down the line, these whites from the '07 vintage are just beautiful!!! And because of the slowing economy, they have actually lowered the prices on some of their wines!

> 2007 Dry Riesling, $16.99, soft floral/citrus aromatics, a little different than recent vintages of this wine (but just as excellent) with softer mineral tones and more rounded lime tones with mild apple undertones and, as always impeccably balanced and integrated flavors.

> 2007 Semi-Dry Riesling, $14.99, citrus blossom aromatics, Expressive ripe peach and soft citrus with subdued but sufficient minerality and just the right touch of Residual Sugar.

> 2007 Gewurztraminer, $17.99, If you've read my posts for the last 6 months, you know that I believe that many of the '07 Gewurz's in the Finger Lakes have established a new level for Finger Lakes Gewurz and these two '07 Dr. Frank Gewurz's are at that top level, beautifully perfumed complex aromatics, with plush spice and honey tones.
> 2007 Reserve Gewuztraminer, $24.99, All I can say is Wow!!! Extremely aromatic multi-toned floral and spice, layers and layers of plush tangerine, honey, ripe peach, apricot, with complex spice tones including deep palate hints of cinnamon and sweet basil. An amazingly complex Gewurztraminer!!! One of my top favorites right now.

> 2007 Salmon Run Riesling, $11.99, Dr. Frank's value Riesling, nice layers of juicy peach and crisp apple, Very Nice and an Excellent Value.

> Chateau Frank Celebre, $19.99, Sparkling Riesling, smooth soft-toned lemon/lime citrus and peach with nice toast elements in an excellent bubbler.

Also, some noteworthy '07 reds from Dr. Frank
> 2007 Lemberger, $24.99, deep plum and bing cherry tones with slight hints of peppery spice, medium tannins should age well.
> 2007 Cabernet Franc, $19.99, Well defined cherry tones with an expressive earthiness and a hint of anise into a long finish.

Glenora Wine Cellars (west side of Seneca Lake), Glenora also has a quality white wine lineup on the shelves, Some highlights are:
> 2006 Signature, $17.99, Pinot Blanc/Chardonnay/Riesling blend, beautifully layered tones of vanilla, citrus, melon, and toast from the French Oak aging.
> 2007 Golden Glen Chardonnay, $13.99, a full-bodied stainless steel aged Chardonnay, soft melon on the intake into juicy Chard fruit with a solid crisp finish.
> 2007 Pinot Blanc, $13.99, Delicate pear and peach tones lead to pleasant undertones of petrol and Frenck oak. Very Nice!

> 2007 Riesling, $15.99, 3.2% RS, very soft mouthfeel with honeyed melon and peach/pear highlights. The Beverage Tasting Institute named this Riesling as The Best Riesling in the U.S., but I must beg to differ. It's Very Good, but the best???

> Cayuga White, 3.3% RS, $8.99 750ml, $13.99 1.5L, focused layers of honeyed grapefruit, melon and apple, a great example of how Finger Lakes winemakers turn the much aligned hybrids into complex multi-faceted wines.

Red Newt Wine Cellars, east side of Seneca Lake, always a top producer of whites AND reds.

> 2007 Semi-Dry Riesling, $13.99, 2.5% RS, multi-layered citrus of orange/tangerine/apricot into a solid crisp finish.

> 2007 Saw Mill Creek Gewurztraminer, $35.99, Owner Dave Whiting is crafting some single vineyard wines in order to define the profiles of the specific locations and Jim Hazlitt's Saw Mill Creek vineyard is one of them. This can lead to higher-priced wines as evidenced here, but it also lead to wines that define wine regions. Another exceptional '07 Gewurz with unbelievable aromatics from this wine with complex perfumed floral and spice, outlined by more subtle and delicate tropical notes (melon, kiwi) into a solid spicy mineral finish.

> 2007 Cabernet Franc, $19.99, plum, earth and leather on the nose, with luscious juicy fruit with more plum and berry tones and less of the usual cherry, Loving it!!!

Fulkerson Winery, west side of Seneca Lake, here are some highlights for this 20th Anniversary year for Fulkerson

> 2007 Dry Riesling Reserve, $16.49, If you are a dry Riesling fan, this one is for you. This was made for food with an almost Stainless-aged Chardonnay feel to it. Nice framework of crisp lime and some interesting pear undertones into a classic mineral finish. Only 124 cases made.

> 2007 Traminette, 1.6 RS, $11.99, just released a few weeks ago, lightly perfumed nose with exotic spice, opens with delicate honey spice flavors into a long juicy ripe pear finish, even better than the acclaimed previous Tram vintages! And a Great Value at 11.99.

> 2007 Riesling-Traminette, $12.49, 1.2% RS, subtle but very effective describes this unique blend of 55% Riesling and 45% Traminette, full aromatics of floral blossoms, honeysuckle, citrus and mild spices, soft and subtle but still fully detailed pear flavors into a mild spice finish.

> 2007 Ravat 51 (Vignoles), $9.99, 6.3% RS, lots of residual sugar but balanced with perfect acidity, a different tasting Vignoles than normal with interesting apple cider aromas with more peach and apple flavors than the normal pineapple/grapefruit, different but I like it!

>2008 Matinee, $13.99, 7% RS, One of THE most unique wines in the Finger Lakes. Normally Fulkerson makes this with the seldom-used Lakemont and Himrod grapes but this year just Himrod. Lightly perfumed citrus peel and mint on the nose, less of that unique mint flavor this year but it's more than made up for with delicate peach and tangerine. This is a nuanced wine and a nice light apertif that will go perfectly with light desserts.

In wine competition news, a Finger Lakes wine made from Niagara and Diamond grapes - Penguin Bay Tuxedo White - won Best of Class this month at Jerry Mead’s New World International Wine Competition. I can just visualize all of the stodgy old wine snob judges grimacing : )

That's all for now. I'll see you on the Trails!

Finger Lakes News & Notes - March 22, 2009

2009-03-21T19:59:00.004-05:00

- Finger Lakes Spring events and happenings listed at Finger Lakes Wine Country

- Record number of wines entered for Finger Lakes Wine Competition

- Tours offer rare opportunity to see the famed white deer of Seneca Army Depot

- FingerLakesWine.com features Imagine Moore Winery

- Ron Reals profiles Walter Taylor

- Senator George Winner's website poll currently shows 79% against eliminating funding for the New York Wine & Grape Foundation; Cast your vote here

- Richard Leahy writes VWM's Cover Story on the Finger Lakes Wine Evolution

- Montezuma Winery receives 91 points from BTI for its delicious Cranberry Bog (one of my favorites)

- Evan Dawson reports on the outstanding '07 Finger Lakes Reds

- Thomas Pellechia recaps the Finger Lakes vs. Germany Riesling showdown. I was there and it was very interesting.

- Abby Nash offers premium tour option for Finger Lakes visitors

- Some wine buyers opting for less expensive wines

- Finger Lakes Community College to offer 2 year viticulture/enology degree program and
Tompkins Cortland Community College to start new Wine Marketing 2 year degree program

- New exhibit at Handwerker Gallery portrays water in innovative ways

- Kens Wine Guide offer reviews on Finger Lakes wine

- Cellar Tracker is another place to look for Finger Lakes wine opinions

- Robert Whitley writes on finding value wines

- Evan Dawson's article at LennDevours on Finger Lakes Single Vineyard Wines produces an interesting discussion

- Ithacork reviews Sheldrake Point ice wines

- Finger Lakes Museum seeking county proposals soon

The Argument Against Allowing Wine Sales in NY Grocery Stores

2009-03-10T17:11:00.003-05:00

In order to present both sides of the issue of whether New York should allow wine sales in grocery stores, I have posted views from different sides of this issue. As I've said before, I am not endorsing either side mainly because this is not a political website and I also am not clear about the impacts of this proposal intended or unintended, but it is an important issue and if you feel passionately one way or the other, please let your legislator know how you feel.

The following is a press release from "The Last Store On Main Street" that summarizes the position against this proposal. The previous post summarized the position for this proposal.

STATE’S WINERIES JOIN FIGHT AGAINST PROPOSAL
TO SELL WINE IN GROCERY STORES
Wineries from Around New York Say ‘No’ to Governor’s Plan
ALBANY, NY February 23, 2009 – Wineries from Long Island to Western New York, and from the Hudson Valley to the Thousand Islands, have joined the fight to defeat Governor Paterson’s misguided plan to legalize the sale of wine in grocery stores, delis, mini-marts, gas stations, bodegas, and anywhere else beer is now sold.

"Winery owners know a bad deal when they see one, and we know this plan will hurt our businesses and hurt our partners in the wine and liquor stores," said William Ouweleen of Eagle Crest Vineyards in the Finger Lakes Region. "Big Box stores like Walmart and Whole Foods will stock the most popular, lowest priced brands on their shelves, leaving little space for New York wines. At the same time, wine stores around the state will be forced out of business – severely curtailing our ability to reach our customers. We urge the Legislature to reject this job-killing plan."

Wineries from every region of New York -- 75 to date and growing every day -- have joined forces with the Coalition for the Last Store on Main Street, which includes small business owners, independent wine sellers, and wholesalers from around the state fighting to stop the Governor’s proposal to legalize the sale of wine wherever beer is now sold. If implemented, this change would devastate many small businesses and cost the state thousands of valuable jobs.

"Wineries in New York have grown tremendously over the last 20 years, in large part to the wonderful partnership we have with wine sellers and liquor stores," said Bill Merritt from Merritt Estate Winery in the Chautauqua-Lake Erie Region. "We need to look for ways to build on this partnership so wineries and wine sellers alike can continue to thrive, not tear down a successful system just to benefit a few Big Box stores."

Rich Olsen-Harbich, winemaker of Raphael on Long Island, said, "This plan would not only hurt wine sellers, but hurt wineries as well. Wine sellers know our product and can provide a level of customer service that grocery stores can never match. We know that times are tough for the state, but this is a terrible idea that will only cost jobs for the wine stores and ultimately, the wineries."

Jeff Saunders, head of the Retailers Alliance Foundation and a leader of the Last Store Coalition, said, "New York retailers deeply appreciate the support we have received from the wineries in this battle. New York wineries make great wines, and we are proud to promote them in our stores. We look forward to continuing this partnership and making it even stronger in the years ahead."

In addition to the wineries, the Governor’s proposal has sparked strong opposition from the law enforcement community, which fears that providing teenagers with greater access to alcohol will heighten the risk of underage drinking and fatal drunk driving accidents.

Massachusetts voters rejected a similar idea just last year because of the devastating impact it would have had on teenagers, no state has passed this kind of measure in 23 years. In Florida, California and Texas, three states where wine is sold everywhere, the number of alcohol related fatalities per 100,000 is more than double that of New York State. Even worse, alcohol related fatalities of those under age 21 are three times higher in these states where wine is sold everywhere, as compared to New York which has independently owned licensees, legally responsible for preventing youth from purchasing alcohol.

The list of wineries opposing the Governor’s dangerous plan includes:
Long IslandBedell Cellars Bridge Vineyards Castello Di Borghese Vineyards & Winery Corey Creek Vineyards Duckwalk Vineyards Jamesport Vineyards Laurel Lake Vineyards Lieb Family Cellars The Lenz Cellars Martha Clara Vineyards
Macari Vineyards and Winery Osprey’s Dominion Palmer Vineyards Paumanok Vineyards Pugliese Vineyards Pindar Vineyards Raphael Shinn Estate Vineyards Vineyard 48 Wolffer Estate Pellegrini Vineyards
Onabay Winery
Also, Louisa Thomas Hargrave, Stony Brook Center for Wine, Food and Culture.
Hudson Valley Brotherhood Baldwin Benmarl Whitecliff Clinton Millbrook Warwick
Cascade
Glorie Farm
Palaia
Stoutridge
Adair Applewood
Brimstone
Also, Hudson Valley Wine and Grape Growers
-more-
Finger Lakes Hermann Wiemer Ravines Winery Chateau Lafayette Casa Larga Keuka Spring Vineyards Willow Creek Dr. Frank Chateau Frank Bully Hill Hunt Country
Torrey Ridge Earl Estates Glenora Knapp Wine Cellars Imagine Moore Vineyards Eagle Crest Vineyards Rooster Hill Vineyards
Swedish Hill
Goose Watch Penquin Bay Thirsty Owl Montezuma Fulkerson Winery Hazlitt Winery Standing Stone Crooked Lake Heron Hill Lucas Winery
LaMoreaux Landing Winery
Niagara Wine Trail
Arrowhead Springs
Niagara Landing
Honeymoon Winery
Lake Erie
Johnson Estates
Merritt Estates
Thousand Islands
Yellow Barn Winery
Otter Creek
Thousand Islands Winery
Seaway Cold Hardy Grapes & Vineyard

The Last Store on Main Street is a coalition of small business owners, independent wine sellers, wholesalers and wineries from around the state fighting to stop the Governor’s proposal to legalize the sale of wine in grocery stores, mini-marts, delis, gas stations and bodegas in every neighborhood in New York. If implemented, this change would devastate many small businesses and cost the state thousands of valuable jobs. Additionally, the sale of wine in every store where beer is now available would give teenagers greater access to alcohol – resulting in a heightened risk of underage drinking and fatal drunk driving accidents.
# # #

Scott Osborn Speaks Out about Wine Sales in NY Grocery Stores

2009-03-10T07:39:00.003-05:00

I received an email from Scott Osborn, President of Fox Run Vineyards, expressing his support for the proposal that wine sales be allowed in grocery stores in New York, which is in direct opposition to the stance taken by many other New York wineries. This is an important issue for New York wineries. Some may call it copping out, but I have not taken a position in this debate because I just do not get a good sense of what the "real" outcome of the proposal will be. But I do believe the reasons for and against should be aired. Make no mistake, there will be winners and losers when this issue is decided.

I do support the mom and pop liquor stores that are toiling to survive in a challenging economy and I also support the farm wineries that are looking for new markets in which to sell the products. And perhaps most importantly and the group that sometimes gets lost in these debates, I support the wine consumer who deserves both the personal service and knowledgeable advice they get from the smaller liquor stores and the wide range of choice and perhaps lower prices they might get from larger grocery stores. The problem is that no one can know for sure what consequences, intended or unintended, will actually result from enacting this proposal.
We can all speculate and the lobbyists for each group can shout the doomsday scenarios from every side of the issue, but in my small brain, I just wonder why we can't come up with a way where everybody wins. I guess I am naive to think that way. So I am posting Scott Osborn's case for support of wine sales in NY grocery stores today and I will also present the opposing view in another post.

FOX RUN VINEYARDS
President: Scott Osborn

A Statement to fellow New York winery owners:

Many of you are aware that I have spoken out publicly in support of the Governor’s proposal to allow wine sales in grocery stores in New York State .

During the last month, I have heard from many individuals in the trade who have had a negative reaction to this position and I suspect there are many others who are wondering why I would take this stance publicly and put my business at risk with the liquor stores, so I would like to explain my position to my fellow winery owners because I believe in your heart of hearts, you will agree with me.

Most importantly, I want to be clear that I do not believe I am trying to “put liquor stores out of business” by exercising my right as an American to advocate for what I believe will be helpful to my business. If the liquor store associations have the right to speak their mind, why shouldn’t I? My position does not mean that I do not value the business relationships that I have with liquor stores that sell my wine. I consider the owners of NYS wine shops that have supported the sales of my wines for many years to be business partners and I am deeply appreciative of the sales and support they have provided for Fox Run wines the past few years.

However, we have all been struggling in this industry for several years now. I honestly believe that the Governor’s proposal is a necessary step in the right direction.

Let’s take a look at how the liquor store industry and the NY wine industry have progressed over the past 25 years. Back in the early 90’s there were only about 125+ wineries in the state and almost 5,000 liquor stores! Now we have over 250 wineries and approximately 2600 liquor stores. This trend is continuing and at the current rate in 10 years there will only be 1500 liquor stores in NY. SO let me ask you this…how much shelf space do you think NY wines will have then? We have to look at where we are going to sell our wines not only as individual wineries but as a wine industry made up of small, medium, and large producers. What is good for our industry’s growth?

Here is the way I see it.

If we as an industry allow this proposal to be defeated we will be committing economic suicide and this why.

Here in the Finger Lakes , the amount of new wine visitors to our tasting rooms is flattening out (which started before the recession), but we are seeing about a 10% a year increase in the number of new wineries opening. Our industry cannot sustain these increases in wineries with out a major loss of income to the existing wineries because now we are sharing customers with out attracting enough new ones to our tasting rooms. In the near future when you can’t sell your entire inventory at your own tasting room, what are you going to do? How many liquor stores are going to carry more NYS wines?

The newer wineries who have opened in the last 3 years or so have not had the challenge yet of trying to get a liquor store to carry their wines. It is not easy and one gets far more, not interested, than any that will even consider it. It took me 2 years to get any of my products into a liquor store. All of you folks that have been around a while know exactly what I’m talking about. There simply is not enough interest from the liquor stores to sustain all of us now, let alone a growing industry.

Don’t misunderstand! I want all these new wineries to open because it brings diversity and enhances our regions as wine producing areas. But…We need new outlets! Think about this! Do you want to still be struggling 5 years from now! 10? Those of you who have been in this for longer then 10 years remember when the liquor stores wouldn’t carry your wines because, as the liquor stores always reminded us, there was no demand for New York wines. Remember that? Remember how we spent tons of money marketing our wine trails in order to get visitors to our tasting rooms and create interest in NY wines. The only reason any liquor store carries our product is because the customers we created went into those stores and started asking for our wines. Why? It is called consumer pull through. Our tasting rooms were the driver to get these stores to take our wines and then support us.

The amount of shelf space is not going to increase. With the exception of a few stores the vast majority of liquor stores are not going to expand their New York wines section at the expense of their Australian, Californian or Chilean sections. What I find the most frustrating about the big Liquor Store Lobby is that they claim local wineries will be put out of business because grocers will only carry the popular wines from out of state. What I say to them is; show me a store in NYC that carries my wine or has a good selection of NY wines! I’ve tried they won’t take me. It doesn’t matter how good my product is or that I’m from NY. They have no pride in the wines from their own state and yet they point the finger at others. Shame on them. I know my wines can compete. There are grocery stores that sell my wines outside this state and yet the liquor stores have the audacity to say my wine can’t compete at grocery stores in my own state.

We will never have access to the NYC market; the largest wine market in the world unless we have more outlets and can do business with others that have an interest in supporting NY product. We don’t need to fill every shelf and some of us are still growing and not ready yet. But when you are, you deserve to have options.

For me, the bottom line is simple: We need the Governors proposal to happen so we will have more outlets to sell our wines, so our industry can grow and sustain itself. I know better then anyone the risks of publicly supporting this controversial measure, but I am willing to take those risks in order to build a better future for my family, my beloved winery and our New York wine industry.

I invite and encourage you to join me by contacting your local Assemblyman and Senator. Tell them you support the Governor’s proposal to sell wine in grocery stores. We need you to do this today!

Sincerely,

Scott Osborn
President
Fox Run Vineyards, Inc.
315-536-4616

Lakewood Vineyards 20th Anniversary Kickoff Celebration

2009-03-08T18:51:00.003-05:00

Over 200 of us made a pilgrimage last night to pay tribute to a family and winery that personifies the best of what makes the Finger Lakes a great place to be, those attributes being family, friendship, community, and great wine. That family is the Stamps and the winery is Lakewood Vineyards and 20 years ago Monty and Bev Stamp started their winery on the west side of Seneca Lake.

Lakewood fans from near and far gathered for Lakewood Vineyard’s 20th Anniversary Celebration and tasted our way through 20 years of wine with the Stamp family. Library wines from 1989 forward were on hand to taste and to purchase at the original prices, many in very limited quantities. For some of the wines, time has not been an ally but many have aged very well especially the Meads and I was able to procure several bottles of 1996 Mystic Mead that have developed luscious ice wine like qualities.

On a personal level, when I first started writing about Finger Lakes wine, Liz and Chris Stamp were one of the first to welcome me, and everyone at Lakewood Vineyards portrays that welcoming attitude to all of their customers on every visit. A large part of their success is built on customer service at a personal level and, when you visit, you become more than a customer - you become a friend. I raise a glass and toast Lakewood Vineyards and wish them many more decades of great wine and great friendships! See photos of the event below.

Finger Lakes Wineries Do Well at Grand Harvest Wine Competition

2009-03-01T17:49:00.005-05:00

The Grand Harvest Wine Competition took place in California last week and Finger Lakes wineries did well. According to the Grand Harvest website, it is the only wine-judging event in North America that is based on terroir - a group of vineyards (or even vines) from the same region, belonging to a specific appellation, and sharing the same type of soil, weather conditions, grapes and wine making savoir-faire, which contribute to give its specific personality to the wine. In other competitions, this factor is ignored. At the Grand Harvest, judges taste wines with other wines of the same appellation. Thus, with cross-regional competition removed, the inherent quality of wines can be seen without the influences that sometimes eclipse even a wine of very high quality. Heron Hill, Anthony Road, & Hazlitt were multiple Gold medal winners. Here are the top Finger Lakes award winners:

New York
Gold
Heron Hill , Heron Hill Winery, 06 Riesling, Dry , 1.7% rs, 1600 cases produced, $12.99
Heron Hill , Heron Hill Winery, 07 Riesling, Semi Dry , 2.5% rs, 3900 cases produced, $12.99
Anthony Road , Anthony Road Wine Company, 07 Riesling, Martini Vineyards, Dry , 0.6% rs, 715 cases produced, $15.99
Anthony Road , Anthony Road Wine Company, 07 Riesling, Martini Vineyards, Martini-Reinhardt, 2.1% rs, 102 cases produced, $22
Anthony Road , Anthony Road Wine Company, 07 Cabernet Franc Dry Rose, Martini Vineyards, 0.6% rs, 233 cases produced, $12.99
Damiani Wine Cellars, 07 Merlot, Barrel Select , 0% rs, 108 cases produced, $35
Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards, 07 Riesling, Semi Dry , 2% rs, 2345 cases produced, $12.99
Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards, 07 Chardonnay, 0% rs, 994 cases produced, $9.99
Ventosa Vineyards, 07 Toca ice, 16.5% rs, 90 cases produced, $28.95

Silver
Belhurst Estate Winery, Belhurst Estate Winery, 07 Chardonnay, New York State, 0% rs, 125 cases produced, $18.95
Heron Hill , Heron Hill Winery, 07 Riesling, Semi Sweet , 3.4% rs, 1050 cases produced, $11.99
Damiani Wine Cellars, 07 Cabernet Franc, 0% rs, 110 cases produced, $23
Dr. Kostantin Frank, 07 Riesling, Dry , 0.7% rs, 3100 cases produced, $16.99
Dr. Kostantin Frank, 07 Riesling, Semi Dry , 2% rs, 3300 cases produced, $14.99
Dr. Kostantin Frank, 07 Rhatsiteli, 0.7% rs, 2001 cases produced, $17.99
Fulkerson Winery, 07 Riesling , Reserve, 0% rs, 124 cases produced, $16.49
Glenora Wine Cellars, 07 Merlot, 0% rs, 258 cases produced, $18.99
Glenora Wine Cellars, 07 Riesling, Dry , 0.95% rs, 1500 cases produced, $17.99
Glenora Wine Cellars, 07 Riesling, 3.1% rs, 2000 cases produced, $15.99
Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards, 07 Cabernet Franc, 0.2% rs, 475 cases produced, $19
Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards, 07 Riesling, Homestead, 0.8% rs, 839 cases produced, $17.99
Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards, Red Cat, 7.5% rs, 76526 cases produced, $7.79
Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards, 06 Syrah, 0% rs, 318 cases produced, $18.99
Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards, White Stag, 4.4% rs, 2342 cases produced, $8.99
Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards, White Cat, 5.3% rs, 11298 cases produced, $7.79
Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards, Brambleberry, 5.8% rs, 2092 cases produced, $8.99
Knapp Winery, 07 Chardonnay, 0.3% rs, 196 cases produced, $11.95
Treleaven, King Ferry Winery, 07 Gewurztraminer, 0.4% rs, 182 cases produced, $19.99

For complete results, click here.

Finger Lakes PALATE Event Wrapup

2009-02-22T15:00:00.002-05:00

I have just returned from the Finger Lakes PALATE Event and boy are my tastebuds tired!!!
This weeklong event included over 20 wine events including seminars, tastings, and winemaker dinners. I'd like a to give a Special Thanks to Morgen McLaughlin & Finger Lakes Wine Country for their hospitality and hard work that went into this event. Here are my News & Notes from some of the events:

- I presented a seminar on Hybrid Grape Wines of the Finger Lakes which was attended by about 20 wine enthusiasts. My presentation included the history and characteristics of these hybrid grapes along with a tasting of 7 Finger Lakes wines made with hybrids - Rooster Hill Silver Pencil, Lucas Blues, Fulkerson Traminette, Standing Stone Smokehouse Vidal, Red Newt White, Imagine Moore Change and Lakewood Vignoles - and I believe that a majority of the attendees were impressed with the quality and value of these wines. I will be posting more on these wines at Finger Lakes Wine Country shortly. If anyone is interested in a copy of my Powerpoint presentation, just email me at the email address in the header above.

- Mrs. Wino & I braved the cold to walk the Gaffer District in Corning on Friday night to taste wines from over 20 Finger Lakes wineries in the shops along Market Street. There were several hundred other winos out with us and we had a lot of fun and we had a sensational dinner at Tony R's. If you want to take someone special out for a special meal, I highly recommend Tony R's, fabulous service and exceptional cuisine.

- I co-hosted a special wine tasting with Steve Shaw at Shaw Vineyard on Saturday (He is closed until probably May 1st, unless us Shaw fans can convince him otherwise. So it was a rare winter opportunity to sample his current and upcoming wines). Shaw is perhaps the hottest up and coming producer in the Finger Lakes and tasting barrel samples of what he has in the works only confirms this. The highlight for me was a barrel tasting of his 2007 Pinot Noir - when this wine is released, (probably not until 2010 because Steve believes that wines should not be released until they are ready), this wine is going to change many peoples opinion of Finger Lakes Pinot Noir- Yes, it's that Good already!!!

- And finally, Mrs. Wino & I attended a winemaker dinner hosted by Fred Frank (one of the nicest people you'll ever meet), featuring Chateau Frank & Dr. Frank Wines paired deliciously and elegantly by the Corning Radisson's Grill 1-2-5 staff. Fred made several announcements during the dinner including:
- He is lowering the prices on all Dr. Frank wines because of the economic crisis
- Dr. Frank Rkatsitelli is being placed on the wine lists of some top restaurants including Gramercy Tavern in NYC
- And perhaps the most exciting announcement is that Dr. Frank will be producing a Trockenbeerenauslese Riesling (Botrytised grapes are allowed to shrivel until dried almost to raisins, yielding a very decadent highly prized dessert wine) from the '08 vintage. 400 cases will be produced and it is scheduled for release in the Fall of this year. Looking forward to that!!!

In all, it was an amazing event and a great way to start 2009 off!!!
Also, My Finger Lakes Wine Preview article will be out in the March issue of Mountain Home magazine. Look for it to drop March 1st in wineries and retail locations in the Finger Lakes and Northern PA.

New Finger Lakes Weekend Wino Articles & Upcoming Events

2009-02-08T13:36:00.003-05:00

Just a quick update. The February issue of Mountain Home magazine is out and, in tribute to Valentines Day, my column in this issue is about Darlynne Overbaugh and her Life’s So Sweet Chocolates in Trumansburg NY.

I have also started writing a wine column for the Finger Lakes Wine Country website called "Wine Notes from the Weekend Wino" and my first one is about Lamoreaux Landing Chardonnay.

Upcoming events with the Weekend Wino:

Friday, February 20th, 3pm, Raddison Hotel Corning - I will be presenting a seminar and wine tasting as part of the weeklong PALATE wine event in Corning NY. The seminar is titled "New Wines of The Finger Lakes - Welcome to the Wonderful World of Hybrids" and will feature award-winning Finger Lakes hybrids such as Traminette, Vidal Blanc and others. This event is Free for PALATE ticket holders.

Saturday, February 20th, 11am, Shaw Vineyard - I will be co-hosting this event with owner Steve Shaw. Shaw Vineyard earned my 2008 Finger Lakes Winery of The Year. Stop by and taste some truly exceptional wines and get a sneek peak of the exciting unreleased wines that Steve has in the barrels. This event is Free for PALATE ticket holders.

Morgen McLaughlin and Finger Lakes Wine Country have come up with an excellent array of events for the PALATE wine event with multiple wine tastings, seminars, and winemaker dinners each day of the weeklong event, February 16-22. You could literally attend 15 to 20 great wine events during the week for only $50 for a PALATE weeklong ticket!!! Visit the PALATE website for more information.

Saturday, March 14th, Dr. Frank Wine Cellars - Myself and Mr. Tom, The Finger Lakes Weekend Winos start out our 2009 performance season at Dr. Frank's for the Spring Break event. Come on out as we perform Classic blues, rock, and jazz as well as songs from my CD "Songs From The Finger Lakes".

Well it's already starting out to be a busy year and it's only February. Gotta love that!!!

Finger Lakes News & Notes - February 1, 2009

2009-02-02T13:20:00.000-05:00

- 3 Finger Lakes Rieslings were awarded Gold medals last week at the prestigious Riesling du Monde competition in France out of over 500 Riesling entries from around the world:
Shaw Vineyard's 2006 Dry Riesling, King Ferry's 2006 Late Harvest Riesling, and Fox Run's 2007 Dry Riesling. Congratulations to those 3 wineries!!! See the complete results here

- For those of you wanting to visit Shaw Vineyard, my 2008 Winery of The Year, you will have to wait until Spring. I visited with Steve Shaw for a barrel tasting of some of his impressive but not yet released '05 and '07 reds and he informed me that he will be closed probably until March or April.

- Finger Lakes writer struggles with wine and food pairings

- Nice interview with Johannes Reinhardt, winemaker at Anthony Road Winery, from James Molesworth at winespectator.com

- The Wine Guy Jeff Richards reviews Pompous Ass Winery

- Have your own Wine Tasting event at home

- Everything you need to know about Riesling is now at http://www.drinkriesling.com/

- Finger Lakes vines survive 18th coldest winter

- Senator Aubertine states support for NY Wine & Grape Foundation

- A big 93 rating for Hazlitt 1852 2007 Finger Lakes Homestead Riesling Reserve and Sheldrake Point 2007 Finger Lakes Riesling Ice Wine from Wine and Spirits magazine.
I wrote about the Hazlitt '07 Homestead Riesling in my April 8, 2008 post: "In my travelings, I tasted Hazlitt's 2007 Homestead Reserve Riesling, which needed to bring a lot to the table to live up to the multi-award-winning '06 version. And it does keep up, but in a very different way. This '07 is a mineral powerhouse. If you love that 'banana belt' mineral like I do, then this wine is for you. It's actually a bit overwhelming at first. I drank it over 2 days and the 2nd day, I finally got the hang of this powerhouse. Wave after wave of mouthwatering clean slate mineral with a touch of spice and solid acidity on the finish. Very clean but bold mineral, excellent."

- The Peterson trio of wineries continue their award-winning ways in 2009. See the complete awards list for the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition here

- Check out some nice work from Finger Lakes painter Holly Knott

- Carlo DeVito comments on new Finger Lakes wine scores

- Peggy Haine comments on Finger Lakes chefs at the James Beard House

- Cookin in The 'Cuse posts on her top ten food and farm experiences of 2008

- Knapp Winery has released several wines Valentines Day labels

Lots of Finger Lakes wine events coming up in February including yours truly, The Weekend Wino, hosting a seminar and wine tasting on "New Wines of the Finger Lakes" at 3pm on Friday, Feb. 20th at the Radisson - Corning during the weeklong PALATE event in Corning NY from 2/16 to 2/21. Visit the PALATE website for more information on this great event.

>>> Chocolate and Wine Weekend
Date: 2/6/2009-2/8/2009
Seneca Lake Wine Trail 877.536.2717
With no better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day, this consistently popular event combines wine and chocolate-themed dishes.
Friday 1:00 PM–5:00 PM, Saturday & Sunday 10:00 AM- 5:00 PM

>>> Truffles and Tastes
Date: 2/14/2009-2/15/2009
Keuka Lake Wine Trail 800.440.4898
On Valentine's Day weekend, enjoy the warmth of Keuka's wineries and the romance of the region's finest wines, paired with a range of delicious foods, from savory to sweet. Receive a different chocolate truffle at each winery and display them all (if you can resist sampling along the way!) in a gift box that you'll receive at your starting winery. A great get-away and treat for wine lovers and Valentines of all ages. Tickets $25 per person in advance; $30 per person at the door

>>> PALATE, A Wine, Food, and Art Showcase
Date: 2/16/2009-2/22/2009
Various venues in Corning & Finger Lakes Wine CountryCorning, NY 800.813.2958
This weeklong showcase will take place in Corning’s Gaffer District February 16-22, 2009, and feature special tastings and educational seminars by local wineries, breweries, and distilleries. Many of the region’s top wineries will host winemaker dinners at the district’s leading restaurants and local celebrity chefs will host cooking demonstrations and wine-pairing seminars. PALATE will provide visitors to the region a myriad of wine, culinary, and art experience. The event will feature gallery receptions, music performances, and movie screenings throughout this cultural and entertainment district. Visit the PALATE website for details.

>>> 7th Annual Mardi Gras
Date: 2/21/2009-2/22/2009
Cayuga Wine Trail 800.684.5217
February 21 & 22 2009 is Mardi Gras on the Cayuga Wine Trail where you’ll receive a string of Mardi Gras beads, a wine glass, exciting prizes, plus a wine and food pairing at each of the wineries. Each participant is eligible to win one of our Three Grand Prizes from the A Wicher Garden Bed & Breakfast , Aurora Inn and a wine refrigerator stocked with a sampler case of wine. Costumed guests who visit the wineries on Mardi Gras weekend will be eligible to be chosen as King and Queen of Mardi Gras. The new royal couple will be “crowned at a reception in early spring, receive free tickets to our other Cayuga Wine Trail events, tickets to the Finger Lakes Wine Festival in Watkins Glen, NY plus an overnight stay in a King Suite at the Latourelle Resort and August Moon Spa. Advance tickets: $20.00 per person plus handling fee and sales tax. Designated Driver tickets: $15.00 per person plus handling fee and sales tax. At the door: $25.00 plus sales tax. Advance tickets: $ 20.00 per person. Tickets at the door: $ 25.00 per person. Designated Driver: $ 15.00 per person.

>>> 1st Annual New York Ice Wine Festival
Date: 2/8/2009-2/27/2009
Casa Larga Vineyards 585.223.4210
The 1st annual New York Ice Wine Festival will be held throughout February at Casa Larga in Fairport. This festival is the first of its kind in the country, and will bring together New York’s top Ice Wine producers. Events throughout the month of February are expected to draw in wine enthusiasts from across the region. Tickets for each event can be purchased at http://www.nyicewinefestival.com/.
FESTIVAL EVENT LINE-UP
February 8th, Noon-5pm - Fire & Ice Festival at Casa Larga Vineyards
February 12th, 6:30pm - An Evening with the New York Ice Wine Makers
February 16th, 7pm – “It’s an Ice Wine World” Seminar
February 27th, 6:30pm - Fiori Gala Dinner

Finger Lakes '07 Gewurztraminers Score Well at Wine Spectator

2009-01-20T19:51:00.003-05:00

James Molesworth of Wine Spectator magazine recently wrote about a subject ('07 Finger Lakes Gewurztraminers) that I expounded on in my June '08 posting when I wrote "Dave Whiting of Red Newt Cellars shared a barrel tasting of his '07 Gewurz and it is a BIG Gewurz, big on aromatics and big on flavor with lots of ginger and smooth spice. I have tasted a few '07 Gewurz's and they have been very good, it looks like '07 was a good year for Finger Lakes Gewurz." If you like Gewurz, these 07's are wonderful and Molesworth even gave that Red Newt Gewurz that I posted about a well deserved 90 rating. Gee, sometimes maybe I do know what I'm talking about : )

Posted on http://www.winespectator.com/ by James Molesworth: Friday, January 16, 2009
Going forward, the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York will likely stake its vinous reputation on Riesling, which handles the area's typically cool, humid climate well. But as winemakers continue to experiment, other white varieties, including Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris, are also increasingly in the mix.
"Gewürztraminer develops all its flavors right at the end of the growing cycle," explained Red Newt Cellars winemaker David Whiting. "So with our short growing season, that can get a bit tricky."
But the 2007 season was hot and dry in the Finger Lakes, and while some Rieslings show a slightly blowsy side, Gewürztraminer, in contrast, seems to have picked up the slack, ripening fully in the warmer 2007 season without losing any freshness. As always, vineyard location proved key in balancing the effects of the warm season.
"Our higher elevation vineyards on Keuka Lake were less affected by the hot, dry '07 season," noted Dr. Konstantin Frank owner and winemaker Frederick Frank, whose Reserve Gewürztraminer bottling earns an outstanding review for its combination of concentration and freshness.
In addition to the bottlings from the established Dr. Frank and Red Newt, there are some relatively new faces here as well, including Miles Wine Cellars, a separate label owned by Doug and Susan Hayes, grapegrowers in the region for 30 years who began to bottle their own wines in 1997. Their wines are made by winemaker Peter Bell at the Fox Run facility.

While most of the offerings here are from vinifera grape varieties, the Vignoles and Vidal Blanc hybrids are represented as well. Both grapes produce extremely high acidity, so dry versions can be a bit severe in profile. But when left on the vine late into the harvest season to either develop botrytis or shrivel naturally, these hybrid grapes can produce some excellent dessert wines. Standing Stone's Vidal is perennially outstanding, a rare track record that makes it arguably the best wine made in the Finger Lakes, while bottlings from Anthony Road and King Ferry are also worth tracking down.

DR. KONSTANTIN FRANK Gewürztraminer Finger Lakes Reserve 2007 Score: 90 $25
Very juicy and forward, with enticing apple, anise, fennel seed, fig and spice notes that stay fresh and lovely through the finish. Mouthwatering acidity brings you back for more. Delicious. Drink now through 2010. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 387 cases made. —J.M.

RED NEWT CELLARS Gewürztraminer Finger Lakes Sawmill Creek Vineyards 2007 Score: 90 $36
Very tight still, this mouthwatering version offers racy acidity that keeps the watermelon, kiwi, green apple and fig notes rippling through the long, bright finish. Textbook bitter almond and bitter orange notes frame it all nicely. Drink now through 2010. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. A new bottling sourced from longtime grower Jim Hazlitt's vineyard. 250 cases made. —J.M.

STANDING STONE Vidal Finger Lakes Ice 2007 Score: 90 $25 / 375ml
Ripe and sweet, with lots of maple, honey, ginger, persimmon and spice notes that are nicely rounded. Shows length on the finish, with hints of golden raisin and white chocolate. Delicious. This wine has a terrific track record. Drink now through 2012. 832 cases made. —J.M.

ANTHONY ROAD Riesling Finger Lakes Martini Reinhardt Selection 2007 Score: 89 $22
Very fresh, with a nice mouthwatering slate and green apple driven core that picks up fennel, anise and star fruit notes through the lengthy, vibrant finish. Delicious. Drink now through 2010. 105 cases made. —J.M.

ANTHONY ROAD Vignoles Finger Lakes Berry Selection Martini Reinhardt Selection 2006 Score: 89 $45 / 375ml
Frankly sweet, but focused, with maple, persimmon, blood orange and clove notes offset by a tangy green tea streak. Nice lengthy, juicy finish. Really solid. Drink now. 197 cases made. —J.M.
DR. KONSTANTIN FRANK Gewürztraminer Finger Lakes 2007 Score: 89 $18
Spicy, with an almost crunchy edge to the bright acidity, which carries delicious apple, fig, almond and orange zest notes. Stays delineated and mouthwatering on the finish. Drink now. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 1,330 cases made. —J.M.

RED NEWT CELLARS Gewürztraminer Finger Lakes Curry Creek Vineyards 2007 Score: 89 $42
Open-knit, with a tender feel to green apple, melon and pear flavors offset by a hint of lychee on the medium-weight, juicy finish. Very solid, with a nice twinge of bitter almond keeping it all honest. Drink now through 2010. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 230 cases made. —J.M.

BLOOMER CREEK Gewürztraminer Finger Lakes R 2007 Score: 88 $24
This is juicy and concentrated, with tasty lychee, almond, fig and cardamom notes backed by bitter almond and grapefruit rind hints on the finish. Drink now through 2010. 20 cases made. —J.M.

FOX RUN Riesling Finger Lakes Miles Wine Cellars 2006 Score: 88 $18
Tangy, with nice drive to the slate, pippen apple and green almond notes. Still a touch taut on the finish, with a hint of lanolin in the background. Drink now through 2010. 192 cases made. —J.M.

HAZLITT 1852 Gewürztraminer Finger Lakes 2007 Score: 88 $11
Bold, with spicy lychee, orange zest, rose water and lime notes that stay focused and pure through the bright finish. Nice mouthfeel and focus. Drink now. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 337 cases made. —J.M.

RED NEWT CELLARS Pinot Gris Finger Lakes Curry Creek Vineyards 2007 Score: 88 $24
Light and elegant, but with deceptive concentration to the yellow apple, blanched almond, honeysuckle and mineral notes. Nice length and freshness on the finish. Drink now through 2010. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 200 cases made. —J.M.

BLOOMER CREEK Gewürztraminer Finger Lakes 2007 Score: 87 $18
Solid, with anise, apple, fig and lychee notes that stay juicy through the medium-weight, clove-tinged finish. Drink now. 80 cases made. —J.M.

IMAGINE MOORE Pinot Gris Finger Lakes Peace 2007 Score: 87 $17
Light, but pure and persistent, with nice sleek texture carrying the green almond, lemon and floral notes. Solid length too. Nicely done. Drink now. 200 cases made. —J.M.

KING FERRY Vignoles Finger Lakes Late Harvest Treleaven 2007 Score: 87 $23 / 375ml
Nice mix of sweet and tangy, with candied lemon and grapefruit peel notes weaving through hints of pineapple, yellow apple and chamomile. Clearly sweet but stays refreshing enough. Drink now. 249 cases made. —J.M.

DR. KONSTANTIN FRANK Pinot Gris Finger Lakes 2007 Score: 86 $17
Light and floral but persistent, with green melon and watermelon rind hints that extend through the finish. Drink now. 367 cases made. —J.M.

HAZLITT 1852 Pinot Gris Finger Lakes 2007 Score: 86 $14
Light and fresh, with a spice hint to the honeysuckle, salted butter and white peach notes. Nice firm edge frames the finish. Drink now. 499 cases made. —J.M.

Visit James Molesworth's Blog at http://www.winespectator.com/

Favorite Finger Lakes Wines of 2008 - Part 1

2009-01-13T20:29:00.007-05:00

Show Intro: Welcome to the Finger Lakes Weekend Wino Favorite Finger Lakes Wines of 2008 Award Show. (cue the dancing corks and cue the FLWW Band led once again this year by who else – Paul Shaffer of Late Night with David Letterman, because he seems to be the leader every band on every television special).

And cue our first performer, the artist formerly known as Prince and then he was some incomprehensible symbol, singing Purple Rain (wine, purple, he's all we could afford) (we were going to get Don Ho to sing Tiny Bubbles, but then we found out that he was dead, so we decided not to bother him). Prince finishes his song and proceeds to moon the crowd. We can’t afford a 5-second delay so everybody in TV Land got to see Prince’s ass (it’s actually very tiny and almost non-existent, so we don’t think that the fine from the FCC will be that bad – certainly not as much as the Super Bowl fiasco. Gee, why did we hire the same producer that produced that? Note to self…)

And now Ladies & Gentlemen your host for this evenings festivities, the One, the Only Robin Williams (we were lucky Robin was available because our backup was Don Rickles – yes, he’s actually still alive, but we could not afford all the medical personnel that would have been required. Actually we can't afford Robin either. We just hope he doesn't try to cash the check until he gets home).

Robin Williams: What the f@#$ am I doing here? My manager is a dead man, Nanu Nanu (the crowd goes wild). Robin proceeds to do a half hour of the funniest incomprehensible improv comedy I’ve ever seen, laced with at least 276 words of profanity. I am laughing and crying at the same time (and I think I peed myself).

Robin Williams: And now, this is what you poor pathetic people have been waiting for, The Finger Lakes Weekend Wino 2008 Wine Awards (Robin proceeds to give everybody The Finger and storms off the stage spewing profanity in alien languages).

Announcer: These are wines that are rated as Excellent in the Weekend Wino's Tasting Notes for 2008. He visited 92 Finger Lakes wineries in 2008 and sampled over 700 Finger Lakes wines, blah blah blah. The wines listed showed Excellent Balance and Depth of Flavor and could leap small insects in a single bound. Based on the nebulous criteria from some dubious wino, here are the Finger Lakes Weekend Wino Favorite Finger Lake Wines of 2008 in no particular order (the awards scroll on the screen and the announcer gives everybody The Finger and also storms off the stage):

>>> Standing Stone Vineyards, East Seneca Lake, Owners Tom & Marti Macinski produce some of the most consistently well-crafted wines in the Finger Lakes, with excellent balance and expression of fruit. > 2007 Riesling, $13.99, 2.6%RS, Standing Stone Riesling’s are always at the top of my Favorites list. These are some of the oldest Riesling vines in the area and located at one of the prime growing locations on Seneca Lake, This wine is a great expression of Finger Lakes Riesling, with beautiful balance of tropical fruit tones and a nicely structured mineral backbone. > Smokehouse Vidal, $8.99, Semi-Dry, The Macinski’s also craft some of the best Vidal’s. Vidal Blanc doesn’t get the respect it deserves, but in my opinion, that is the fault of the winemaker and not the grape itself. Having made a good many Vidal’s myself, I know that you have to let it tell you where it wants to go (dry, semi-dry, even sweet), there are no formulas for Vidal. This Smokehouse Vidal gives an elegance of structure that belies its price, excellent value. > 2006 Cailloux (pronounced kai-you), $24.99, This is an ice wine that is a blend of Chardonnay (53%), Gewurztraminer (4%), Pinot Blanc (4%), Pinot Gris(4%), Pinot Meunier (4%), Muscat Ottonel (4%), Riesling (7%) and Vidal (20%), I’d love to attend that blending session!, Candied citrus fruits jitterbug across the tongue and the sweet finish does the lindy on your deep palate, Yum. > Vidal Ice, $24.99, the sweet flesh of apricots holds your tastebuds hostage with bonds of sweet tropical juices, but your tongue will refuse to pay the ransom.

>>> Bloomer Creek Vineyard, East Seneca Lake, My 2007 Winery of The Year continues to produce beautifully structured wines. > 2007 Gewurztraminer, BIG with a Capital B.I.G., I love these ’07 Gewurz’s, Bold but Balanced with seamlessly integrated spice tones. > 2007 Gamay Noir, $16, a dry rose’ with soft layers of strawberry, cherry, and raspberry. > 2007 Cabernet Franc, $24, 10 months in oak, smooth deep cherry with vanilla highlights, medium tannins, will age well.

>>> Cascata Winery, Seneca Lake, I was very impressed with Cascata in 2008, with Chris Stamp of Lakewood Vineyards taking on the winemaking duties and as usual, doing impressive work. > Fireside Chardonnay, $18.95, This wine got a well-deserved 87 rating from Wine Enthusiast magazine, Aged in French & American oak with well-integrated vanilla, oak, & butter without overpowering the Chard fruit. > Cascade Riesling, $16.95, a lighter-style Riesling with soft apple highlights and undertones of tangerine/citrus. > Sweet Iris, 2.9%RS, $6.95,Delaware grape, light sweet grape flavors into a solid well-balanced finish. In my opinion, the Delaware grape is underappreciated and this is a nice semi-sweet style and an excellent value.

>>> Villa Bellangelo, Seneca Lake, Owner Michael Litterio specializes in soft rounded lighter style wines that do not compromise on flavor. > Bella Bianca, $9.99, Seyval Blanc/Vidal Blanc, soft pear tones with nice acidity and a tinge of sweetness make this an excellent value sipper or dinner wine. > 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, $23.99, 22 months in French & American oak, nice chocolate undertones with hints of pepper on the finish, a very nice Finger Lakes red. > 2005 Sangiovese, (full disclosure – This is California fruit), $36.99, 22 months in French & American oak. Obviously the Finger Lakes is inhospitable for Sangiovese and this is a bit pricey, but I do love being able to experience Sangiovese in The Finger Lakes. I am Not opposed to importing fruit, but I DO want it to be fully disclosed. This wine reveals ripe smoky cherry that is in complete balance with the oak structure of the wine in a nice expression of “Finger Lakes” Sangiovese.

>>> Rock Stream Vineyards, Seneca Lake, Owner Mark Karasz specializes in crafting some unique port-style wines. One of my predictions for 2009 is a trend toward production of more of these non-traditional port-style wines. > Vignoles Port, $24.99, 18% Alcohol, 10%RS, perfectly sweet without being overbearing with candied citrus overtones and impeccably balanced with the citrus and tropical fruit highlights from the Vignoles grape shining through. > Castel Port, $19.99, 18% Alcohol, 10%RS, from the Castel grape, has a beautiful deep purple color and produces complex and layered flavors of candied plum, raspberry, and strawberry, producing a wonderful apertif or dessert wine.

>>> Lakewood Vineyards, Seneca Lake, Owner & Winemaker Chris Stamp crafts wines with impeccable balance and depth of flavor. > 2006 Chardonnay, $12.99, well balanced and well integrated fruit, vanilla, and oak and did I really taste a hint of cinnamon in this Chardonnay, nicely done. > 2006 Cabernet Franc, $15.99, aging nicely, very smooth with soft cherry highlights. > 2007 Port, $15.99, Baco Noir grapes, A perfectly delicious port! Velvety and warm without the alcohol burn, Get it while you can, it sells out very quickly.

>>> Lucas Vineyards, Cayuga Lake, Winemaker Jeff Houck makes expressive multi-layered wines that make Lucas Vineyards one of the premier wineries in The Finger Lakes. > 2007 Blues, 1.8%RS, $8.00, unique Seyval/Cayuga blend, very clean with bright citrus tones, an excellent value. > 2007 Vignoles, $11.99, 5.5%RS, crisp pink grapefruit flavors into a honeyed apricot finish, lots of flavor in this sweet Vignoles. > Extra Dry Sparkling Wine, $18.99, 1.1%RS, Cayuga grape, Beautiful crisp apple and pear notes, Great for any celebration!

Parts 2,3,4........ to come, if you can stand it!

2008 Finger Lakes Winery of The Year

2009-01-03T16:53:00.005-05:00

I started naming a Winery of The Year last year to give a pat on the back to the Finger Lakes winery that, in my humble opinion, exemplified the best of what Finger Lakes wines and wineries offer. My selection criteria include overall wine quality, the level of service and education offered in the tasting room, and perhaps most importantly my subjective opinion of the level of passion, commitment, heart and soul of the winery. Obviously, most winery owners and winemakers are committed to producing quality wine, but I'm looking for those intangibles that show through consistently on every visit that elevate a winery to a truly special place to visit. A place where you can sense that something special is going on there. Last years recipient, Bloomer Creek Vineyard, exemplified this passion and commitment. Unfortunately, I do not have a gold statue or platinum globe to give to the winner, but for what it's worth, I do give my sincere appreciation to the winners for embodying the best of the Finger Lakes wine industry.

So after visiting over 90 Finger Lakes wineries and tasting over 700 Finger Lakes wines in 2008, I have selected my Finger Lakes Winery of The Year for 2008. There were many deserving top-quality wineries in 2008, but there could only be one winner. The winner is a truly exceptional combination of great vineyard skills and great winemaking skills. And the winner is (drum roll) >>> Shaw Vineyard <<<. As one of the first writers to write about this winery after it opened in the summer of 2007, I wrote:

"SHAW VINEYARDS, owned by Steve Shaw, has just opened (west side of Seneca Lake, near Hermann Wiemer) but already has impressive credentials. Steve has been growing wine grapes in the Finger Lakes for many years and the wineries that have purchased grapes from him are solid proof of the quality of his grapes (Do Dr. Frank or Hermann Wiemmer ring a bell to anyone?). Steve's meticulous attention to the grapevines has now evolved into his lifelong ambition of owning his own winery finally bearing fruit.
The parking lot and tasting room are still works in progress (you might even miss the turn into the driveway (like me) if you are not paying attention, but the wines are Very Ready and well worth the visit. With Morten Hallgren (owner and winemaker of Ravines) as his mentor, consultant, and winemaking partner, Steve Shaw has hit the ground running and ready to join the ranks of a growing number of Finger Lakes wineries committed to the difficult task (with a short growing season and the potential of harsh winters) of crafting world-class red wines in the Finger Lakes.
Shaw & Hallgren use innovative whole cluster pressing techniques and a commitment to letting the wines age properly before releasing to craft elegant food-friendly wines. "

I visited again in 2008 and was even more impressed as Shaw released impressive whites to go along with those excellent reds. I wrote:

"I had given high praise to the red wines at Shaw Vineyard when the new winery opened last summer. Little did I know that owner Steve Shaw and winemaker Morten Hallgren (who is also owner of Ravines Wine Cellars on Keuka Lake) were also working on a line of white wines. I visited Shaw Vineyards last weekend as they unveiled these new whites and they are very impressive. Don’t let the slightly disheveled look of the winery's finishing touches being completed keep you away because, when you get past the rough exterior, inside you will find truly inspired wines.
In fact, you may pass right by without seeing it. But passing by would be a big mistake. If you are near Hermann Wiemer Winery, then you are close. Steve is a vineyard man with decades of experience growing top-notch Finger Lakes grapes for some of the top Finger Lakes wineries. Steve is obsessed with growing great grapes. Morten is obsessed with crafting great wines. This is a match made in winemaking heaven.
They both use some innovative techniques in the vineyard and in the cellar. Steve’s theory is that traditional vineyard techniques have their limitations in the Finger Lakes and he has developed his own techniques specifically for the unique growing challenges of the Finger Lakes. All I can say is that they must be working very well. These are wines with character, with finesse, and with grace! I highly recommend stopping in to taste.
Here are my tasting notes:
> 2005 Semi-dry Riesling, 1.2% RS, Like I said, I thought Steve & Morten were concentrating mainly on reds when I visited last year and here he goes making an excellent Riesling, $16.99, soft lemon, lemon rind, and a mouthwatering mineral finish.
> 2005 Dry Riesling, .2% RS, $18.99, This is a Riesling some people will love and some people will not. I just don’t think there is a middle ground for this wine. The people that will love it are those that like those deep petro/kero German Rieslings. Steve says these grapes come from a part of the vineyard that is all clay soil and at the top side of the vineyard. Many people feel that petrol is the sign of quality aged Rieslings. But normally I do not taste it in Finger Lakes Rieslings. If you do not care for that taste, then you will not like this wine. This wine is not for the squeamish. But be brave, fellow winos, and you shall be rewarded, very soft with lots of petrol.
> 2006 Gewurztraminer, .8% RS, $18.99, lots of soft light citrus fruit on the front into Classic Gewurz spice on the finish.
> 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, .3% RS, $17.99, In my book this wine is the star of the Shaw white wine lineup, very aromatic, citrus and orange peel tones into layered mineral tones, layers and layers of flavor, very complex, Excellent!
> Rose', $9.99, 3.5% RS, a unique blend of Cabernet Franc & Cayuga, a nice value sipper.
> 2006 Cayuga, $10.99, 3% RS, layers of lemon, honey, and candied citrus, an excellent Cayuga.
> 2002 Pinot Noir, $23.99, abundant cherry with leather undertones, heavy tannins, this shows the potential of Finger Lakes Pinot Noir.
> 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, $19.99, layers of cherry and plum, heavy tannins, lay it down and await the inevitable pleasures, I still can't believe this is a Finger Lakes Cab Sauv.
I really can't say enough about this winery and the wines showing so well right out of the gate. Steve Shaw says that he will do everything necessary to put out nothing but the highest quality product. In my book, he has already succeeded in doing just that!"

If you are visiting the Finger Lakes and enjoy finely crafted dry and semi-dry wines, both red and white, Shaw Vineyard should be at the top of your “Must Visit” list. They may not have the largest or grandest tasting room (in fact their tasting room is one of the more modest on the trail), but the exceptional quality of the entire product line, a commitment to top-level customer service and consumer education, and a winery team that exudes the desire to produce the best customer experience possible makes Shaw Vineyard this years winner. Congratulations to Shaw Vineyard as the Finger Lakes Weekend Wino 2008 Winery of The Year!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009!!!

2009-01-01T09:03:00.003-05:00

- Happy New Year to all of You fellow Finger Lakes Wine Drinkers. 2009 looks like it's already shaping up to be a very interesting year in Finger Lakes (FL)wine. The awaited '07 Reds should start being released and word is that the '08 Whites should be very exciting also. On the down side, though, the economic downturn has already impacted the Finger Lakes and the entire New York wine industry with funding for the New York Wine & Grape Foundation very much in question. Most Finger Lakes wineries seem to have weathered the slowing economy fairly well in 2008, but 2009 could turn out to be very challenging, as consumers cut out luxury spending (although for me and many others that I know, Finger Lakes wine is a necessity).

In 2008, Finger Lakes wines accelerated their award-winning ways, winning Best of Show at some of the top International Wine Competitions and I expect that trend to continue. The main issue that continues to restrict Finger Lakes wines from becoming worldwide players is limited production and I do not foresee any FL wineries ramping up production enough to impact on a global scale in 2009.

Here are a few predictions for 2009: 1) A major slowdown in new wineries opening in the Finger Lakes as the economy and winery saturation make it harder for new wineries to be successful. 2) There will be some wineries closing due to fiscal problems and possibly some consolidation of winery operations in the Finger Lakes 3) New unique port-style wines will become popular, especially with younger wine drinkers and more FL wineries will be crafting traditional-style ports and "ports" from non-traditional grapes. 4) With several new distilleries opening in the Finger Lakes, hand-crafted small-batch artisanal distilled spirits such as flavored vodkas will win major awards for FL distilleries. 5) The "global warming" effect will continue to have a positive effect for FL wines, especially reds, although a major winter freeze may cause problems within the next few months. 6) Finger Lakes reds from the '07 vintage will impress major wine critics and win some major awards. 7) Inevitably, with costs and taxes rising and inflation and high fuel prices returning later in the year, FL wine prices will continue to creep up, but there will still be bargains.

I will do my best to keep you informed with news and reviews again this year. I will be posting my Favorite Finger Lakes Wines of 2008 soon and, also coming soon, will be my 2008 Finger Lakes Winery of the Year post. Please let me know if you have any suggestions for making this blog better and I thank all of you who stopped by in 2008 and I wish you all a Great 2009!!!

If you can weather the cold, there are some great events coming up this month in the Finger Lakes:

Pasta and Wine Weekend
Date: 1/16/2009-1/18/2009
Seneca Lake Wine Trail
Back by popular demand, participating wineries will be serving pasta-themed dishes paired with wine. Friday 1:00 PM–5:00 PM, Saturday & Sunday 10:00 AM-5:00 PM

2300°: Fire & Ice
Date: 1/15/2009 5:30 PM-7:30 PM
The Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY
Glass really heats up at 2300° and so do things at The Corning Museum of Glass. Live music, great food and drink and, of course, incredible glassmaking round out a lively evening!

Bargain Bash
Date: 1/10/2009-1/19/2009
Seneca Lake Wine Trail, This non-ticketed event is a year-end clearance sale, with many wineries providing discounts on a variety of retail items, including wine.

8th Annual Wine On Ice 2009
Date: 1/23/2009-1/24/2009
First Arena, Elmira, NY
Take part in a wonderful way for the Finger Lakes area to take the edge off the chilly evenings. Sample some of the area's premier wines.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

2008-12-24T18:08:00.003-05:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

& TO ALL A GOOD WINE!!!

-Finger Lakes Weekend Wino

Finger Lakes News & Notes - December 15, 2008

2008-12-15T18:53:00.002-05:00

>>> The Finger Lakes 2008 Vintage Rating is out from Wine Spectator magazine:

Region: New York Grade: Finger Lakes (A-)

Despite a wetter-than-usual growing season, Finger Lakes vintners are happy with the results of their 2008 harvest, thanks primarily to a stretch of good weather from September through mid-October.
"In the Finger Lakes we're used to vintage fluctuations," said Morten Hallgren, owner and winemaker at Ravines Wine Cellars on Keuka Lake, which forms the western edge of the region. "But 2008 was still very unusual."

July was wetter than normal, with a number of thundershowers adding to the disease pressures that are common in this humid grapegrowing area, and growers reported having to undertake aggressive anti-mildew spray programs. But the extra moisture had a benefit, as the region's typically dry August period, when vines sometimes shut down due to drought stress, was virtually eliminated.

With the Indian summer weather stretching late into the harvest period, Riesling, the region's top vinifera variety, ripened slowly and steadily, while retaining its acidity.
"Riesling performed brilliantly," said Peter Bell, winemaker at Fox Run, located on Seneca Lake. "A little bit of noble rot will add some apricot and marmalade notes, way in the background. Acids are right where they should be. I think the dry styles will be especially exciting."

Other white vinifera varieties also came out well. "Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer showed better ripeness and balance in 2008 [than in 2007]," said Bob Madill, partner and winegrower for Sheldrake Point Vineyards, located on Cayuga Lake, the easternmost of the region's three major lakes.

Reds, though generally less compelling than the region's whites, also look promising in 2008. "Beautiful color, nice tannin structure and lots of fruit across the board in Pinot Noir, Cab Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon," said Marti Macinski, owner and winemaker at Standing Stone Vineyards.

"It could be a year to elevate our game here relative to other more established regions," said Steve Shaw, owner and winemaker at Seneca Lake's Shaw Vineyard. "No real excuses for bad wines this year!"
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>>> Casa Larga's perennially excellent Fiori Vidal Ice Wine wins the honor of World's Best Dessert Wine!!! An amazing accomplishment for an amazing Finger Lakes wine.

Casa Larga Vineyards, a vineyard and winery from the Finger Lakes Region of NY State, is proud to be the producer of the “World’s Best Dessert Wine”. The winery’s highly acclaimed 2005 Fiori Vidal Ice Wine was honored with the “Best Dessert Wine” trophy at the 2008 International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWSC), one of the most prestigious wine competitions in the world. With over 600 awards in Casa Larga’s 35 year history, the award for “World’s Best Dessert Wine” makes a strong statement to the quality of wine produced by Casa Larga.

Out of over 5,000 wine entries, Casa Larga’s Fiori Vidal Ice Wine has come away with one of the most coveted awards in the competition, the trophy for “Best Dessert Wine”. This is the first year Casa Larga entered wines into the IWSC, deciding to take a chance and see how well its Ice Wines hold up against others from around the world. The winery’s Fiori Cabernet Franc Ice Wine received a Silver Medal & Best in Class rating, while the Fiori Vidal Ice Wine received a Gold Medal & Best in Class rating. The Fiori Vidal then went on to be tasted with a variety of other medal winners, in the end receiving the top award for Best Dessert Wine.

Winery owner Ann Colaruotolo and her son, Casa Larga’s Head Wine Maker, John Colaruotolo attended the IWSC awards banquet at Guild Hall in London on November 17th. Here, along with 22 other Trophy winners, the Colaruotolo’s accepted the trophy for Best Dessert Wine.
This award is a huge accomplishment for any winery, especially Finger Lakes winery Casa Larga. Past recipients of the Trophy for Best Dessert Wine have been awarded to industry leaders and world renowned producers such as Horst Saur Vineyards (Germany), Distell (Africa), Brown Brothers (Australia), De Bortoli Wines (Australia) and Chateau La Variere (France).

Fiori Vidal Ice Wine is produced entirely from vidal grapes harvested and processed at Casa Larga Vineyards on Turk Hill Road in Fairport. Made using the traditional German Eiswein process, the wine is a rich and luscious dessert wine, with flavors of butterscotch, apricot and pineapple.

The IWSC follows a strict methodology for tasting and rating wines, and has a strong portfolio of judges, including 40 masters of wine, 30 winemakers and key industry players such as master blender Richard Paterson. Wines are tasted in the competition through pre-poured blind flights which are prepared based on style of wine. Each wine is entered and initially tasted based on hemisphere (Northern & Southern) due to growing season differences. The wines that receive top medals from their respective hemisphere move on to be tasted at the international level where they compete against other medal winners from around the world. The competition received over 5,000 wine entries and awarded only 107 gold medals (less than 2% of total entries).

Both of Casa Larga’s Ice Wines, Fiori Vidal and Fiori Cabernet Franc, are produced using authentic German EisWein methods. The grapes remain on the vine until they freeze, and are then handpicked and pressed while frozen, extracting only the sweet, concentrated juices. The Ice Wines are available at Casa Larga’s Wine Shop in Fairport, online at www.CasaLarga.com and at select liquor stores across New York State. Call the winery at (585) 223-4210 for more information.

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>>> Wine & Spirits Magazine gave some love to Finger Lakes Rieslings with 10 being scored over 90 points

>>> New Riesling Festival set for August in Canandaigua

>>> NY Wineries express concerns to Wine Grape Task Force

Finger Lakes News & Notes - December 2008

2008-12-01T19:12:00.001-05:00

Greetings and Happy Holidays to everyone!!!

- If you are looking for a Gift for that Finger Lakes enthusiast on your gift list, be sure to check out the Finger Lakes Gift Store.

- Finger Lakes Events Calendar for December

- Pompous Ass Winery has received their winery license and will be opening this Friday, December 5th. Read my Mountain Home magazine article on this new winery by clicking here.
Click here to read my Mountain Home magazine article about Rock Stream Winery's unique port-style wines.

- Finger Lakes' Dexter Creamery makes unique cheese

- 2 Finger Lakes wines win coveted Jefferson Cup

- Finger Lakes Photography Guild presents exhibit

- I spent a great evening blind tasting Rieslings from the Finger Lakes & Germany last month at The Riesling Shootout at Glenora Inn. This event was graciously hosted by John Zuccarino, owner of Silver Springs Winery & Tom Pellechio, wine writer and educator, who were basically testing a theory that wine ratings by national wine publications were skewed against Finger Lakes wine. A lively discussion about the event is available here.

- Culinary Institute Professor of Wine Studies Praises Finger Lakes Riesling
"I knew exactly what white wine I wanted to accompany this simple meal: a fine dry to semi-dry Riesling. A low-alcohol, high-acid, light-bodied, unoaked, fresh, fruity, flowery, flinty, tart Riesling, redolent of peaches, apricots and green apples, with a sweet attack on the palate and a lengthy, complex, dry finish.

I returned to the table with a well-chilled bottle of a very fine dry Riesling, a wine with the exact aroma and flavor profile I have been seeking. A wine to slake the thirst and engage the spirit. Such a fine Riesling must surely come from the Mosel or Rhine regions of Germany? (Danka sheine, but Nein.) From the North Coast of California? (No way. We like oak and alcohol bombs made in the hot sun, dude.) Oregon? (Nope. We’re all about Pinot Noir now, man.) Washington State? (Riesling is just another grape, folks. We can plant all of them and we do.) OK, then Australia? (G’day, but wrong, mate!

Our Riesling is unique, but it’s a warm and sexy flesh pot, if you get my meaning. Right? Right?)The $12 Riesling at our table, which transformed a simple lunch into a small feast, was produced in the Finger Lakes region of New York State. Dr. Konstantin Frank’s Vinifera Vineyards 2006 Estate Bottled Dry Riesling, grown along the banks of Keuka Lake, made the food taste sooooo good, and made us smile with every refreshing sip.I’m letting you in on a currently not-so-well-kept secret: Some of the finest Riesling wines in the New World – especially dry and semi-dry versions, but also some rare and wonderful sweet Rieslings – are to be found in the Finger Lakes American Viticultural Area (AVA), specifically along the banks of Keuka Lake and Seneca Lake. "
See full posting here.

- Holiday Wine Events at Finger Lakes Wineries

Dave Bagley

2008-11-11T22:41:00.000-05:00

David A. Bagley, Bagley’s Poplar Ridge Vineyards & Winery Owner Age 57, of Valois, NY, passed away unexpectedly, Thursday, November 6, 2008 . The family will receive friends and relatives at Royce-Chedzoy Funeral Home, 212 E. 4th St, Watkins Glen, on Thursday, Nov 13, from 6-8pm. A celebration of his life will be held Friday, November 14, at 6:00pm at the Bagley’s Poplar Ridge Vineyards and Winery in Valois , NY. Dave was the owner and wine maker at Bagley’s Poplar Ridge Vineyards and Winery in Valois, NY. He loved life and was passionate about hunting pheasants with his Labradors and fishing with Bear. One could find him enjoying a nice glass of champagne with good company, shooting clay birds, or witnessing the beautiful sunsets from a rocking chair on his deck. He loved his country and his kids more than life itself. Dave was a memorable character, anyone who met him once would always remember him. He will be dearly missed. In Dave's words; "This too shall pass" and "It is what it is, Darlin". He is survived by his children, Guy Bagley of Los Angeles, CA, Matthew Bagley of Corning, Brittany Bagley of Valois, step-son, Sean Brown, of Valois; father, George F. Bagley of Orono, ME, brothers, George Bagley of Orono, ME, Bruce (Anne) Bagley of Kansas City, KS; fiancée, Punky Brown of Valois, and the extended Bagley family, R.J., Jodie Pulkinen, Mikey Rodrigues, Derek Smith, Justin Boyette, Mike Steinruck, Laura Copp, Thomas Harbot, and Kim Karius; and numerous nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and great-nephews.You may view his memorial online at www.Royce-Chedzoy.com. Arrangements are by Royce-Chedzoy Funeral Home, Watkins Glen.

Finger Lakes News & Notes - Oct.31, 2008

2008-10-31T18:13:00.003-05:00

- Dr. Frank Wine Cellars unveils improved Riesling vines

- ABC profiles the Finger Lakes area

- Prejean Riesling wins Gold Medal in Canberra Riesling Challenge

- Finger Lakes wineries enjoying increased visitors this Fall season

- The San Francisco Chronicle's Top 100 Wines of 2008 will include some Finger Lakes Rieslings

- For everything you ever wanted to know about Riesling, click here. Then click on the book.

- Ithaca Beer Co. wins awards in national beer competition

- New Finger Lakes distillery makes Honey Vodka

- Wine Spectator's James Molesworth has several new blog posts about his recent trip to the Finger Lakes and also some new Finger Lakes Riesling ratings. A subscription is required to view these. Finger Lakes Wine Country has the new ratings here. Shaw Vineyards sent me an excerpt about Shaw's Riesling ratings:
James Molesworth, Wine Spectator Magazine
Posted: Friday, October 31, 2008
Here's a selection of newly released Rieslings from New York's Finger Lakes region, covering the two most recent vintages.The 2006 vintage produced wines in a drier, leaner style, thanks to a typically cool growing season. On the other hand, 2007 was one of the warmer years in recent memory for vintners in upstate New York, and the wines tend to show plumper textures and more tropical fruit notes (though they still retain a cool-climate personality overall). As usual, value abounds in this overlooked region.
SHAW VINEYARD Riesling Finger Lakes 2006 Score: 88 $17
Tangy and fresh, with slate, green apple and fig notes that stay nervy through the nicely concentrated finish. Drink now. 250 cases made. —J.M.
SHAW VINEYARD Riesling Finger Lakes Dry 2006 Score: 88 $19
Good focus and drive, with a bracing edge to the lime, watermelon and green apple notes. Nice slatelike tang on the finish. Drink now. 200 cases made. —J.M.

10/31/2008 8:22 AM While Anthony Road might be considered one of the bigger names in the region, Shaw Vineyard is at the other end of the spectrum. Owned and run by Steve Shaw, the facility is also located right on Route 14, on the western Seneca wine trail, but takes on a decidedly low-tech look with its green shack and rustic exposed beam and wooden plank-floored tasting room. Shaw, 51, is a local boy. Born and raised in Hammondsport, he caught the wine bug at an early age, bought a vineyard property on Keuka Lake in 1980 and has been growing grapes ever since, selling his production to Glenora, Hermann J. Wiemer and Dr. Konstantin Frank. In 2002 he began his own eponymous winery with the help of his good friend, Ravines winemaker Morten Hallgren (they share the same facility for their respective wines).Shaw owns 12 acres of vinifera vines and is currently producing just 2,500 cases annually, with a goal to stretch to 5,000 cases. While Riesling dominates the region’s wines qualitatively, Shaw is focusing on reds, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon in particular.“It’s more interesting to me to try and break a little new ground with the reds,” he said.Shaw doesn’t crush the berries prior to fermentation, preferring a whole-berry ferment instead for brighter, more forward fruit and a more gentle extraction (see the accompanying video for more). Shaw also prefers to hold his wines back prior to release—his 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon is his current offering and it shows gentle tannins and elegant, lingering cherry and tobacco notes, without the crisp, or overtly leafy profile of many of the region’s reds. Shaw’s Keuka Hill Reserve is a non-vintage blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc from the 2003 vintage along with Cabernet Sauvignon from the 2002 vintage, which also shows a gentle profile, with smoke, spice and cherry notes that mingle nicely.While Shaw prefers to emphasize his red wine production, his whites are hardly an afterthought. The 2005 Dry Riesling (just 0.2 percent residual sugar) is really taut and focused, with almond and slate notes. It’s a tasty drink right now. Both of Shaw’s just-released 2006 Rieslings (a dry and just off-dry bottling) are very good, though production is limited at around 200 cases of each.Small and unassuming, there’s a passion burning at Shaw Vineyard. Don’t let the simple, green roadside shack fool you.

- For a Calendar of all the upcoming Wine Trail and Holiday events in the Finger Lakes, click here.

Finger Lakes News & Notes

2008-09-26T10:31:00.003-05:00

Greetings!!! I am currently involved with a number of very interesting writing, music, and wine-related projects right now, so my blogging has been severely limited. But I will post as time permits.

-I will be performing at the Naples Grape Fest this Saturday from 10am to Noon at Artizanns. Stop by and say hello.

- A new round of Finger Lakes Riesling ratings is out from James Molesworth of Wine Spectator magazine:

RAVINES Riesling Finger Lakes Dry Argetsinger Vineyard 2007 Score: 89 $25Focused and pure, with tangy fennel, anise and apple notes allied to a bright, pure frame. Nice drive on the finish. Drink now through 2009. 150 cases made. —J.M.
ANTHONY ROAD Riesling Finger Lakes Dry 2007 Score: 88 $15Plump up front, with fennel and anise hints, before the dry edge emerges on the bright, minerally finish. Very solid. Drink now through 2009. 700 cases made. —J.M.
ANTHONY ROAD Riesling Finger Lakes Semi-Dry 2007 Score: 88 $16Broad and forward, with quince, dried pineapple and green almond notes followed by a rich, creamy finish. Drink now. 750 cases made. —J.M.
ATWATER ESTATE Riesling Finger Lakes Dry 2007 Score: 88 $18Fresh and nicely defined, with a mouthwatering edge driving the apple, fennel seed and lime notes through the lengthy finish. Drink now through 2009. 500 cases made. —J.M.
DR. KONSTANTIN FRANK Riesling Finger Lakes Dry 2007 Score: 88 $17Quite taut, despite a marzipan edge running through the tangy green apple and lime notes, which linger on the petrol-tinged finish. Has some mature hints already, but it's fresh and long, and should age nicely. Drink now through 2009. 4,500 cases made. —J.M.
STANDING STONE Riesling Finger Lakes 2007 Score: 88 $14Ripe and juicy, with a solid core of anise, melon and fig flavors backed by a nice mouthwatering MacIntosh apple note on the finish. Drink now through 2009. 1,124 cases made. —J.M.
BELHURST ESTATE Riesling Seneca Lake Semi-Dry 2007 Score: 87 $18Tangy for an off-dry style, with lively quince and lime notes leading the way for apple and pear hints on the juicy finish. Quite tasty. Drink now. 200 cases made. —J.M.
KING FERRY Riesling Cayuga Lake Treleaven Dry 2007 Score: 87 $15Quite dry and bony, with a slate-driven spine leading the taut green apple and lime notes. Tangy, chalk-tinged finish. Drink now through 2009. 1,320 cases made. —J.M.
KNAPP Riesling Finger Lakes Dry 2007 Score: 87 $15Nice purity, with a crisp lime edge backed by slate and green apple notes that linger on the chiseled finish. Drink now. 307 cases made. —J.M.
LAKEWOOD Riesling Finger Lakes 2007 Score: 87 $13Quite crunchy, with a tangy lime streak running through the Pippen apple and green almond notes. Lively finish. Drink now through 2009. 800 cases made. —J.M.
SHELDRAKE POINT Riesling Finger Lakes 2007 Score: 87 $16Good focus, with a nice slatey edge to the apple and fig flavors. Good drive on the finish too. Drink now through 2009. 743 cases made. —J.M.
SHELDRAKE POINT Riesling Finger Lakes Dry 2007 Score: 87 $16Juicy and open, with quince, pippen apple and braised fennel notes that stay fresh on the finish. Drink now. 987 cases made. —J.M.
FOX RUN Riesling Finger Lakes 2007 Score: 86 $14Fresh, with a bracing edge to the lime, green apple and chamomile hints. Good cut on the finish. Drink now. 2,500 cases made. —J.M.
DR. KONSTANTIN FRANK Riesling Finger Lakes Semi-Dry 2007 Score: 86 $15Fresh, with off-dry apple, pear and quince notes followed by a round, generous finish. Drink now. 3,900 cases made. —J.M.
SWEDISH HILL Riesling Finger Lakes 2007 Score: 86 $15Plump and forward, with good apple, green melon and anise notes. Round, juicy finish. Drink now. 1,500 cases made. —J.M.

- Dave Whiting of Red Newt has joined the blogosphere with his blog at Wine Spectator online.

- Melissa Dobson interviews Fox Run's Scott Osborn in her new Finger Lakes Visionaries Series at her blog.

- Congratulations to Fox Run Vineyard for being chosen as one of the top 100 wineries in the world for 2008 by Wine & Spirits Magazine.

- Another new winery opens on Seneca Lake.

Finger Lakes Winery Report - Imagine Moore Winery - August 2008

2008-09-13T10:17:00.004-05:00

IMAGINE MOORE WINERY (south Canandaigua Lake)
In his sophomore year, Tim Moore of Imagine Moore Winery in Naples NY at the south end of Canandaigua Lake, continues to deliver a fresh style of winemaking and a unique winery concept. Tim talks the talk and walks the walk when it comes to being environmentally friendly in his winery operations. From the growing of the grapes to the wine labels, Tim strives to “honor the earth” and make great wine as well. Here are my tasting notes:

> 2006 Peace, Pinot Gris, .4%RS, $16.99, one word keeps dominating my tasting notes again this year for Imagine Moore wines, and that word is “soft”, this one is soft with layers of apple and pear into hints of vanilla, very good depth of flavor here.

> 2006 Joy, Dry Riesling, .6%RS, $14.99, Fresh floral aromas- I need a cologne with this scent, Alsatian style, layers of rose petals and a soft spice/mineral character, a perfectly balanced dry Riesling, I’d like a bit more intensity of flavor but it’s got style.

>2007 Gratitude, a unique blend of Sauvignon Blanc/Pinot Gris/Cayuga Cayuga, .9%RS, $9.99, soft lemongrass with nicely balanced acidity, Tim has got a talent for blending and it shows here.

> 2007 Love, Semi-dry Riesling, 1.5%RS, $14.99, This is the star of the show in my opinion, soft (again) and subtle ripe peach with undertones of candied lemon drops and a smooth lime finish, hard to believe it’s only 1.5%RS.
What can I say, I love the Love.

> 2007 Harmony, 75% Cayuga White/ 25% Traminette, 3.5%RS, $10.99, another great blend, Beautiful orange blossom and lightly perfumed soft floral aromas, Tim gets excellent aromatics out of his wines, layers of soft orange, tangerine, and lime, an excellent value.

> 2007 Grace, Cabernet Franc, 3%RS, $10.99, 2 days on the skins and 3 months in the barrel, lots of soft strawberry, There’s a few of these sweeter Finger Lakes Cab Francs around that I think are very nice, a nice summer value sipper.

Finger Lakes News & Notes - Sept. 5, 2008

2008-09-05T08:33:00.003-05:00

Greetings!!! I must apologize for my lack of recent postings, but my gig as a writer for Mountain Home magazine has been taking up most of my free time. I'm having a great time meeting and interviewing a lot of interesting people. I just finished 3 articles for the October issue, so things should settle down a bit and I will be able to post more here. By the way, the September issue of Mountain Home is out and available free at many many locations in the Finger Lakes including most of the Finger Lakes wineries. My September article is on Dustin Dowdle at Bully Hill Winery and how "Laughter is the Best Marketing" at Bully Hill. Also, If you have any interesting Finger Lakes area story ideas, please let me know. You can fill out the contact form at the bottom of this page or email me at the email listed in the title box at the top of the page.
And, as happens every year, I am way way behind in posting my winery tasting reports. I have made it to about 60 Finger Lakes wineries so far this year.

- Upcoming gigs for the Finger Lakes Weekend Winos Acoustic Duo include:
Sept. 20 at Torrey Ridge Winery and Sept. 27 at the Naples Grape Festival (I'll be at Artizanns)

- See a complete Finger Lakes Calendar of Events for September here

- Attention all Wine Makers: Fulkerson Winery has announced their wine juice schedule and pricing, order your juice as soon as possible, they run out of some grape types quickly.

- Check out the upcoming Fall Events on the Cayuga Wine Trail, the Seneca Wine Trail, and the Keuka Wine Trail. Be sure to order your tickets early for the Fall & Holiday events as they normally sell out very quickly.

- It seems that the Fall Foliage season in the Finger Lakes may be coming early this year. Mrs. Wino and I noticed some leaves changing already within the last few weeks. See Fall Foliage Reports here (they will start updating soon).

Acclaimed Glass Maker Georg Riedel visits the Finger Lakes

2008-08-24T11:14:00.005-05:00

Click on photographs to see larger view

The current patriarch of the acclaimed glass crafting and manufacturing company Riedel Glass, Georg Riedel (pronounced like "needle"), made a visit to the Finger Lakes area this week and I was fortunate to be invited to his seminar at Inn at Glenora. Many Thanks to the Cayuga Wine Trail and Finger Lakes Wine Country for inviting me and to Gene Pierce and Inn at Glenora for their hospitality.

The premise of the seminar was that the shape and size of a wine glass contributes to the aroma and taste profile of the wine in the glass and Mr. Riedel

was here to help Finger Lakes wineries deduce the perfect Riedel wine glass for Finger Lakes Riesling. Winery owners had attended an earlier session and had decided their preferences. The preferences of those of us at this evening session would be compared to the earlier session.

It was certainly an honor to be in the presence of glassware royalty. The Riedel family tradition of skilled glass craftsmanship extends back to the 1600's! The history of the company is a fascinating read as the Riedel family overcame the continuing obstacles of wars affecting their

homeland and stayed on the "cutting edge" of glassware advances. Click here to read more about the history of Riedel.

But our task at hand in this seminar was to detect the subtle changes that each of the 6 different Riedel wine glasses (and the obligatory plastic cup which gave no aromas) on our table brought to the same wine.

The charming and humorous Mr. Riedel opened the seminar with his impressions of the Finger Lakes region ("It's easier to find wine than gas here") and a short primer on wine tasting. Then
we got into the tastings. With the same Finger Lakes Riesling in each glass, we sniffed each glass first and noted the aromatic changes and then we tasted each glass and noted the taste differences for each glass. Riedel's theory, based on their many years of testing, is that different shapes and sizes of wine glasses direct the aromatic and flavor components of the wine to your tastebuds and olfactory senses in different ways and that wine glasses can be designed specifically to facilitate optimal tasting of the varietal characteristics of each wine. We did three rounds of tastings with three different Finger Lakes Rieslings.

There can be no doubt in my mind that there were different aromatic and taste profiles presented by each glass holding the same exact wine. And by hand vote of the seminar participants, there seemed to be a consensus that 2 of the glasses were preferable to the others, and this agreed with the winery owners' preferences in the earlier session. But I do not know if I can accept the premise that these differences are primarily attributable to the glass alone. Mr. Riedel advanced the concept that the width of the opening and height of the glass directs the flow of the wine into your mouth differently, thereby hitting different parts of your mouth at different times and bringing out more acidity for a certain glass or more softness for a certain glass, etc. But when I taste wine, I don't pour it directly into my mouth, but I hold my sip for all wines that I taste in the front part of my mouth while I "slurp" it against my lips to aerate it and then I swish it to all parts of my mouth. So that would seem to dismiss that theory in my mind. There is the possibility, though, that the shape and size of each glass is directing the vapors of the wine into my mouth differently and the vapors are directed to different parts of my mouth and olfactory senses at different times, thereby changing how I am perceiving the wine. And, as Mr. Riedel pointed out, human taste perception is 80 percent smell.

Another problem that I had was that Mr. Riedel gave us his own perceptions of how each glass affected the wines before most of us had a chance to develop our own perceptions, thereby influencing our own impressions by his suggestions. I do understand that Mr. Riedel's primary goal is to sell glassware and that this was certainly not a scientific undertaking by any means.

Overall, the seminar was very interesting and certainly raises the question of just how much influence the wine glass has on our sensory perceptions of the wine within it. In the home of Mrs. Wino and myself, we have a wide variety of glassware acquired from a variety of sources and now I have to wonder if the two of us and the guests that we pour wine for are each getting completely different impressions of the same wine. It's just another one of those things that makes you go Hmmmmm.

New York Wine and Food Classic Results

2008-08-24T09:57:00.006-05:00

It seems like every post I've been writing about the wine awards being won by the Peterson family's trio of wineries Swedish Hill, Goose Watch, and Penguin Bay, and the accolades keep pouring in with Swedish Hill Winery winning the prestigious Governors Cup and Winery of the Year award at the New York Wine and Food Classic competition. A well-deserved congratulations goes to Swedish Hill Winery!

I continue to be surprised at the number of Native and Hybrid grape varieties and blends that are winning top awards in wine competitions this year. The surprise is not that they are winning, because I have been touting the quality of these wines for some time, but the surprise is that "professional" wine judges who have been historically skimpy at givng these wines their due seem to be warming up to these often sweeter style wines. I believe it is marking a paradigm shift in wine judging. As usual, the "professionals" are late to this shift as consumers seem to have already made the trend shift. Also noteworthy is the number of "value" wines under $10 that won Gold medals in this competition. Like I have said ad nauseum, you don't have to spend a fortune to find well-crafted, balanced, and flavorful wine.

See the full list of awards here.

Best of Class Awards
Best Native Sparkling Wine: Swedish Hill Winery NV Spumante Blush
Best Dry Riesling Wine: Lakewood Vineyards 2007 Dry Riesling
Best Semi-Dry Riesling Wine: Hosmer 2007 Riesling
Best Semi-Sweet Riesling Wine: Paumanok Vineyards 2007 Semi-Dry Riesling
Best Chardonnay Wine: Castello di Borghese 2006 Chardonnay
Best Sauvignon Blanc Wine: Macari Vineyards 2007 Katherine's Field Sauvignon Blanc
Best White Vinifera Blend: McGregor Vineyards 2007 Rkatsiteli-Sereksiya
Best Traminette Wine: Whitecliff Vineyards 2007 Traminette
Best Vidal Blanc Wine: Swedish Hill Winery 2007 Vidal Blanc
Best White Hybrid Blend: Rooster Hill Vineyards 2007 Silver Pencil
Best Other Native White Wine: Arbor Hill Grapery 2007 Vergennes
Best Niagara Wine: Hickory Hollow Cellars Liquid Wisdom
Best Blush or Rose Wine: Anthony Road Wine Company 2007 Dry Rose
Best Concord Wine: Torrey Ridge Winery Blue Sapphire
Best Baco Noir Wine: Barrington Cellars Baco Noir
Best Red Hybrid Blend: Swedish Hill Winery Viking Red
Best Cabernet Franc Wine: Red Newt Cellars 2005 Cabernet Franc
Best Merlot Wine: Osprey's Dominion 2005 Reserve Merlot
Best Cabernet Sauvignon Wine: Chateau Lafayette Reneau 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon
Best Red Vinifera Blend: Bedell Cellars 2006 Musee
Best Mead: Earle Estates Meadery Creamy Apricot
Best Late Harvest Wine: Heron Hill 2006 Late Harvest Vidal Blanc
Best Ice Wine: Casa Larga Vineyards 2005 Fiori Vidal Ice Wine
Best of Category Awards
Best Sparkling Wine: Swedish Hill Winery NV Spumante Blush
Best White Wine: Swedish Hill Winery 2007 Vidal Blanc
Best Blush or Rose Wine: Anthony Road Wine Company 2007 Dry Rose
Best Red Wine: Bedell Cellars 2006 Musee
Best Specialty Wine: Earle Estates Meadery Creamy Apricot
Best Dessert Wine: Casa Larga Vineyards 2005 Fiori Vidal Ice Wine

New York Wine & Food Classic 2008 Double Gold & Gold for Finger Lakes wineries:
Double Gold
Hosmer Winery 2007 Vintners Reserve Riesling FL/ Cayuga $25.00
Hosmer Winery 2007 Riesling FL/ Cayuga $12.00
Miles Wine Cellars 2002 Milestone FL/ Seneca $29.95

Sheldrake Point Vineyard 2006 Reserve Riesling Reserve FL/ Cayuga $23.99
Sheldrake Point Vineyard 2007 Riesling Ice FL/ Cayuga $64.99
Swedish Hill Winery NV Spumante Blush FL/ Cayuga $11.99
Swedish Hill Winery 2007 Vidal Blanc FL/ Cayuga $10.99

Gold
Americana Vineyards & Winery NV Riesling FL/ Cayuga $15.99
Americana Vineyards & Winery 2007 Americana White FL/ Cayuga $8.99
Anthony Road Wine Company 2007 Dry Rose Seneca Lake FL/ Seneca $9.99
Anthony Road Wine Company 2006 Vignoles Berry Selection Seneca Lake FL/ Seneca $45.00
Arbor Hill Grapery 2007 Vergennes FL/ Canandaigua $11.95
Atwater Estate Vineyards 2007 Dry Riesling FL/ Seneca $18.00
Atwater Estate Vineyards 2007 Riesling FL/ Seneca $17.00
Barrington Cellars NV Baco Noir FL/ Keuka $9.50
Billsboro Winery 2007 Dry Riesling FL/ Seneca $16.00
Casa Larga Vineyards 2005 Fiori Vidal Ice Wine Finger Lakes $34.99
Cascata Winery NV Fireside Chardonnay FL/ Seneca $18.95
Cascata Winery 2007 Regatta Red FL/ Seneca $8.95
Chateau LaFayette Reneau 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Bottled FL/ Seneca $19.99
Clovis Point Wines 2005 Chardonnay LI/ North Fork $15.00
Dr. Konstantin Frank 2007 Gewürztraminer FL/ Keuka $17.99
Earle Estates Meadery NV Creamy Apricot FL/ Seneca $13.99
Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards NV Bramble Berry FL/ Seneca $8.99
Heron Hill Winery 2005 Ingle Vineyard Cabernet Franc FL/ Keuka $34.99
Heron Hill Winery 2006 Late Harvest Vidal Blanc FL/ Keuka $19.99
Hickory Hollow Wine Cellars NV Liquid Wisdom FL/ Seneca $7.99
Hosmer Winery 2007 Dry Riesling FL/ Cayuga $12.00
Imagine Moore 2006 Passion Ice Wine FL/ Canandaigua $30.00
Lakewood Vineyards 2007 Dry Riesling FL/ Seneca $12.99
Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars 2006 Chardonnay Reserve FL/ Seneca $19.99
Lucas Vineyards 2007 Semi Dry Riesling FL/ Cayuga $12.99
Lucas Vineyards 2007 Vignoles FL/ Cayuga $11.99
McGregor Vineyard 2007 Riesling Estate Grown FL/ Keuka $17.99
McGregor Vineyard 2007 Rkatsiteli - Sereksiya Estate Grown FL/ Keuka $24.99
Montezuma Winery NV Semi Sweet Mead Finger Lakes $10.99
Red Newt Cellars 2005 Cabernet Franc FL/ Seneca $19.50
Rooster Hill Vineyards 2006 Chardonnay FL/ Keuka $14.99
Rooster Hill Vineyards 2007 Silver Pencil FL/ Keuka $10.99
Six Mile Creek Vineyard 2007 Semi Sweet Riesling FL/ Cayuga $13.50
Six Mile Creek Vineyard NV Pasa Tiempo FL/ Cayuga $8.50
Swedish Hill Winery 2007 Dry Riesling FL/ Cayuga $14.99
Swedish Hill Winery NV Viking Red FL/ Cayuga $7.99
Thirsty Owl Wine Company 2007 Diamond FL/ Cayuga $8.95
Torrey Ridge Winery NV Diamond FL/ Seneca $9.99
Torrey Ridge Winery NV Blue Sapphire FL/ Seneca $9.99
Torrey Ridge Winery NV Scarlet Red FL/ Seneca $14.99
Ventosa Vineyards 2007 Riesling FL/ Seneca $17.95
Ventosa Vineyards 2007 Tocai Friulano FL/ Seneca $15.95
Ventosa Vineyards 2005 Saggio FL/ Seneca $23.95
White Springs Winery 2005 Riesling FL/ Seneca $12.99

Finger Lakes News & Notes - Aug. 12, 2008

2008-08-11T17:21:00.004-05:00

- The Finger Lakes Weekend Wino (that’s me) will be performing this Saturday at Artizanns in Naples NY from Noon to 3pm. Come out and enjoy my tunes and the amazing artwork and crafts at Artizanns!

- Jason Feulner opines about Pompous Ass Winery

- Photography Tips for your Finger Lakes Vacation

- Company uses Finger Lakes Ice Cream Trail in business

- Enjoy outdoor dining at these Canandaigua eateries

- NY sommelier is passionate about Riesling

- Recap of Long Island Wine Conference (with some Finger Lakes winemakers attending) here
and here

- “Staycations” is the new buzzword for vacationing close to home

- Forest Fest to honor 25th Anniversary of Finger Lakes National Forest

- Prejean Winery is profiled

- Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel offers new lodging option in Finger Lakes

- Hot Wheels 40th Anniversary Celebration comes to Watkins Glen Sept. 5th

- White Springs Riesling wins medal at Best of Riesling Competition

- Balance Photo’s blog reviews their recent Finger Lakes trip

- Finger Lakes Events for this week from Scan & Plan

- Pickin In The Pasture, the Finger Lakes Bluegrass Event is Aug. 21-24

- Another sommelier reviews the Finger Lakes

- A winery's perspective on the Finger Lakes Wine Festival here
and here and here

- Casa Larga champagne gets high rating from Beverage Testing Institute

- Swedish Hill's latest newsletter is out

- Thomas Laszlo, winemaker of Heron Hill reveals the tribulations of Ice Wine and owner John Ingle gives this mid-summer crop report:
"The relatively mild winter of 07-08 has set up a bountiful crop potential for the fall. Early surges of temperatures into the 90's in April got the vines off to a quick start, almost too quick since later spring frosts were still to come. By burning hay bales in the vineyard on those frosty nights we were able to avert frost damage, thus minimizing bud loss. Plentiful rain in late June and July helped to relieve the drought-like conditions of the late spring and the vines have grown lush. On Keuka Lake we suffered some mild hail damage in late July from severe thunderstorms but the verdant health of the vines has kept them from being overly traumatized. As we get closer to harvest we will continue hand manicuring the vines to allow for good air and sun penetration. This is the cornerstone of sustainable viticulture, a hands-on approach that is reflected in the quality wines we produce."

GET OUT AND TASTE SOME LOCAL WINE!!!

Finger Lake Photos

2008-08-08T20:29:00.005-05:00

I have not done a Photo Post in a while, so here are some photos that I have taken in 2008. Click on the photos for larger view.

It had been a while since I hiked through Watkins Glen State Park and it is still one of the most beautiful hikes with waterfalls around every corner.

The gas prices have not affected the sailboats on Seneca Lake.

The dark clouds make way for a rainbow over Seneca Lake.

Doug Hazlitt, Sales Mgr Steve Cruty, and Winemaker Tim Benedict in the fun atmosphere of Hazlitt Winery's tasting room.

The Weekend Winos perform at The Finger Lakes Wine Festival.

The Toga Parade at the Launch of The Lakes Party is always an interesting sight.

Dave Peterson at the Festival Media Event. Dave is having a very good 2008 with major wine competition wins for his 3 wineries, Swedish Hill, Penguin Bay, & Goose Watch.

The new Harbor Hotel in Watkins Glen makes it debut.

I

Peterson Wineries Continue to Dominate

2008-07-30T17:28:00.003-05:00

I’m going to print this complete article by Mike Dunne at the Sacramento Bee because I think this dramatizes the point that I’ve been preaching for the past several years that Finger Lakes off-dry wines from grapes such as Diamond, Cayuga White, Vignoles, etc. are top-notch and extremely well-balanced wines, with layers of fruit and complexity. The Peterson family’s trio of wineries Swedish Hill, Penguin Bay, and Goose Watch are proving this point with a vengeance this year (click here for more on their winning ways), winning Gold after Gold and Sweepstake after Sweepstake at well-respected International Wine Competitions! And there are many other Finger Lake wines that are just as award-worthy that are never sent to competitions. A great wine is a great wine whether it be dry, sweet, white, or red!!! The Wine Judging community seems to finally be getting it!

Dunne on Wine: White wine honors go to hybrids
By Mike Dunne - mdunne@sacbee.com
Published 12:00 am PDT Wednesday, July 23, 2008Story appeared in TASTE section, Page F1

A Sacramento-area wine won the best-red sweepstakes at last weekend's 2008 Long Beach Grand Cru, but the white-wine sweepstakes is what left judges buzzing.
First, the local angle: By a surprisingly wide margin, given the diversity and size of the field – 18 nominees – the muscular Mettler Family Vineyards 2005 Lodi Petite Sirah ($25) seized the top honor among red wines.
The white-wine showdown was even more crowded with 20 nominees. They included three sauvignon blancs, two chardonnays, two pinot grigios, two rieslings and a viognier.
When votes were tallied, however, the two wines to tie for sweepstakes honors were varietals largely unknown in the United States, especially in California, though both were American.
The wines were the peachy Wollersheim Winery 2007 American Prairie Fumé Seyval Blanc ($8) and the aromatic, floral and lusciously fruity Goose Watch Winery Finger Lakes Diamond ($9).
Wollersheim Winery is in Prairie du Sac, Wis., in a state better known for milk than wine, while Goose Watch Winery is in Romulus, N.Y.
Both seyval blanc and diamond are hybrid grapes developed to flourish in climates hostile to such traditional vitis vinifera varieties as chardonnay and pinot noir.
While wines from hybrid grapes occasionally shine in competitions – the Goose Watch diamond consistently wins high honors – the Long Beach judging well might be the first where two hybrids tied for sweepstakes.
What's it mean? One of the judges, Jim Trezise, took the floor immediately after the voting to say the results of the white-wine sweepstakes represent no less than a "paradigm shift" in the stature of wines from hybrid grapes.
"It used to be that no one would give any time to hybrids," said Trezise, who as executive director of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation has been at the forefront of efforts to raise the profile of wines from hybrid and native American grapes, which are grown extensively in the Empire State.
He applauded the judges, most of them Californians, for their "open minds" and "open palates" in evaluating wines from grapes and regions that in many instances are only marginally familiar to them.
Trezise also praised the "missionary" efforts of wine writer Dan Berger, chief judge at the Long Beach Grand Cru, who is keen on persuading wineries from beyond California to join the competition.
While most wines in the judging were Californian, an observer wouldn't know it by looking at the 20 wines arranged before each judge during the white-wine sweepstakes. Only eight were from California, though judges didn't know that until after the votes were tabulated. Of the three sauvignon blancs, two were from New Zealand and one was from Chile. Of the two proprietary wines, one was from Missouri, the other from Ohio. Other wines were from Michigan, New York and Washington state.
Trezise is correct in sensing a paradigm shift among wine judges when it comes to wines from hybrid grapes. Part of that could be due to fatigue brought about by the stylistic similarity of such familiar varietals as chardonnay and syrah, coupled with the novelty of the hybrids.
And don't discount the influence of the frequent sweetness of hybrids, which at the end of two days of judging some 1,900 wines in the Long Beach Petroleum Club was refreshing. The seyval blanc has 1 percent residual sugar, the diamond 5.8.
But it wasn't sweetness alone that accounted for the hybrids' strong showing in the sweepstakes round. They are wines of clarity, balance and distinction. Judges had no idea of their price, and the fact that they cost less than $10 each is another sign that exciting things are happening beyond the vineyards of California.
As to the award-winning and other wines from hybrids, Californians won't often find them in wine shops or on restaurant wine lists hereabouts. Compared with such California varietals as chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon, they are made in small amounts, and sales mostly are often through tasting rooms and winery Web sites.
Californians lucky enough to come across a marechal foch, seyval blanc, traminette, vignoles, diamond or other obscure hybrid while traveling along the East Coast or through the Midwest will discover a whole new wine world rising among the soybeans and corn.

Finger Lakes Winery Report - Penguin Bay Winery, July 2008

2008-07-23T17:41:00.004-05:00

As part of the Peterson family’s trio of wineries, Penguin Bay is the young and upcoming star this year, winning a substantial number of Gold and Double Gold medals, including 2 best white wine of shows at International Wine Competitions with their 2007 Gewurztraminer. Don’t get me wrong, Penguin Bay's sister wineries Swedish Hill and Goose Watch are also winning their share of medals, but Penguin Bay has always seemed to be the ugly duckling of the three. But within the last several years, the name and label have been revamped with the “cute animal” Flying Penguin label and the quality of the wines has improved dramatically. In the past, they have focused primarily on “Champagne” and Sparkling Wines, but their wine list now boasts an array of red and white still wines. Here are my tasting notes:
> Pinot Noir Brut Rose Champagne, $18, very dry but also very fruit forward with abundant sparkling cherry and strawberry flavors. I often find dry champagnes very flavorless, but this one brings the flavor!
> 2006 Rose’ of Chambourcin, $11, Beautiful salmon pink color, This is dry, but again, great fruit extraction with delicate berry flavors mingling with the bubbles into a lingering finish. And a great value at $11.
> 2007 Gewurztraminer, $17, This wine has won 2 best White Wine of Shows in the last several months. Overall, the ’07 Finger Lakes Gewurz’s that I have tasted have been fantastic with BIG aromas and Bold but smooth spice, perhaps even the best year ever for Finger Lakes Gewurz! This Gewurz shows lovely floral and citrus blossom aromas, this is a dry wine, but with delicate honeysuckle flavors on the front end with smooth cinnamon and allspice hints on the finish, this one’s not as big as some I’ve tasted but it is nuanced and elegant.
> Blanc de Blanc Champagne, $13.99, semi-dry with light lemon citrus overtones and good structure, a solid Cayuga White sparkler.
> 2006 Valvin Muscat, $15, one of the newest grapes from Cornell in a sweet dessert wine, tangerine with honeyed nutmeg highlights, finishes with that inherent herbal spice quality that I’m still not quite sure if I’m fond of, But this is my favorite Valvin Muscat out of the ones that I’ve tasted.
> Golden Spumante Champagne, $12, made from my beloved Diamond grape, yes I will bore you one more time with the story of how I accidentally made a Sparkling Diamond wine that (in the bottles that we salvaged that did not explode), tasted very similar to this Golden Spumante, splashes of baked apple and light orange citrus pirouette among the bubbles and dance like frantic Irish clog dancers across your palate!

- On another note, I have an announcement. I am proud to announce that I will be writing a monthly Finger Lakes column for Mountain Home magazine starting with the August issue. Mountain Home is a well-respected regional monthly that features articles about the Northern Tier of Pennsylvania and the Southern Tier of New York. Mountain Home magazine is available free every month in many of the wineries in The Finger Lakes and many other locations in PA & NY.
- I forgot to mention in my last news and notes post that THE PORT IS BACK at Lakewood. And it’s every bit as good as the ’05. Lakewood bottled 750 cases, but it will go fast, so get yours soon.
- Also, Alta B Day at Wagner Vineyards is this Sunday, July 27. It is their annual celebration in memory of Alta Button Wagner featuring entertainment on the brewdeck from 1:30 to 4:30 pm by The One Man Band, Peter Haskell with Door prizes and Wine specials with the lowest pricing of the year on many wines. One day only, 10am - 5pm.

Finger Lakes News & Notes

2008-07-10T10:27:00.002-05:00

- Some big shows coming up for Myself and Mr. Tom, The Finger Lakes Weekend Winos Acoustic Duo, this coming Saturday at Torrey Ridge Winery from 1:30 to 4:30pm and then The Winos will appear in a Special Show at The Finger Lakes Wine Festival at Watkins Glen Race Track on Saturday, July 19th from 10am to 1pm in The Cabernet Courtyard. Be sure to stop by and say Hello to us if you are attending. Click here for more information about the Finger Lakes Wine Festival.

- More Medals were awarded to Finger Lakes wineries at the Indy International Wine Competition with Penguin Bay's Gewurztraminer winning Best White Wine of the entire competition!!! Other top winners were:

Double Gold
Torrey Ridge Niagara
Torrey Ridge Traminette
Chateau Frank Celebre (Sparkling Riesling)
Dr. Frank 2007 Semi-Dry Riesling
Long Point 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon
Swedish Hill Svenska White
Swedish Hill 2007 Riesling

Gold
Lakewood 2007 Catawba
Torrey Ridge Diamond
Fulkerson Red Zeppelin
Lucas 2007 Cayuga White
Torrey Ridge Cayuga
Glenora Alpine White
Hazlitt 2007 Homestead Reserve Riesling
Thirsty Owl 2007 Dry Riesling
White Springs 2005 Riesling
Anthony Road 2006 Cabernet Franc Rosé
Sheldrake Point 2007 Dry Rosé
Torrey Ridge Scarlet Red
Hazlitt Bramble Berry
Goose Watch Golden Spumante
Goose Watch 2007 Traminette
Goose watch 2007 Viogner
Swedish Hill Svenska Red
Swedish Hill 2007 Cayuga White
Swedish Hill Blue Waters Riesling
Swedish Hill 2007 Dry Riesling

The complete results are available here

- Fulkerson Winery has released a white wine companion to their Red Zeppelin. The new sweet Niagara based wine is called Airship White and it is a good summer sipper with tastes of fresh grapes and honeysuckle.

- McGregor Vineyard Winery will host a celebration of locally made cheeses and dairy products from Noon to 6 pm this Saturday and Sunday, July 12&13. The winery has recently released a large number of white wines from the 2007 season as well as a number of reds from the 2006 season. Guests can sample Gewürztraminers, Rieslings, Traminette, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Black Russian Red among many others. The winery is hosting four regional cheese makers- Sunset View Creamery, Finger Lakes Farmstead Cheese Company, Side Hill Acres Dairy Goat Farm, & Cowlick Farms.

- On July 24-27, The Cayuga Wine Trail is hosting its third annual celebration of greyhound adoption, The Grapehound Wine Tour. This unique wine tasting event promotes greyhound adoption in the region and brings together greyhounds and their owners with visitors who have never considered adopting a greyhound. Attendees will receive a commemorative greyhound wine glass and enjoy wine tasting and food pairings at each winery throughout the weekend.

- This Saturday July 12th is Vergennes Day at Arbor Hill Winery from Noon to 3pm. Arbor Hill celebrates their unique Vergennes wine along with paying tribute to its birthplace of Vergenne Vermont.

- New laws help NY wineries and breweries

- Western NY plans own Wine Fest

- Rooster Hill Winery does well at Riesling Championship

- Finger Lakes area to be featured in magazine

- Watkins Glen racetrack to run on wind power (I can just picture the little windmills on the roofs of the race cars :) :)

- Campers staying closer to home

- A Finger Lakes Ice Cream Trail?

- An Alabama writer sings the praises of the Finger Lakes

- 100 years since aviation first in the Finger Lakes

- Art Center features Finger Lakes landscapes

- Finger Lakes winery makes beer from grapes

- Emerson Klees' updated Finger Lakes Winery Guide released

- Chowhound posters give their tips on favorite Finger Lakes wineries

- Lenn Thompson reviews Billsboro Winery Pinot Noir

Finger Lakes Mid Year Wine Report 2008

2008-07-07T19:09:00.002-05:00

As we reach the midpoint of 2008, it's time for my Mid-Year Finger Lakes Wine report. I have visited 39 wineries so far this year (some of them multiple times) and tasted well over 300 Finger Lakes wines. As usual, I am behind on writing and posting my winery reports, but I will catch up. Some trends that I am noticing are:

- Gas prices may be affecting the Finger Lakes as visitor traffic seems down in some areas and I'm hearing anecdotal reports of less customers in some wineries, but that sales are still steady. The main tourism season for the Finger Lakes is the Fall Foliage/Grape Harvest/Christmas months of October, November, and December so we probably won't know the true effect of gas prices until then. Let's hope that fuel prices come down a bit by then.

- I don't know if it's an effect of lower visitor traffic in addition to a lot of wineries increasing wine production over the last few years, but it seems that new vintages are taking a bit longer to appear, as wineries must wait for current stock to sell. That's a good thing in a way as the wines get more time in the barrell and bottle, but for those of us who can't wait to taste the new releases, it's grueling.

- I'm seeing more Finger Lakes Pinot Gris (Grigio) than ever before being released as it seems as if just about every winery is releasing one. But, unfortunately, I have been sorely disappointed with most of them. I have tried at least 15 now and, in my humble opinion, only 2 of them (Lakewood and Silver Springs) had any real depth and complexity. I think that this could be a great grape for the Finger Lakes and the best of them have layers of apple and pear tones with solid acidity, but the rest are pretty much one dimensional. Maybe it's me but I want a little more from my Pinot Grigio than just muted flavors with token acidity. But it's a new grape here for a lot of the wineries and I have faith that they will get better.

- Another grape that is appearing more and more, Sauvignon Blanc, is making a big splash in the Finger Lakes. And in contrast to Pinot Gris, I feel that it is showing much greater depth and balance. Perhaps the recent warm years have had a favorable effect on Finger Lakes Sauv Blanc, but I'm liking many of the recent releases.

- The '07 Gewurztraminers have been slow to be released, but the ones that are out and ones that are not out that I have barrel tasted are spectacular - BIG Aromas & BIG Flavors! And proof of that is Penguin Bay's '07 Gewurz winning 2 Best of Shows (that's best wine overall!!!) at 2 recent well-respected International competitions. And, surely not to put the Penguin Bay down because it IS a fantastic wine, BUT there are several that I feel are even better that are coming out soon. In the same vein, the '07 Traminette's are also showing big aromas and flavors.

- As far as Finger Lakes Reds, winemakers are salivating over the '07 reds in the barrel right now. I have barrel tasted some and I agree that these wines have more depth, complexity, and ageworthiness than perhaps even the '05's. I can't wait until next year when they are released.

- Perhaps the most surprising thing that is taking place this year is the amazing amount of Finger Lakes white blends (a lot of them on the sweeter side) that are winning Double Golds and Golds in international competitions. I have been trying to tell people for years now that Finger Lakes winemakers craft extremely balanced and complex off-dry blends and now the wine judging community is finally agreeing. I think that Finger Lakes winemakers are Masters when it comes to blending and I feel that a lot of the reason for that is because the "second string" (first string being your Rieslings, Chardonnay, etc.) grapes that are grown here (Cayuga White, Diamond, Vidal Blanc, etc.) provide distinctive and complex yet integrated flavors when blended.

- One last trend that I am noticing is perhaps a slowing of the new winery boom with only a few new wineries opening this year that I am aware of, the most notable because of its name, being Pompous Ass Winery just north of Watkins Glen. Several new microbreweries are in the works and a Distillery is opening soon on the east side of Seneca Lake.

- Overall it's been a great season so far. I've been surprised, shocked, disappointed, and amazed. I will continue my journey to get through the other 60-some wineries by the end of the year. Even if I don't make it, I'll sure have fun trying. Be sure to come back and visit and as always, I invite your comments. Thank You for reading my ramblings!!!

Happy 4th of July - Drink American Wine!!!

2008-07-03T13:04:00.002-05:00

Happy 4th Everyone! Remember to Celebrate with your Favorite wine made in the United States. United States wineries are putting out some great wines these days, so Drink American and visit your local wineries!!!
I'll see you on the Finger Lakes Wine Trails this weekend. FLWW

Finger Lakes Winery Report - Red Newt Wine Cellars

2008-06-30T20:21:00.004-05:00

Red Newt Cellars (east side of Seneca Lake) is the home of two of the most prominent Finger Lakes wine and food people, Dave & Deb Whiting. Both are passionate about food and wine and their winery and restaurant (Red Newt Bistro) are always both at the top of "Best Of" lists. Dave graciously took some time out of his busy schedule to share some barrel tastings of upcoming releases and I also tasted the current releases. Here are the highlights of my tasting notes:

> 2006 Gewurztraminer, $18.50, Very Aromatic floral perfume on the nose, a lighter style Gewurz but still very flavorful with light lychee tones and complex spice and herbal highlights. Dave shared a barrel tasting of the '07 Gewurz and it is a BIG Gewurz, big on aromatics and big on flavor with lots of ginger and smooth spice. I have tasted a few '07 Gewurz's and they have been very good, it looks like '07 was a good year for Finger Lakes Gewurz.

> 2007 Semi-Dry Riesling, $13.50, 3% RS, Wow! This is a great Semi-dry Riesling, layers of apricot, orange, tangerine, and juicy ripe peach. At $13.50, it won't last long so get it while you can.
> 2006 Tierce Dry Riesling, $30, The newest Tierce, which is a collaboration of Dave Whiting (Red Newt), Peter Bell (Fox Run), and Johannes Reinhardt (Anthony Road), 3 of the regions premier winemakers has just been released. Each winemaker contributes one third of the wine and their goal is to produce a unique expression of terroir combining the 3 Finger Lakes regions where they are located. In my opinion, some years it has worked out well and some years it has not. This year's is my favorite of the 3 that have been released. This wine conveys citrus and a little flint on the nose with plentiful lime and grapefruit on the attack and mouthwatering lime and mineral on the finish. But I do have a problem with the $30 price point. This is a good wine that will develop even further, but I can't bring myself to part with $30 for it.

From the '07 vintage, the Tierce Brothers will not be doing a Riesling but they plan on collaborating on a Red Tierce to take advantage of the wonderful '07 reds. It will be a blend of Cab Franc, Lemberger, and Syrah. Sounds very interesting.

> 2005 Viridescens, $45.50, blend of Cab Sauv/Cab Franc/Merlot/Syrah, wonderful cherry and blackberry fruit with ripe medium tannins make this an ageworthy wine. This wine is worth every penny of the $45.50 and is actually a terrific value. The '07 Viridescens is scheduled to be released soon and will be a Meritage-style blend. A barrel tasting revealed smoky blackberry and loganberry in this young wine.

> 2005 Cabernet Franc, $19.50, from the excellent '05 vintage, deep cherry and coffee flavors mingle with perfect balance between all elements in this multi-award winning wine.

> Red Newt offers some value sippers whose elegance belies their value price points. Salamander White (Pinot Gris/Vidal Blanc/Cayuga White/Chardonnay/$12.49) offers citrus, lemongrass, and crisp apple. Red Newt White (Cayuga White/Vidal Blanc/$9.99) offers up refreshing fruit with nice acidity. Blue Newt White (Niagara Blend/$8.99) offers crisp fruitiness without being too grapey.

> 2006 Red Eft, $14.99, Cab Franc/Cab Sauv/Merlot/Pinot Noir/Syrah- everything but the kitchen sink but it works nicely, Fruit-forward cherry and blackberry make this wine taste sweeter than its .8% RS.

Additional Notes: Grower Jim Hazlitt at Sawmill Creek Vineyards has again provided amazing fruit to Red Newt in the new '07 Syrah. The combination of the skilled vineyard operations of Jim Hazlitt with the winemaking skills of Dave Whiting make them "The Masters of Syrah" in the Finger Lakes, in my opinion. Most people would call them crazy to even try Syrah in The Finger Lakes. But try they do, and they actually succeed. A barrel tasting of the '07 Syrah showed lots of plum with white pepper highlights. This should be excellent.
Red Newt will also be using the Syrah in a unique sweet blend (5% RS) with the new Cornell grape, Noiret. It will be amusingly called Soiree. Also, Red Newt's new Port (Cab Franc/Cab Sauv/Syrah) will be released in July and Dave is planning a unique '07 Cab Franc strategy. He will be crafting 3 separate single vineyard '07 Cab Franc bottlings from 3 separate growers to express the unique terroirs associated with each vineyard. I can't wait to taste them.

Finger Lakes Winery Report - Silver Springs Winery

2008-06-26T19:34:00.005-05:00

A winetasting at Silver Springs Winery (east side of Seneca Lake) is like attending a Wine Appreciation Course, with your professor being owner John Zuccarino. John doesn't want you to just taste wine, he wants you to be an educated wine taster. He is passionate about wine education, as proven by his weekly educational videos - click here to watch. I guarantee that you will come out of Silver Springs more knowledgable about wine than you came in. John and his wife Sari are hands-on owners and it is refreshing to be able to talk directly with the owners when you come in for a tasting. Silver Spring's red wines are some of the best in The Finger Lakes and you can taste their passion for crafting fine wines.

Here are the highlights of my tasting notes:
> 2002 Cabernet Franc (with 10% Cab Sauv), $19.95, 18 months in French oak, coffee and rounded oak overtones, exquisitely balanced and smooth, it is wonderful to taste aged Finger Lakes reds, a few years in the bottle really brings out the best in Finger Lakes reds. Too many times I think that Finger Lakes wineries bring out their reds too early (although I do understand that a lot of times they need to have new product out so they are forced into releasing their reds perhaps before they should).
> 2003 Cabernet Franc, $21.95, Nuanced coffee overtones with abundant cherry and hints of anise, medium tannins that drink well now but will also age well, an excellent example of an ageworthy Finger Lakes Cab Franc.
> 2003 Merlot, $21.95, 18 months in oak, flavors of mocha, plum, cherry, and blackberry with tannins softening nicely.
> 2003 Bold Merlot, 2 1/4 years in French oak!, full-bodied with deep coffee undertones with hints of cocoa and licorice, medium tannins, John says its got 15 years until it peaks but I like it just fine right now.
Lest you think that Silver Springs just does good reds, they've got some fine whites also.
> 2004 Cayuga White, 3% RS, $11.99, This '04 is still putting out great flavor with perfectly balanced pineapple/grapefruit and ripe peach. A 5% RS '04 Cayuga White is also available for those who prefer a touch more sweetness.
> 2007 Vintners Select Pinot Grigio, $18.95, 1% RS, I have been lamenting the lack of complex multidimensional Pinot Grigio in The Finger Lakes but Silver Springs gives me hope with this full-flavored and complex Grigio, loads of apple and pear with brisk acidity. John attributes late harvesting as a major factor in enhancing the flavor profile of his Grigio.
> 2004 Gewurztraminer Ice Wine, $42, 15% RS, What a Special Treat this is!, layers of apricot, tangerine, raisins, and honey! This is a world-class Ice Wine and is a bargain at $42. Too bad the vines that made this are no longer with us. I drink a toast to those vines. Get a taste of this while it lasts!

New York State Fair Wine Competition Results

2008-06-26T19:29:00.002-05:00

NYSFAIR COMMERCIAL WINE COMPETITION RESULTS-2008
Winery, Year, Label Designation, Medal
Americana Vineyards & Winery, Inc. 2007 Riesling Double Gold
Anthony Road Wine Company 2007 Dry Riesling Double Gold
Dr. Konstantin Frank 2007 Riesling, Dry Double Gold
Dr. Konstantin Frank 2006 Rkatsiteli Double Gold
Goose Watch Winery 2007 Viognier Double Gold
Goose Watch Winery NV Snow Goose Double Gold
Heron Hill Winery 2006 Semi- Sweet Riesling Double Gold
Heron Hill Winery 2006 Late Harvest Vidal Blanc Double Gold
Hosmer Winery 2007 Vintners Reserve Riesling Double Gold
Hunt Country Vineyards 2006 Vidal Blanc Ice Wine Estate Bottled Double Gold
Jason's Vineyard 2000 Meritage, Estate Grown Double Gold
Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars 2005 Merlot Double Gold
Long Point Winery 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Long Point Winery Double Gold
Mazza Chautauqua Cellars 2006 Ice Wine of Vidal Blanc Double Gold
Penguin Bay Winery NV Percussion Double Gold
Pindar Vineyards 2007 Johannisburg Riesling Double Gold
Sheldrake Point Vineyard 2007 Riesling Ice Double Gold
Swedish Hill Winery 2006 Maréchal Foch Double Gold
Torry Ridge Winery NV Scarlet Red Double Gold
Americana Vineyards & Winery, Inc. 2007 Americana White Gold
Anyela's Vineyards 2006 Riesling Gold
Arbor Hill Winery NV Rhine Street Red Gold
Buttonwood Grove Winery 2007 Blackberry Briar Gold
Dr. Konstantin Frank 2006 Gewürztraminer Gold
Heron Hill Winery 2005 Eclipse White Gold
Hickory Hollow Wine Cellars NV Liquid Wisdom Gold
Hosmer Winery 2007 Riesling Gold
Hosmer Winery 2006 Cabernet Franc Gold
Hudson-Chatham Winery NV Paperbirch Raspberry Fine Ruby Gold
Imagine Moore 2006 LOVE Gold
Keuka Spring Vineyards NV Crooked Lake White Gold
Keuka Spring Vineyards 2007 Seyval Blanc Gold
Knapp Winery NV Curiosity Gold
Long Point Winery 2007 Riesling Semi Dry Long Point Winery Gold
Lucas Vineyards 2007 Blues Gold
Magpie Farms NV Red Raspberry Mead Gold
Palmer Vineyards 2007 North Fork of Long Island Sauvignon Blanc Gold
Pindar Vineyards 2006 Chardonnay Late Harvest Gold
Sheldrake Point Vineyard 2007 Gewürztraminer Gold
Swedish Hill Winery 2007 Riesling Gold
Swedish Hill Winery NV Country Concord Gold
Swedish Hill Winery NV Svenska Red Gold
Swedish Hill Winery NV Blanc de Blanc Gold
Torry Ridge Winery NV Diamond Gold
Wagner Vineyards 2006 Vidal Blanc Ice Gold

2008-06-23T11:21:00.003-05:00

-It's official- The newest winery on Seneca Lake will be opening soon and yes, the name is Pompous Ass winery! More to come on this new winery.

- The following Finger Lakes wineries won Gold at the Big E Wine Competition earlier this month:

Double Gold Medal Winners:
Dr. Konstantin Frank 2007 Dry Riesling (see my recent review of this excellent wine)

Torrey Ridge Winery NV Summer Delight

Gold Medal Winners:

Glenora Wine Cellars 2007 Semi-Dry Riesling

Lucas Vineyards 2007 Vignoles

Torrey Ridge Winery NV Concord

Hunt Country Vrds 2006 Vidal Blanc Ice Wine

Hunt Country Vrds 2007 Late Harvest Vignoles

See the complete results here.

- More Finger Lakes Gold Medal Winners at the Los Angeles International Wine Competition:

Best White Wine of Show:
Goose Watch Winery, 2007 Traminette, $12.00. Goose Watch and its sister wineries, Swedish Hill & Penguin Bay, continue to claim gold medal after gold medal at this years wine competitions with the Goose Watch 2007 Traminette winning Best White Wine out of over 900 International entries at LA International Wine Competition. Very Impressive!!!

Best of Class:
Heron Hill Winery Riesling, Select Late Harvest, 2006, $74.99
Penguin Bay Winery 2007 Gewurztraminer, $17.00
Swedish Hill Winery, Svenska Red, $7.49
Swedish Hill Winery, Svenska White, $7.49
Swedish Hill Winery, 2007 Cayuga White, $8.99

Gold:
Dr. Konstantin Frank, 2007 Dry Riesling
Heron Hill Winery Vidal, Late Harvest 2006

Penguin Bay, Maroon Four

Swedish Hill, 2005 Cabernet Franc

Swedish Hill, 2007 Marechal Foch

Swedish Hill, 2007 Vidal Blanc

Swedish Hill, Doobie Blues

Chateau Frank Blanc de Blanc,

Chateau Frank, Blanc de Noir

Knapp Winery, Sovereign Opal

See the complete results here.

- 2 new books showcase the Finger Lakes area

- Proposed Finger Lakes Museum gains more support

- Check out this amazing photo of a Finger Lakes sunrise. I really have to get out and see the Ontario County Arts Council's current exhibit.

- Finger Lakes wineries dodged the recent hail damage, but upstate Apple crop not as fortunate.

Big Wine Sale at Fulkerson Winery

2008-06-18T17:02:00.003-05:00

Attention all you Bargain Wine Shoppers out there, Fulkerson Winery is having a "Summer Splash" Wine Sale with some great bargains on some great wine. I know I'll be stopping by to load up the van. See below for details:

Dundee, NY – June 17, 2008 – Summer is just around the corner and the staff at Fulkerson Winery would like you to be aware of our
“Big Summer Splash Wine Specials” that are on sale at the winery for the months of June and July.

Buy one bottle at regular price, get the second bottle (same variety) 40% off on the following premium Fulkerson Wines: *

June:
Centennial $13.99 - per bottle @ reg. price
2005 Delaware $ 6.99
2006 Diamond $ 6.99
2006 Chardonnay $10.99
2006 Gewurztraminer $15.99
2006 Dornfelder $15.99
2006 Lemberger $15.99

July:
2006 Traminette $11.99- per bottle @ reg. price
2005 Delaware $ 6.99
Sunset Blush $ 6.49
Sunset Blush $ 6.49
Centennial $13.99
2006 Dornfelder $15.99
2006 Cabernet Franc $13.99

Riesling 4-Pack:
Available exclusively at Fulkerson Winery, our exciting and refreshing “Summer Riesling 4 Pack”,
with discounts of 20% off 2 bottles of 2006 Dry Riesling & 2 bottles of 2006 Semi-Dry Riesling in a pre-packaged 4-pack.

Winery Visit Report - Dr. Frank Wine Cellars, June 2008

2008-06-17T18:50:00.005-05:00

This time around, I tasted the white wines at Dr. Frank in their stylish new tasting room overlooking Keuka Lake on a hot but beautiful day. Here are my tasting notes:
> 2007 Dry Riesling, $17.99, The Doctor has done it again. Dr. Frank’s 2007 Dry Riesling is out and it is superb, but haven't we come to expect nothing less than superb from Dr. Frank Riesling. This wine opens up with amazing aromatics, which is a trademark of Dr. Frank Riesling. Beautifully fragrant floral highlights mixed with citrus blossoms lets you know that you are about to partake of something special. On the palate, it is complex with layers of peach, pear, and that distinctive unmistakable Dr. Frank lime and mineral on the mouthwatering finish. Is it the terroir? Is it those wonderful old vines? Is it the great winemaking team? All I know is that everything seems to come together year after year to craft one of the finest Rieslings in the world, in my opinion.
> 2006 Pinot Gris, $19.99, I think most everyone in the Finger Lakes has put out a Pinot Gris (Grigio) this year and, unfortunately, most have disappointed. Dr. Franks version has some nice pear but that distinctive lime and acidity that makes the Riesling so wonderful sort of overpowers in the Pinot Gris.
> 2005 Chardonnay, $14.99, Nice hints of pear and that distinctive acidity give it a nice backbone, but it fades a bit on the finish.
> 2006 Rkatsiteli, $19.99, The Russian grape that was the talk of the region last year, Clean citrus with unique herbal hints, but with age, it is now giving out some grapefruit on the finish, still a unique treat.
> 2006 Gewurztraminer, $19.99, lots of clean lychee and lime,Big Flavors here, a wonderful Gewurz.
> 2006 Semi-Dry Riesling, $15.99, this is a wonderful wine that I reviewed last year, but after tasting the ’07 Dry Riesling, it just didn’t stand a chance. No disrespect to the ’06 intended, but I can’t wait to taste the ’07 Semi-Dry. Unfortunately, that probably won’t be available for a while until the ’06 supply is sold. Maybe Fred will let me sneak a taste next time I’m there (hint, hint). > And last but certainly not least, the Celebre’ (Riesling Champagne ), $19.99, from the 2002 Riesling vintage, beautiful acidity with a touch of honeysuckle sweetness. This is my pick for any special occasion.

Finger Lakes Wineries Do Well at the Decanter Wine Awards

2008-06-05T19:16:00.003-05:00

The Following Finger Lakes wines placed well at the prestigious Decanter Wine Awards:

Silver
Casa Larga Vineyards Fiori Vidal Ice Wine Limited Edition 2005New York State, United States
(White - Sweet)
US price: $38.00

Commended
Chateau Frank Blanc de Blancs 2000New York State, United States
(White - Sparkling)
US price: $29.99

Commended
Chateau Lafayette Reneau Dry Riesling 2006New York State, United States
(White - Still)
US price: $14.99 USAS USWSLG

Silver
Glenora Wine Cellars Dry Riesling 2006New York State, United States
(White - Still)
US price: $15.99 Empire Merchants North (845 33

Commended
Glenora Wine Cellars Dry Riesling Vintner's Select 2006New York State, United States
(White - Still)
US price: $23.99

Bronze
Glenora Wine Cellars Riesling 2007New York State, United States
(White - Still)
US price: $15.99

Commended
Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards Gewurztraminer 2006New York State, United States
(White - Still)
US price: $10.79 USSWSA USTOT

Bronze
Heron Hill Winery Ingle Vineyard Riesling 2005New York State, United States
(White - Still)
US price: $17.99 USNLW

Commended
Red Tail Ridge Winery Semi-Dry Riesling 2006New York State, United States
(White - Still)
US price: $22.00

Silver
Sheldrake Point Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2005New York State, United States
(Red - Still)
US price: $16.99

Bronze
Sheldrake Point Vineyard Riesling 2006New York State, United States
(White - Still)
US price: $14.99

Bronze
Sheldrake Point Vineyard Riesling Ice Wine 2007New York State, United States
(White - Sweet)
US price: $74.99

See the complete results here.

Finger Lakes News & Notes

2008-06-03T18:11:00.004-05:00

-The Critics Challenge Wine Awards have been announced and the following Finger Lakes wineries won awards:

Chateau Frank
Critics Platinum 2000 Blanc de Blanc Finger Lakes $29.99

Chateau Lafayette Reneau
Critics Silver, 2005 Chardonnay, Barrel Fermented, $14.99
Critics Silver 2006 Dry Riesling Finger Lakes $14.99

Glenora Wine Cellars
Critics Silver 2001 Brut, Méthode Champenoise, $24.99
Critics Silver 2007 Pinot Blanc Finger Lakes $19.99
Critics Silver 2006 Dry Riesling, Vintner's Select Finger Lakes $23.99
Critics Silver 2007 Riesling Finger Lakes $17.99

Hazlitt 1852 Vineyard
Critics Silver 2005 Cabernet Franc Finger Lakes $17.99
Critics Silver 2006 Chardonnay Finger Lakes $9.99
Critics Silver 2007 Riesling, Homestead Reserve Finger Lakes $17.99
Critics Silver 2007 Sauvignon Blanc Finger Lakes $12.99

Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard
Critics Silver 2006 Gewürztraminer Dry Finger Lakes $20.00

Knapp Vineyards & Winery
Critics Gold 2006 Dry Riesling Cayuga Lake $18.95

Lakewood Vineyards
Critics Silver 2006 Gewürztraminer Finger Lakes $16.99
Critics Gold 2007 Dry Riesling Finger Lakes $12.99
Critics Silver 2006 Riesling Finger Lakes $12.99

Lucas Vineyards
Critics Silver 2007 Vignoles Finger Lakes $10.99
Critics Platinum 2007 Dry Riesling Finger Lakes $12.99

- Ventosa Vineyards received a Vinum Cum Laude prize for its 2007 Pinot Gris at the 18th annual Wine Literary Award ceremony in San Francisco. A group of 90 wine journalists tasted about 1,000 wines from around the world, with only 20 (2%) receiving the Vinum Cum Laude accolades.

- Lakewood Vineyards reports that their new 2007 (already award-winning) Riesling will be available at their tasting room in a few months. Also, for you fellow Lakewood Port fans out there, Liz tells me that a delay in receiving bottles has delayed the new Port's release, but it should be out by August. I've got one bottle left in my cellar and I don't know if it's going to last that long!

- Fox Run Vineyards has received national attention concerning four of its wines. The June 2008 issue of Wine & Spirits magazine has chosen Fox Run’s 2006 Reserve Riesling ($30) as one of its Critics’ Picks and rated the Riesling at 93 points – the highest ever in the Finger Lakes! Fox Run’s 2006 Riesling (sold out) was chosen as a "100 Top Values" and the magazine gave this wine 91 points! The magazine has also given Fox Run’s 2006 Dry Riesling ($15) 91 points and described it as follows, "The flavors come in layers – white peach, passion fruit, nectarine – and that fruit is supported by a slatey minerality that give the wine a fine, gripping texture." Fox Run’s 2006 Gewurztraminer ($20) was rated with 91 points as well, "…peach flavors balanced against a mineral edge."

- If you've seen a new tasting-room like building being erected just north of Watkins Glen on the west side of Seneca Lake, word on the street has it that another new winery is being built. The rumored new name of the winery is quite bold and just might stir up some controversy. Stay Tuned.

Golden Nose- Part 2

2008-06-02T17:59:00.003-05:00

What a fun weekend it was at The Golden Nose event with the largest number of participants yet! Starting with the Friday night reception at the phenomenal Rockwell Museum of Western Art where we got to see the premiere of the new Ansel Adams exhibit and mingle with the other judges, to the Training and Judging sessions on Saturday, it is always a fun and educational experience.

Some of the highlights for me were a surprise special seminar for the returning alum of Golden Nose (4 of us) with Dave Whiting of Red Newt Wine Cellars and Peter Bell of Fox Run Vineyards, where we did a blind tasting of Rieslings from 6 different regions in the world. I guessed them all wrong, but I got to pick 2 of my favorite winemakers brains for a while.

Of course, the judging is always a treat and I had a real treat with another favorite Finger Lakes winemaker, Derek Wilber of White Springs Winery, as the group leader of my judging group. Derek's wealth of experience was a joy to listen to and learn from. To me, it's just a lot of fun to compare tasting notes with others who are passionate about wine. In my group of 6 judges, there were 2 that had vineyards, 2 of us were amateur winemakers, 1 worked at a winery, and 1 was a reporter for a Toronto newspaper. I don't know whether we were super picky or not, but our group did not give out one single Gold medal. But then again, we did not have any Riesling or Cab Franc flights to judge.

Then of course, there was the Awards Dinner with fabulous food and all the wine you could ever hope to taste. I also got to perform a couple of songs, but the star of the show was Paul, our host from the Seneca Lake Wine Trail, dancing to Devo's "Whip It", as performed by Virgil Cain, our entertainer for the night who is a sensational multi-instrumentalist and singer. I sure hope somebody got some video of Paul cracking the whip.

This was my third year at The Golden Nose and it just keeps getting bigger and better. I can't wait until next year!

The 1st picture is John from Fulkerson Winery and Glenda from the Seneca Lake Wine Trail welcoming the judges on Saturday morning.

This is my judging group led by Derek Wilber of White Springs Winery.

Golden Nose Results

2008-06-01T19:23:00.003-05:00

- My 3rd Golden Nose Wine Judging Event is now history and I can honestly say that it is still my favorite wine event to attend. Once again, Paul & Glenda of the Seneca Lake Wine Trail as well as many volunteers from the member wineries put on a great event. I will do a seperate post reviewing the entire event, but for now, here are the top award winners:

Best of Class:

Sheldrake Point, Summer White
Lakewood, Riesling
Goose Watch, Viognier
Goose Watch, Cabernet Sauvignon
Hickory Hollow, Liquid Wisdom
Seneca Shore, Sherry
Red Newt, Cabernet Franc

Double Gold:

Glenora, Alpine White
Lakewood, Dry Riesling
Torrey Ridge, Niagara
Earle Estates Meadery, Peach Perfection
Billsboro, Cabernet Franc
Hosmer, Riesling

Finger Lakes News & Notes

2008-05-23T11:32:00.004-05:00

- A couple of Finger Lakes Weekend Wino announcements:

Yours truly is featured in the Spring issue of Canandaigua magazine in the Wavelength section. Thank You to Nancy O'Donnell for writing a nice article about me and Thank You to Lisa Hughes for the nice photo that was taken for the article.

The Finger Lakes Weekend Wino Acoustic Duo featuring myself and Mr. Tom start our whirlwind Spring and Summer tour next weekend with upcoming gigs on:

May 31 - Golden Nose Event.

June 7 & 8- Dr. Frank Wine Cellars

June 28 & 29- Dr. Frank Wine Cellars

July 12- Torrey Ridge Winery

July 19- Finger Lakes Wine Festival

August 2- Torrey Ridge Winery

August 16- Artizanns

More dates to be anounced. If you are in the area when we are playing, be sure to come on out and party with the Weekend Winos.

- Don't forget the Golden Nose Event is only 1 week away. They tell me that there are still some Dinner Tickets available for the Dinner & Awards Presentation on next Saturday, May 31 at 7pm. If you can't make it to the Judging part of the event during the day, the dinner and awards on Saturday night is a great event to attend. It is held at the beautiful Corning Museum of Glass and the food is amazing. Some of the items on the menu are - Grilled beef tenderloin with red demi glace, roasted roma tomatoes and crisp pancetta; Seared duck breast with red currant glaze; French green lentil soup with feta cheese and mint; Pan seared sea bass with lemon butter on a bed of wild rice pilaf. And you get to taste whatever you like from several hundred Finger Lakes wines on hand. Plus, there is musical entertainment and you also get to mingle and talk with Finger Lakes winery owners and winemakers. This is a great event! For ticket information, click here.

- I was guiding a wine tasting tour last weekend around Seneca Lake and we stopped in at Glenora Wine Cellars and Chef Lerman, Executive Chef at The Village Tavern Restaurant & Inn, was there with his amazing sauces. These sauces feature unique and intense flavor combinations. The sauces are Black Strap Yankee Bar-B-Q with Chipotle Peppers, Strawberry Dijon, Horseradish French, Cuke-A-Dilly, & my personal favorite Pumpkin Grape, which sounds like it won't work together but believe me it does. To find out more about Chef Lerman Sauces, click here.

- Speaking of Glenora Wine Cellars, they are offering 25% off of all their Rieslings through the end of May to celebrate Riesling Month. Also, today they are releasing their new 2007 Barrel Fermented Pinot Blanc, 2007 Chardonnay, 2007 Dry Riesling, & 2007 Riesling. And if you are a Jazz Enthusiast, Glenora is bringing some jazz giants to The Finger Lakes with Spyro Gyra performing on Sunday, July 27th and Jazz Guitarist Ken Navarro appears on Sunday, August 17th and ticket prices are a bargain at $25!

- More Gold for Finger Lakes wineries was awarded at the Tasters Guild Wine Judging this month with 7 Double Golds and a whopping 28 Gold medals earned by Finger Lakes wineries. The following are the Double Golds:
Heron Hill Winery 2006 Vidal Blanc L.H.
Lakewood Vineyards 2006 Cabernet Franc
Lamoreaux Landing 2006 Chardonnay Resv.
Six Mile Creek Vyd. 2006 Riesling
Torrey Ridge Winery 2006 Traminette (Torrey Ridge just keeps winning the top medals at these competitions. I keep telling you they are one of the most underrated wineries in the Finger Lakes).
Torrey Ridge Winery Blue Sapphire
Wagner Vineyards 2006 Vidal Blanc
For all of the results by state, click here.

- Jason Feulner reports on the Rendezvous With Riesling event

- Adirondack Scenic Railroad features Finger Lakes wine

- Another new winery , Young Sommer Winery in Wayne County, opens up in The Finger Lakes region

- http://www.fingerlakeswinecountry.blogspot.com/ reports that Patrick Dempsey, also known as Dr. McDreamy on the Grey's Anatomy television show will race at Watkins Glen Race Track on
June 7th in the Grand Am event.

- A nice 40th birthday celebration in the Finger Lakes

- The Finger Lakes Love Photographer captures love in beautiful Sonnenberg Gardens

- Sometimes I like to check out what Finger Lakes photographs have been posted on flickr

- Is there gold in Finger Lakes' streams?

- Peggy Haine's new blog reviews Finger Lakes' eateries

Finger Lakes Riesling Summit

2008-05-21T17:23:00.004-05:00

I attended this year's Riesling Summit at the Astor Center in New York City several weeks ago and it was a great learning experience. This event is aimed at promoting Finger Lakes Riesling to the New York City market by inviting wine writers (somehow I got invited) to attend educational seminars and tastings. Finger Lakes wine has been slow to penetrate this lucrative and influential market and advocate groups such as Finger Lakes Wine Alliance and New York Wine and Grape Foundation are working hard to expand the marketing of New York wine.
The Riesling Summit event began with an informative presentation by Josh Green, editor and publisher of Wine and Spirits magazine followed by a lake by lake tasting of Finger Lakes Riesling. Josh outlined many of the factors that affect the growth and taste of Riesling in the Finger Lakes including soils, air currents, lake effects, yeast used, and root stocks utilized.
The lake by lake tasting proved very interesting to me not because of any conclusive qualities that could be attributed to each lake, but by the lack of similarities between wineries of the same lake. I believe that it was difficult to find similarites, in some part, due to the diversity of "styles" presented, including differing residual sugar and alcohol levels. On an anecdotal level, based on my own tastings over the years, I have found that the Rieslings from each lake and even from each side of each lake have a somewhat distinctive minerality. Cayuga Lake Rieslings generally present a bolder "spicier" minerality, Seneca Lake Rieslings give a smoother lemon type mineral quality, and Keuka Lake Rieslings pour out more lime. But of course, generalities are just that. It does interest me and many others to see this issue of finding common characteristics from lake to lake explored, but perhaps it is an exploration that will yield little of real value. Each wine expresses itself differently and I for one do not want conformity for the sake of marketing.
Riesling's greatest charm and greatest curse seems to be the same thing. That being its dramatic ability to reflect the "terroir" (soil, climate, etc.) of where it is grown. I find this difference in Rieslings from region to region (even from winery to winery only a few miles apart) and from year to year one of the great pleasures of Riesling. But the casual wine drinker may find the constant variation of this varietal to be somewhat frustrating (especially in cold climate regions such as the Finger Lakes where climatic conditions can vary greatly from one vintage to the next). Add to that the many styles (dry to ice) that winemakers can craft Riesling and it is no wonder that consumers are confused, at the very least, by this enigmatic grape.
So maybe a comparison of Finger Lakes Rieslings is not practical or fruitful. I do applaud the NYWGF & FLWC's efforts to promote Riesling as the Finger Lake's Signature Grape which, of course, it is. However, perhaps a general promotion of Riesling may actually be counterproductive if we are insisting that ALL Finger Lakes Rieslings from ALL Finger Lakes wineries are equal in quality. Once again, the sheer number and diversity of Finger Lakes wineries presents a conundrum because, logically, not ALL Finger Lakes Rieslings are of equal quality. And the problem presents itself when visitors come to the Finger Lakes and visit the wineries for Riesling or other types of wine for that matter that may not match their palate. Maybe promoting the Quality Riesling Producers would be more productive for increasing the Finger Lakes quality image with consumers and media.
When you think about it, the plight of Riesling's diversity being its promise and its curse is the same plight that faces The Finger Lakes wine region in general. A diverse layout of over 100 wineries creates an amazing wine adventure for visitors, but it also creates an amazing dilemma as to which wineries to visit and it really is a crap shoot on whether you will randomly hit the wineries that match your particular palate. And if visitors do not get that perfect match, do they go back home with negative feelings about Finger Lakes wine, which may be hard to overcome.
But I have digressed. Back to the Riesling Summit. The FingerLakes Riesling production for '07 was approximately 100,000 cases and it was noted that some large producers in other wine regions make that much on their own. The famed "Banana Belt" effect of the east side of Seneca Lake was discussed. This effect of air currents coming from the northwest, being warmed on their way across the lake, and blanketing a particular area of the east side of Seneca Lake with temperatures up to 5 degrees warmer in winter and up to 2 degrees cooler in summer than the rest of the region creates a very evident and positive effect on the grapes grown there.
Then we tasted twelve 2006 Rieslings from Cayuga Lake, Seneca Lake, and Keuka Lake (but only Dr. Frank from Keuka). A lot of information was given for each wine including Residual Sugar, Titratable Acid, pH, Alcohol, VineAge(s), Root Stock, Elevation, Soil type and depth, subsoil type, vines per acre, yield per vine, harvest date, brix, yeast used, and fermentation temperature. It was very interesting to see the comparison of all of the data.
We tasted Treleaven 2006 Dry Riesling (Cayuga, .8% RS, nice aromatics, abundant effervescent lime and smooth mineral), Buttonwood Grove 2006 Dry Riesling (Cayuga, .5% RS, lighter lime and mineral),
Sheldrake Point 2006 Reserve (Cayuga, .6% RS, lots of bold citrus), Standing Stone 2006 Riesling (Seneca, 2.1% RS, very ripe peach and lime), Chateau Lafayette Reneau 2006 Johannisberg Riesling (Seneca, 2.5% RS, tropical tones and some petrol), Red Newt 2006 Reserve Riesling (Seneca, .5% RS, unique lime and peach with a little delicate pear), White Springs 2006 Red Label Riesling (Seneca, 4.5% RS, nice aromatics, peach, pear, light honey and lime, very complex), Hermann Wiemer 2006 Dry Riesling (Seneca, 1.1% RS, very aromatic, beautiful color, peach, pear, and lime with some nice mild petrol), Fox Run 2006 Reserve Riesling (Seneca, 2.6% RS, concentrated apricot and lime), Dr. Frank 2006 Dry Riesling (Keuka, .8% RS, extremely aromatic, mouthwatering lime and peach).

Although these are all top-notch Rieslings, there were two that stood out to me, the Standing Stone (2.1% RS) and the Dr. Frank (.8% RS). In my unscientific analysis of all the data listed, these two wines had 1 factor that seemed to seperate them from the rest. These two had the oldest vines with Standing Stone's vines being 35 years and Dr. Frank using vines as old as 49 years. The others averaged about 10 years old. Fred Frank, owner of Dr. Frank Wine Cellars noted that, at about 30 years of age, his Riesling vines started to produce less yield but also started to produce better more concentrated flavors. So I can't wait for the vines of the other wineries to reach their 30th birthdays!

It was very interesting to compare these wines with all of the data available for each wine. It sure shows the amount of science that is involved in winemaking. Me, I think I'll still just depend on my nose and my tastebuds. I didn't reach any earthshattering conclusions at the Riesling Summit, but I sure had a great time!

Finger Lakes Winery Report - Shaw Vineyard

2008-05-13T18:51:00.002-05:00

I had given high praise to the red wines at Shaw Vineyard when the new winery opened last summer. Little did I know that owner Steve Shaw and winemaker Morten Hallgren (who is also owner of Ravines Wine Cellars on Keuka Lake) were also working on a line of white wines. I visited Shaw Vineyards last weekend as they unveiled these new whites and they are very impressive. Don’t let the slightly disheveled look of the winery's finishing touches being completed keep you away because, when you get past the rough exterior, inside you will find truly inspired wines. In fact, you may pass right by without seeing it. But passing by would be a big mistake. If you are near Hermann Wiemer Winery, then you are close.

Steve is a vineyard man with decades of experience growing top-notch Finger Lakes grapes for some of the top Finger Lakes wineries. Steve is obsessed with growing great grapes. Morten is obsessed with crafting great wines. This is a match made in winemaking heaven. They both use some innovative techniques in the vineyard and in the cellar. Steve’s theory is that traditional vineyard techniques have their limitations in the Finger Lakes and he has developed his own techniques specifically for the unique growing challenges of the Finger Lakes. All I can say is that they must be working very well. These are wines with character, with finesse, and with grace! I highly recommend stopping in to taste. Here are my tasting notes:

> 2005 Semi-dry Riesling, 1.2% RS, Like I said, I thought Steve & Morten were concentrating mainly on reds when I visited last year and here he goes making an excellent Riesling, $16.99, soft lemon, lemon rind, and a mouthwatering mineral finish.
> 2005 Dry Riesling, .2% RS, $18.99, This is a Riesling some people will love and some people will not. I just don’t think there is a middle ground for this wine. The people that will love it are those that like those deep petro/kero German Rieslings. Steve says these grapes come from a part of the vineyard that is all clay soil and at the top side of the vineyard. Many people feel that petrol is the sign of quality aged Rieslings. But normally I do not taste it in Finger Lakes Rieslings. If you do not care for that taste, then you will not like this wine. This wine is not for the squeamish. But be brave, fellow winos, and you shall be rewarded, very soft with lots of petrol.
> 2006 Gewurztraminer, .8% RS, $18.99, lots of soft light citrus fruit on the front into Classic Gewurz spice on the finish.
> 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, .3% RS, $17.99, In my book this wine is the star of the Shaw white wine lineup, very aromatic, citrus and orange peel tones into layered mineral tones, layers and layers of flavor, very complex, Excellent! As an unnamed poet once said, Now I know what rainbows taste like.
> Rose', $9.99, 3.5% RS, a unique blend of Cabernet Franc & Cayuga, a nice value sipper.
> 2006 Cayuga, $10.99, 3% RS, layers of lemon, honey, and candied citrus, an excellent Cayuga.
> 2002 Pinot Noir, $23.99, abundant cherry with leather undertones, heavy tannins, this shows the potential of Finger Lakes Pinot Noir.
> 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, $19.99, layers of cherry and plum, heavy tannins, lay it down and await the inevitable pleasures.

I really can't say enough about this winery and the wines showing so well right out of the gate. Steve Shaw says that he will do everything necessary to put out nothing but the highest quality product. In my book, he has already succeeded in doing just that!

The Finger Lakes does "Sweet" at Riverside Wine Competition

2008-05-11T17:26:00.006-05:00

-Finger Lakes Wineries did very well last week among over 2600 wines from around the world judged at the 2008 Riverside International Wine Competition with White Springs Winery (Seneca Lake) winning a Prestigious Sweepstakes Award (Best of Show) for their 2006 Rose' ($9.99). This is a Semi-sweet Cabernet Franc at 3.5% Residual Sugar, which makes this win all the more surprising coming from professional wine judges whose palates usually swing more to the dry side. This is a fairly new release that I have not tasted yet (but will very soon!), but winemaker Derek Wilber always does an excellent job, with his Red Label Riesling being one of my favorite Finger Lakes Rieslings.
Also winning Double Gold (Chairman's Award) once again in an international competition and continuing to prove that sweeter wines can also be excellent wines is Weekend Wino favorite Torrey Ridge Winery (Seneca Lake) with their Sweet Catawba ($9.99) at 6% Residual Sugar. This wine is sweet but balanced with appropriate acidity and refreshing grape and strawberry tones. The once mighty but now maligned Catawba grape is back! Are the palates of Professional wine judges getting sweeter? Or are sweet wines becoming more balanced and complex?
And 2 more great Finger Lakes sweet wines (and grape types normally underappreciated by the "professionals"), Hunt Country's (Keuka Lake) 2007 Late Harvest Vignoles and Goose Watch (Cayuga Lake) Diamond ($9) also won Chairmans Award Double Golds. The thing is that all of these sweet wines are extremely well balanced with complex flavor profiles and well deserving of being judged among the best in the world. They also represent amazing values. I certainly love a great full-bodied complex dry red wine, but today's winemakers (especially in the Finger Lakes) are taking sweeter wines from lesser known and less respected grape varieties to another level. No, I'm not discounting Finger Lakes dry reds and whites (because many of them are or have the potential to become world class), but I'm tired of hearing from "wine professionals" that the Finger Lakes is not a world class wine destination just because they also make sweeter wines.
Montezuma Winery (Cayuga Lake), which does a great job on another type of wines maligned by the wine professionals- fruit wines other than grape-, won Gold for their Pear wine (and pear wine is a very difficult wine to make well). Another Weekend Wino favorite, Lakewood (Seneca Lake)2006 Chardonnay ($12.99) won Gold, with Golds also going to Rooster Hill's 2007 Silver Pencil (which I will taste very soon) as well as Chateau Lafayette Reneau's (Seneca Lake) 2005 Chardonnay ($14.99), Sheldrake Point's (Cayuga Lake) 2006 Dry Riesling ($23.99), Swedish Hill's (Cayuga Lake) Viking White ($7.99), 2006 Marechal Foch ($10.99), & Svenska Red ($7.49), Dr Frank's (Keuka Lake) 2006 Rkatsitelli ($19.99), & Red Tail Ridge (Seneca Lake) 2006 Semi-dry Riesling ($22). A very impressive showing indeed. Congratulations to all of these wineries!

Finger Lakes News & Notes

2008-05-06T17:53:00.005-05:00

- New "I Love NY" campaign includes all of NY including The Finger Lakes

- I'm looking forward to attending the Finger Lakes Riesling Summit in New York City this Thursday where the new wine column that I will be writing will be revealed. All of the heavy hitters of Finger Lakes Riesling will be there, along with some of the best wine writers. I'll give you a complete recap when I get back.

- Also on Thursday is another Riesling event that I wish I could also attend. The Rendezvous with Riesling event will take place at The New York Wine & Culinary Center.

- Click here for Finger Lakes events happening in May

- Lenn Thompson posts about Ravines Wine Cellars and Hunt Country Vineyards

- Bibliochef posts on a new Finger Lakes Food Magazine

- New York State Canal System opens for season

- The Finger Lakes gets lots of "invisible dollars"

- A little bit of Hollywood in the Finger Lakes

- The Growth versus Green dilemma in The Finger Lakes

- NY Daily News touts the treasures of The Finger Lakes

- Finger Lakes wineries practice Sustainable Farming techniques

- The Finger Lakes' Steuben County is profiled

The Finger Lakes Golden Nose Event is approaching fast

2008-04-30T20:20:00.004-05:00

My favorite Finger Lakes event, The Golden Nose Event, is fast approaching on May 31. If you've ever wondered what it's like to be a wine judge, then this event is for you. Paul & Glenda of the Seneca Lake Wine Trail, along with the member wineries of the trail, will wine you and dine you and educate you and treat you like wine judging royalty during this weekend event. Let me tell you why I think this event is so special and is a great experience for any wine enthusiast.
The event actually starts on Friday evening with a wine and food reception at the Beautiful Corning Museum of Western Art. There, you will meet your fellow wine judges and sample delicious gourmet foods, drink the finest Finger Lakes wines, and see some of the most beautiful Western Art as we have this amazing museum all to ourselves.
On Saturday morning at the dazzling Corning Museum of Glass, Wine experts will teach you in a hands-on interactive way what you need to know to judge some of the best wines in the Finger Lakes. Then in the afternoon, you will put what you have learned to the test by judging flight after flight of Finger Lakes wine, with each judging team of 4-5 judges led by a wine professional. You will swirl and sample and discuss each wine with your group and then you will decide whether each wine is award-worthy. It is truly a wine lovers dream! What could be better than discussing wine with other wine afficianados and having your opinion determine the awards! And you will be able to show off your official Wine Judge certificate! Plus you can browse the magnificent glass artistry at the Corning Museum of Glass.
Then on Saturday night at the Awards Celebration, you will be served a feast worthy of the esteemed wine judge that you have become. And you will be treated to over 200 of the wines that you have chosen to be the best, while mingling and chatting with the Finger Lakes finest wine makers and winery owners. Plus you will be entertained by Finger Lakes favorite Virgil Cain and there is even rumor that yours truly, The Finger Lakes Weekend Wino may also perform.
This event truly is a wine lovers dream. But get your tickets soon because they are limited. I hope to see you there and enjoy some wine with you, my wine judging colleagues.
For tickets and info, go to www.senecalakewine.com

Finger Lakes News Pours

2008-04-28T19:23:00.004-05:00

The following Finger Lakes wines won Gold last weekend at the Pacific Rim International Wine Competition:

Belhurst Winery 2006 Dry Riesling ,$18.95
Belhurst Winery, 2006 Cayuga, $14.95
Chateau Frank, NV Celebre,$19.99
Chateau Lafayette Reneau, 2006 Riesling, $14.99
Dr. Konstantin Frank, 2006 Rkatseteli, $19.99
Glenora Wine Cellars, 2001 Blanc de BlancBrut, $24.99
Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards, Riesling, Dry 2007 Homestead Reserve, $17.99
Hunt Country Vineyards, 2007 Riesling, $13.99
Hunt Country Vineyards, 2007 Late Harvest Vignoles, $19.99
Prejean Winery, 2006 Cabernet Franc, $15.99
Wagner Vineyards, 2006 Riesling, $12.99
See the complete results here.

In the current edition of Wine Spectator magazine, they list ratings for 44 Finger Lakes wines:
(a lot of these were previously listed on Wine Spectator's website, but some are new)

89 rating, Anthony Road, 2006 Semi-dry Riesling
89, Standing Stone 2006 Vidal Ice Wine
88, Anthony Road, 2006 Dry Riesling
88, Atwater 2006 Riesling
88, Atwater Dry Riesling
88, Chateau Lafayette Reneau 2006 Johannesberg Riesling
88, Fox Run 2006 Reserve Riesling
88, Red Newt 2006 Reserve Riesling
87, Damiani 2006 Riesling
87, Heron Hill 2005 Reserve Riesling
87, Hosmer 2006 Riesling
87, Red Newt 2006 Dry Riesling
87, Rooster Hill 2006 Semi-dry Riesling
87, Sheldrake Point 2006 Reserve Riesling
87, White Springs 2006 Red Label Riesling
86, Sheldrake Point 2007 Riesling Ice Wine
86, Belhurst 2006 Dry Riesling
86, Buttonwood Grove 2006 Dry Riesling
86, Hosmer 2006 Reserve Riesling
86, Rooster Hill 2006 Dry Riesling
86, Swedish Hill 2006 Riesling
85, Chateau Lafayette Reneau 2006 Dry Riesling
85, Deer Run 2006 Semi-dry Riesling
85, Hosmer 2006 Dry Riesling
85, King Ferry/Treleaven 2006 Dry Riesling
85, King Ferry/Treleaven 2006 Semi-dry Riesling
85, Ravines 2006 Dry Riesling
85, Silver Thread 2006 Dry Riesling
84, Standing Stone 2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
84, Standing Stone 2005 Reserve Chardonnay
84, Casa Larga Reserve Riesling NV
84, Fox Run 2006 Riesling
84, Fox Run 2006 Dry Riesling
84, Heron Hill 2005 Old Vines Riesling
84, Prejean 2006 Dry Riesling
84, Sheldrake Point 2006 Dry Riesling
84, Swedish Hill 2006 Dry Riesling
83, King Ferry 2006 Late Harvest Riesling
83, Standing Stone 2005 Pinnacle
83, Catherine Valley 2006 Riesling
83, Sheldrake Point 2006 Riesling
82, Hickory Hollow 2006 Semi-dry Riesling
81, Casa Larga 2006 Riesling
81, Prejean 2006 Riesling

Finger Lakes Winery Reports - April 2008

2008-04-26T13:19:00.007-05:00

We've had amazing weather in the Finger Lakes with temperatures in the 70's and even some 80's, and it's good to be back out on the wine trails. Here are my latest reports:

Glenora Wine Cellars- Glenora has a Premium Selections tasting list that is well worth trying, although, of course, they also come with premium prices. My tasting note highlights are:

> 2006 Signature, $23.99, blend of Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, and Riesling, layers of apple & pear, with undertones of toasty oak into a finish longer than the Democratic primaries, exquisitely balanced with excellent structure. I really like this wine!

> 2006 Vintner’s Select Dry Riesling, $23.99, .98 RS, Glenora does not call it a Late Harvest wine, but the grapes were left on the vines a few weeks longer than the rest and harvested in late October, excellent framework of apple and citrus into a long finish.

> 2006 Gewurztraminer, $16.99, a lighter style of Gewurz, aromatic with light spice.

> 2005 Syrah, $18.99, California fruit, very soft with cherry, pepper, and light clove, Nice.

- Knapp Winery- > 2006 Barrel Reserve Chardonnay, $13.95, .02 RS, aged in French oak, lots of spicy oak balanced with hints of butter and citrus, deep and spicy.

> 2005 Seyval Blanc, $9.95, 1.1% RS, revisiting this hidden little gem, light lemon and sweet oak spice with a finish of the most incredible vivid vanilla, this wine has developed into an amazing steal at $9.95!

> Cayuga White, $9.95, 3% RS, candied orange rind and light lime.

> Vignoles, $10.95, 5% RS, bold pineapple and tropical citrus with balanced sweetness.
> Valvin Muscat, $9.95, 4.75% RS, this is one of the newest grapes developed by Cornell, I got unique floral and strong herbal aromas and flavors that were a little “strange“ to me, I’m going to have to try more of this grape to form an educated opinion.

- Heron Hill Winery (Seneca Lake site), > 2006 Chardonnay, $12.99, .44% RS, soft light apple with light citrus and a firm structure, excellent value.

> 2006 Late Harvest Vidal Blanc, $17.99, 12.5% RS, Heron Hill knows how to make great dessert wines, I get lots of honeyed nectarine from this one, Yum.

- Ventosa Vineyards, > 2007 Tocai Friulano, click here for more info about this grape, $15.95, .9% RS, Ventosa is the only Finger Lakes winery to grow it with 3 acres planted, citrus blossoms and peach on the nose, lots of peach and a touch of melon, but very hot at 13.8% alcohol.

> 2007 Pinot Gris, $15.95, .5% RS, crisp with nice acidity, but still a bit hot for me at 13.3% alcohol, I’ll try it again with a few more months of bottle aging.

> 2006 Saggio, $19.95, blend of 40% Pinot Gris/ 36% Chardonnay/ 12% Tocai Friulano/ 12% Riesling, soft pear with a subtle nuttiness, soft acidity (anyone for an oxymoron) on a long finish, me likey but 19.95? C’mon, I’m a cheapskate.

> 2006 Rosa, $10.95, .8% RS, blend of 36% Sangiovese/ 64% Pinot Noir, beautiful pale ruby/ peach color, light strawberry flavor but again, the alcohol’s a bit hot for me for a rose’.

> 2005 Cabernet Franc, $22.95, 0% RS, cherry tobacco on the nose, cherry, strawberry in the deep palate, and cocoa on the finish.

-Villa Bellangelo, Villa Bellangelo is a little off the main trail, but I am more impressed with their wines every time I stop in and I love the new Flying Angel logo. Winemaker Michael Litterio always manages to impart an elegant style to his wines, which are light but still full of flavor, and he manages to get a very soft mouthfeel out of his wines.

> Pinot Grigio, $14.99, 0% RS, soft pear and apple into a slightly spicy finish.

> 2006 Bella Bianca, $9.99, 1.3% RS, Seyval Blanc, layers of delicate pear and apple with an amazingly soft mouthfeel, excellent value.

> 2006 Gewurztraminer, $17.99, 1.5% RS, again very soft mouthfeel with light citrus and spice. > 2006 Riesling, $17.99, soft layered pear and peach, light but still very flavorful.

> 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, $23.99, 0% RS, aged 22 months in French & American oak, very soft with tones of chocolate and hints of pepper on the finish, an excellent Finger Lakes Cab Sauv!

> 2005 Sangiovese, $36.99, 0% RS, California Fruit, beautiful smoky black cherry and even at 14.5% alcohol, it does not overpower. I like this grape and I believe that a couple of wineries are trying to grow it in the Finger Lakes.

> 2005 Porto Elena, $21.99, 9.5% RS, a lot of ports try to bowl you over with excessive sweetness and alcohol but this one wants you to savor its delicate honeyed fruit tones, very nice. > The Scooter series are Villa Bellangelo’s sweeter value wines, > 2006 Blue Scooter, $13.99, 4% RS, Riesling, lots of honey and delicate apricot in this sweet Riesling. > 2006 White Scooter, $8.99, 7.5% RS, Niagara, soft with light grape and honey tones, good value.

I just have to say that, while I am writing this report, I am enjoying a Dr. Frank 2006 Semi-dry Riesling and it is just spectacular. To me, the amazing thing about Dr. Frank’s Rieslings are how aromatic they are and how the flavors expand in your mouth. Mineral, juicy ripe peach, and smooth lime grow in intensity through the middle and into a mouthwatering finish. There is good reason why Dr. Frank is the standard-bearer for Finger Lakes Riesling. But there are others catching up.

I visited Cayuga Lake over the last few weekends and one thing that I always enjoy when I taste Cayuga Lake wines is the spicy Cayuga mineral finish that I get in a lot of the wines. It’s more intense than Seneca or Keuka mineral and some may find it a bit too intense, but I enjoy it.

Also, one thing to remember as you taste new releases is a concept called "bottle shock". When a wine is newly bottled, it can exhibit imbalances such as being overly acidic. In my experience, within a few months for whites especially, the wine will settle down and become more balanced. So I try not to judge brand new releases at this time of year from the most current vintage too harshly. If I find them unbalanced, I will attempt to go back and try them a few months later.

-Goose Watch Winery, > 2007 Pinot Grigio, new release, I’m seeing a lot more Pinot Grigio/Gris being released in the Finger Lakes, $16.00, .5% RS, light peach and pear up front with a very spicy mineral finish, may need some bottle aging to smooth the edges, but not bad right now.
> 2006 Vidal Blanc Barrel Reserve, $15.00 , .2% RS, sweet oak, vanilla, and spicy Cayuga mineral into a long finish (that goes on much longer then Kristy Lee Cook lasted on American Idol, right Kevin?).
> 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, $15.00, well integrated cherry, tobacco, leather, pepper, and oak into a nice long finish. This wine shows that when you let Finger Lakes reds age a while, they show beautiful complexity.

-Buttonwood Grove Winery, > 2005 Reserve Chardonnay, $15.99, vanilla, sweet oak, and spice and mineral on the finish.

> 2005 Riesling, $14.99, lots of mead-like honey with balanced mineral, very nice.

> Trillium Gold, $9.99, blend of Cayuga White/Vidal Blanc/& Vignoles, citrus, honey, with honeyed spice on the finish.

> Buttonwood Blush, 10.99, unique blend of Delaware/Golden Muscat/& Vincent, aromatic grape with flavors of strawberry and light citrus, nice sipper, excellent value.

- Swedish Hill, > 2006 Vidal Blanc, $10.99, 2.5% RS, abundant pear with a crisp mineral finish.
> Blanc de Blanc Champagne, $13.99, 2.5% RS, made from Cayuga White, fruity with bubbly citrus.
> Niagara Frost, $12.49 for 1.5L bottle, 6.1% RS, sweet but balanced, light and grapey, excellent value for this sweet sipper.

> 2005 Cabernet Franc, $16.99, cherry and tobacco with deep leather undertones, nice.
> Raspberry Infusion, $25 for 375ml bottle, 11% RS, raspberries soaked in grape brandy, powerful raspberry aroma and taste, very unique, Wow!

Finger Lakes News & Notes - April 18, 2008

2008-04-17T19:13:00.003-05:00

- Jeff Richards reviews Finger Lakes newest grape sensation

- FingerLakesWineCountry.com has released their new 2008 Finger Lakes Travel Guide

- One of our favorite wine educators, Lorraine Hems, wins award

- Widmer Wine Cellars cuts staff

- Jason Feulner reviews Savor Syracuse

- Motor Home magazine features the Finger Lakes

- Cathy Millspaugh participates in Cayuga Ridge Estate's Vigneron Program (I wanted to do this program this year, but I just didn't have the time, maybe next year).

- Hazlitt's Tasting Room named in America's Top 25

- Cornell University to build an on campus Teaching Winery (I wish my college would have had one of those back when I was going to college)

- Finger Lakes Wine Retrievers review Hunt Country wines and spot Gus (you gotta love Gus)

- Kens Wine Guide reviews Standing Stone Chardonnay

- The 2006 Tierce Riesling will be released May 3rd at special event

Finger Lakes Winery Tasting Reports - April 2008

2008-04-08T21:11:00.008-05:00

The 2008 tasting season has begun for me in the Finger Lakes and here are my first tasting recaps from the last few weeks. Most of the new wines have not been released yet, but it's good to be out at the wineries after the long winter. Last weekend was just gorgeous in the Finger Lakes. After the clouds lifted on Saturday, the sun came out and temperatures reached the high 50's. Finally, it appears that Spring is on the way.

-Ravines Wine Cellars, Owners Morten & Lisa Hallgren were on their way to France to hire a new vineyard manager when I visited Ravines, but the wines were there and I was ready to taste. I was told that the new Gewurz and Pinot Gris will be out soon and I can't wait to try them. Tasting highlights for me were the 2006 Chardonnay, $18.95, Beautiful layers of fruit and well-integrated oak with a long nutty finish, Fantastic!. > 2006 Cerise, $14.95, PinotNoir/Lemberger blend, (Lemberger production is rapidly growing in the Finger Lakes), smooth light cherry flavor with overtones of tobacco and leather, very good light dry red.
> 2005 Meritage, $24.95, this was listed in my Favorites of 2007, a Classic Bordeaux blend, this is a big bold wine for a Finger Lakes red , cherry and blackberry flavors with perfectly balanced oak with medium tannins, this wine will age well. >2006 Sauvignon Blanc, $17.95, classic grassy earthy aromas, layers of green apple, lemongrass, and light citrus into a long herbaceous finish. > 2006 Pinot Noir, soft cherry, tobacco, and smooth spice fight for your tastebuds' affection and my tastebuds wanted to take them all home! A note on Finger Lakes Pinot Noir, As I have said before, if you are looking for big bold fruit bursting California-style Pinot Noir, you are not going to find it in the Finger Lakes. I guide tasting tours sometimes for folks who drink California Pinot's and that's what they expect here. I tell them that they have to readjust their expectations and be ready for a lighter style of Pinot. It's not better or worse than CA Pinot, it's just different. I find it more interesting and better with lighter dishes and just nice to sip.

Billsboro Winery, I wanted to check in on new owner Vinny Aliperti and see how the new/old winery was doing. Vinny also continues to be winemaker at Atwater across the lake. I asked Vinny how hard it was to be both an owner of his own winery and winemaker at another. He answered that the transition had gone very smoothly and that Ted (his boss at Atwater) had given him a lot of flexibility in his schedule to be able to attend to the new winery. Vinny has rearranged the tasting room a bit with beautiful custom wood bars. Vinny decided to keep the Billsboro name that former owner, the late Bob Pool, created and he is sourcing most of his grapes from Finger Lakes growers. He produced 200 cases from estate grown grapes in 2007 and he expects to steadily increase that as new vines are readied. Highlights from my tasting included > 2005 Chardonnay, $11.00, a lighter style Chard with light pear and apple and lightly oaked (3 months in oak), with a smooth finish, an excellent value. > 2006 Chardonnay (barrel fermented), $18.00, 9 months in oak, very nice chard fruit and sweet oak impeccably balanced, excellent. > 2006 Pinot Noir, as stated in the Ravines post above, Finger Lakes Pinot is a lighter style and this one is an excellent FL Pinot with light cherry flavors and lite peppery undertones, the winery suggests pairing with barbequed pork or hearty pasta, sounds great to me.

Lakewood Vineyards, No new releases since I last visited, but they said the new 2007 Vignoles is coming soon and I can't wait for that. Also, ,after selling out of their incredible Port, a new Port should be out in June. Lakewood is finishing up a large expansion of their production facilities which will increase their capacity from 70,000 gallons to 110,000 gallons.

Torrey Ridge Winery, Torrey Ridge continues to win many awards, proving that sweeter wines can be award-worthy. > 2006 Gewurztraminer, $14.99, beautiful nose and intense floral and spice with a long smooth spice finish, intense. > 2006 Lemberger, $14.99, amazing fruit with bold cherry and very light tannin, smooth, ready to drink now, extremely high yum factor! >2006 Baco Noir, $10.99, up front berry fruit with solid acidity, a smooth drinking Baco. > Cayuga White, $9.49, 4% RS, candied lemon and pineapple balanced with nice acidity, excellent sweet sipper, Torrey Ridge has just released 2 new sweet wines playfully named RedneckWhite (Niagara) and Redneck Red (Concord), both retailing for $9.99

In my travelings, I also tasted Hazlitt's 2007 Homestead Reserve Riesling, which needed to bring a lot to the table to live up to the multi-award-winning '06 version. And it does keep up, but in a very different way. This '07 is a mineral powerhouse. If you love that 'banana belt' mineral like I do, then this wine is for you. It's actually a bit overwhelming at first. I drank it over 2 days and the 2nd day, I finally got the hang of this powerhouse. Wave after wave of mouthwatering clean slate mineral with a touch of spice and solid acidity on the finish. Very clean but bold mineral, excellent.

Other Finger Lakes Wine News:
Four Chimneys Organic Winery is celebrating their new wine labels with an additional 15% off of their normal volume discounts.

King Ferry/Treleaven Winery has just released their new 2007 Dry and Semi-Dry Rieslings.

Upcoming events include 'The World Tour of Food and Wine" event on The Keuka Lake Wine Trail April 19 & 20, 'The Wine & Herb Festival" on The Cayuga Wine Trail April 26 & 27, and
"The Spring Wine and Cheese Weekend" on The Seneca Lake Wine Trail April 26 & 27. For a complete listing of Finger Lakes Events, click here.

And don't forget The Finger Lakes Weekend Winos Acoustic Duo, myself and Mr. Tom, perform at Stonecutters Lounge in beautiful Belhurst Castle on Saturday, April 19th from 7-11pm.

And Finally, a few pictures of the last remnants (hopefully) of winter in The Finger Lakes:

The Aliperti children crafted these 2 snow people enjoying some Billsboro wine on the deck at Billsboro winery. Hey, that one looks like Vinny!

The last of the winter ice melts from the south end of Canandaigua Lake.

The early Spring clouds move across Seneca Lake

The vines await the Spring thaw.

Finger Lakes News & Notes - April 3, 2008

2008-04-03T17:30:00.003-05:00

- The Finger Lakes International Wine Competition was judged last weekend and the results are out. Finger Lakes wineries did well on their home turf. Chateau Lafayette Reneau won Best Chardonnay for their 2006 Chardonnay (one of my favorite picks from last year). Double Gold went to Casa Larga for their Fiori Delle Stelle Vidal Ice Wine (another of my favorite picks from last year), Torrey Ridge 2006 Lemberger, Swedish Hill 2006 Dry Riesling, Penguin Bay semi-sweet Riesling & 2006 Valvin-Muscat (one of the new Cornell grapes).

Gold went to Anthony Road 2006 Cabernet Franc/Lemberger, Imagine Moore 2006 Cayuga, Casa Larga Chardonnay, Sheldrake Point 2007 Riesling Ice wine, King Ferry 2006 Late Harvest Riesling, Widmer 2005 Late Harvest Vidal Blanc & 2006 Riesling, Chateau Frank 2000 Blanc de Noirs, Chateau Lafayette Reneau 2006 Dry Riesling, Red Newt 2006 Dry Riesling Reserve, Miles 2006 semi-dry Riesling, Fox Run 2006 semi-sweet Riesling, Hosmer 2007 semi-sweet Riesling, & Goose Watch Pinot Noir Brut Rose'. See the complete results here.

- Congratulations to one of me and Mrs. Wino's favorite people, Liz Stamp of Lakewood Vineyards, for receiving the Unity Award at this years NYWGF Unity Banquet. Liz was honored for her tireless work to promote cooperation and collaboration among industry members through her participation and leadership in various groups. She has served as president and treasurer of the Seneca Lake Wine Trail, created the concept of the Deck the Halls holiday weekend that has been copied by other wine trails throughout the state and country and has shared her knowledge and experiences with others as a speaker and a judge in various wine competitions. Plus, she's just a really nice person! We'll be seeing you soon Liz.

- A firestorm of debate has erupted since Wine Spectator's Finger Lakes Riesling ratings came out. Lenn Thompson at LennDevours blog takes issue with the ratings and Jason Feulner adds fuel to the fire. And Carlo Devito also chimes in on the debate about Wine Spectator's Finger Lakes Riesling ratings. My own feelings are that there are some amazing Finger Lakes Rieslings that are not even listed in the Wine Spectator ratings and certainly some of those listed should be rated higher. But any way you look at it, it's pretty good publicity for the Finger Lakes.

- Finger Lakes tourism counting on more daytrippers this year

- Dan Berger recommends Finger Lakes Riesling for spring

- Blogger Bibliochef writes an excellent article about Red Tail Ridge Winery

- Blogger Water Into Wino reviews Anthony Road Cabernet Franc/ Lemberger

- Myself and Mr. Tom, "The Finger Lakes Weekend Winos" Acoustic Duo, will be performing at Belhurst Castle's Stonecutters Lounge on Saturday, April 19th from 7pm to 11pm. Come on out for some good tunes and great atmosphere at Belhurst Castle.

Reminder of how precious life is

2008-03-27T18:50:00.002-05:00

This has nothing to do with wine, but I thought this young man's story was well worth posting. Sometimes, when I'm searching for something specific on the internet, I will be taken to a totally unexpected place. And often, these unexpected voyages will lead to very profound reminders of how precious life is. Such was the case tonight. As I was searching for a grape research paper done by a Cornell professor, I was led to the sad but also uplifting story of Scott Williamson, a 32-year old assistant professor at Cornell University who lost his battle with brain cancer. I never met or knew Scott, but I wish I had. His story is here and here. I raise my glass to Scott, who left us way too early.

Finger Lakes News & Notes - March 23, 2008

2008-03-22T11:41:00.008-05:00

- Myself and Mr. Tom, the Finger Lakes Weekend Winos Acoustic Duo, will be performing at Arcadian Estate Winery this coming Sunday, March 30th from Noon to 3pm, for the "Cruisin the Tropics" event. Come on out and get tropical with us!

- Morgen McLaughlin discusses the marketing of Finger Lakes wine

- Jason Feulner, Finger Lakes correspondent at Lenndevours blog, writes an excellent article on Ravines Wine Cellars in the current issue of Life In The Finger Lakes magazine.

- Penguin Bay and Chateau Lafayette Reneau rose' methods discussed

- Fulkerson Winery to exhibit wooden maps of the Finger Lakes

- Sandra Silfven gives her tasting notes on Finger Lakes reds from the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance Vintners Roundtable tasting, Rick Lyke gives his notes here, and Carlo Devito here. All of the writers on this tasting were very impressed with these Reds. Of course, I've been telling you for several years now that the Finger Lakes can produce excellent reds, but I'm just a lowly blogger. Maybe some of the mainstream wine press will now start giving Finger Lakes Reds some respect. And The Finger Lakes Wine Alliance is doing a wonderful job of getting the word out about Finger Lakes wine.

- The Finger Lakes International Wine Competition judging takes place on March 29 & 30

- Racing and tourism meet in Watkins Glen

- Finger Lakes Events coming up next weekend, March 29 & 30, include the "Cruisin the Tropics" event on the Seneca Lake Wine Trail and the "World Tour of Food and Wine" event on the Keuka Lake Wine Trail. See Finger Lakes Wine Country Event Calendar for complete Finger Lakes event listings.

- D and C recaps Wine Spectator's Finger Lakes Riesling ratings

- Imagine Moore winery is profiled

- Riesling sales continue to grow

- Bill Ward presents an interesting comparison of the differences in how men and women think of wine here and
here.

- Iron Chef-like cook off to be held at NYWCC

- Finger Lakes Bed & Breakfast offers a spiritual retreat

- The story of the Cayuga Wine Trail

- Writer thinks beer tasting is better than wine tasting

- April is New York Wine Month

- Western New York has majority of rare cobblestone homes

- The sweet taste of ice wine

More Finger Lakes Wine Medal Winners

2008-03-13T17:54:00.003-05:00

At Jerry Mead's New World International Wine Competition this week, Finger Lakes wineries continued to win more medals, with Goose Watch Winery (Cayuga Lake) winning Best White Wine with its Snow Goose white blend and Best of Class with its Traminette. Goose Watch's sister winery Swedish Hill won Best of Class with its Svenska White and Torrey Ridge won Best of Class with its Catawba. Overall, there were 10 Finger Lakes Golds. For complete results,
click here.

Chateau Frank
SILVER, 2000 Blanc de Blanc, 2000 Blanc de Noirs

Chateau LaFayette Reneau
SILVER
2006 Dry Riesling, Estate Bottled
2006 Chardonnay, Proprietor's Reserve, Estate Bottled
BRONZE
2006 Pinot Noir Blanc, Estate Bottled

Dr. Konstantin Frank
GOLD
2006 Semi-Dry Riesling
SILVER
2006 Dry Riesling
2006 Rkatsiteli

Glenora Wine Cellars
GOLD
2007 Dry Riesling, Vintner's Select
SILVER
2001 Brut
BRONZE
2007 Riesling
2006 Meritage Red, Vintner's Select
2006 Seyval Blanc

Goose Watch
NWIWC - BEST NEW WORLD WHITE WINE
BEST OF VARIETAL
BEST OF CLASS, GOLD
Snow Goose
BEST OF CLASS, GOLD
2006 Traminette

SILVER
Diamond
2006 Melody
Renaissance Red
Golden Spumante

BRONZE
2006 Villard Blanc
2006 Rosé Wines
2006 Rose of Isabella
2006 Finale White Port
NV Cream Sherry

Hosmer Winery
SILVER
2006 Lemberger
BRONZE
2006 Chardonnay

Knapp Winery
GOLD
2006 Dry Riesling, Estate Bottled
SILVER
NV Concord, Superstition
BRONZE
2006 Cayuga White

Lakewood Vineyards
SILVER
2006 Riesling
BRONZE
2006 Chardonnay
2006 Gewurztraminer

Penguin Bay Winery
SILVER
NV White Blend, Percussion
NV Red Blend, Humbolt Red
BRONZE
NV Riesling
NV Red Blend, Maroon Four

Sheldrake Point
BRONZE
2006 Pinot Gris
2006 Riesling, Reserve

Swedish Hill Winery
BEST OF CLASS, GOLD
NV Svenska White
GOLD
2006 Dry Riesling
NV Viking White
SILVER
NV Svenska Red
NV Concord
NV Blanc de Blanc
NV Spumante Blush
NV Naturel
BRONZE
2006 Riesling
2006 Vidal Blanc
2006 Marechel Foch
2006 Late Harvest Chardonnay

Torrey Ridge Winery
BEST OF VARIETAL
BEST OF CLASS, GOLD
NV Catawba
GOLD
NV Diamond

White Springs Winery
SILVER
2006 Rosé
Springhouse White

Part II of Wine Spectator's Finger Lakes Riesling Ratings

2008-03-12T19:22:00.003-05:00

Wine Spectator's James Molesworth has released Part II of his Finger Lakes Riesling Ratings with Anthony Road, Atwater, Chateau Lafayette Reneau, Fox Run, & Red Newt leading a very impressive group of Finger Lakes Rieslings:

ANTHONY ROAD Riesling Finger Lakes Semi-Dry 2006 Score: 89 $14
This is really solid, with good medium-weight feel and concentration to the pear, fig and lime flavors, with a nice lingering hint of anise on the finish. Drink now. 640 cases made. —J.M.

ATWATER ESTATE Riesling Finger Lakes 2006 Score: 88 $17
This offers really nice ripeness, with slate, apple and fig notes all showing good drive through the full-bodied finish. Nicely done. Drink now. 695 cases made. —J.M.

CHATEAU LAFAYETTE RENEAU Johannisberg Riesling Finger Lakes 2006 Score: 88 $15
Generous, with a flattering off-dry edge to the anise, apple and kiwi flavors. Nice richness and length on the finish. Very solid. Tasted twice with consistent notes. Drink now through 2010. 2,071 cases made. —J.M.

FOX RUN Riesling Seneca Lake Reserve 2006 Score: 88 $30
Inviting, with fresh lime, green apple and kiwi notes that stay lively through the medium-weight finish and open nicely in the glass. Drink now. 225 cases made. —J.M.

RED NEWT CELLARS Riesling Finger Lakes Reserve 2006 Score: 88 $24
Good pippen apple and lime notes are backed by a moderate slate note on the taut finish. Good length and focus, though still a touch tight for now. Drink now. 200 cases made. —J.M.

DAMIANI Riesling Finger Lakes 2006 Score: 87 $15
Juicy and racy, with a nicely focused beam of braised fennel, anise seed, apple and fig. Nice steely edge to the finish. Tasted twice with consistent notes. Drink now. 125 cases made. —J.M.

HERON HILL Riesling Finger Lakes Reserve 2005 Score: 87 $30
Quite dry, but very long, with thistle, pear, slate and floral notes that run along tightly focused acidity. Tangy finish too. Nicely done. Drink now through 2010. 192 cases made. —J.M.

HOSMER Riesling Cayuga Lake 2006 Score: 87 $12
Ripe and forward, with apple, pie crust, fig and pear notes followed by a round, modestly juicy finish. Solid range, just lacks a little zip on the finish. Drink now. 800 cases made. —J.M.

ROOSTER HILL Riesling Finger Lakes Semi-Dry 2006 Score: 87 $16
Ripe, with a nice juicy core of apple and fennel seed notes, followed by a plump fig-tinged finish. Drink now. 400 cases made. —J.M.

SHELDRAKE POINT Riesling Finger Lakes Reserve 2006 Score: 87 $25
Shows a plump core of melon, fig and anise flavors, backed by a bright green apple hint on the juicy finish. Drink now. 219 cases made. —J.M.

WHITE SPRINGS FARM ESTATE Riesling Finger Lakes Red Label 2006 Score: 87 $13
Ripe and forward with good apple, cinnamon and anise notes backed by a round, modestly juicy finish. Drink now. 325 cases made. —J.M.

HOSMER Riesling Cayuga Lake Vintner's Reserve 2006 Score: 86 $25
Soft, but direct, with apple, anise and fig hints that linger easily on the finish. Drink now. 150 cases made. —J.M.

SHELDRAKE POINT Riesling Finger Lakes Ice Wine 2007 Score: 86 $75 / 375ml
Fresh and moderately sweet, with nicely focused lime, quince and candied green plum notes. Drink now. 157 cases made. Dessert. —J.M.

SWEDISH HILL Riesling Finger Lakes 2006 Score: 86 $15
Lush and ripe, with Macintosh apple, spice and anise notes backed by a round finish. Very friendly. Drink now. 1,600 cases made. —J.M.

DEER RUN Riesling Finger Lakes Semi-Dry 2006 Score: 85 $14
Crisp for a semi-dry, with pippen apple, lime and floral notes that leave a fresh, mouthwatering feel. Drink now. 107 cases made. —J.M.

HERON HILL Riesling Finger Lakes Icewine Ingle Vineyard 2004 Score: 85 $50 / 375ml
Rich, but with a dry, slatey edge to the lime candy, Bosc pear and fig hints. Lightly sweet, focused finish. Drink now. 78 cases made. Dessert. —J.M.

KING FERRY Riesling Cayuga Lake Treleaven Semi-Dry 2006 Score: 85 $14
Fresh, with a nice bracing underpinning to the lime, kiwi and green apple notes. Nice tangy finish. Drink now. 2,695 cases made. —J.M.

Busy week for the Finger Lakes Weekend Wino

2008-03-09T11:13:00.004-05:00

- It was a very busy for the Weekend Wino. I attended the Wineries Unlimited conference in Valley Forge. VWM always puts on a great wine show with top-notch seminars and lots of exhibitors. Being an amateur winemaker, this show gives me a wealth of information on how to make better wine and what new products are out there. There were lots of people from the Finger Lakes wine industry in attendance and I saw folks from Dr. Frank, Lakewood, Hazlitt, King Ferry, Hunt Country, Glenora, Bellwether, & Finger Lakes Wine Gazette to name a few.

- I also participated in the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance Vintners Roundtable. The theme was Finger Lakes Red wines, with reds from Billsboro, Sheldrake Point, Standing Stone, Ravines, Fox Run, & Hunt Country featured. As I continually preach, Finger Lakes wineries produce some impressive reds, but some of the other media folks on the call who were skeptical before, were surprised and impressed with the quality of the wines. I'll post more about this soon.

- Finally, it was filtering and bottling time this week for me any my winemaking partners. We bottled Diamond, Aurora, Vidal Blanc, Niagara, Apple, and the most amazing Concord that I have ever tasted with a very soft and silky mouthfeel, loads of fruit without being grapey, and a smooth long finish. We will be entering some amateur winemaking competitions this year and I will let you know how we do.

- Also, I wanted to let you know that The Finger Lakes Weekend Wino Acoustic Duo featuring myself and Mr. Tom will be performing at Arcadian Estate Winery for the "Cruisin The Tropics" event on Sunday, March 30th from Noon to 3pm. Wear your coolest tropical attire and come on out for good wine, good fun and good tunes, featuring songs from my "Sparkling Diamonds- Songs of The Finger Lakes" CD. I hope to see you there! Click here to listen to the songs.

- Well it's time to get some rest today and gear up for the start of the wine tasting season for me in The Finger Lakes. Once again this year, my goal is to visit every one of the over 100 wineries (I've lost count now) in the region and post my visit reviews and tasting notes. Wish me luck!

Finger Lakes Wines Win at Monterey Wine Competition

2008-03-06T08:00:00.004-05:00

- At the Monterey Wine Competition last week, over 1200 wines from 8 countries were evaluated by 24 wine professionals over 2 days at the Salinas Valley Fairgrounds.
Judges awarded 55 gold, 255 silver, and 394 bronze medals. The following Finger Lakes wineries won medals at the competition, winning 6 out of only 55 Gold medals awarded:

Chateau Frank
Gold 2000 Blanc de Noirs Finger Lakes $29.99

Dr Konstantin Frank
Silver 2006 Gewürztraminer Finger Lakes $19.99
Bronze 2006 Riesling, Semi-Dry New York $15.99

Goose Watch Winery
Gold, Sweeps 2006 Goose Watch Finale White Port Finger Lakes $18.00
Gold NV Triple Cream Sherry Finger Lakes $15.00
Silver 2004 Goose Watch Chambourcin Finger Lakes $13.00
Silver NV Goose Watch Snow Goose Table Wine New York $11.00
Bronze 2006 Goose Watch Villard Blanc Finger Lakes $11.00
Bronze, Goose Watch Diamond, Finger Lakes, $9.00

Heron Hill Vineyards
Gold, 2006 Riesling Semi-dry, New York, $12.99
Gold NV Vidal Blanc Finger Lakes $17.99
Silver 2005 Riesling, Estate Reserve Finger Lakes $29.99
Silver 2005 Riesling, Ingle Vineyard Finger Lakes $17

Lakewood Vineyards
Bronze 2006 `Chardonnay Finger Lakes $12.99
Bronze 2006 Pinot Gris, Gigliotti Vineyards Finger Lakes $16.99

Swedish Hill Vineyard
Gold, 2006 Swedish Hill Dry Riesling, Finger Lakes, $15.00
Bronze NV Swedish Hill Cynthia Marie Port Finger Lakes $22.00
Bronze NV Swedish Hill Blanc de Blanc Finger Lakes $14.00
Bronze 2006 Swedish Hill Chardonnay Late Harvest Finger Lakes $25.00
Bronze 2006 Swedish Hill Vidal Blanc New York $11.00

See the complete results here.

Wine Spectator Rates Finger Lakes Rieslings

2008-03-04T22:00:00.002-05:00

- Wine Spectator is out with Part 1 of their Finger Lakes Riesling Ratings. Highlights include:

ANTHONY ROAD Riesling Finger Lakes Dry 2006 Score: 88 $14
Juicy and forward, with tasty Jonagold apple, anise and quince notes that race through the mouthwatering finish. Dry in feel but with good weight too. Drink now through 2009. 370 cases made. —J.M.

ATWATER ESTATE Riesling Finger Lakes Dry 2006 Score: 88 $18
Chiseled but juicy too, with green apple and lime notes that drive through the slate-filled, mouthwatering finish. Nicely done. Drink now through 2009. 505 cases made. —J.M.

RED NEWT CELLARS Riesling Finger Lakes Dry 2006 Score: 87 $15
Tight and light-bodied at first, but this is fresh, with nervy lime and mineral notes that leave a mouthwatering feel, while opening up to show greater depth as it airs in the glass. Drink now through 2009. 800 cases made. —J.M.

BELHURST ESTATE Riesling Finger Lakes Dry 2006 Score: 86 $19
Bony, with tasty green apple, lime and mineral notes that ripple nicely on the finish. Drink now through 2009. 240 cases made. —J.M.

BUTTONWOOD GROVE Riesling Finger Lakes Dry 2006 Score: 86 $15
Dry in texture, with slate and marzipan hints, but has an off-dry hints to its fruit, with pear, kiwi and fig hints that linger nicely on the finish. Drink now through 2009. 220 cases made. —J.M.

ROOSTER HILL Riesling Finger Lakes Dry 2006 Score: 86 $16
Plump for a dry version, with hints of pear and quince behind the typical slate and green apple notes. Nice hint of fennel on the finish. Drink now through 2009. 300 cases made. —J.M.

CHATEAU LAFAYETTE RENEAU Riesling Finger Lakes Dry 2006 Score: 85 $15
Open and forward for a dry style, with green apple, lime and fennel seed notes that linger on the juicy, medium-weight finish. Drink now through 2009. 1418 cases made. —J.M.

HOSMER Riesling Cayuga Lake Dry 2006 Score: 85 $12
Light, with taut pippen apple, lime and slate notes that show good drive on the finish. Drink now through 2009. 780 cases made. —J.M.

KING FERRY Riesling Cayuga Lake Treleaven Dry 2006 Score: 85 $14
Light-bodied, but fresh and tangy, with lime, and slate notes backed by a nice crisp finish. Drink now through 2009. 1370 cases made. —J.M.

RAVINES Riesling Finger Lakes Dry 2006 Score: 85 $17
Open-knit for a dry version, with citrus peel, floral and lime notes that bounce through the finish. Drink now through 2009. 1300 cases made. —J.M.

SILVER THREAD Riesling Finger Lakes Dry 2006 Score: 85 $17
Taut, with tangy lime, chive and flint notes, backed by a crisp green apple hint on the finish. Drink now. 250 cases made. —J.M.

Finger Lakes News & Notes - March 4, 2008

2008-03-04T17:42:00.004-05:00

- Mrs. Wino & I had a great time in the Finger Lakes Information Booth at The Washington D.C. Wine Expo last weekend. We met a lot of great people as we spread the good word about The Finger Lakes and its wine. Thanks to Paul Thomas of Seneca Lake Wine Trail for the opportunity. Also, Thanks to Morgen from Finger Lakes Wine Country & Sheila from Corning Museum of Glass for helping us newbies. Finger Lakes wines were well-represented, with Dr. Frank, Standing Stone, and Hazlitt pouring their wine for the D.C. folks. I also finally got to meet in person my fellow blogger, Dezel of Virginia Vine Spot and we got to "talk wine" for a while. Be sure to visit his informative blog. I will be visiting the Wineries Unlimited Show in Valley Forge this week and I will give you a report.

- Enobytes features The Finger Lakes region

- Mark Oldman discusses New York wine

- Educational vineyard to be planted on Staten Island

- Deer Run Winery is off the beaten wine trail, but well worth the visit

- The Cayuga Wine Trail turns 25

- The versatility of Riesling is praised

- New Hampshire winery produces a Valvin Muscat wine

- "Taste of New York" TV show debuts April 5th

- Finger Lakes Grape Growers Conference to be held on March 14 & 15

- More wineries in the works on the east side of Cayuga Lake

Finger Lakes Wines Win Medals at Grand Harvest Wine Awards

2008-02-26T20:49:00.009-05:00

Here are the Finger Lakes medal winners at the Grand Harvest Wine Awards that took place in Santa Rosa CA last week.

Gold
Heron Hill, 05 Riesling, 0.76% rs, 391 cases produced, $17.99
Hunt Country Vineyards, 06 Vidal Blanc Ice Wine, 23% rs, 716 cases produced, $39.99 / 375ml

Silver
Belhurst Winery, 06 Cayuga, n/a% rs, 250 cases produced, $14.95
Cayuga Ridge Estate Winery, NV Cayuga Cuvee, .25% rs, 300 cases produced, $11.00
Chateau Frank, 00 Blanc de Noirs, 1% rs, 400 cases produced, $29.99
Chateau Lafayette Reneau, 06 Pinot Noir Blanc, 2.8% rs, 800 cases produced, $9.99
Chateau Lafayette Reneau, 06 Johnnisberg Riesling, 2.5% rs, 1,800 cases produced, $14.99
Dr. Konstantin Frank, 06 Rkatsiteli, .7% rs, 2,000 cases produced, $19.99
Hunt Country Vineyards, 07 Pinot Gris, 0.5% rs, 862 cases produced, $15.99
Torrey Ridge Winery, NV Niagara, 6.5% rs, 631 cases produced, $9.99
Treleaven, 06 Riesling Late Harvest , 18% rs, 300 cases produced, $29.99

Bronze
Cayuga Ridge Estate Winery, NV Cayuga White, .75% rs, 350 cases produced, $9.50
Chateau Frank, 00 Blanc de Blancs, 1% rs, 500 cases produced, $29.99
Chateau Lafayette Reneau, 05 Pinot Noir, Dry% rs, 500 cases produced, $19.99
Chateau Lafayette Reneau, 05 Chardonnay, .5% rs, 400 cases produced, $12.99
Chateau Lafayette Reneau, 06 Chardonnay, .5% rs, 200 cases produced, $18.99
Dr. Konstantin Frank, 06 Riesling, .7% rs, 2,500 cases produced, $17.99
Dr. Konstantin Frank, 06 Rose, .4% rs, 1,500 cases produced, $12.99
Fulkerson Winery, 06 Diamond, 5.5% rs, 597 cases produced, $6.99
Fulkerson Winery, 06 Traminette, 2.7% rs, 877 cases produced, $11.99
Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards, 05 Cabernet Franc, 0.4% rs, 341 cases produced, $17.99
Heron Hill, 04 Chardonnay, 0.02% rs, 241 cases produced, $17.99
Lucas Vineyards, 06 Riesling Semi Dry , 2.5% rs, 750 cases produced, $12.99
Torrey Ridge Winery, NV Diamond, 8% rs, 1,200 cases produced, $9.99

See the complete results here.

Finger Lakes Weekend Wino 2007 Finger Lakes Winery of The Year - Bloomer Creek Vineyard

2008-02-18T17:30:00.005-05:00

I think this picture from Bloomer Creek's website says it all about Bloomer Creek Vineyard, my 2007 Winery of The Year - it shows their passion and commitment to craft excellent wine and shows the sweat, grit, and determination that it takes to be a successful winery in the Finger Lakes.

It has taken owner and winemaker Kim Engle almost 3 decades from his college days to realize his dream of owning his own winery in his own space, but the result was well worth the wait. Kim and his wife, artist Debra Bermingham, have created a fresh and welcoming environment with their new tasting room, with its exposed wood beams and beautiful high ceilings, highlighted by local artistry. Yes, the new building welcomes us, but the wines- the wines draw us in!

Kim has toiled for decades for many other Finger Lakes wineries, honing his skills in the vineyard and in the cellar and we are the ones who now benefit from those many years of hard work. His proficiency shines through on both white and red wines from the beautiful balance of Bloomer Creek's Riesling to the soft and smoky Cafe Red (Cabernet Franc).
At Bloomer Creek, you get the feeling that they don't just want to sell you their wine, they want you to understand their wine.

I visited 81 Finger Lakes wineries in 2007 and it was not an easy choice to pick my first Winery of The Year. There were many wineries that had that combination of passion for crafting great wine, commitment to educating consumers, a welcoming and uplifting tasting experience and, of course, great wine that I was looking for, but in my several visits to Bloomer Creek, the blood, sweat, and tears of a dream becoming reality inspired my senses and filled my being with pride for what hard work and determination can accomplish. Bloomer Creek is certainly not the biggest or most well-known winery in the Finger Lakes, but a bigger heart and soul you will not find. So I raise my glass to Bloomer Creek Vineyard and encourage you to stop in and enjoy the fruits of their labor. Here are my tasting notes for Bloomer Creek in 2007:

2006 Gewurztraminer, $18.00, light citrus into bold spice at the finish
2006 Riesling, 2% RS, (sold out), layers of citrus into smooth mineral, perfectly balanced
2006 Cafe White, $12.99, Chardonnay/Pinot Gris blend, crisp apple and citrus, very nice
2006 Chardonnay, $18.00, soft and light with well-defined crisp oak into a long finish
2006 Cayuga White, 3% RS, layers of pineapple and soft tropical fruits, crisp and balanced
2006 Gamay Noir, $14.00, a light Beaujolais-style red with hints of strawberry into a nice peppery finish
2006 Cafe Red, .8% RS, $12.99, Cabernet Franc, very soft and light, but with ample fruit of smoky strawberry, Excellent!
Half Moon Rose, $10.00, interesting blend of Cayuga White and Pinot Noir, a very soft rose', an excellent value.

Bloomer Creek Vineyard, 5301 Rte 414, Hector NY (southeast side of Seneca Lake, located next to The Stonecat Cafe)
607 546 5027 www.bloomercreek.com

Finger Lakes News & Notes Feb.16, 2008

2008-02-15T20:00:00.007-05:00

- Check out my new song and music video for The Seneca Lake Wine Trail

- The 2008 Wine Competitions are in full swing now and Finger Lakes Rieslings made a great showing at the prestigious Riesling du Monde, Riesling-only, competition in France with 5 Finger Lakes wineries taking home Gold Medals. Congratulations to Chateau LaFayette Reneau 2006 Dry Riesling(always good Riesling from CLR), Dr. Frank 2006 Riesling (Always Classic), Fox Run 2006 Reserve Riesling(another perennial top producer), Glenora 2006 Dry Riesling(a great showing from Glenora that doesn't always get the respect it deserves), and Hazlitt 2006 Homestead Reserve Riesling (this is an incredible Riesling and has won Gold in many competitions. Unfortunately, it is sold out. I'm kicking myself for not buying a case or two) . Quite an impressive showing and this, once again, shows that Finger Lakes wine is world-class wine! And I believe that their are quite a few other Finger Lakes Rieslings that did not enter that would have done very well. Click here for the complete results.

- And the results are also in from the Florida State Fair Wine Competition. The following are the Finger Lakes Gold Medal winners:

Anthony Road Wine Company, Penn Yan, NY
GOLD 2006 Cabernet Franc / Lemberger

Casa Larga Vineyards, Fairport, NY
GOLD N/V Estate Bottled Pallido

Chateau Frank, Hammondsport, NY
GOLD N/V Methode Champenoise Célèbre Crémant

Dr. Konstantin Frank, Hammondsport, NY
GOLD 2006 Riesling Dry

Earle Estates Meadery, Penn Yan, NY
GOLD N/V Raspberry Reflections

Goose Watch Winery, Romulus, NY
GOLD N/A Diamond USA
GOLD 2006 Melody USA
GOLD N/A Golden Spumante USA
GOLD N/A Classic Cream Sherry

Hunt Country Vineyards, Branchport, NY
GOLD 2006 Simmons Vineyards Cayuga White

Knapp Winery, Romulus, NY
GOLD 2006 Estate Bottled Cayuga White USA
GOLD N/V Superstition

Lakewood Vineyards, Inc., Watkins Glen, NY
GOLD 2006 Chardonnay

Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars, Lodi, NY
GOLD 2006 Estate Bottled Chardonnay

Penguin Bay Winery, Romulus, NY
GOLD N/A Percussion

Torrey Ridge Winery, Penn Yan, NY
GOLD N/V Diamond USA
GOLD N/V Catawba

Get the complete results by clicking here.

- In his East Coast Wineries blog this week, Carlo Devito has listed the East Coast wines that are rated highly in the new Wine Spectator Ultimate Buying Guide. The following are the Finger Lakes wines that received ratings of 84 and above:

Anthony Road, Lemberger-Cab Franc 2005, 86 rating

Atwater Estate, Celsius 2005, 84 rating

Bloomer Creek, Riesling 2005, 87 rating

CasaLarga, Vidal Ice Wine 2005, 86

Dr. Konstantin Frank, Riesling Dry 2006, 87

Dr. Konstantin Frank, Riesling Reserve, 89

Fulkerson, Vidal Blanc Iced Wine, 86

Glenora, Cab Franc 2005, 85

Hazlitt 1852, Riesling Homestead Reserve 2006, 87

Knapp, Chardonnay Barrel Reserve 2005, 85

Lakewood, Riesling 2006, 85

Lakewood, Riesling Dry 2006, 87

Lucas, Riesling Dry 2005, 85

Lucas, Riesling Semi-Dry 2006, 84

Lucas, Riesling Semi-Dry 2005, 85

Standing Stone, Cailloux 2006, 88

Standing Stone, Cailloux 2005, 87

Standing Stone, Vidl Blanc Ice 2005, 85

Swedish Hill, Vignoles Late Harvest 2004, 85

Wagner, Riesling Ice 2006, 89

Riesling Semi-Dry, 84

- John Zuccarino of Silver Springs Winery (east side of Seneca Lake) has been producing an excellent series of educational wine videos on a variety of topics. Very Informative. Check them out.

- Rochester photographer Lisa Hughes creates portraits of life in the Finger Lakes

- Bet The Farm Winery provides wine education program

- Sandra Silfven spotlights the difference in state wine tasting fee regulations

It won't be long now until Spring. Start planning your Finger Lakes vacation now. Be sure to Read my Tips for Planning Your Trip to The Finger Lakes. Cheers!!!

2007 Finger Lakes Weekend Wino Wine Awards- White Wines

2008-02-03T13:27:00.000-05:00

When we last went to commercial break at The Finger Lakes Weekend Wino Wine Awards show, we had just announced the winners for Favorite Red Wines (click here to see the post for Favorite Finger Lakes Red Wines of 2007) and our host, Conan O’Brien was cracking bad jokes like "Men are like a fine wine. They begin as grapes, and it’s up to women to stomp the crap out of them until they turn into something acceptable to have dinner with." (Can‘t wait until the Hollywood writer‘s strike is over). Return from commercial break (seat fillers in place) and cue Conan.

Conan: Welcome back to The Something Something Wine Something? I really need to get a new agent and stop doing these low budget events. Well anyway, here are the winners for Favorite Finger Lakes White Wines of 2007 as chosen by some doofus calling himself the Finger Lakes Weekend Wino, who visited 81 Finger Lakes wineries and tasted over 600 Finger Lakes wines in 2007.

(These are in no particular order and some of these wines may be sold out - contact the wineries for more information, what I‘m looking for is excellent balance - if dry, sufficient fruit- if sweet, sufficient acidity, excellent Flavor, varietally correct, and no off tastes, and those intangibles that elevate a wine above the rest, and good value) -

* Knapp Winery > 2005 Vidal Blanc, $12.95, 3.3% RS (Residual Sugar -click here for an excellent article about Residual Sugar from Red Newt's Brandon Seager), Citrus and apricot balanced with the perfect amount of sweetness, I’m really starting to enjoy Vidal Blanc in a sweeter style.

* Cobblestone Farm Winery > 2006 Cobblestone White, $10.99, 3.8% RS, Cayuga White with a touch of Seyval, Pineapple and grapefruit citrus perfectly balanced in a semi-sweet style.

* Lamoreaux Landing > 2005 Chardonnay, $12.99, barrel fermented in oak, lots of fruit with just a kiss of nice oak, smooth and balanced.

* Casa Larga > Lilac Hill, Muscat/Riesling blend, 2.4% RS, clean and delicate orange/tangerine with a hint of honey, I don’t see much Muscat being used in the Finger Lakes, but it definitely works in Lilac Hill. > Fiori Delle Stelle Vidal Ice Wine, 17% RS, Casa Larga’s signature Dessert wine, it seems to win Gold medals in every competition it’s entered and rightly so, layers and layers of apricot, pineapple, and honey without being overly sweet, your taste buds will thank you!

* Bellwether Hard Cider, Judging Hard Cider is a bit different than judging wine because the tastes are much more subtle and delicate, but in my opinion, just like good wine, balance is the key. If it has less than 7% alcohol it’s cider, over 7% and it’s wine. > Original Hard Cider, semi-dry, 6.5% alcohol, $9.50, crisp apple taste, well balanced acidity and sweetness and lightly carbonated.

* Goose Watch Winery > 2006 Villard Blanc, .5% RS, $11.00, The only Villard Blanc in the Finger Lakes that I am aware of, complex expressive and unique. Citrus, herb, spice, and lemongrass. > 2006 Viognier, .5% RS, $18.00, you don't see too much of this low-yield grape in the Finger Lakes, citrus and delicate tropical fruit with a nice clean acidic bite on the finish. > Golden Spumante, 4.2% RS, $12.00, maybe news has spread about my delicious Sparkling Diamond wine (that I made last year by accident) as this is the 2nd Diamond grape sparkler that sprang up in 2007, I hope that more wineries will use the Diamond grape this way because it is gooooood, pineapple/tangerine with the perfect kiss of bubbly sweetness.

* Four Chimneys Winery, Certified Organic Winery, I think Four Chimneys makes some of the best “fruit wines” (theirs are a grape wine base with fruit soaked in) in the Finger Lakes, they are all natural with no preservatives or flavorings added and I think you can taste the difference.
> Peach/ Blueberry/ Honeydew, Each of these 3 wines expresses the fruit very intensely with a delicate sweetness, when I drink that Honeydew it tastes like you are biting into a fresh Honeydew melon, and these wines are good to cook with also.

* Hosmer Winery > 2006 Seyval, $10, 1.2% RS, light apple with a long clean finish, great for fish or pork.

* Sheldrake Point > 2006 Riesling, $15.99, 1.8% RS, peach and light lime citrus balanced with Cayuga mineral into a long finish, yes!!!

* Cayuga Ridge Estate > Stainless Chardonnay, hints of crisp apple, crisp and clean, beautiful example of Finger Lakes stainless-aged Chardonnay.

* Lucas Vineyards, very impressed with Lucas reds and whites, on my list for winery of the year. > 2006 Semi-dry Riesling, $12.99, 3.0% RS, soft rounded mouth feel, apple and citrus tones balanced with nice mineral. > Mistletoe Magic (limited release), $8.99, 2.2% RS, Chardonnay/Cayuga White blend, very soft citrus and mango that goes on as long as a political speech, and a good value.

* Americana Vineyards > Apparition, $13.99, Cayuga/Vidal blend, semi-dry, green apple with balanced acidity into a long clean finish, very nice.

* Atwater Vineyards > 2006 Riesling, $17.00, 2.25% RS, layers of apricot, peach, and honey, excellent but pricey.

* Standing Stone Vineyards > 2005 Reserve Chardonnay, the best from 18 different lots, pear, vanilla, and beautiful oak. > 2006 Vidal Ice, layers of candied peach, apricot, and honey.

* Penguin Bay Winery > Golden Spumante Champagne, another excellent Diamond grape sparkler, pineapple citrus balanced with nice sweetness.

* Hazlitt 1852 > 2006 Riesling, $11.99, lots of fruit, perfectly balanced acidity and sweetness.

* Bloomer Creek Vineyard, a front-runner on my list for Winery of the Year > 2006 Riesling, 2% RS, beautifully balanced!!! > 2006 Cayuga White, $9.00, 3% RS, crisp and clean pineapple citrus into a long beautiful finish!

* Long Point Winery, Another contender for Winery of the Year, Long Point manages to craft a lighter style of wine without sacrificing fruit. > 2005 Chardonnay, $12.99, Fermented in French Oak, sweet vanilla and oak on the finish. > 2006 Semi-Dry Riesling, $12.99, 1.65% RS, very aromatic, melon and citrus, light but still lots of fruit. > 2006 Vidal Blanc, $8.99, 1.9% RS, very floral aromatics, layers of apricot and tropical fruits, an amazing value!

* Villa Bellangelo > 2006 Gewurztraminer, $17.99, 1.5% RS, a lighter style Gewurz but with sufficient fruit and excellent balance. > 2006 Riesling, $17.99, 2.0% RS, lots of pear in a lighter style semi-dry Riesling. > 2006 Bella Bianca, $9.99, 1.3% RS, Seyval/Vidal blend, very balanced with good acidity, excellent value.

* Dr. Frank > 2006 Dry Riesling, $17.99, Dr. Frank perfected it and continues to be the standard bearer for Finger Lakes Riesling, Classic! > 2006 Rkatsiteli, $24.99, Riesling-like citrus with a unique herbaceous quality, probably the most talked-about Finger Lakes wine of 2007. > Chateau Frank Celebre, $19.99, Riesling champagne, citrus and mineral with a touch of bubbly sweetness.

* Barrington Cellars > 2006 Semi-dry Riesling, $12.95, 2.5% RS, loads of fruit, well balanced honeyed lemon and mineral. > 2006 Kestral White, $8.95, .9% RS, Traminette, Lemon/Tangerine overtones with smooth spice at the finish. > 2004 Diamond, $7.79, 6.0% RS, grape and tangerine with a long sweet finish, excellent value.

* Seneca Shore Wine Cellars > Reserve Chardonnay, $13.99, lots of butter balanced with smooth oak into a long long finish.

* King Ferry Winery > Treleaven Semi-dry Riesling, $12.99, loads of peach and citrus with a kiss of sweetness

* Hermann J Wiemer Vineyard > Dry Riesling, .7% RS, $19.50, dry and crisp with beautiful mineral tones, Classic Wiemer!!!

* McGregor Vineyard > 2004 Sparkling Riesling, $24.99, 3.0% RS, a touch of sweetness balances the smooth acidity of this bubbly treat. > 2005 Late Harvest Vignoles, $19.99, fermented in French oak, light citrus blossoms on the nose, complex mango, pineapple, and honey on the tongue.

* Keuka Lake Vineyards > 2005 Delaware, $13.00, 1.0% RS, a unique dry and elegant Delaware, sweet banana and petrol on the nose, tropical characteristics into a crisp clean finish, a winner from this new Keuka Lake winery.

* Thirsty Owl Wine Co. > 2006 Riesling, $13.95, 2.25% RS, beautifully balanced lemon/lime overtones with soft mineral and sufficient sugars. > 2006 Diamond, $8.95, 5.5% RS, sweet pineapple and grape, delicious and an excellent value.

* Imagine Moore Winery > 2006 Peace- Pinot Gris, $16.99, .4% RS, 2 weeks in French oak and finished in stainless, very soft green apple with a touch of vanilla. > 2006 Love - Riesling, $14.99, 3.0% RS, Fresh floral aromas, very soft mouthfeel, peach and honeyed citrus. Great efforts right out of the gate from this new winery.

* White Springs Winery > Riesling Red Label, 4.5% RS, $12.99, Excellent sweeter style Riesling, Grapefruit, Apricot, and Pineapple with a nice bitey mineral finish to balance the sweetness.

* Anthony Road Wine Co. > 2006 Dry Riesling, $13.99, .6% RS, beautiful floral/citrus aroma, layers of flavor into a long delicious finish, great structure and body. > 2006 Semi-dry Riesling, $13.99, 1.9% RS, light grapefruit, pineapple, and lime with balanced acidity.

* Wagner Vineyards > Niagara, $6.99, 6% RS, If you like this native grape, THIS IS IT!, sweet and grapey, but very smooth.

* Prejean Winery > 2006 Gewurztraminer, $16.99, very floral aroma, firm and delicious with smooth spice on the finish, worth every penny.

* Chateau Lafayette Reneau > 2006 Chardonnay Reserve, $19.99, loads of fruit on the palate, smooth and balanced

* Damiani Wine Cellars > 2006 Chardonnay, $16.00, aged in French oak and stainless, lots of fruit with the perfect amount of oak for me and a hint of crisp citrus. > 2006 Riesling, $15.00, 1.75%RS, very fruit-forward, layers of citrus, peach, and apricot

* Silver Springs Winery > 2004 Cayuga White, very complex for a Cayuga White, layers of flavors into a long finish.

* Hickory Hollow > 2005 Cuvee Blanc, $13.49, .75%RS, 100% Chardonnay in Stainless, clean apple and citrus. > 2006 Gewurztraminer, $16.99, 1.5%RS, very complex citrus and bold but smooth spice.

* Fulkerson Winery > 2005 Chardonnay, $11.00, 0%RS, smooth oak with hints of vanilla and almond. > 2005 Diamond, $7.00, 4.3% RS, layered flavors of pineapple, tangerine, honey, and apple, an excellent value. > Centennial, $14.00, 9.8% RS, a unique dessert wine with tastes of sweet cherry and a hint of mint.

* Glenora Wine Cellars > Riesling, $13.99, 3.2% RS, citrus and honey, extremely well-balanced
> Peach Spumante, $11.99, 4.5% RS, sweet and bubbly with refreshing peach flavor.

* Lakewood Vineyards > 1006 Pinot Gris, $16.99, 1.8% RS, complex layers of apple, peach, and light citrus, this is Lakewood's first Pinot Gris and it is an amazing Pinot Gris! > 2005 Chardonnay, $12.99, vanilla, butter, and toasted oak into a long memorable finish. > Borealis, $13.99, 13% RS, a unique Concord ice wine, lots of candied strawberry.

It's soon time to start tasting again for 2008! I'm ready! My next post will reveal my Finger Lakes 2007 Winery of The Year. And Coming Soon will be my 2008 Finger Lakes Wine Preview. Stay Tuned.

Finger Lakes News & Notes - Jan. 26 2008

2008-01-26T15:04:00.000-05:00

Mrs Wino & I picked up some terrific bargains during the Seneca Lake Wine Trail's Bargain Bash weekends, like Wagner Alta B Blush for $3.99!!! Yessss!!! And as the days of winter draw on, the end of January lets me know that Spring is now not too far away. And I dream of those vats and barrels of Finger Lakes wine turning into delicious bottles that will be tasted soon. Ahhhhh.......

- This just in from NYWGF: At the San Francisco Wine Competition earlier this month "Swedish Hill Winery dominated the (New York) winners with both Best of Class accolades (White Doobie Blues and Viking Red), plus 4 of the Golds (those two plus 2006 Vidal Blanc 2005 Late Harvest Vignoles) and sister winery Goose Watch snagging a Gold for its Golden Spumante. Other Golds went to Chateau Lafayette Reneau 2006 Dry Riesling, Lucas Vineyards Two Boat Red, Prejean Winery 2006 Semi-Dry Riesling, and White Springs Winery 2006 Riesling Red Label." Many of My Favorites in this group, including that delicious Goose Watch Golden Spumante, made from the Diamond grape. See the complete competition results at http://www.winejudging.com/medal_winners_2008/277.htm

- Some beat the winter blues with Wine On Ice

- Finger Lakes grapes used in study, shows dental health benefits

- Super Bowl head coach grew up in the Finger Lakes area

- Report shows Finger Lakes tourism spending increased 5.9% in 2006

- Cayuga Lake Wine Trail kicks off 25th Anniversary with Mardi Gras event

- Check out the artists at The ARTS of the Southern Finger Lakes. Great Talent!!!

- The wintertime is a nice time to visit the Finger Lakes

- Cornell graduate doing well at Two Washington state wineries

- Rural Tourism Conference highlights ways for rural business to succeed

- Michigan wineries deal with rowdy wine tasting groups

- Hazlitt's Red Cat wine very popular with T3 Series Race car drivers

- Finger Lakes International Wine Competition dates are announced

- Finger Lakes born author writes book about champion horse

- FingerLakesWine.com has now posted all of Sheila Livadas' excellent Finger Lakes winery profiles. This is an excellent resource. I keep telling her that she should write a book of these profiles.

- Red Tail Ridge Winery has some furry Crew Members : )

- Local BnB owner reviews Finger Lakes wine at his Middle Finger Lakes Wine Guide website

Your Chance to Win a 4 Day Finger Lakes Getaway

2008-01-19T16:52:00.000-05:00

- Morgen Mclaughlin writes an excellent blog at the www.FingerLakesWineCountry.com
website and, just today, I see that she has posted that they are giving away a 4 day Getaway to The Finger Lakes with Lodging at The Inn at Glenora and the best wine, food, and sights that The Finger Lakes offers. The deadline to enter is April 15. Be sure to visit the Finger Lakes Wine Country Blog and enter.

Upcoming Finger Lakes Wine Events - Jan/Feb '08

2008-01-10T22:39:00.000-05:00

Check out the following upcoming Finger Lakes Wine Events:

Polar Passport, Dec 3 2007 - Apr 13 2008
Seneca Lake Wine Trail
Visit the Trail during the best time of year: the off season! At only $10 plus tax, the Polar Passport gives residents and visitors alike a convenient and affordable way to enjoy many of the wineries on the Seneca Lake Wine Trail. http://www.senecalakewine.com/

Between the Lakes Winter Wine Party, Jan 12
Join the participating wineries between Cayuga and Seneca Lake for Winter Fun! Come and enjoy hor d'oeuvres and wine tastings.

Bargain Bash, Jan 12 - Jan 21
Seneca Lake Wine Trail
Unlike our other events, this week long sales event does not require tickets. Think of Bargain Bash as being like a big, Trail-wide spring cleaning, garage sale! Me & Mrs. Wino will be out on the Trail hunting for bargains this weekend. http://www.senecalakewine.com/

January White Sale, Jan 12 - Jan 13, Noon - 5:00 PM
at Swedish Hill Vineyard
Stock up for those long winter days with your favorite white wines!
http://www.swedishhill.com/

Winter Wine-Speak at the Creek, Jan 19, Noon - 1:00 PM
at Six Mile Creek Vineyard
Improve your palate, vocabulary, and overall wine knowledge. Classes are suited for both seasoned and novice wine lover. Call to reserve. 800-260-0612. 12:00-1:00PM. http://www.sixmilecreek.com/

Wine On Ice, Jan 25 - Jan 26
Session I: Friday 5:30pm – 9:00pm, Session II: Saturday 12:00pm – 4:00pm
Session III: Saturday 5:30pm – 9:00pm
Take part in a wonderful way for the Finger Lakes area to take the edge off the chilly evenings. Held at First Arena in Elmira, participants are invited into the building to take to the ice to sample some of the area's premier wines. Entertainment will fill the air as local restaurants fill tummies and local craft businesses filled the shopping bags of this year's attendees. Check back often for details so you don't miss this wonderful winter tradition!
First Arena, North Main & Gray Streets, Elmira, NY 14901
Website: http://www.wineonice.com/

On Saturday January 26, from 12:00 to 5:00 PM, McGregor Vineyard Winery is holding their annual Robbie Burns Day Celebration. This is a great way to beat the winter blues and celebrate all things Scottish! The vineyard and winery are located on the east side of Keuka Lake in the heart of the Finger Lakes and has a beautiful view of the Keuka Lake Bluff. Traditional Scottish foods are being prepared and samples will be offered to visitors to compliment their wine tasting. Local harpist Trudy Moon will perform during the event from 1-4 pm. This event also serves as a fundraiser for the Manor Nursing Home in Penn Yan , NY .
There is a nominal charge of $10 per person/$18 per couple ($8/$15 for McGregor Clan Club Members) which includes the food and wine samples, a souvenir McGregor wine glass and $1 of this fee per person is donated directly to the Manor Nursing Home in Penn Yan. For additional information on this event or others, please call the winery at 1-800-272-0192 or 607-292-3999. www.mcgregorwinery.com

VILLAGE TAVERN MARDI GRAS WEEKEND CELEBRATION & COSTUME PARTY
February 1st - 3rd, 2008 (Friday - Sunday) Here's the deal! Our famous Cajun cuisine starts on Thursday and the party weekend starts on
Friday with live music, costumes, beads, trinket and doubloons.
Don't miss our Saturday Mardi Gras Wine Tour.
Meet at the Village Tavern Saturday (February 2nd) morning for the New Orleans style continental breakfast, board the buses decked out with beads & leis, be escorted to the wineries on Seneca Lake with lunch included along the way!
You'll be back in time for the Parade (that's at 4:15) and the evening entertainment!
Seating is limited and will sell out FAST. So call to get your tickets right away! 607-569-2528
The winery tour is a prepay event of $55.99 per person and the event is held rain, shine, sleet or snow!
Village Tavern, Hammondsport NY

Mardi Gras at the Wineries, Feb 2, 9:00 AM
Cayuga Wine Trail
Start your Super Bowl weekend by joining us at our 6th Annual Mardi Gras event. This year we're starting this event an hour earlier at 9:00am so you'll have plenty of time to visit the east side wineries. When you visit King Ferry and Long Point wineries you'll receive a festive Mardi Gras mask plus Mardi Gras beads. Throughout the day you’ll receive strings of Mardi Gras beads, a wine glass, a chance to win exciting prizes, plus a wine and food sample at each of the 16 wineries. Participants are eligible to win one of our Grand Prizes by turning in your ticket at the end of the event. Grand prizes are a wine refrigerator stocked with a sampler case of wine, a two night stay at A Wicher Garden Bed & Breakfast redeemed during our Holiday Shopping Spree event and a $50.00 dinner gift certificate from Maxi's Supper Club and Oyster Bar.
Gift Certificates are available for all our events. Tickets can be purchased at any Wegmans store through their That's the Ticket Program at their Customer Service desk( used to be able to purchase at the Video Dept.).
Cayuga Wine Trail, NY
800.684.5217
Website: http://www.cayugawinetrail.com/

Be Mine With Red WIne, Feb 9 - Feb 10, Noon - 5:00 PM
at Goose Watch Winery
Sweetheart of a Red Sale! Surprise your special Valentine with some of our delicious Reds! Numerous red wine discounts. Noon - 5:00PM.
5480 Route 89, Romulus, NY 14541
315-549-2599
Website: http://www.goosewatch.com/

Chocolate & Wine Weekend, Feb 9 - Feb 10
Seneca Lake Wine Trail
Enjoy a self-guided tour around beautiful Seneca Lake. Pick up your gift item at your assigned starting winery then start sampling chocolates, or foods prepared with chocolate, creatively matched with their wines. Tickets-$25.00 http://www.senecalakewine.com/

Chocolate Wine and Roses, Feb 9 - Feb 10
at Americana Vineyards
A free rose, with purchase, for the ladies. Experience our wines paired with chocolate desserts.
4367 East Covert RoadInterlaken, NY 14847
607.387.6801
888.600.8067
Website: http://www.americanavineyards.com/

Sweet Sensation Weekend, Feb 9 - Feb 10, 9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
at Cobblestone Farm Winery
Experience our wine, chocolate, and other sweet treats.
Contact Information
5102 Route 89Romulus, NY 14541
315.549.8797
Website: http://www.cobblestonefarmwinery.com/

MadderLake Cafe Wine Tasting Group. One Sunday each month the MadderLake Cafe will feature great wine, food, and conversation. Our tasting group will feature at least one guest winemaker or wine professional from the area. The wines will be tasted blind and rated by the group with discussion to follow. It’s a great way to exercise your palate and to be introduced to wines that you might never taste otherwise. Everyone is invited to attend from beginning wine lovers to professionals – there will be something for everyone! Each guest will bring one bottle of wine of their choice that follows the parameters of the tasting (not to exceed $15.00 in cost). We will include a few of our favorite wines, set up the tasting and provide appetizers throughout the evening. The tasting is limited to 14 guests and the cost is $15.00/each plus the bottle of wine. Jan. 27th – New world reds from Argentina, Chile, Spain, New Zealand, and Australia Feb. 17th – Pinot Noir from around the World, March 16th – Dry white wines from the Finger Lakes and North America For information, call at 315-781-2424 or email at madderlakecafe@verizon.net http://www.madderlakecafe.com/madderevents.html

The New York Wine & Culinary Center has a variety of Wine & Food Classes and Events. Click here for their schedule.

Surprising Wine Survey

2008-01-05T13:53:00.000-05:00

In the most recent Wine Press newsletter, the excellent and informative e-newsletter that is published by The New York Wine & Grape Foundation, a new survey from WineOpinions was highlighted. It showed that, "among frequent wine consumers, the lingering perception that Riesling is “a sweet white wine” diminished their appreciation of the wine and their interest in trying it. Overall, German Rieslings were most highly rated and New York Rieslings the lowest despite (New York Rieslings') consistent winnings in major wine competitions and critical acclaim among wine critics". The Wine Press went on to say that "This may well be due to the fact that New York wines have very limited distribution, so many of the respondents may not have actually tried them."

But although it is troubling in itself that Riesling still retains this "sweet white" perception, that's not the part that surprised me the most. I visited the http://www.wineopinions.com/ website and perused some of the 'sample' survey data that is available for free (you must pay to get the full research).

The survey results for one of the questions was a bit shocking to me. The question was "On a wine label, a year like 2001 refers to ...", with the possible answers being

- Year grapes were harvested

- Year wine was made

- Year wine was bottled

- Don't Know

Did you choose the correct answer?

In the Marginal Wine Consumer group, 46% Incorrectly answered "Year Wine was Bottled", and only 21% Correctly answered "Year Grapes Harvested". In the Core Wine Consumer Group, 28% answered Incorrectly, and overall one-third of the respondents answered Incorrectly. Furthermore, only 44% of the Core Group and 45% of the Marginal Group answered that the Wine Vintage date is "Very Important".

Maybe I've become too much of a wine geek, but it seems as though this should be basic wine information that most wine consumers should know and this should be very important information to them for a variety of reasons, including for correct aging information, for validating that the bottle contains (per law) the majority of the grape as labeled, and for correct vintage researching of the growing conditions and harvest quality for that year. Maybe I'm making too big of a deal out of this, but if you disagree or agree, please send me your comments.

To see how much wine knowledge that you have, here are some fun wine quizzes to try:

http://www.wineeducation.com/quiz/quiz.html

http://www.wineintro.com/fun/quiz/wine/

http://www.graperadio.com/wine-quiz/

http://www.quizmoz.com/quizzes/Liquor-Quizzes/w/Wine-Quiz.asp

http://www.bbr.com/wine-knowledge/quiz.lml

http://splendidtable.publicradio.org/souptonuts/wine_wineexam.shtml (All of you should answer Question #40 correctly!!!)

http://www.copydesk.org/quizzes/quiz59.htm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/quiz/questions/0,5961,1579424,00.html