Golden Nose- Part 2

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

- 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

- 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

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

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

-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

- 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

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

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

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

- 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

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

- 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

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

- 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

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

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

- 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

- 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

- 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

- 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

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

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

- 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

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.