Posts Written OnJanuary 2008

Next Cask Night at Deks: Oakham Bishop’s Farewell

By Donavan Hall, Beer Columnist A firkin of Oakham Bishops Farewell has just arrived in the US.  This particular firkin is reserved for thirsty Long Island beer enthusiasts. It will be tapped at Deks in Rocky Point on Friday, February 8. For the last few months Deks has played host to a series of cask nights instigated by the nascent Long Island Malt and Beer Enthusiasts, an organization devoted to the promotion of craft beer culture on Long Island.  I was very happy to see Lenn at the last cask night. (That cask night is also the subject of the…

Finger Lakes Pioneer Donates Books to Cornell Wine Library

Everyone knows that Dr. Konstantin Frank and the winery he founded blazed a trail for East Coast wine. But he was also the owner an extremely extensive book collection, which has been donated to Cornell University. In doing so, the Frank family has made Cornell’s viticulture and winemaking collection at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station’s Lee Library one of the best in the country. The Konstantin Frank family book donation consists of 132 titles, composed of 19th and 20th century titles on a wide variety of topics including horticulture, plant science, viticulture, enology, chemistry, nature, history and literature…

Vineyard Visuals: Wolffer Estate Through the Seasons (January 12)

It’s been a little while since our resident photographer, Ellen Watson, sent a photo update of our little block of Wolffer Estate chardonnay. We’ve had a lot of dreary weather when Ellen was out that way, and as you can see, we still haven’t had any snow that is sticking long. There is something about vineyards this time of year that I find so appealing. I actually think I find them more attractive now than when they are lush and over-flowing with green and grapes. Maybe it’s the fact that they are sleeping now, preparing to bring us great wines…

Finger Lakes Harvest 2007: Excellent for Reds, Hopeful for Whites

By Finger Lakes Correspondent Jason Feulner  "The intense flavors just burst in your mouth," explains Phil Davis of Damiani Wine Cellars, describing the qualities of the red vinifera grapes he harvested and tasted in the fall of 2007. "The juice is dark and complex and shows a lot of potential." Davis is one of many Finger Lakes winemakers who are extolling the virtues of the 2007 harvest, which they claim may lead to one of the best Finger Lakes vintages in many years. The weather certainly was unique. A dry spring led to a very dry summer; the growing season…

Tumasonis Cellars is Born

So last year I made some (6 cases to be precise) un-oaked cabernet franc at Raphael out in Peconic. I had "my" own row of vines that I didn’t spend as much time caring for as I had hoped, but the vineyard crew took care of it for me. I did, however, harvest the grapes myself over the course of four back-breaking hours, crushed and de-stemmed the fruit via a hand-cranked machine, and inoculated the result with a strain of yeast popular in the Loire Valley. Then Jackson was born and I missed out on bottling altogether. Oh well, there’s…

Firkin Friday @ Deks a Huge Success

Home brew champion and LENNDEVOURS contributing columnist Donavan Hall has been inviting me to local beer-related events for some time now. In fact, he’d say that it’s been 4 years. I’m not so sure that it’s been that long, but it had been way too long before I finally took him up on it and attended Firkin Friday at Deks in Rocky Point, NY on Friday night. Those in attendance enjoyed the Smuttynose Shoals Pale Ale on cask, as well as several other terrific brews. It was a pleasure to meet fellow members of the Long Island Beer & Malt…

We have a Wine Chick now…one of the originals

If you’ve been dipping your toe in the wine blogging pool for very long knows "The Wine Chicks,"one of the most irreverent wine blogs around. You may have also noticed that The Wine Chicks seem to have flown the coop — the blog has been on hiatus for a while now. Jay, one of the founding chicks, has let me know that it will be revived in the future, but in the meantime, I’m happy to report that she will be joining the LENNDEVOURS team as a special contributor. I know that Jay has a lot of fans out there,…

Long Island Wine Needs a Book. And I’m the Man to Write it.

I’ve been toying with the idea of writing a book about Long Island wine for some time. But, between buying a house a couple years back, having a baby, etc. I just haven’t had the time. Okay, who am I kidding? I could have made it a priority, but just didn’t. But, as I look around at the region, there is a dire need for a tome that gives Long Island wine country its due. One that touches on the history, focuses on the present and looks to the future. A book that talks about what makes Long Island unique…