Just a few notes this morning, though I think you’ll be seeing more about the first two items here on LENNDEVOURS this week.

  • The kudos for Finger Lakes Region riesling just keep coming, this time in a report by James Molesworth of the Wine Spectator. Several wines did well, even if personally, I’ve found the 07 rieslings inconsistent. It was a super hot year in the region and some of the trademark acidity seems to be missing from some wines. I’d point you to the WS piece online, but I don’t expect you to pay to read it. Instead, you can read the highlights on the Finger Lakes Wine Country Travel blog.
  • I’m glad to see that Ravines Wine Cellars is on the top of this list. I really liked that riesling too… enough that I included it in last month’s New York Cork Club shipment. Of course, it has to be frustrating to Finger Lakes winemakers that WS still refuses to rate even their best riesling as a 90 or above. Other glossy magazines have recognized the region’s quality, but WS refuses too. It’s curious, really, given that most the rest of the wine world knows that America’s best riesling is being made in the Finger Lakes.
  • Mark Miller, founder of Benmarl Vineyards in the Hudson Valley region of New York, passed away at the age of 89 earlier this month after being sick for quite some time. Miller is considered a pioneer in the region. He founded Benmarl in 1957. You can read more here.
  • Fellow blogger, and friend, Richard of The Passionate Foodie spent a little time in North Fork Wine country last week, visiting and reviewing the wines of Raphael, Roanoke Vineyards and Paumanok Vineyards.
  • I also stumbled upon a somewhat new blog written by Tim Martinson of the Cornell University Cooperative Extension.