By Donavan Hall, Beer Columnist While I've been off promoting my new book, The Beer Hall Guide to Long Island, the beer scene has been moving and shaking. There are many opportunities coming up and going on where the beer-curious drinker to find and taste some excellent beers and to improve their beer knowledge. The Long Island Beer and Malt Enthusiasts are now hosting a series of beer "study" sessions (once a month on a Thursday, see the Long Island Beer Calendar) where beer experts and novices come together at one table to taste and discuss the history and qualities…
Posts Written OnOctober 2008
Wine Bloggers Conference 2008: Leaving on a jet plane…
Tomorrow morning I'll be on a flight from JFK to Oakland, where I'll hop in a rental car to drive north to Santa Rosa to attend the first annual Wine Bloggers Conference this weekend. Normally on a trip such as this one, I'd be warning you about a period of blog silence, but I plan to be doing regular updates throughout the day and then also in the evenings. It's going to be a lot of fun meeting (in person) many of the people I've gotten to know as a part of the wine blog community over the years. I'm…
Bottling Reds at Shaw Vineyard
By Jason Feulner, Finger Lakes Correspondent Although Ravines Wine Cellars is located on Keuka Lake, owner-winemaker Morten Hallgren crafts his wines using space at Shaw Vineyard, located a few miles to the east on Seneca Lake. Hallgren and Steve Shaw, winemaker and owner of Shaw Vineyard, work independently but of course try to coordinate production schedules to enhance services and manpower. Before the fall harvest, Steve Shaw invited me over to the winery to watch as he bottled some of the reds wines from both wineries. I was interested to check it out because both winemakers use a mobile bottling…
The Last Long Island Chardonnay is In
Actually, I don’t know for sure that the block of chardonnay that Wolffer Estate Vineyards’ Richie Pisacano harvested earlier this week was the very last bit of chardonnay to be harvested, but he certainly let it hang longer than most… if not everyone else. Why wait so long? I think what Richie told me yesterday says it all: "Yes, chardonnay is off and beautiful. This Dijon block always gets me pumped. I think of it as a great example of the right variety/clone/rootstock on the perfect spot that crosses the finish line every year. Keep a look out for the…
Breaking News: Snow in Finger Lakes Wine Country
I just heard, through our very own Melissa Dobson, that it is snowing in the Finger Lakes today, with more snow expected tomorrow and later this week. That means that there will be a LOT of harvesting today. I’ll keep you posted as I hear and learn more.
Wine Bloggers Conference 2008: The New York Wines
I leave for Wine Bloggers Conference 2008 Friday morning, but it almost feels like I’m already there because Melissa Dobson and I have been working with wineries from throughout New York to compile a bunch of New York wines for us to pour while we’re in Santa Rosa for the event. There are still a few stragglers coming in, but we’ve finally been able to finalize most of the wines that will be available. From the Finger Lakes, we will have: Dr. Frank’s Vinifera Wine Cellars & Chateau Frank 2007 Gewürztraminer Sheldrake Point Vineyard 2006 Riesling Hosmer Winery 2007 Vintners…
How Will Riesling Clone N90 Improve Riesling Quality?
By Melissa Dobson, Finger Lakes News Correspondent As a follow up to Lenn’s mention of Dr. Konstantin Frank Wine Cellars’ announcement of the release of Riesling Clone N90, I had the opportunity to interview Frederick Frank, President of Dr. Frank’s, to get more detail on the project and its significance. Melissa Dobson: Tell me about how the Riesling Clone N90 project was created. Frederick Frank: After experiencing several record cold winters in 2003 and 2004 my father, Willy, and I discussed pursuing the importation of some virus-free clone N90 riesling vines from the Neustadt Research Station in Germany. We wanted…
LENNDEVOURS Wine Bar: The Thank Yous
Yesterday’s LENNDEVOURS Wine Bar event at Roanoke Vineyards was a great success… and a lot of fun to boot. I should know in the next couple of day just how much money we raised, but we had 45 or so people join us and I think (hope) that everyone had a great time. I have a short list of "thank yous" to offer: To Roanoke Vineyards for letting us hold the event in their newly renovated back room. It’s a great space and I hope to host (and attend) more events there in the future. Thanks Rich and Soraya. To…
LENNDEVOURS Wine Bar @ Roanoke Vineyards, Today 2 – 5 p.m.
In just a few hours, we’ll be kicking off the first LENNDEVOURS Wine Bar event at Roanoke Vineyards, benefiting the Peconic Land Trust. The initial plan was to hold the event in Roanoke’s separate Tasting House, which is right next door to the tasting room. I’m happy to report that we’ve outgrown that space and will now be in the newly renovated back room behind the main tasting room. Late yesterday morning, our RSVP list had grown to 42 people. Tickets are still available, but will be $15 at the door rather than $10 when purchased ahead of time. We’ve…
Twisted Oak Winery 2006 River of Skulls (Calaveras County)
When it comes to Halloween, wine isn’t the first thing you think about. Okay, with things like jack-o-lanterns, costumes, candy, trick or treating and the like on the table, it’s probably not the second, third or fourth thing either. But, I’ve found one wine that should be on the bar at any (adult) Halloween party, if there really is such a thing. And it doesn’t even come from New York. It hails from a lesser-known region of California called Calaveras County and a unique producer called Twisted Oak Winery, a winery that eschews the grapes California is best known for,…