Today we celebrate not only Easter but also the 2,000th post on LENNDEVOURS. And what better way to celebrate both than to post a couple pictures from those that inspire this blog the most — Jackson, head sous chef in the LENNDEVOURS kitchen (and quite an Easter egg hunter as you can see) and, Nena the executive pastry chef in the LENNDEVOURS kitchen. A bit of her rice cereal work at right. Our Easter egg hunt complete, I'm working on my first-ever batch of pancakes (usually the pastry chef makes 'em), shirred eggs and (of course) bacon. Then, Nena…
Posts Written OnApril 2009
Martha Clara Vineyards 2007 Himmel
By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher They don't always get a lot of attention, but there are quite a few late harvest and ice-style wines being made on Long Island. I say "ice-style" because the local versions of those wines are typically harvested long before they freeze on the vine, frozen in commercial freezers and pressed from there. This wine, Martha Clara Vineyards 2007 Himmel ($31) is one of those commercially frozen wines, made with 60% riesling and 40% Gewurztraminer from the producer's own vines. What works about the best local dessert wines is acidity to balance out all of…
I Met My Farmer Last Week. Have You Met Yours?
By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Correspondent Let me start by saying that I love animals, but I also love to eat them. I appreciate the dichotomy of finding cows lovable and delicious. I am nauseated by the horrific treatment of cows, pigs and chickens, among other animals, but it's always been easiest to simply not think about such treatment. This week that abrogation of duty ended for me. On a crisp but sunny afternoon I drove down to Romulus (located between Seneca and Cayuga lakes) to meet Tim Haws, the farmer and owner of Autumn's Harvest Farm. It was not…
Damiani Wine Cellars 2007 Cabernet Franc
I'm not sure when I first stumbled upon my now-friend Dave Honig's blog, 2 Days per Bottle, but I do know that it changed the way that I taste and review wines. I've always frowned upon the "power tasting" that some publications employ — tasting wines in rapid succession, in a near-clinical environment, spending no more than a few minutes with each wine. Instead, I have always preferred to taste wines over the course of an evening, with and without dinner or other food, to evaluate them in a way more similar to how people actually drink wine. But Dave's…
New York Wine News and Notes (4/8/09)
There's a lot going on in New York wine country these days, so I thought I'd put together a post with some of the highlights: First, I'd like to offer congratulations to Greene Grape Wine Company, my partners in the New York Cork Club, for being named “Wine and Spirits Retailer of the Year” by the New York State Wine and Grape Foundation. I'd like to think that the NYCC had a lot to with them winning. In case you missed it, Appellation America posted an interview that I did with Thomas Laszlo of Heron Hill Winery on Keuka Lake:…
The Grapes of Roth 2003 Merlot
Roman Roth, the German-born winemaker at Wolffer Estate and Roanoke Vineyards, released the first wine under his own The Grapes of Roth label in the summer of 2006. That 2001 merlot, was a beautiful wine from one of Long Island's best vintages. It also received a 91-point score from Wine Advocate. His 2002, which garnered a 92-point score, will probably prove to be the longer lived of the two. Last weekend, I tasted the newly released The Grapes of Roth 2003 Merlot ($50) for the first time. While not without its own merits, it just doesn't stand up to the…
Debating Wine Store Sales: Selling by Geography vs. Selling by Variety
By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Correspondent In an innocuous Facebook status update, Finger Lakes Wine Country's Morgen McLaughlin asked this question: "Would New York wines sell better if stores merchandised by varietals instead of regions?" The question engendered a quick burst of responses. My initial thought was that the answer is yes, but I admit I haven't thought much about it. What do you think? I answered in the affirmative because I see so many wine stores that have turned New York wines into the quiet pariah of the retail world, shoved unceremoniously into the corner. Many wine store owners…
Wine Jobs: Seasonal Positions at Heron Hill Winery
Heron Hill Winery is hiring. They are looking for energetic, enthusiastic people to fill seasonal openings in our tasting hall, gift shop and café. Wine knowledge is preferable but we are willing to train those who are ready to learn. Flexible schedules are available May through October. Contact Paul Wilson at 800-441-4241, ext# 25, or email paul.wilson@heronhill.com.
Red Newt Cellars 2007 Curry Creek Vineyards Pinot Gris
Most of the pinot gris coming out of the Finger Lakes (or Long Island for that matter) is mediocre at best, barely a step up from the lemon-water pinot grigio that you'll find at most every bar and restaurant. As with every wine generalization, there are exceptions of course. For instance, I almost always like Channing Daughters Winery's Pinot Grigio and now I can add a second wine to the "good New York pinot gris/grigio" list: Red Newt Cellars 2007 Curry Creek Vineyards 2007 Pinot Gris ($24) Right out of the fridge (when the wine was over-chilled) this wine wasn't…
Quick Q&A with Peter Bell, Winemaker, Fox Run Vineyards
Peter Bell, winemaker at Fox Run Vineyards, probably needs little (if any) introduction to LENNDEVOURS readers. He perhaps more than any other Finger Lakes winemaker, joins discussions on this blog regularly. And yet, I still learned something when I asked him our standard set of questions, including his disdain for unfiltered wines. What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking? It must have been Mateus Rosé, in the early 1970s, in Toronto. I don’t recall enjoying it that much, but that’s what everyone drank. I think the tiny bubbles irritated me on an existential level. For…