Posts Written OnJune 2009

The LENNDEVOURS Tasting Table (June 21, 2009)

I've been a bit slow tasting through samples of late, but here are a few wines that I have tasted but will not receive full published reviews. All five are varietal chardonnay, and while some are well made, none was particularly interesting or inspiring. Brooklyn Oenology 2007 Chardonnay ($17): Nose of pineapple, peach, vanilla and light citrus. 80% ML retains fresh acidity to with mango, pineapple, lemon and toasted nuts. Light oak touch and creamy vanilla on mid-palate. Decent finish. Favorite of the family members I tasted with. Rating: (3 out of 5 | Recommended) Pellegrini Vineyards East End Selection…

Snapshot from Niagara Wine Country

  By Bryan Calandrelli, Niagara Escarpment Correspondent I took this photo while heading towards Lewiston to pick up a picnic table for the farm. There are hundreds of scenes like this up here and I am finding new ones everyday. The tree line above is the top of the Niagara Escarpment and the vineyards just below represent the potential of this area to me. I’ve never noticed this vineyard before, and I couldn’t even tell you what road to take to get up there. From what I can tell these are native vines, probably Niagara, growing in what would be…

Video: Anthony Road Wine Co: Noble Rot, High Brix Levels Present in 2008 Dessert Wines

By Melissa Dobson, Finger Lakes News Correspondent Last Saturday, Rich and I attended the 7th Annual Martini-Reinhardt Selection Grazing Gala at Anthony Road Wine Company. From our first trip to visit the winery last fall, the crisp, clean lineup of wines and the welcoming personalities behind them pushed them to our list of favorites here in the Finger Lakes. That’s no small feat considering that we have encountered a good amount of nice wines and friendly people along the way. What continues to impress me is the laser-sharp focus and vision of winemaker Johannes Reinhardt.  Johannes is soft-spoken with an…

Shinn Estate Vineyards in the New York Times

By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher Eric Asimov, chief wine critic for New York Times, has long been interested in Long Island wine, particularly Long Island merlot. He has previously said that Long Island makes some of the best merlot in America. In his column this week, he writes about a recent visit to Shinn Estate Vineyards in Mattituck, NY. It's a great piece that I think accurately depicts the winery's place in the Long Island wine world. It will come as no surprise to many of my fellow wine bloggers (the ones who came to TasteCamp anyway) that one…

Wine Blogging Wednesday #59 Announced: WBW #59: An Homage to Kushi no Kami

The 59th edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday, hosted by The Passionate Foodie, is an homage to Kushi no Kami. Not sure what that is? I have no idea what it is that's why it's just the kind of WBW theme that inspired the event in the first place — a forced exploration of a region or type of wine that is new or unknown. So who or what is Kushi no Kami? Turns out that it's an ancient name for the god of Saké. I've had Saké exactly once in my life and it was cheap, warm stuff at a…

What We Drank (6/16/09)

This week,we have four contributions to What We Drank, including the first from Sasha Smith. I wanted to mention something this week, badly, but there wasn't anything that I drank over the weekend that inspired me enough, sadly. More on that later this week I think.  From Bryan Calandrelli: Freedom Run Winery Celebration Series Rosé This weekend called for a simple, easy to drink wine that I could open up for my family at the picnic table. I didn't need to look any further than my fridge thanks to this Freedom Run Celebration Series Rosé. Now I know you may…

Paumanok Vineyards Protecting Consumers Against Counterfeit Wines

By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher Today, Paumanok Vineyards and Applied DNA Sciences announced a partnership created with the goal of protecting consumers against the growing problem of counterfeit wines. From the press release: "Counterfeiting is a problem known to have a significant impact in the wine and spirits trade," said Applied DNA Sciences CEO James Hayward. “We are delighted to be working with Paumanok to ensure that their products continue to be enjoyed and valued by retailers and consumers.” "Paumanok, wines are highly valued around the country due to high demand and limited availability," said Charles Massoud, Proprietor, Paumanok.…

Olde Saratoga IPA

By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist While debating what beer I should review for my ignaugural LENNDEVOURS post, I decided to combine Lenn's love of India Pale Ales and my location in Albany, NY. With that in mind, I came up with the recently released IPA from the Olde Saratoga Brewing Company. Olde Saratoga may be best known for all of the contract brewing that they do for both local and out-of-state breweries, but they produce their own line of tasty brews.    The Olde Saratoga Brewing Company IPA pours a clear, orange copperish color with a thumb-width white head.  The nose offers up a…

Shinn Estate Vineyards 2005 Nine Barrel Merlot

By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher As you've read here and elsewhere, to tell the story of the 2005 vintage is really to tell two separate tales — one before the October deluge and one after. That deluge lasted eight days and dumped as many as 20 inches of rain on some vineyards. Some wineries weren't willing to risk waiting, harvesting their reds before the rains hit. One even stopped picking chardonnay, leaving it to the elements, to pick reds.  The before-or-after decision wasn't a simple one, nor was it one-dimensional. If you waited until after the rains, how long…

Notes on Ravines and Wolffer at I Drink NY Astor Place Event

By Sasha Smith, New York City Correspondent Photo by Sasha Smith A few weeks ago I attended the first annual Winebow "I Drink New York" event at Astor Wines featuring Ravines Wine Cellars, Wolffer Estate Vineyards and Millbrook Vineyards. I focused on Ravines, which I knew little about (aside from the fact that Lenn's a fan) and Wolffer. A brief dispatch: A good wine is like a good thriller: it should hold your attention throughout and finish with a surprise. The Ravines Wine Cellars 2007 Dry Riesling fulfilled both criteria. The wine has a mineral and citrus fruit purity that’s…