By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief This week's Q&A is our first from someone in the western New York wine region. Today, we chat with grape grower Wendy Dunst. From 1999 to 2001, she and her husband Rick converted a Concord vineyard to a three acre wine grape vineyard in the heart of the Lake Erie region in Sheridan, NY. Operating under the name Piranha Vineyards, Wendy and Rick grow pinot gris, shiraz, cabernet sauvignon and carménère. They are also accidental growers of pinot noir due to a mix-up in the nursery, growing just enough to fill a single barrel. Wendy has…
Posts Written OnOctober 2009
Video: Wolffer Estate Vineyards and Winemaker Roman Roth on the Today Show
Standing Stone Vineyards: Ice Wine in the Banana Belt
By Jason Feulner, Finger Lakes Correspondent Standing Stone Vineyards is located on the southeastern shore of Seneca Lake in the so-called "banana belt" of the Finger Lakes. This stretch of lakefront, which encompasses several major and well-known wineries, is said by some winemakers to have temperatures that can sometimes range a few degrees warmer than the surrounding area, either enhancing ripening or staving off killer cold. During a recent visit, I was surprised to learn that Standing Stone is at the every epicenter of this warm area. Tucked away in a barn sits an old sign that signifies a very rich history: "Gold Seal Seneca Lake Vinifera Vineyards." "Yes, this was…
2009 Harvest Update: Solving Ripening Mysteries at Ravines Wine Cellars
Ravines Wine Cellars pinot noir being pressed By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor Photos courtesy of Ravines Wine Cellars Morten Hallgren thinks he might be close to solving one of the viticultural mysteries of the Finger Lakes. Hallgren, the owner and winemaker of Ravines Wine Cellars on Keuka Lake, purchases grapes from a handful of prized sites. One of them, Harvest Ridge Vineyards on the east side of Seneca Lake, has seen ripening happen at a very fast pace over the past several vintages. This year is no different; grower Chris Verrill's riesling was showing 20.5 brix when many other…
New York Cork Club (New York Wine Club): October 2009 Selections
By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief What is the New York Cork Club? It's a New York wine club that I run with Greene Grape Wine in Brooklyn that puts the best, most interesting and often hardest-to-get New York wines in the hands of New York wine lovers. You can learn more here, but the basics are simple. I taste a lot of New York wines every week. The ones that stand out often find their way into the monthly shipments of two wines. Monthly costs vary depending on the wines I pick, but it's never more than $60 (plus shipping) for…
Onabay Vineyards 2007 Wild Ferment Chardonnay
By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief Even with the release of its 2007 wines, its second vintage, Onabay Vineyards, remains firmly under the radar of most local wine lovers. But they are a winery worth keeping an eye on for a number of reasons. Their vineyard is mature — 18 years old — and is managed by industry veteran Steve Mudd. The wines are made by another local vet, Bruce Schneider, a fellow cabernet franc fanatic and owner of Schneider Vineyards. Beyond Mudd and Schneider, Onabay is a family affair. The Anderson family owns the 180-acre farm that houses the vineyard and…
Leonard Oakes Winery: Going Those Extra Few Miles for Great Niagara Wines
Leonard Oakes Winery's winemaker Jonathan Oakes By Bryan Calandrelli, Niagara Escarpment Editor Tasting notes by Julia Burke Leonard Oakes Winery has remained somewhat under the radar here in the Niagara wine region. Lying just outside the Niagara County border a few miles into Orleans County, this young winery hasn’t yet benefited from the busy traffic that makes it to the Lockport/Cambria area wineries in the middle of the trail. To be honest, I’m just as guilty as the rest of them because I’d only been there once since they opened – that is, until Jonathan Oakes called me last month…
Hudson Valley Wine Video: 2009 Hudson Valley Wine Competition Winners Dinner
What We Drank (October 19, 2009)
Visit a winery during the harvest season and you're bound to find beer — often a keg. Well, after putting together this week's What We Drank, it is clear to me that it must be harvest season — even the wine writers are drinking beer. From Bryan Calandrelli: Ithaca Brewing Company Cascazilla Red Ale They say it takes a lot of beer to make good wine. Well I'm following their advice this week with all the crushing, punching down and pressing going on. My fellow Niagara NYCR contributor enthusiastically recommended Ithaca Brewing Co.'s Cascazilla Red Ale. With a sweet Irish…
2009 Harvest Update: Accepting the Challenge at Fox Run Vineyards
By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor If you get the sense that most Finger Lakes growers and winemakers would prefer never to see a vintage similar to this one again, you might also get the idea that Fox Run Vineyards winemaker Peter Bell enjoys the challenge. An answer man who is one of the most respected in the region, Bell is not trying to spin 2009 into 2007 or 2008. "This is a challenge," he said this weekend as the winery continued its typical frantic harvest pace. "Sugars are a bit low and acids are a bit high. But if…