By Tom Mansell, Science Editor Have you ever smelled grape juice? Not Concord or Niagara juice but grape must that's about to become wine? It doesn't smell like much. It's kind of like fresh mown grass. How does this relatively un-aromatic juice evolve into complex, aromatic wine? Most everybody's grapes are in (except for the ice wine grapes) and it's now time for winemakers to figure out how best to turn their grapes into quality wine. Surprisingly, magic is not involved. Now in the spirit of Harvest Winespeak last month, In this edition of Winespeak, we'll explore some terms and…
Posts Written OnNovember 19, 2009
Brooklyn Brewery Brown Ale
By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist Brooklyn Brewery is widely considered one of the best breweries in New York State, and with good reason. In addition to making great craft beer, the brewery is credited with being one of the pioneers of craft beer in the empire state. And, while their Brooklyn Lager is their flagship beer, one of my favorite beers is their Brooklyn Brown Ale. Brooklyn Brown poured a dark brown color with a tan head. The nose was nice and clean and gives off light malt and hops. The first sip was sweet with a hint of caramel. The middle is…
Keegan Ales Mother’s Milk
By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist One of my favorite breweries in New York is Keegan Ales in Kingston. In addition to making great beer, they are the closest microbrewery to my hometown of Ellenville. I have previously reviewed their Joe-Mama's Milk Stout, which was created from their original stout, Mother's Milk. In a past interview, I asked Owner Tommy Keegan to talk about Mother's Milk's origins. “There’s a lot of dry stouts out there, so we wanted to be different. We actually started out making an oatmeal stout, but then we added a 50 lb bag of lactose to the first…
Finger Lakes Distilling: A Spirited Addition to Finger Lakes Wine Country
By Jason Feulner, Finger Lakes Correspondent I've always been a beer and wine guy. My liquor cabinet at home is a bit on the pathetic side. What I'm saying is that if you prefer only mixed drinks, avoid my invitations. So, when I recently decided to visit the new distillery on Seneca Lake, I knew that I might not be the judge of spirits. But, Finger Lakes Distilling makes appreciation of spirits by the liquor-challenged extremely easy. The brand-new tasting room is a marvel and one of the nicest spaces I've seen in the Finger Lakes. It features a wide open room with natural lighting, an…
Raphael 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief Much like the other cabernet sauvignon I reviewed earlier this week, this Raphael 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon ($30) shows why some of the best wines in the world are made in warmer years in cooler regions. The 2005 North Fork growing season was a dry and hot one from the spring through the summer — shaping up to be a vintage of a lifetime. Then the October rains hit before the Bordeaux-variety reds started coming in, dumping up to 18 inches of rain on some vineyards over the course of 8 days. The result has been up-and-down…