Posts Written OnJanuary 20, 2010

Benmarl Winery 2008 Baco Noir

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief The Hudson River Region has a clear-cut signature white grape variety — Seyval Blanc. On the red side of things, the most planted grape seems to be De Chaunac, but I don't know any winemakers who are excited about it. It's so widely planted because it's easy to grow. Period. Baco noir is only being bottled varietally by a handful of wineries in the region, but it seems to show the most potential among the hybrids that thrive along the Hudson River, and Benmarl Winery in Marlboro, NY has been growing it and making wine from…

Ravines Wine Cellars 2007 Pinot Noir

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief Pinot noir in the Finger Lakes? Absolutely, but if you're interested in high-quality stuff, make sure you know a little bit about the winery you're buying it from. The best Finger Lakes pinot noirs are made by wineries that are, of course, buying or growing fruit in the best places along the lakes, but there is one other key factor — crop load, the amount of grapes ripened and harvested per acre. Some wineries harvest 4 or more tons of pinot per acre, which is possible and can work in the best years (2007 comes to…