By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief After several weeks of voting, I'm happy to announce the New York Cork Report 2009 Readers' Choice Award winners: Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards Red Cat from the Finger Lakes and Shinn Estate Vineyards 2007 Cabernet Franc from Long Island Red Cat winning will come as no surprise to anyone that knows anything about the New York wine world. It's the state's best selling wine and has a legion of devout fans. Those fans were no doubt called to action during this voting process. With 52% of the total vote, it won by a landslide. The Finger Lakes…
Posts Written OnJanuary 2010
Benmarl Winery 2008 Cabernet Franc
By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief This Benmarl Winery 2008 Cabernet Franc ($20) is yet another bit of ammo in the argument for cabernet franc as New York State's most consistently, and widely, successful red variety. I've tasted several good (or even very good) cabernet franc-based wines from Hudson Valley wineries, but more often than not, they are made using fruit grown either on Long Island or in the Finger Lakes. That's not the case with this wine, which is made 100% with estate-grown fruit. The nose opens with earthy dried leaves and dried spices, with a light spice component and understated…
A Busy Road Ahead for Niagara USA Wine
by Bryan Calandrelli, Niagara Region Editor When I look back on 2009, I can say with some certainty that the Niagara wine region as a whole grew up. Why do I only now say this? Well, because 2009 was an indication of what the future holds for the industry and specifically, how wineries will have to operate their tasting rooms, make their wines and market themselves. Two trends that will affect how wineries will operate this year were the influx of tourists that found the wineries during their visit to Niagara Falls and the popularity of locals taking limo and…
Zugibe Vineyards 2007 Cabernet Franc
By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief Zugibe Vineyards is one of the newest producers in the Seneca Lake wine community, only opening their tasting room in November, so don't feel bad if you haven't heard of them. I hadn't either until Brendan Zugibe, one of three Zugibe brothers responsible for the winery, commented on a post a while back. Planted in 2005, Zugibe Vineyards began as 23 acres of vinifera wine grapes, but has since grown to 40 acres. They grow 11 varieties, including riesling, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, gewurztraminer, pinot gris, chardonnay, merlot, Blaufrankisch, sauvignon blanc and gruner veltliner.…
What We Drank (January 4, 2010)
By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief For this, our first WWD of the new year, we have one old old bottle, and a few value wines that were enjoyed over the holidays. For me, my drinking over the last week has been mostly local, so those notes will be published as stand-alone and "Tasting Table" posts. Evan Dawson: Alain Graillot 1989 Crozes-Hermitage La Guiraude In a blind setting, this wine convinced the table it was a syrah — likely from the northern Rhone. But more experienced tasters were pegging it at 15 years old, and if you follow Northern Rhone winemaking, you…
Standing Stone Vineyards 2007 Cabernet Franc
By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief Merlot very well may be the signature red variety of Long Island, but if someone were to ask me to pick a single red grape that is successful in all of New York's major wine regions, it has to be cabernet franc. From Long Island to the Hudson Valley to the Finger Lakes to Niagara and Western New York, there are well-made francs to be had. Standing Stone Vineyards, on the eastern short of Seneca Lake, produced this Standing Stone Vineyards 2007 Cabernet Franc ($20) with grapes from the original Gold Seal Vineyard (read more). Raspberries…
Shmaltz Brewing Company Bittersweet Lenny’s R.I.P.A.
By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist Lenny's poured a clear, dark amber color with a finger width off white head. The nose is dominated by rye with a decent amount of hops. The body is smooth up front with a light sweetness. The rye is up front and stands out. The finish is loaded with hops, very dry and leaves a bitter taste on the palate. Overall, this is a very good beer. It is well balanced and the rye works extremely well with the large amount of hops. Lenny's would pair well with lots of foods, but I decided to cook a hicken…