Posts Written OnFebruary 25, 2010

Bubbly! Brings Finger Lakes Sparkling Producers Together

By Tom Mansell, Science Editor On Saturday night in Watkins Glen, the corks were popping and the bubbly was flowing. Bubbly, a unique event organized by Finger Lakes Wine Country, featured 16 sparkling wine producers from around the Finger Lakes pouring about 28 different sparklers. It also included the up-and-coming Finger Lakes Distilling, which brought cassis and raspberry liqueurs for tasting and mixing with sparkling to create Finger Lakes Kirs Royales. The event took place in the ballroom of the plush Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel along the shore of Seneca Lake. Food offerings included lots of rich creamy goodies (e.g.,…

Macari Vineyards 2009 “Early Wine” Chardonnay

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief As covered during our harvest updates, 2009 wasn't an easy growing season for local wineries. The season started slowly and didn't really catch up until a long, warm finish that stretched well into November. Just how 'behind' was the season early on compared to 2008? Well, chardonnay that went into this wine was harvested on September 24 — more than two weeks later than it was in 2008 when it came in on September 9. But, it appears to have been worth the wait. This is my favorite edition of "early wine" in years. Austrian Helmut…

Wine Blogging Wednesday #66 and Sugar High Fridays #62: Your Tenderest Twosome

The contenders By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief This month's edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday is actually the first dual event between WBW and Sugar High Friday, a similar event centered on desserts and sweets founded by this month's WBW host, Jennifer Hamilton of The Domestic Goddess. This will mark SHF #62, so it's been around for a while and this dual event is long overdue. Her theme, Your Tenderest Twosome is a no-brainer for this first dual event: "Most meals end with dessert and coffee or a glass of liqueur. The focus on the meal is long since gone, as is…