Posts Written OnAugust 10, 2010

It’s Back: TasteNY Returns with Wines From Shinn Estate Vineyards

TasteNY is back… but it's a little bit different this time around. When we launched the project over a year ago, it was simply about getting the great beers, wines and spirits made in New York into the hands of bloggers and writers. That's still part of the idea, but we want to get the wines into even more hands and mouths.  With that in mind, we've decided to transform TasteNY into a Twitter-based tasting event, not unlike the ones I've been hosting for Finger Lakes Wine Country this year. But, it's not just about sending samples out to bloggers…

What We Drank (August 10, 2010)

 This is what the NYCR editors and contributors are drinking… Evan Dawson:  Domaine des Baumard 2007 Savennieres Trie Speciale Screwcap! This wine had the dual interest of being a nicely regarded Savennieres along with being closed by a screwcap. I'm told this estate made the difficult decision to change to screwcap several years ago. I say it was difficult because in the Loire Valley — in many places not named Australia or New Zealand — screwcaps are viewed with some suspicion.  This wine is too young to detect any problems or witness great success regarding the screwcap. I confess that…

Heron Hill Winery 2008 Pinot Blanc

I have to admit that most of my experience with pinot blanc is with New York renditions — especially from Long Island where a few wineries produce it. I've had a handful from other regions too — Alsace of course and one or two from northern Italy — and I'm always surprised that the grape doesn't get more attention. If nothing else, they are great summer sippers and I find it difficult to ever dislike them. They are what they are — sometimes austere to the point of being boring, but hardly offensive. Heron Hill Winery 2008 Pinot Blanc ($18)…

Former NYCR Beer Editor Donavan Hall Co-Founds Rocky Point Artisan Brewers

  Long-time readers will recognize the name Donavan Hall. He used to cover the beer world for us back in the day. Well, he and a couple friends — who I’ve met at various Long Island Malt & Beer Enthusiast (LIMBE) events — have created their own nano-brewery — Rocky Point Artisan Brewers. We’ll be doing a story on this project soon, but in the meantime, check out this video from the local news. And be sure to check out their beer at Saturday’s North Fork Craft Beer Festival at Martha Clara Vineyards. If we weren’t going to be on…