Posts Written OnAugust 2010

Red Tail Ridge Winery 2008 Dry Riesling

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor Red Tail Ridge Winery, perched atop a hill overlooking Seneca Lake, has garnered a lot of attention for its sustainable practices since opening the tasting room in 2007, and deservedly so. (Read our coverage of their green initiatives.) What gets lost a bit in all of that "green" coverage is how good co-owner and winemaker Nancy Irelan's wines can be.  When I tasted a few of them during TasteCamp earlier this year, I came away impressed — especially with the pinot noir — especially given the youth of the vines. I wanted to taste more,…

What We Drank (August 3, 2010)

Short list of beverages/contributions this week — and not a single wine in the lot. But, this is what our editors and contributors are drinking: Tom Mansell: Bandwagon Brew Pub Pirate Eye-PA Bandwagon Brew Pub in Ithaca has only been open for a little over 8 months, but in that time they've been making some quality beers. I'd call them a microbrewery, but at 15 gallons maximum per batch, I'd say they're more on the order of nano-brew. Anyway, until now, most the beers I've had from there have been very good. This one, however, was the first one I've…

Vineyard Visuals: Pinot Noir Veraison at Hobbit Hollow Vineyard

Photo courtesy of Tom Higgins, Heart & Hands Wine Company By Evan Dawson, Managing Editor Two weeks ahead of the regular schedule,and four weeks ahead of last year. Think winemaking doesn't change year-to-year? Growers in the Finger Lakes almost never see veraison in July, and yet some berries were already turning when August arrived. This shot was taken in one of the cooler (but meticulously maintained) vineyards in the region: Hobbit Hollow vineyard on Skaneateles Lake. The fruit from this vineyard goes to some of the strongest producers in the region, including Ravines Wine Cellars and Heart & Hands Wine…

The New York Cork Report Tasting Table — August 2, 2010

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor Here are seven wines that have crossed the NYCR tasting table in recent weeks but will not be reviewed as part of a stand-alone post. As always, these are notes almost verbatim from my tasting notebook: Martha Clara Vineyards 2005 Estate Reserve Merlot ($25): Ripe red cherry, milk chocolate, tobacco and light spice on the nose. Juicy on the palate with red cherry and raspberry fruit flavors. Soft tannins and subtle spice with more chocolate. Medium length with nice blueberry compote flavors towards the end. On day two, a bit more complexity emerged. Rating: 85…

Follow-up: Why Rooster Hill Vineyards Uses Synthetic Cork

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor Most wineries around the world use natural cork as the closure for their best vines. Last week I discovered that Rooster Hill Vineyards, a strong producer based on Keuka Lake, chooses to use synthetic corks (see photo). Turns out, many of you have noticed as well. Here's the full post, and the comments contain references to the cork question. Here is Rooster Hill owner Amy Hoffman's response, explaining her choice. Feel free to discuss in the comments section on this post. *** "(Winemaker) Barry Tortolone and I have discussed this at length. The biggest…

NOFO Rock & Folk Festival a Success

The scene at Peconic Bay Winery during yesterday's NOFO Rock & Fok Fest. By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor Despite a bevy of questions and challenges from a handful of locals, including Town of Southold Supervisor Scott Russell, this weekend's NOFO Rock & Folk Festival was — from my seat in the crowd anyway — an absolute success. The weather was gorgeous, the festival extremely well organized, the musicians talented, and the crowd relaxed and respectful. We had an amazing day and no one had more fun than our 3 1/2 year old. Great food from local chefs, an on-site farmer's…