Posts Written OnSeptember 2010

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor I often lament the ever-increasing pricing of Long Island rose. There are some beautifully balanced, refreshing — and most importantly — satisfying pink wines being made here, but wines that only a few years ago were in the $13-15 range now regularly top $18. This year, there were at least a half dozen roses priced at $20 or more. In a region that suffers from a lack of quality red wines at $20, having rose prices there is disappointing, but hey, if people will pay… When I first heard about Wolffer Estate Vineyards 2009 Grandioso…

By Lenn Thompson For the most part, New York wineries have been slow to full adopt blogging and social media as a way to reach their customers and the press. More are dipping their toes in the pool every day, but I don't think anyone has embraced it in the way Martha Clara Vineyards has. Sure, the JuanMaker series is a bit silly, but it does reflect their belief that wine needn't be serious all the time. It should be fun too. What has caught my attention of late is the work they are putting into a new harvest-focused blog…

By Evan Dawson Hosmer Winery winemaker Aaron Roisen cannot help himself. If you spend more than five minutes with him, he's going to blurt out something so unique, so memorable, that you're going to wonder if it's all an act. No one is this quick-witted, right? No one is this quirky, this astute, this honest. Right? It's not an act with Roisen, whose comments might occasionally seem condescending when written on a notepad, but his charm comes from his humble authenticity. He speaks his mind, but he doesn't seek to offend.  Ask him about Lemberger, and he quickly maligns the big, dark, oaky versions he…

The folks at Keuka Lake's Heron Hill Winery have picked 2.5 acres of seedless Concord grapes — not for wine, but for juice that will be sold in the tasting room. Perfect for the kids. Look for more updates from Heron Hill in coming weeks as they begin harvesting their vinifera fruit.

By Lenn Thompson The only thing holding sauvignon blanc back from taking over the Long Island white wine scene is acreage. There just isn't enough planted, and with the economy where it is, few are investing in new plantings. Eventually it will happen. It has to. The grape shows that much promise here.  But for now, those with the vines in the ground are working to establish a regional style — one that is unique and defies comparisons to other classic styles. Paumanok Vineyards 2009 Sauvignon Blanc ($24) is made entirely with fruit from the Massoud's new planting of sauvignon…

By Lenn Thompson Just received quick word that Glorie Farm Winery has harvested one ton of Leon Millot… that came in last week at 24 brix. That is some serious sugar for the beginning of September.

Driving past the “Wine Tasting Today” sign on the side of Lower Mountain Road in Cambria, I’m reminded of my first months in the Niagara Region – a feeling that’s compounded when my eyes invariably train toward the “Help Wanted” sign right next to it. It’s the same sign that I read four years ago that led me to my first job in the wine industry. As I follow the arrows pointing up the hill toward Warm Lake Estate’s tasting room, I don’t remember the road being as potholed and bumpy as it somehow feels today. When the winery itself…