Posts Written OnSeptember 2010

Editor's note: The recipe that Matt links below is one of the most addictive creations I've ever encountered. Matt is an enthusiastic home beermaker, hop grower, and more. We welcome him on with this first post. By Matt Arlauckas So, I bet you only thought of rhubarb as a spring-time treat, eh? Thanks to a warm and humid summer here in Western New York, and a bit of care and tending, I’m still harvesting good stalks from our backyard beds. I grew up with rhubarb, grown mostly in my grandfather’s urban garden in Rochester. Every time we would visit, he…

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor I couldn’t believe my luck at finding this relatively rare IPA at my local pub. A Brett-fermented IPA made with Citra hops at Ithaca Beer Company in June, this creation is the brainchild of a collaborative brew session with a guest list impressive enough to warrant an emergency nuclear attack escape plan: Ithaca’s own Jeff O’Neil and Eric Kugeman, Phil Leinhart of Brewery Ommegang, Scott Vaccaro of Captain Lawrence, Casey Hughes of Flying Fish, Phil Markowski of Southampton Publick House, and one West Coast representative, Steve Altimari of Valley Brewing in Stockton, CA. Super Friends pours a…

These are a few wines that have crossed the NYCR tasting table recently but will not be reviewed as part of a standalone post. As always, these are transcribed almost directly from my notebook with little editing: Adair Vineyards 2009 Rosalais ($12): Beautiful pale ruby color. Nose of cherry Twizzlers and strawberry candy. Medium body with gobs of sweet/candy cherry and a little cherry pit. Dry but not overly so. Decent acid. Short is finish with a little earthiness. 25% Chambourcin, 25% Dechaunac, 25% Frontenac, 25% Chancellor. Rating: 82 Glorie Farm NV Jumpin' Jazz ($12): Hybrid blend. Aromas of over-ripe…

One of the best beer events in the northeastern U.S. takes the Finger Lakes by storm this weekend: Ithaca Brew Fest 2010. A showcase of nearly fifty breweries from all over the country and beyond, this widely beloved and well-attended beer festival has increased rapidly in popularity since it began just four years ago. Sponsored by Ithaca Beer Company, Cayuga Radio, and Wegman's, the event takes place this Saturday, September 4 from 3 to 7 p.m. in Stewart Park on Cayuga Lake. In addition to fantastic beer from local favorites such as Middle Ages, Captain Lawrence and Brooklyn as well…

Benmarl Winery in Marlboro makes some of the best baco noir in the state. In fact, it's achieved what could be considered cult status up in the Hudson Valley. Today, winemaker Matt Spaccarelli (pictured above) and crew picked 4 tons of baco noir today. It came in at 22.5 brix. This is Matt's first year as the sole winemaker. I look forward to tasting his first vintage without departed winemaker Kristop Brown.

I just received this weather- and harvest-related update from David Page at Shinn Estate Vineyards: "Still too close to call. Could go either way. The best news is that whatever is coming is expected to exit quickly. If our fruit is damaged the wind and sun forcast for Saturday through the middle of next week will help to dry things out. We'll be harvesting whites soon after the storm passes. Almost pulled the harvest trigger on our oldest block of Sauvignon Blanc today. It is already at 23 brix but PH is at 3.20 so it is very healthy. We'll take the risk in…

At 7 a.m. this morning, with Hurricane Earl promising to at least bring rain and wind to the North Fork, the riesling harvest started at Peconic Bay Winery. According to winemaker Greg Gove, "We are picking the riesling just before the rain. At the present level of ripeness the riesling won’t last if we get several inches of rain and high winds. This is the earliest harvest I’ve experienced on the East End." He also added that their merlot is already at 19 brix. I'll update this post later today with some harvest data once all the fruit is in.

By Evan Dawson, Managing Editor Sheldrake Point Vineyard on Cayuga Lake has launched an event that winegrower Bob Madill hopes will become an annual tradition. Following the New York Wine & Food Classic, Sheldrake Point hosts the wineries that earned "Best Of" awards. The event has a limited public ticket release. "This is our chance to taste wines from our colleagues that we might not otherwise taste over the course of the year," Madill explained to the crowd on a hot but gorgeous late-summer evening. "We're proud of what you're doing and we appreciate your wines and your hard work."…

Martha Clara Vineyards winemaker Juan Micieli-Martinez reports that the vineyard crew picked 4 tons of pinot grigio today, saying has the "highest brix I have ever seen this early in pinot grigio." It came in at 22.5 brix with pH of 3.5 and TA of 6.68 g/L. "We averaged a little over 3 tons to the acre. Our pinot grigio is on 7×4 density plantings which means approximately 1,500 vines per acre. Therefore, the fruit load per vine is very low thus resulting in nice ripe fruit," told me in an email. This recent 90-plus-degree heat wave has had a…