Posts Written OnNovember 2010

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor *Editor's Note: Title subject to change based on whims of nature My wife and I spent a peripatetic day racing down one side of Cayuga Lake, then through Ithaca, then up Seneca Lake and back to Cayuga. We had the chance to revisit some of the candidates for the New York Cork Report 2010 Finger Lakes Wines of the Year (more on this year's program this week, by the way). I also was fortunate to convince some producers to stop long enough to chat, pour new wines and talk harvest. Soon you'll see a…

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor Quick — name the perfect pairing for a “deconstructed English breakfast” of fried pork belly, roasted bangers, chive scrambled eggs on toast, a slow-roasted tomato and stuffed mushroom. Having trouble coming up with a wine that would not only stand up to such a meal, but actually elevate it to new heights of deliciousness? That’s because it’s a beer meal — one that was featured recently at a blockbuster Mikkeller beer pairing dinner at The Old Toad Pub in Rochester. The astounding six-course dinner did Mikkeller’s world-famous brews plenty of justice, but more importantly for…

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor Next Saturday, Roanoke Vineyards will host "The Judgment of Riverhead" a tasting that is modeled, quite obviously, after "The Judgment of Paris." Top wines from California and France — wines scored 90 or higher by The Wine Advocate or Wine Spectator, from $40 to $140 — will face off against top wine from Long Island in a blind tasting. The wines will be tasted by a panel of nine wine and restaurant industry professionals — including yours truly — using a 20-point scale, just like at the original 1976 event in Paris. A group of…

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor When I asked the beer goddesses at The Old Toad pub in Rochester what to pair with my gorgeous blue cheese, bacon and onion-ring-topped burger, they didn't hesitate. "Blackheart Stout!" I was all kinds of up for a nice stout with this delicious meal. Midnight-oil black to befit its name, this Middle Ages Brewing Company offering pours a half-finger toasted-coconut-colored head into a lipped pint glass. The nose is milky hot cocoa, marzipan, roasted almonds and coconut rind. Malt is king, in other words — no hops to speak of on the nose and only…

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor These are a some 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: Cayuga Ridge Estate 2007 Riesling ($15): Lemon, lychee and peach aromas on the nose. Doesn't seem very varietally correct. Lemony on the palate with well-integrated acid, a little floral character. Maybe not 100% riesling. Rating: 81 Pellegrini Vineyards 2005 Merlot: Tobacco leaf, fennel frond and menthol mingle with red cherry and plum flavors on a bright, expressive nose.…

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor     The Finger Lakes wine industry lost a major and beloved figure when Elaine Hazlitt passed away last Friday at the age of 70. Hazlitt and her husband Jerry founded Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards in 1985. She is credited with infusing the tasting room with her positive energy. And beyond the creation of the winery, Hazlitt's neighbors say that Elaine Hazlitt deserves credit for helping sustain the operation. "After Jerry died, she was a very strong person to continue the family tradition of winemaking," says Ted Marks, owner of nearby Atwater Vineyards. "She held that family…

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor Over the next several weeks, our editors will be tasting and re-tasting a slew of wines released during the 2010 calendar year for potential inclusion in our 2010 Wines of the Year tasting scheduled for mid-January. (We'll be announcing our revamped categories and process later this week, by the way.) As I scoured Long Island winery websites recently to identify wines that I hadn' tasted or wines that I hadn't formally reviewed, I realized that I never gave the Shinn Estate Vineyards 2007 Wild Boar Doe ($30) an official tasting, even if I'd had it…

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor An amber is always great for late fall, so I picked up a growler of this southwestern New York brew (labelled "German Red" at the store and not to be confused with EBC's new German steinbier – more on that to come) to share with some friends. A festive, clear dark sienna color appropriate for this style, it pours a two-finger airy head the texture of light meringue.  The nose is quite hoppy and less malty than expected for the appearance, showing notes of toasted hay and orange peel. On  the palate the hops are…

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor Every now and then, it's important to hear voices that dispute the conventional wisdom, that attack a meme, that detonate groupthink with all the subtlety of a tractor trailer crash. Enter Jason Hazlitt of the brand new Hector Wine Company on southeast Seneca Lake. "Opening a business in a bad economy isn't as bad as it sounds," he says, then goes further: "It's easier to open when the economy is struggling, because banks want people to succeed. You can get what you need." We should all hope that Hazlitt is right. He and Justin…