Posts Written OnSeptember 2011

Harvest 2011: Peconic Bay Winery Picks Chardonnay for Sparkling Wine

Assistant winemaker Zander Hargrave (l) and winemaker Greg Gove processing chardonnay this morning at Peconic Bay Winery. By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor Peconic Bay Winery harvested about 3.5 tons of chardonnay this morning from their Oregon Road vineyard — all intended for sparkling wine. The fruit came in at 18 brix on average. According to winemaker Greg Gove "The fruit is nice and clean. Charlie Hargrave is my hero." Hargrave is the the winery's vineyard manager. The fact that the fruit was clean — after a growing season that presented several challenges — speaks to his diligence and acumen. This…

Riesling Hour to Celebrate 2010 Finger Lakes Rieslings

By Evan Dawson, Managing Editor and Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor It's not exactly Bordeaux's En Primeur, but in some small way, there are echoes of the vintage launch events that are celebrated around the world. Finger Lakes winemakers have never coordinated their efforts enough to create such an occasion. It has taken the energy of Finger Lakes Wine Country to shepherd the region, and the result is the forthcoming Riesling Hour, scheduled for next Thursday at 6 p.m.   Will it work? Hard to say. Unlike other regions, this event does not serve as the actual release or first tasting…

Custom Brewcrafters Signature Series: Krysztoff

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor Baltic porter is a beer style with a little mystery. Made as dark as the North Sea and strong enough to withstand the journey across its treacherous waters during the Industrial Revolution, this style owes its lineage to both the milder English porter and the robust Russian Imperial stout. Traditionally done with lager yeast for a long, cold fermentation, this porter at its best is intense but smooth. I often find Baltic porters a little too sweet and thick for my taste, but I can never turn down a great porter, so I’ve kept trying…

NY Craft Beer Week Starts Today

By David Flaherty, New York City Correspondent Like most great ideas, I am guessing it was born over a round of beers. But one thing I am sure of is that it wasn't born over a round of mass-produced swill. It had to be craft, and craft all the way. Today, for the fourth year in a row, NY Craft Beer Week is locked, loaded and sprung tight like a crossbow waiting to fire. And this year is bigger, badder and tech-friendlier than ever before. Josh Schaffner and his crack crew (including the talented Amy Litt and Chris Cuzme) have…

Getting to Know Brud Holland, Red Newt’s New Executive Chef

Red Newt Bistro's new executive chef, Brud Holland, working the line. By Rochelle Bilow, Finger Lakes Food Correspondent Though he has the credentials and skills to brag, Brud Holland is not an egotistical cook. The new executive chef at Red Newt Bistro in Hector, NY, tends to shy away from the limelight, preferring to give attention to the food itself and the kitchen staff who creates it. He’s adamant that he doesn’t yearn for big-city praise and exposure, and his face poorly hides a wry grin when the term “celebrity chef” is mentioned. And then there’s his name. He often…

Harvest 2011: Bedell Cellars’ Annual Indigenous Yeast Ceremony

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor Earlier today Rich Olsen-Harbich, winemaker at Bedell Cellars sent me the following email to describe the unique picture at right: "This is the second year of our annual indigenous yeast ceremony. We used ten gallons of freshly pressed chardonnay juice for the base. Everyone at Bedell was asked to bring an item that was both local and special to them in some way. As the bright Fall sun shone down on us, our staff gathered around the demi-john of chardonnay juice. Kip (Bedell) brought an oyster shell and Trent (Preszler) brought some wild roses and…

Roanoke Vineyards 2009 ‘Rhyme and Meter’ Chardonnay

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor Much to my personal chagrin, barrel-fermented chardonnay isn't going to evaporate from the Long Island wine industry. I've come to grips with this fact over time, though I denied it for years. Some of them are delicious, sure, but I maintain that they just aren't distinctive enough. Despite its continuing popularity in the marketplace, we'll simply never see the day when chardonnay puts Long Island on the map. But, it's in the ground and we're not seeing large-scale re-planting recently. Did I mention there is still a market for these wines? Anyway, Roanoke Vineyards 2009…

The State of New York Cheese

By Aaron Estes, Cheese Editor Photo courtesy of newyorkcheese.org “Change is difficult. If it were easy, then everyone and everything would be perfect…”  I have heard these words (or some variation) many times throughout my life as I am sure that many of you have as well. Making changes is a way of life for us as we strive to learn, grow, and succeed. Now, you are probably asking yourself why the Cheese Editor is waxing philosophical at the top of a post but I assure you; this speaks directly to the state of New York cheese. For many years, New…