Posts Written OnSeptember 2011

By Bryan Calandrelli, Niagara Region Editor The timing of Leonard Oakes Estate Winery’s party celebrating their two double-gold medal winning wines from the annual New York Food & Wine Classic couldn’t have been more appropriate. Two weeks before, their 2008 Vidal Icewine and Steampunk Cider both received this award, with the Icewine even taking home the honor of “Best Dessert Wine” in NYS, but the real story behind the appropriately named “Double Gold Rush” event: it was the first public release of the aforementioned hard cider. Being a lucky member of the industry and media, I was invited to the…

By Dave Seel, Long Island Food Correspondent Driving through Cutchogue on Rt. 25, you have to keep a keen look out for the sign at McCall Wines or you might miss it. The tasting room, an old potato barn, is nothing like the large structures of other wineries, but is a relic of what the land has been and what it is now. Russ McCall, who spent summers on Long Island as a boy and is now a veteran of the wine industry, bought the property with The Peconic Bay Land Trust in 1996 to save Down’s Woods, Fort Corchaug…

Photo courtesy of Paumanok Vineyards I received this picture in an email from Kareem Massoud, winemaker at Paumanok, saying that they've picked chardonnay for sparkling this morning. Kareem is busy processing this fruit at the moment, but I'm hoping to get some tonnage and other numbers on the fruit.

Julia Burke, Beer Editor Harvest is on the minds of New York winemakers and wine lovers these days, but let's not forget the other best part of fall: it's the best season of the year for beer! If you're looking for a sweet setting to try some new brews, the New York Wine and Culinary Center has announced a beer and food festival on September 30, from 7 to 10 p.m., called "NY On Tap." The event will feature beer from twenty New York breweries, paired with dishes by the NYWCC's executive chef and local food vendors, as well as…

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor These are tasting notes for some wines that have been tasted at the NYCR tasting table but won't be reviewed in standalone posts. Channing Daughters Winery 2008 Cuvee Tropical ($20): 8% muscat ottonel and it really stands out on the nose, which shows peach, green apple and pineapple aromas with a serious dose of flowers. Medium bodied with a lightning bolt of acidity, but a bit watery flavor-wise on the mid-palate into the finish. Peach, apples and flowers, but a bit bitter on the finish. Hunt Country Vineyards 2008 Cabernet Franc ($18): Sweet aromas of…

By Evan Dawson, Managing Editor The American government has accepted Johannes Reinhardt's application for permanent worker status, the New York Cork Report confirmed Tuesday. This decision essentially guarantees that Reinhardt will finally receive a green card. He is now permitted to apply for a change in status, and legal experts say that part of the process is a mere formality. By law, Reinhardt can apply for the change in status along with his wife, Imelda, who is also seeking a green card. Reinhardt has spent seven years applying for permanent worker status, often referred to as a green card, only…

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor We have rescheduled our New York Cork Report Artisan Dinner with Paumanok Vineyards for Wednesday, September 21 at 7 p.m. at Luce & Hawkins in Jamesport. We'll be joined by winemaker Kareem Massoud, who will be pouring a mini-vertical of his family's chenin blanc — with the added treat of the 1993 Late Harvest Chenin Blanc. Chef Keith Luce has put together an incredible four-course menu to pair with the wines: Coconut- and chili-plumped oysters, lemon-ginger salted shaved melon Paumanok Vineyards 2008 Chenin Blanc Poached rabbit and lobster-foie gras ravioli Paumanok Vineyards 2010 Chenin Blanc…