Posts Written OnNovember 2011

Tracy Weiss | Roving Correspondent

Tracy Weiss had her first glass of Manischewitz at age 11. She found it horrendous but knew someday (when she was of legal drinking age), she’d seek out better vino. At her alma mater Michigan State University, Tracy took advantage of half-off bottles on Wine Wednesdays. With clarity found from sampling different varieties, she began to mock girlfriends sipping Boone’s Farm Strawberry Hill. An oenophile is born. This paired well with a violent cheese obsession and further motivated her to eat her way through life. Blending her passion for the finer things with a Midwestern upbringing, Tracy likes to pair…

Sprout Creek Farm: Redux

By Aaron Estes, Cheese Editor I recently had the opportunity to attend the annual Taste of the Hudson Valley. Each year, local restaurants and artisans are given the opportunity to shine as they pair a couple of dishes with wine, beer, or other beverages of their choosing. The event is always well-attended as ticket holders move from table to table, chat with local chefs, sip wine, and comment on the successfulness of a particular pairing.  It’s a great time, but the purpose of this post is not to talk about the use of Hudson Valley Foie Gras, butternut squash soup,…

Opposition to Hydraulic Fracturing in the Finger Lakes (By John Ingle, Heron Hill Winery)

By John Ingle, Heron Hill Winery As a winery owner and grape grower for over 35 years in the Finger Lakes Region, I have witnessed the growth of our industry from a dozen wineries in the ‘70s to over 100 now. I have also seen the significant increase in tourism in the Finger Lakes. This growth represents a focused and diligent effort to create two of the most viable profit centers, wineries and tourism, in the New York economy. For years, families and friends have united here over the lakes, the land, and the wine – to see it all…

Lamoreaux Landing 2010 Dry Riesling

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor As I patrol the Internet, seeking out information about New York wine and read what to others are saying about it, I see some pretty amazing and curious things. One of the most mind-boggling is the contention by some that Finger Lakes rieslings are over-priced. That's just silly and barely merits discussion, so I will just assume those folks must be very happy drinking a lot of Pacific Rim and Covey Run rielsings from the West Coast and move on. This wine, the Lamoreaux Landing 2010 Dry Riesling, is $13 at the winery and I've…

Makinajian Poultry Farms: Three Generations of Organic Farming in Huntington, NY

By Dave Seel, Long Island Food Correspondent “We’ve always been organic and never use pesticides. My grandfather was talking about it back in the 50s even before it was popular,” said Michael Makinajian as he gestured towards an article written about his grandfather, Joseph, in 1964 for the Suffolk Farming Times. “We’ve just always been committed to doing things naturally.” Situated just south of Huntington, NY, Makinajian Poultry Farm is the definition of family farming and is one of few farms remaining this far west on Long Island. “When I was younger my grandfather would drive around and point out different…

Some Finger Lakes Wineries Favor Synthetic Corks for Their Best Wines; Should They?

By Evan Dawson, Managing Editor, and Tom Mansell, Science Editor Serious wine consumers are not, generally speaking, fans of synthetic cork. Most recoil at the sight of a plastic cork being pulled from a bottle they had otherwise been excited to open. Is this bias unfair? Maybe. Companies are working to improve the quality of synthetic corks. We'll get to that in a bit. But there's no denying that synthetic corks make a clear statement to the serious consumer, whether intended or not. "Cheap," said one of the many tasters on the evening of the recent Finger Lakes Riesling Hour.…

Heart & Hands Wine Company 2009 Reserve Riesling

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor Tom and Susan Higgins, owners of Heart & Hands Wine Company on the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake, have worked tirelessly to build a reputation for making what may be New York's best pinot noirs. It's clear that pinot is their passion and it shows in the bottle and throughout their entire operation. But, with wines like Heart & Hands Winery 2009 Reserve Riesling ($29) Tom, who makes the wines, proves that he's not a one-trick pinot pony. This is the Finger Lakes after all, where riesling rules and it seems silly not to make…

Cellar Brews: Beer for Winemaking

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor I'd venture to say many of you are winemakers. I'd venture to say many others are home winemakers. And a fair number of you have undoubtedly spent some time in a cellar. So you're all too familiar with the necessity of beer during the winemaking process: to celebrate at the end of a long night of crushing; to sip while filtering (this may just be an intern thing); to enjoy in the lab while figuring out the next day's picking schedule; or just to cleanse the palate after hours of bench trials. Beer's vivacious carbonation,…

Cheap vs. Quality: Is Wine Different?

By Evan Dawson, Managing Editor Last week I read the San Francisco Chronicle's Jon Bonne's outstanding takedown of cheap, bulk wine. I sent it to a few friends who are marginally interested in wine, but occasionally gripe that wine is too elitist. I thought Bonne's piece was direct and, if you pardon the pun, on the money. But a friend sent a reply that had me thinking. Here's the full email: Evan Nice piece by Bonne, but there's one thing he leaves out. He writes about wine as if it's the same as burgers or cars. Basically, he makes it…

Heron Hill Winery 2008 Blaufrankisch

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor Though on the oakier — and pricier — end of the Finger Lakes Blaufrankisch spectrum, the Heron Hill Winery 2008 Blaufrankisch ($35) is worthy of a taste when you visit their tasting room with stunning views of Keuka Lake. Not content making a juicy, fruity, peppery wine, the folks at Heron Hill always push the envelope with this grape. At first, the nose seems like it will be dominated by chocolate and smoky oak, but those aromas don't completely obscure those of red cherry, cranberry, black pepper, clove, tarragon and mint. Hefty on the palate,…