Posts Written OnApril 11, 2012

Lake Erie Wine Country: First Impressions

The importance of a first impression; as a new contributor, I understand it all too well… Will I be interesting, will I be informative, amusing, witty and knowledgeable…will I run out of adjectives? The first impression of the Lake Erie Wine Country is, brace yourself, grapes! (So much for interesting, witty and amusing.) A rather obvious statement I know, but this area is often referred to as the “Grape Belt.” The most common grape grown is Concord, a native variety that is most typically found sweetened and preserved and laying on top of your peanut butter in a peanut butter and jelly…

Shinn Estate Vineyards 2008 Nine Barrel Merlot Reserve

With so many communication channels at our finger tips these days (Facebook, Twitter, email, etc.) it feels like I’m discussing local wines with people almost constantly. It’s fun, but I’ve noticed something recently — great vintages can cause an interesting side effect. The other, ‘non-great’ vintages can very easily be looked down upon or ignored altogehter. 2007 and 2010 were among the best vintages ever for Long Island. We all know that by now. But, because many 2007 reds have come and gone, and 2010 reds are trickling into the marketplace, it’s almost like 2008 and 2009 didn’t happen. Don’t make…