Posts Written OnJuly 2012

Hermann J. Wiemer 2010 Semi-Dry Riesling

Juicy pears and white flowers dominate an effusive nose, accented by subtle almond note. Off-dry but balanced, the palate shows not only pear fruit, but a distinct fig quality up front that leads into a long, floral finish that shows a light slate note. A bit more acidity would bring focus and elevate the wine a bit, but the residual sugar is still balanced enough to avoid being cloying. 2,200 cases produced. Producer: Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard AVA: Finger Lakes ABV: 11% Price: $17*   (3 out of 5, Very good/Recommended)

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Arrowhead Spring Vineyards 2010 Semi-Dry Riesling

Made using Finger Lakes fruit, this Arrowhead Spring Vineyards 2010 Semi-Dry Riesling ($16) is a friendly, fruity wine with aromas off green apple, lime zest and just a touch of blanched almond. The palate is juicy, with gentle residual sugar that is balanced by solid acidity, with fruit cocktail flavors of green apple, peach and citrus. Producer: Arrowhead Spring Vineyards AVA: New York ABV: 12% Price: $16*   (2.5 out of 5, Average-to-Very Good)

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The Grapes of North Country: La Crescent

Now that the New York Cork Report has expanded to cover New York’s North Country wine region, it makes sense to take a look at the important and most-planted grapes. Over the next few months, we’ll look at some of the more promising grapes, starting with La Crescent. La Crescent is an inter-specific hybrid bred by Peter Hemstad and James Luby at the Minnesota Horticultural Research Center, and is one of four very promising varieties patented and released by that project in the last 15 years.  The new vine has been available since 2002, but the story of its development…

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2012 Wine Blog Awards Finalists Announced

The finalists in the 2012 Wine Blog Awards competition have been announced.  We’d like to congratulate all of the finalists and encourage our readers to vote. When I shared this link on Facebook this morning, I was surprised (and humbled) at the number of people who contacted me asking why the New York Cork Report wasn’t nominated, named a finalist, etc. It’s really quite simple — Evan and I decided to serve as judges this year and as such, recused the NYCR from the competition. It was not a requirement for us to do so to judge (some judges are on the…

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What We Drank: July 17, 2012

This week’s ‘What We Drank’ is short, but delicious. This is what some of our editors and contributors have been drinking…   Tracy Weiss:  Domaine Ricard Touraine 2011 Le P’tit Rosé There’s no other choice really when you throw your cousin a Bachelorette Party on Bastille Day. French, obviously. Something feminine and can hold up to an 87 F-degree day in Manhattan? Think Pink! Loire Valley’s Le P’tit Rosé made a beautiful toast to pending nuptials in more ways than one. The Gamay and Cab Franc blend is rich with a jewel-like tourmaline color and good legs. This biodynamic vineyard near the river Cher…

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Palmer Vineyards 2011 Albarino

Chardonnay. Merlot. Chardonnay. Merlot. Sauvignon Blanc. Chardonnay. Cabernet Franc. Merlot. Chardonnay. Cabernet Sauvignon. During the course of tasting any and all Long Island wines I can get my hands on — it seems like that is all I taste. Very little variety. A lot of the same. Those are important grapes for the region — no doubt — but who doesn’t like something a little different every now and again. That’s one reason I appreciate what people like Miguel Martin of Palmer Vineyards are doing with new-to-the-region grapes like albarino. It’s hard to envision a time when Long Island is…

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Recipe: Cherry-Creme Beer Float

After a hot summer bike ride, nothing tastes better than a good root beer float. But why not substitute sarsaparilla for stout? I like my floats with all sorts of malty, sweeter beers, and after a morning bike ride over the weekend my boyfriend and I hit on what might be the world’s greatest beer float. The beer:  Southern Tier Brewing Company Creme Brulee Stout Unlike many brews by the Stout Kings of New York, Creme Brulee doesn’t have any chocolate flavor –– instead, it’s bursting with vanilla bean and caramel flavors thanks to real vanilla bean and dark caramel…

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Wolffer Estate Vineyards “White Mischief” Chardonnay

Wolffer Estate Vineyards winemaker Roman Roth makes some of my favorite oak-influenced chardonnay. Yes, I do have favorites in the category, I just don’t reach for them often. His best chardonnay, “Perle” is one of the top made on Long Island, and I guess you could call Wolffer Estate Vineyards 2010 “White Mischief” Chardonnay ($35) its sister wine — but made with ambient yeasts. Fermented 70% in stainless steel and 30% new French oak, the nose overflows with tropical pineapple, peach, and pear fruit aromas and notes of lilac and lavendar and only the faintest evidence of vanilla oak. Mouth-filling and…

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Leonard Oakes Winery 2010 Chardonnay

It’s nice to see more and more New York wineries making better and better stainless steel chardonnays, including this Leonard Oakes Winery 2010 Chardonnay ($15). Sometimes steel chardonnay can be lacking on the nose, but with aromas of fresh-cut Golden Delicious and Gala apples and light floral overtones and subtle nutty lees character, the nose is interesting enough and leads into a medium-full bodied palate that is fruity — more apples and pears — with fresh, nicely incorporated acidity and a clean, lingering finish that shows just a bit of lemon and spicy lees. Though not particularly complex or interesting, this is…

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