Posts Written OnOctober 2015

Roanoke Vineyards 2014 “NoFi” Rose

  There have been a lot of rosé reviews on the site this week. That may seem odd if you treat rosé simply as a summer sipper. At NYCR global headquarters, rosé is a year-round libation. We just drink different examples this time of year. Now that the weather has cooled, I find myself using my oven more, and whether I’m roasting a chicken, roasting some winter squash or cooking a pork shoulder for 10 hours like I did last weekend, richer, fuller-bodied rosés really fit the bill. They have enough weight to stand up flavor-wise, but are still fresh, with that lively…

Macari Vineyards 2014 Rose

Macari Vineyards 2014 Rose ($16), may be a bit of a kitchen sink of a wine, made with 49% merlot, 17% cabernet franc, 17% cabernet sauvignon, 10% chardonnay, 5% malbec and 2% viognier, but this dry, light pink wine is also fresh and delicious. On the paler side of local rose — not that it matters at all — it offers scents of citrus and citrus blossom, wild strawberry and watermelon with a little underlying earthiness as it warms. There’s more strawberry and citrus on the bright, balanced palate — but also a distinct peachy note. There’s good acidity but also a gently…

Tousey Winery 2013 Rebellion Rose

You don’t see very much Blaufränkisch rosé in New York. You see even less rosé that is barrel fermented. But, with Tousey Winery 2013 Rebellion Rosé ($16) co-owner and winemaker Ben Peacock has produced both. Fruity red cherry and strawberry flavors are gently accented by notes of spice and blanched almond — hinting at this wine’s time in oak, but not coming out and announcing it. The barrel reveals itself more on the palate — where there texture is creamy and simple red fruit flavors have a buttery edge to them. Mouth-filling and round, it shows enough acidity and a long finish. Producer: Tousey…

EVENT ADVERTISEMENT: Merlot Rewind — The Long Island Wine Remix

Please join the Long Island Merlot Alliance (LIMA) on Friday, November 6, 2015 at Back Label Wine Merchants for the first annual MERLOT REWIND! Why rewind? Because it’s come to our attention that maybe some of you don’t know Long Island merlot the way you should. Which is just crazy. Sure, we grow more merlot here (to the tune of nearly 700 acres) than any other grape in the region, but there’s good reason for that: Our maritime climate produces consistently lovely versions of this noble red grape — concentrated yet bright, mouth filling and layered yet versatile at the table. And that’s…

Weekly New York Wine News — October 19 & 26, 2015

Due to a production glitch, the weekly news bites did not get posted last week, so here they are along with some fresh messages from the world of New York made beverages. NEWS Albany Times Union – 10/15/2015 A closer look at some of the quotes, changes, content and feedback coming from the recent Governor’s summit on New York adult beverages. Ithaca Journal – 10/16/2015 Solar Investment tax credits have helped vineyards and wineries to lead the way in a clean energy future, but credits are scheduled to dry up at the end of 2016. NorthForker – 10/16/2015 Long Island…

Leonard Oakes Estate Winery 2014 Petillant Naturel Riesling

Pet nat — shorthand for Pétillant Naturel — wines are all the rage these days, particularly in New York City. These are lightly sparkling wines made in a style that, while new to the New York wine industry, is far from trendy or new. In fact, the method is as rustic and old as the wines are fun to drink. Unlike sparkling wines made using methode champenoise (as with Champagne), where yeast and sugar are added to a fully fermented base wine for a secondary carbonation in the bottle, pet nat is made via méthode ancestral, where the wine is bottled before primary fermentation —…

Uncork the Forks: The Physical Side of Winemaking

Two weeks after I spent the better part of a day picking and processing grapes at Southold Farm+Cellar, parts of my body still ache. Yes, that’s a commentary on my present level of physical fitness — and no one would ever suggest that picking grapes is work meant for someone who stands 6 feet, 3 inches — but it’s also a reminder of all of the hard work that goes into the wines we love drinking so much. Most people picture the life of a winemaker as an artistic, romantic one spent walking through vineyards, examining the grapes, perhaps plucking…

Wolffer Estate 2012 “Christian’s Cuvee” Merlot

Sometimes, I just don’t want to talk about how much a wine costs. With Long Island wines already seen as over-priced by many and the ever-rising prices of Finger Lakes wines, it’s a topic that I cover enough already. I can’t tell you if Wolffer Estate 2012 Christian’s Cuvee Merlot ($100) is worth that $100 price tag or not. That’s really between you and your bank account. What I can tell you that I’ve bought it before — though admittedly not often — and that I’ve had the pleasure of drinking these wines back to the 2000 vintage and these…

Weekly New York Wine News — October 13, 2015

Merlot photo courtesy of Roanoke Vineyards Summit news and short lists this week as harvest hits the half-way point and the wine is starting to settle in the barn. NEWS Cool Hunting – 10/5/2015 Wolffer Estate featured as a hallmark of living the Hampton’s lifestyle. Cornell Veraison to Harvest – 10/9/2015 Regional harvest report, learning on Long Island, and a fine example showing the effect of lateral clusters on wine quality. Capital New York  – 10/7/2015 The summit is not just vine and brew, there’s other drink out there, it’s true. The NY spirits sector, is on a hot vector, and…

Long Island Wine Press: Five Long Island Wines That Over-Deliver at Different Price Points

Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in the fall 2015 edition of the Long Island Wine Press It’s no wonder that from time to time you can see a chip on the collective shoulder of Long Island winery owners and winemakers. They pour time and money into their work and then they hear and read this with some regularity: “Long Island wines are over-priced.” Sadly, just about everyone in and around the local wine industry has heard that declaration – or some version of it – multiple times during their careers. Before we go any further, let’s clear up that misconception. …