Posts Written OnFebruary 2016

Weekly New York Wine News — February 8, 2016

Photo via Red Tail Ridge Winery’s Facebook Page NEWS Syracuse.com – 2/4/2016 The Wine Forecaster pays a visit to Hunt Country Vineyards on the west side of Keuka Lake. New York Times – 2/6/2016 An even handed review from Kurt Wenzel of Wölffer Kitchen gives the Sag Harbor spot a “very good” rating. Leisure Group Travel – 2/6/2016 The Finger Lakes take the top slot in this short list of recommended destinations where the dining leaves visitors with favorable lasting impressions. New York Wines – 2/8/2016 NY wines “scored big–no, HUGE–at the annual Florida State Fair International Wine Competition”. New York Wine Events…

Corks of the Forks: The truth about winter in Wine Country

Other than that recent big snowstorm, we’ve had a relatively mild winter thus far. It’s been my kind of winter, with limited time spent shoveling. Let’s hope I didn’t just jinx us. Despite the relatively mild weather, you just don’t see big crowds in Wine Country this time of year. Once the last pumpkins are picked, the tide of humanity recedes a bit through Thanksgiving and then fades even more as winter settles in. On one hand, I understand it. There are few things more enjoyable than sharing a bottle of wine, overlooking a vineyard on a warm, summer day.…

From the Archives: Restaurant Turns Up Rare Bottle of 1966 Dr. Frank Riesling

Editor’s Note: Every Thursday — call it Throwback Thursday if you’d like — we’ll pull a story from the more than a decade of NYCR stories and republish it. This week, I’ve pulled a story written by Evan Dawson that focused on a bottle of Dr. Konstantin Frank 1966 Johannisberg Riesling that we were lucky enough to taste before our 2009 Wines of the Year tasting.  I could barely believe the photograph, sent from a friend. The bottle in the picture said Dr. Konstantin Frank 1966 Johannisberg Riesling, but it did not make sense that a restaurant was selling such a bottle…

New York Cork Club February 2016 Selections

Without writing a long essay about what it actually costs to grow grapes and eventually make a bottle of wine that can be sold – many of the things that go into wine are very expensive, and in New York, they are even more expensive on Long Island. Land and labor are the big ones. Why do I bring this up? Well, this month’s selections are both from Long Island, a rarity given the constraints (<$50 plus shipping for two bottles) of this club. It may never happen again, but considering that I live just a short drive from Long…

New York #Tastemaker: Autumn Stoscheck | Eve’s Cidery

“Tastemaker” is a term typically used to describe a person — either a sommelier or writer in the wine world — who decides what is good, cool or otherwise interesting. With our new regional #Tastemaker profiles, I’ve decided to usurp the term to mean someone who actually makes the wines, ciders, spirits, etc. that we love. A “tastemaker” should make something, after all. I have yet to meet Autumn Stoscheck from Eve’s Cidery in Van Etten, NY, which is roughly 20 miles south of some of the primary wine districts of the Finger Lake region. But through her ciders and a handful of…

Weekly New York Wine News — February 1, 2016

Snow-covered vines at Macari Vineyards (via Macari Vineyards’ Facebook page) NEWS Finger Lakes Times – 1/25/2016 Interview with Jim Trezise on history and his extended transition out of his position as President of the New York Wine and Grape Council. Napa Valley Register – 1/28/2016 Even in heart of California wine country, the Finger Lakes wines are catching attention, with mention of H.J. Wiemer, Red Tail Ridge and Heart & Hands. NorthForker – 1/26/2016 Waters Crest Winery just a couple of weeks away from opening a new tasting room in Cutchogue. My Vine Spot – 1/27/2016 Dezel Quillen reflects on the…