Posts Written ByEvan Dawson

By Evan Dawson, Managing Editor Last Thursday, a grassroots group went to Albany to ask state leaders to prevent hydrofracking from coming to New York state. Many of the marchers were professionals in the Finger Lakes wine industry, which tends to view fracking as a serious threat. Winemakers and winery owners tell me there will be many more similar demonstrations, but they're not yet satisfied with the response from the wine industry. Here are some big questions regarding fracking.  How severe could the environmental problems be? There's no way to know, but the rhetoric can be strong. Long-time New York…

By Evan Dawson, Managing Editor Photo by Morgan Dawson Photography You could forgive Judy Wiltberger for feeling skeptical about what she just heard. It was summer, 1989, and maybe the warm air and stunning views had imbued the region with an unrealistic sense of optimism. After all, Judy had doubts about her own grand visions for a winery called Keuka Spring. But the couple sitting across from her at dinner seemed perhaps one step further out of step with reality. They had just declared their hope to launch not only a winery, but a restaurant attached to it. "I'm going…

By Evan Dawson, Managing Editor We are devastated to report the loss of Deb Whiting, co-owner and chef of Red Newt Cellars and Red Newt Bistro. Deb died in a car accident last night while returning home from Vermont with her husband Dave, who was injured in the crash. Dave is listed in stable condition after being taken to a Syracuse hospital. The Whitings have long been regional ambassadors, reaching into new markets and pushing for higher quality standards. The restaurant, built around Deb Whiting's passion for local agriculture, has won many awards and is the reigning NYCR Finger Lakes…

By Evan Dawson, Managing Editor This list is a kind of public to-do list for me. It is not perfect or complete. This is not the list of the five best places to eat, or anything like that. But anyone who lives anywhere (which accounts for most people) has a restaurant or two that they've always been meaning to visit, but haven't yet, or haven't in a while. Here's my list. What's yours? Pumpkin Hill Bistro, Aurora, Cayuga Lake I'm pretty sure that everyone who's eaten there blows a gasket when they find out I haven't. This is not intentional.…

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor On special occasions, Anthony Road Wine Company winemaker Johannes Reinhardt hauls out a long, unlabeled bottle. It's marked only with the letters "SP." Those letters represent one important and potentially game-changing word. Spontaneous. In 2009, Reinhardt decided to experiment with natural, or spontaneous, fermentation. He created a small batch of riesling, only 80 cases, for the purpose of studying the differences between the usage of cultivated yeast and native yeast. This is a small step, but potentially one with large implications for the Finger Lakes wine industry. Anthony Road is a leader in riesling…

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor That photo is me with Hermann Wiemer, who stopped by a wine tasting/Summer in a Glass book event at Red Feet Wines Market in Ithaca last night. It was the first time I've seen Hermann in quite a while, and the first time we've spoken since the book came out. Naturally, I've wondered what he thought about it, and about the chapter focusing on his legacy in particular. All I can tell you is that before the end of the night, Hermann was signing books for Red Feet customers. We chatted about a number…

By Evan Dawson, Managing Editor When is the ideal time to open a well-made Finger Lakes riesling? It seems like a silly question, doesn't it? The answer is often, and appropriately, "Whenever you feel like it." And start with this: There's no Finger Lakes riesling that will be so closed as to be unready if you open it young. Even the 2010 rieslings coming off the bottling lines this spring will be fine in short order. But the best wine tells an extended story, one that unfolds in multiple acts. A great riesling in its youth is all nervy, adolescent…

By Evan Dawson, Managing Editor In Niagara, winemakers use the word "terroir" often. We heard it just about everywhere we went. It's a word spoken far less often in New York state, where winemakers speak of sense of place or perhaps "somewhereness," while occasionally dropping "terroir" into conversation as well.  Why does this matter? It's not simply relevant because Canadians speak a lot of French. It's relevant because in Niagara, where I spent several days for TasteCamp North, "terroir" is not about marketing. It's about an honest exploration of the soil and what it can provide. This is no small…

By Evan Dawson, Managing Editor Photo from left to right: Justin Boyette, Phil Davis, Rick Rainey, Louis Barruol Louis Barruol, vigneron of the critically acclaimed Chateau de Saint Cosme winery in France's Rhone Valley, has agreed to a partnership to make wine under a new Finger Lakes label. Chateau de Saint Cosme is located in Gigondas and is widely considered the top producer in that appellation, while also producing wine from various other Rhone appellations, including Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Barruol will be an equal partner alongside Rick Rainey in the new Forge Cellars project. Justin Boyette, winemaker for the Hector Wine Company,…

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor "It's a rare day when a bridge gets burned. It seems that in the Finger Lakes, you can move around in the wine industry and keep your relationships strong with previous employers and colleagues. That's one of the great attributes of this region." So says Derek Wilber (pictured right), the outgoing president and winemaker of White Springs Winery on Seneca Lake, and the once-and-future winemaker at Swedish Hill on Cayuga Lake. Wilber, who worked at Swedish Hill from 2000 to 2005, will return next week to take over for Ian Barry, who heads west…