Posts Written ByLenn Thompson

An Evening With Comtesse Therese

Bernard Cannac, consultant winemaker, Lisa Julian Cannac, assistant winemaker, and Theresa K. Dilworth, Esq., owner and winemaker of Comtesse Therese Winery before our tasting began. It’s not every day that you get to spend an entire evening with the people that make some of your favorite local wines. I’m lucky enough to say that it happened to me and Nena on Saturday night. After a quick tour of Premier Wine Group (the custom-crush winemaking co-op where they make their wine) and her vineyard, Theresa Dilworth, owner and winemaker of Comtesse Therese, hosted a tasting of their new releases…inside an old…

The Phenomenon that is Hooters

I’m a 29 year old male…so you’d probably assume that I’d had the pleasure of dining at one of the many Hooters that dot the American landscape. You’d be wrong. My first visit to Hooters didn’t happen until…well…last night. There’s one right around the corner from my office and just up the street from my softball game last night (which was at 8 p.m.). So, when John called and wanted to head over there after work to kill some time before the game…how can any self respecting man say no? It was a good time. The wings were actually pretty…

From the Vine: Castello di Borghese 2003 Riesling

Opening a bottle of Riesling is always fun for me, especially if it’s one I’ve never tried before. I love Riesling…and I’m always curious to see what direction a particular winemaker takes this grape in. Will it be bone floral, flinty and bone dry? Will it be fruity and off-dry? Plus, for the most part, they’re quite affordable and, I think anyway, always much more interesting than a Pinot Grigio. New York State and the Finger Lakes Region in particular are well known for making great Rieslings. In fact, many wine “experts” think that some of the Finger Lakes Rieslings…

Cape Cod Cocktail Hour

One of the best parts of our long weekend on Cape Cod was that we did a cocktail hour each night…with wine tastings set up by yours truly. I really liked this picture…taken the first night we were all there. We compared Wolffer Estates Rose and Comtesse Therese Rose. I love them both, but Wolffer won out as the favorite for serving with food…but as an apertif, Comtesse Therese won going away.

Over the Barrel: Winning Wines for the Season

(This column will appear in an upcoming issue of Dan’s Papers) Winning Wines for the Season Wolffer Estates Fall Releases By Lenn Thompson As a wine lover, I often say “I love it all.” California Cabernet Sauvignon, Australian Shiraz, Argentinean Malbec, Alsatian Gewürztraminer…the list is seemingly unending. I can always find something to love about most any varietal and wine region. But, as summer’s warmth fades and autumn takes hold, two wines always grab and keep my attention — Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir. Luckily, with Wolffer Estate artfully producing world-class examples of these varietals in Sagaponack, I don’t have…

WBW #3 — Coming at us from Down Under

By now you’ve probably heard about Wine Blogging Wednesday (WBW), the worldwide blogging event, in the style of IMBB, I vinted in September. Well Alder at Vinography built upon September’s success by hosting October’s virtual wine party…adding more participants and doing a great job with the round up. For November’s vintage, we have another west coast host. Viv at Seattle Bon Vivant is taking charge and hosting A Trip Down Under: Australian Shiraz. I, like Viv, love Aussie Shiraz…from $6 Yellow Tail to the much more complex, elegant offerings made throughout the country. I can’t wait to go shopping for…

Over the Barrel: “Drinking the Stars”

(This story recently appeard in Dan’s Papers) “Drinking the Stars” at Vineyard Weddings By Lenn Thompson The Benedictine monk Dom Perignon, when drinking the first Champagne in the late 1600s, is reputed to have exclaimed, “It’s like drinking the stars!” Sparkling wine, whether you call it Champagne, Cava, Prosecco, or just bubbly, is the perfect wine for romance…and for a wedding. It really is the most romantic of wines and it is a time-honored tradition to toast the new bride and groom with a twinkling flute of Champagne or another sparkler. But far too often, the sparkling wine served at…

Over the Barrel: Winemaker Profile — Theresa Dilworth of Comtesse Therese

(This story recently appeard in Dan’s Papers) Winemaker Profile: Theresa Dilworth of Comtesse Therese By Lenn Thompson Monday through Friday, Theresa Dilworth can be found working in Manhattan as an international tax attorney for Pfizer, Inc. But on Fridays, just hours after leaving her office, you’ll find her out on the North Fork working in the fields of Le Clos Therese Vineyards as principal owner, vineyard manager and winemaker of Comtesse Therese wines. Since 2001, Dilworth has been making award-winning wines only from grapes she’s purchased from other growers on the North Fork. That’s about to change, however. While she’ll…

Over the Barrel: Vines and Vows

(This story recently appeared in Dan’s Papers) Vines and Vows LI Wineries and Weddings Make a Perfect Pair By Lenn Thompson Weddings and wedding receptions are memorable events no matter where they take place, but these days couples on Long Island and in Manhattan looking to do something a little different just have to look east, way east, to Long Island wine country. Romantic, majestic and best enjoyed with friends and family, weddings and wineries have so much in common that it’s a natural pairing. Like Sauvignon Blanc with shellfish or Cabernet Sauvignon with a dry-aged porterhouse, they just go…

Cool New Law in New York State

If you go to a restaurant…and can’t finish your meal, you get to take the leftovers home right? Well, until now, the same coudln’t be said about a bottle of wine. It’s never happened to me, but if you go out with someone who isn’t a big drinker and order a bottle of wine, chances are you have two choices: 1. Leave an un-empty bottle at the restaurant 2. Drink the entire thing down and drive when you probably shouldn’t That’s all changed now though…and it really does benefit everyone involved. There’s a new law in New York state that…