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From Tom Mansell: Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards NV Red Cat Not every wine experience has to be mind-blowing.    Sometimes you're in a hurry and you just want a good, cheap quaff.  My friends and I enjoyed this before heading to our department holiday party, where I knew the wine would be much worse.  It's grapey but not overwhelmingly so, with nondescript fruit at first and a tart cranberry finish (it's tough to nail down descriptors when you're drinking from a red plastic cup.) And when it's ice cold, it's pretty refreshing.  Red Cat is traditionally a blend of Catawba (which I…

For this week's edition of What We Drank, our contributors share some of their favorite libations from the Thanksgiving weekend. As per usual, it's a diverse grouping of delicious sips. From Julia Burke: Leonard Oakes Estate 2008 Frontenac and Heart & Hands Wine Company 2006 Pinot Noir My actual Thanksgiving meal could be charitably described as "underwhelming". Grandma insisted on our first-ever restaurant Thanksgiving, and the place we chose lost points quickly in my book for having no New York wine (or any really interesting wine), mediocre food, and — unforgivably — no cranberry sauce. My immediate family being one…

From Evan Dawson: Donnhoff Oberhauser Brucke 2001 Riesling Spatlese When I think of the very best rieslings I've ever had, this one is in the conversation. With a nose that reaches out of the glass and delivers a right hook, and a with a finish that unfolds almost endlessly, it's a gorgeous bottle of wine. But more than anything, this wine is the prime example of balance. It brings perhaps 4% RS (that's a guess). At no point would anyone speak of this wine as being cloying or overly sweet. Instead, it's rich and pure. I try not to get…

We have a shorter than usual list of offerings for What We Drank this week. Bryan has been busy changing diapers and Lenn only drank local this weekend — and wants to save those reviews for standalone posts. At least we're back to wine this week for Julia. From Tom Mansell: Jordan 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County Every now and then, you get a nice surprise.  I had this wine at a friend's steak-filled birthday party and I should note that gatherings at this particular friend's house are usually more of the Keystone Light variety than the aged California Cabernet…

As I, and no doubt you, have come to expect, we're drinking a wide array of beverages from a diverse group of locales. Some were better than others of course. From Lenn Thompson: Shinn Estate Vineyards 2008 Haven The folks from Shinn Estate Vineyards are good at proving me wrong. Okay, that's probably an overstatement, but they sure are good at keeping me honest about making generalizations. I shouldn't make them at all. I thought that some wineries went overboard in 2005, trying to make wines that aren't true to the region and its signature style. Shinn's 2005 show restraint…

As always, a diverse group of libations from our editors and contributors. From Evan Dawson: Caymus Vineyards 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Let's talk a bit about acidity. I often hear people who drink warm-climate wines profess their love for acidity and balance, and yet when they drink New York wines they tend to remark on the crackling acidity as if it's too much to handle. I think there's a good chance that they're simply not accustomed to the real deal, and they're certainly not getting it in wines like this. That's not to say this isn't a good wine. It's beautifully…

This is what the editors and contributors to the New York Cork Report were drinking last week. From Evan Dawson: Chateau Batailley 1982 Pauillac When I've had a rough day at work, I tend to behave irrationally if I'm in a wine shop that evening. You can only imagine what kind of day I had last Thursday, when I found myself involuntarily measuring the ullage on a number of older Bordeaux.  I regret to say that this bottle was not exactly what I was seeking. It was, stunningly, as fresh as grapes picked straight from the vine. Well, almost. The…

As is often the case, we have a diverse group of wines this week, including some varieties that are most definitely off the beaten path. By Bryan Calandrelli: Lagunitas Brewing Gnarly Wine When your weekend schedule consists of painting and watching football, there's only one beverage that will do — beer. And what does a wino want to drink when he needs to drown his painting sorrows? A Lagunitas Gnarly Wine barley wine. Aromas of sweet caramel and citrus in the glass along with plumy fruit and spice notes as well. A mouth-filling texture and full-bodied palate made this a…

From Bryan Calandrelli: Taylors Fladgate Quinta De Vargellas Vintage Port 1995 Once again my WWD selection comes from a passive aggressive co-worker that opens up one of his private collection wines every time I can't make it to work. This wine, unlike the others, didn't lose much after a few days uncorked, so by the time I got to drink it, it was still kicking. Taylor's Fladgate Quinta De Vargellas Vintage Port 1995 is by far the most impressive Port I've ever had. Its huge black fruit aromas and voluptuous mouthfeel immediately sold me on the idea of keeping a…

Happy Labor Day, everyone. We hope this long weekend meant lots of delicious, locally focused meals and drinks. It would appear that only Evan and I are chiming in with What We Drank this week, but coincidentally, we both picked local wines (a rarity) and both happen to be from the 2001 vintage. Evan Dawson: Miles Wine Cellars 2001 Milestone You've had that feeling before. That moment when you grab a bottle of wine from your cellar and say, "Where the heck did THIS come from?" My wife and I have no idea where we got this bottle of '01…