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Paumanok Vineyards 2013 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay

Warning: The chardonnay reviews are coming.  I recently tasted three-plus cases of Long Island chardonnay — all 2013 and 2014 vintages — for a story I’m working on for Long Island Wine Press. I survived and learned quite a bit, but you’ll have to wait for that story to come out to learn more. I won’t publish reviews for all of them, or even most, but some will be coming. Starting today. I won’t publish reviews for all of them, or even most, but some will be coming. Starting today. He’s perhaps known for other things, but Paumanok Vineyards winemaker…

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From the Archives: Local with Local: Raphael 2002 First Label Merlot and David Page’s Ducq au Vin

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’s pull from the archives is one of my favorite “Local with Local” posts we published — a series where local chefs and wine folks created a wine pairing. This pairing and recipe were offered by David Page, co-owner of Shinn Estate Vineyards and a former chef.  Reading through this post again, has me thinking about bringing this series back.    My wife Barbara and I first met Richard Olsen-Harbich, currently the…

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New York #Tastemaker: Ben Peacock | Tousey Winery

“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 #NYTastemaker 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’ve long found the Hudson River winemaking region a bit scattershot. The wineries are very spread out, which makes visiting more than a few per day difficult. Wine quality is up, but the wines are also extremely diverse — in…

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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…

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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.…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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From the Archives: Waters Crest Winery — Inspired Winemaking

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 chosen a story I published exactly 11 years ago, on January 28, 2005, about Waters Crest Winery. It seemed appropriate given the fact that Jim Waters will open his new tasting room on Main Road in Cutchogue (picture above) sometime in the next couple of weeks. Jim Waters of Waters Crest Winery in Cutchogue has a great story to tell, one that will touch your heart as well as…

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Long Island Wine Press: At Macari Vineyards, fermentation in an egg

Step into most any Long Island winery — where the wine is actually made, not the tasting room — and you’re mostly going to see two types of vessels: stainless steel tanks and oak barrels. These containers are used for fermenting and aging wine. You’ll find some open-top bins that are used for fermentation too, but barrels and tanks are the cornerstone of any winery’s production facility. Macari Vineyards has a lot of these tanks and oak barrels of different sizes and ages, but they also have something unique to Long Island wine — concrete eggs. Yes. Really. The use…

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