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Roanoke Vineyards 2009 Marco Tulio

I’ve said it before, but it is worthy of a reminder — in your excitement to taste Long Island’s 2010 reds, don’t skip over or dismiss the 2009s.  A dry, warm autumn rewarded those growers patient enough to let their fruit hang and soak up those last bits of sun. Roanoke Vineyards 2009 Marco Tulio ($24) is a blend of 66% cabernet franc and 34% cabernet sauvignon. Anyone who knows Long Island wine knows that Roanoke Vineyards makes some of the best cabernet franc in these parts, and that this wine is two-thirds franc is obvious from the first sniff.…

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Rosé Means Dry? In the Finger Lakes, a New Idea Gains Momentum

Finger Lakes winemaker Vinny Aliperti is taking on Shakespeare, whether he knows it or not. It was The Bard who famously wrote, in Romeo & Juliet, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” It was his typically poetic way of saying that what we call something doesn’t matter; the content of that thing is what matters. Maybe not. Maybe a name matters enough to affect public perception. Aliperti finds that to be true with rosé. Some Finger Lakes wineries have seen steady growth in sales and production of rosé, while others have stagnated. Some of that stagnation…

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Spider Bite Brewing wins Tap NYs ‘Best New Brewery 2012’

On the way to his next-door neighbor’s house, Larry Goldstein felt a pinch . On his arm he saw a raised welt with two red marks characteristic of a spider’s fangs. Unfortunately, the bite didn’t endow him with super powers, but it did give him a name for his brewery, which is getting a lot of attention from across New York State. That’s what winning “Best New Brewery” at the annual TapNY beer festival will do. “I thought some of our beers had a chance to win an award in a style category,” says the former chiropractor turned brewer, “But I never…

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Niagara County Welcomes Woodcock Brothers Brewery

Niagara Wine Country visitors — and winery staff — have been asking for a brewery in the area for years, and this fall they’ll finally have one. Woodcock Brothers Brewery is building a stunning facility that will include a brewery, restaurant, tasting room and porch on Lake Street in Wilson, New York, minutes from Schulze, Black Willow, Marjim Manor, Chateau Niagara, and Victorianbourg wineries. “The reception from the wine community here has been unbelievable,” says Tim Woodcock, who is founder along with his brother Mark and their wives Andrea and Debbie (all Niagara County natives). “People have been showing up…

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New York Wine & Culinary Center Adds — But Now Says it Will Remove — Non-New York Wines From Wine List

[quote]The New York Wine & Culinary Center will excite, inspire and engage New Yorkers and the world in a celebration, understanding and appreciation of New York wine and food through educational programming and partnerships, making it a part of their everyday lives.[/quote] That excerpt from the New York Wine and Culinary Center’s (NYWCC) website would seem to say it all. New York deserves a place to showcase its agricultural wonders without the distraction of other regions. Unfortunately, according to a recent email newsletter from the New York Wine & Grape Foundation,  the newly renovated restaurant at the NYWCC,  now known as…

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A Mostly Objective Look at Long Island Winery Websites

Jose Moreno-Lacalle, publisher of Wine, Seriously, is a blogger I’ve read for many years now. Though he doesn’t publish posts frequently, he more than makes up for the lack of quantity with quality (and length.) His pieces are well researched and take a very in-depth look at very focused topics. Over the holiday weekend, Jose published “An Assessment of Long Island Winery Websites,” an exhaustively detailed look at more than 50 local winery and vineyard websites. Though I think Jose is a bit generous in his assessment at times (particularly around content architecture, overall design and user experience/usability) and a…

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Shinn Estate Vineyards NV Red

There are perilously few Long Island red wines under $20 that I find consistently palatable. Most often made from hard press fractions and leftovers, they can be incredibly inconsistent, bitter, under-ripe or just plain not very good. Shinn Estate Vineayrds NV Red ($17) isn’t always good — the blend, and even the grapes used in the blend — varies from version to version. And unless you’re buying it directly from the winery and can ask, it’s difficult to know which NV edition you’re buying. The current release, however, is a nice, carafe-style red well suited to casual meals. You can even…

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June 15: NYCR “Drink Local Dinner” with Anthony Road Wine Company and Amarelle

We have the menu and pairings for our next New York Cork Report “Drink Local Dinner” on June 15 Amarelle in Wading River, featuring five wines from Anthony Road Wine Company, located on Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes. We’re excited that German-born winemaker Johannes Reinhardt will be with us to talk not only about the wines, but the stories and work behind them. Johannes will also be at Empire State Cellars the following evening pouring many of the same wines for customers. Seats are $75 plus tax and gratuity,  so call Amarelle at 631.886.2242 to reserve your spot today. Anthony Road Wine Company…

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New York State Wine Outlet to Open in Shanghai, China

Over the last 12-18 months the United Kingdom has emerged a potentially important market for New York — and other East Coast — wines. In fact, delegations from the Finger Lakes and Long Island are there right now for the 2012 London International Wine Fair. Now, more New York wineries than ever are looking even further east for new markets — all the way to China. A handful of wineries, including Channing Daughters Winery, Lieb Family Cellars and Pindar Vineyards, already sell or have sold wine in China. But, later today, Empire State Cellars, the New York-only tasting room and shop in Riverhead,…

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Silver Thread Vineyard 2011 Good Earth White

When Paul and Shannon Brock purchased Silver Thread Vineyard last summer, I immediately wondered about their first vintage and wines. 2011 was a challenge for even the most experienced growers — growers who had been taking care of their vines for the entire growing season. The Brocks came in in what amounts to the fourth quarter of the game. Having tasted a few of Paul’s first wines (he’s the winemaker), those worries seem to be unwarranted. The Silver Thread 2011s deliver the same bright, clean flavors as many of those he made at Lamoreaux Landing a few years ago. Silver Thread…

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