Browsing CategoryRegions

Anthony Nappa Wines 2010 “Bordo” Cabernet Franc

I first tasted this wine last summer at The Winemaker Studio during a rare childless wine country jaunt with my wife and friends. As winemaker Anthony Nappa poured it and I first put my nose in the glass, I knew this was a wine I would fall for. And I did. Hard. Anthony Nappa Wines 2010 “Bordo” Cabernet Franc ($20) was the first wine I picked for the first shipment of the Empire State Cellars Wine Club. Truth be told, the chance to have it again was the initial inspiration behind our recent dinner with Nappa and his wines.  I’ve…

Continue Reading

This Thursday: “Partners in Living Local” Winemaker’s Dinner at The American Hotel

John Leo, winemaker for Clovis Point, has created a wine dinner series “Partners in Living Local” — all hosted at the American Hotel in Sag Harbor and all celebrating one type of partnership or another in wine country. From the series announcement:   [quote] The American Hotel in Sag Harbor presents local collaborative wine projects in a series of four course dinners celebrating some new landmarks on the East End wine scene. When you live in a place of timeless treasures it’s sometimes easy to overlook the subtle changes growing out of the familiar scenery. It is with this expectation we invite…

Continue Reading

Clovis Point 2007 Vintner’s Selection Merlot

Clovis Point is a North Fork producer that is quickly pushing itself onto the region’s short list of premium producers. The white wine portfolio is limited, but if you’re talking merlot and other red wines, Clovis Point is already on my must-visit list when people email me asking where they should taste. This wine, their Clovis Point 2007 Vinter’s Selection Merlot ($35) is a blend of 86% merlot, 6.5% cabernet sauvignon, 4% cabernet franc, 2.5% syrah and 1% petit verdot, is one that should put the winery on the map in a more substantial way. Complex and still young, the…

Continue Reading

Community Beer Works Launches in Buffalo

Buffalo has its first new brewery in over ten years. After much hard work getting everything built, brewed, and licensed, Community Beer Works, a nanobrewery located on the city’s West Side, launched its first beers this weekend at neighboring Elmwood Avenue pubs Cole’s and Goodbar. The brewery premiered Frank, a generously hopped pale ale, and The Whale, a chocolatey, chewy brown ale, to an enthusiastic crowd on Friday night. The following weeks will feature more “embeering”, as the CBW gents like to put it, the highlight of which will be a five-course pairing dinner at Belgian gastropub Blue Monk on…

Continue Reading

Long Island Sustainable Winegrowing (LISW) Announces Formation and Sustainable Vineyard Certification

Most wineries on the East End of Long Island like to talk about being “sustainable” in their vineyard practices and winemaking. There’s discussion about windmills and compost piles and this spray or that application, but let’s be honest, “sustainable” is a nebulous term… at least in the way they are using it, to denote a certain “green”-ness without formal biodynamic or organic certification. Those require strict adherence to defined rules over a set period of time. “Sustainable” is a bit of a “green” grey area without any local definition or certification. It is a term that is decidedly open to interpretation.…

Continue Reading

Keuka Lake Vineyards Worker Killed in Tractor Accident

Daniel Martin, a member of the vineyard crew at Keuka Lake Vineyards, died in an accident on Monday. The 51-year old was pinned underneath a tractor, which he had been operating on the hill of the property. “He will be greatly missed,” KLV owner Mel Goldman said in an email. “It is deeply shocking. I knew him quite well.” Martin had worked for KLV for the past ten years, and was familiar with the vagaries of the property. Keuka Lake Vineyards is perched on some of the steepest vineyard sites in the region; it’s the kind of terrain that is…

Continue Reading

The New York Cork Report Tasting Table — April 17, 2012

I keep trying to retire the “Tasting Table” series, but my recently chaotic day job along with the all-consuming reality of an infant and a 5-year old have once again reminded me that no matter how obsessed I am with local wines, beers etc. and this website — it’s still a hobby. Add to that the fact that we’ll be cutting over to our new site design and platform soon (maybe even next week) and Tasting Table remains a valuable tool. I’d like to start things off at the new site fresh. Tasting Table will not be a part of…

Continue Reading

Lake Erie Wine Country: First Impressions

The importance of a first impression; as a new contributor, I understand it all too well… Will I be interesting, will I be informative, amusing, witty and knowledgeable…will I run out of adjectives? The first impression of the Lake Erie Wine Country is, brace yourself, grapes! (So much for interesting, witty and amusing.) A rather obvious statement I know, but this area is often referred to as the “Grape Belt.” The most common grape grown is Concord, a native variety that is most typically found sweetened and preserved and laying on top of your peanut butter in a peanut butter and jelly…

Continue Reading

Shinn Estate Vineyards 2008 Nine Barrel Merlot Reserve

With so many communication channels at our finger tips these days (Facebook, Twitter, email, etc.) it feels like I’m discussing local wines with people almost constantly. It’s fun, but I’ve noticed something recently — great vintages can cause an interesting side effect. The other, ‘non-great’ vintages can very easily be looked down upon or ignored altogehter. 2007 and 2010 were among the best vintages ever for Long Island. We all know that by now. But, because many 2007 reds have come and gone, and 2010 reds are trickling into the marketplace, it’s almost like 2008 and 2009 didn’t happen. Don’t make…

Continue Reading