By Julia Burke, Beer Editor Residents of the City of Buffalo may have noticed a strange phenomenon last week: all beer-loving residents suddenly became completely unavailable at work, at home and in their social lives. Every craft beer enthusiast in town went off the societal radar for seven days of the beer extravaganza known as Buffalo Beer Week. When I described Buffalo Beer Week to a friend he replied,
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NYC Correspondent David Flaherty: Time with Nicolas Joly
You might be wondering where David Flaherty, our New York City Correpondent, has been the last couple of months. He's in Europe, with his wife, visiting breweries, vineyards and other food and wine meccas. You can keep up with their travels via his blog, Grapes & Grains, but I wanted to share this video they shot in the Loire Valley with Nicolas Joly. No, it's not New York, but it's timely what with all the 'natural' and 'biodynamic' discussion on the site in the wine world lately.
Eat Drink Local Week Starts Today
By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor The NYCR team doesn't necessarily need a special occasion or invitation to eat or drink local, but Eat Drink Local Week starts today — and we're absolutely behind it and hope it encourages more New Yorkers to check out their local bounty. Organized by Edible Manhattan, Edible Brooklyn and Edible East End, this is a great week-long festival with some great participating restaurants offering Eat Drink Local prix fixe menus. The event will also celebrate seven special ingredients and include the Eat Local Challenge Get out there and bask in the glory of your local…
Influence Wines 2010 Riesling
By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor You may not know who Erik Bilka is, but chances are he’s helped make at least some of your favorite Long Island wines. Bilka, who launched Influence Wines in 2009, has been working at Premium Wine Group — a custom crush facility responsible for several Long Island labels — since 2001. In fact, he was employee #3 when he joined founder Russell Hearn and John Leo. Prior to joining PWG, he worked the 2000 harvest with Alice Wise as a Cornell Cooperative Extension vineyard assistant. Working at PWG, Bilka has worked with many consulting winemakers…
Don’t Forget to Vote for NYCR in 2011 Wine Blog Awards
By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor In case you missed it, the NYCR is a finalist in the "Best Single Subject Wine Blog" category in this years Wine Blog Awards. We're honored but quick to remind you that NYCR isn't about us — it's about the wines, beers and spirits of New York State. And with that in mind, we would really love to win to once again shine a bright light on the beverage artisans across the state. If you think us worthy, we hope that you'll take a few moments to go vote for us along with your other…
Empire State Cellars, a New York Wine Superstore, to Open in Riverhead
By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor The Long Island Wine Council estimates that 1.2 million people visited Long Island wine country last year. The Finger Lakes Wine Country promotion group estimates that 750,000 visited wineries in that region. And according to the New York Wine and Grape Foundation website, there were nearly 5 million total visitors to New York wine country in 2008. That's a lot of people tasting — and hopefully buying — a lot of New York wine. Empire State Cellars has the potential to dwarf that exposure when it opens later this summer at the Tanger Outlet Center…
7 Questions with… Jerol Rickard, Tasting Room Manager, Lenz Winery
By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor The Lenz Winery in Peconic has a new tasting room manager. His name is Jerol Rickard and he brings experience in project management, market research and litigation to the job — experience that should serve him well running the tasting room at one of the North Forks classic wineries. He brings a unique perspective on wine as well, having grown up in California wine country. A member Lenz wine club before joining the company, he's also keenly familiar with the portfolio and in local wine in general. And now, he answers our set of seven…
Terroir’s Summer of Riesling Goes National
Video courtesy of The Feast By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor Now that summer is upon is, Terroir Wine Bar's annual Summer of Riesling program back — and bigger than ever. The brain child of Terroir's Wine Director and Co-Owner Paul Grieco has grown over the last few years and this year Grieco — long a supporter of New York wines — has signed more than 160 restaurants and wine bars across the country on to take part. Each has agreed to pour three rieslings by the glass through September 24. There are many restaurants in New York City participating, but…
Vote for the NYCR in the 2011 Wine Blog Awards
By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor It is with great humility that I announce that the NYCR is a finalist in the "Best Single Subject Wine Blog" category in this years Wine Blog Awards. Obviously our team doesn't do what we do here on the site to win awards, but it's always satisfying to be recognized by our readers and our peers. But, this site isn't about us — it's about the wines, beers and spirits of New York State. And with that in mind, we would really love to win to once again shine a bright light on the beverage…
“Taking Off the Uniform”: Anthony Road Prepares to Release Riesling Made with Native Yeast
By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor On special occasions, Anthony Road Wine Company winemaker Johannes Reinhardt hauls out a long, unlabeled bottle. It's marked only with the letters "SP." Those letters represent one important and potentially game-changing word. Spontaneous. In 2009, Reinhardt decided to experiment with natural, or spontaneous, fermentation. He created a small batch of riesling, only 80 cases, for the purpose of studying the differences between the usage of cultivated yeast and native yeast. This is a small step, but potentially one with large implications for the Finger Lakes wine industry. Anthony Road is a leader in riesling…