Posts Tagged“featured”

Freedom Run Winery 2010 Estate Cabernet Franc

I think my Niagara-based colleagues here at the NYCR would agree that their home region has yet to hone in on a ‘signature variety.’  Many grapes have been consistent performers, including chardonnay, pinot noir and cabernet franc. Does Niagara need a signature variety? I have mixed feelings on the matter, but will explore them in an upcoming post. For now, we can say that it can be helpful to be known primarily for one grape — think Oregon (pinot noir) or the Finger Lakes (riesling) closer to home. On the other hand, merlot as Long Island’s signature variety has been…

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Evan Dawson’s “Summer in a Glass” Wins International Wine Book of the Year

Yesterday afternoon, our very own Evan Dawson was in London to accept the award for “International Wine Book of the Year” at the Louis Roederer Wine Writing Awards 2012. No one around here is surprised at the success Evan’s beautifully written book has enjoyed, but it’s amazing to see the book reach so many people around the globe — all about our little wine region in upstate New York. Congratulations, my friend. We’re proud of all that you’ve accomplished. We’re honored to have you as a driving force behind this website. So, when is the next book coming out?  …

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Harvest 2012: Pinot Noir at Bellwether Wine Cellars

Kris Matthewson, winemaker at Bellwether Wine Cellars, sends this report from their September 7 pinot noir harvest: [quote]We harvested pinot on Friday, September 7 from Sawmill Creek Vineyard on the East side of Seneca Lake. The brix were right around 23 when we picked. The grapes were in really good condition. We ended up picking most of the acre ourselves, and did some pretty heavy field sorting while we picked, and then table sorted again when we brought the grapes in from the vineyard. After all the sorting was said and done, they were some of the best grapes I…

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Ballpark Brew Fest Hits a Homerun

I’ve written before of my beefs with beer festivals. It’s heartening, then, to see events like Ballpark Brew Bash, which took place in Buffalo’s Coca-Cola Field this weekend. Small and intimate but boasting an impressive selection of breweries and beers, BPBP was downright pleasant to attend. Thanks to a favorable ratio of breweries to attendees and a spread-out facility (the breweries set up on the edges of the baseball diamond and in the concession areas) I didn’t see a single long line –– not even at the Stone or Founders stands, where beloved Bastards both Dirty and Arrogant were on…

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Watch “The Secrets of the Finger Lakes” in its Entirety

“Secrets of the Finger Lakes” aired original on September 12 at 8:30 p.m. on WHAM-TV and on 13wham.com For those of you who missed it — or want to watch it again — here it is broken into four clips. My television news superiors approached me about putting together a special report after the success of my book. At first I hesitated, because I didn’t want to simply air a rehashed set of stories that already appear in print. But then I saw an opportunity to tell new stories; these are some of the stories that do not appear in the…

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Harvest 2012: Riesling at Peconic Bay Winery

Peconic Bay Winery general manager Jim Silver sent this harvest report yesterday: [quote]Harvest of old-vine riesling underway at PBW since 7:30 a.m., and will continue tomorrow (pickers welcome!) Yields not determined yet (about 2T/ac), brix above 19 degrees.  Nearly rot-free, hand sorted in the field by an experienced crew.  Very slight desiccation of some grapes. Top quality vintage similar in style to a blending of 2005, 2009 and 2010.”[/quote]

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Hudson Valley Cassis Gets its Own Website

Some of the most exciting beverages coming out of the Hudson Valley these days aren’t been made from grapes, apples or grains.  Nope. Cassis is made using currants, and many of the versions produced in the Hudson Valley are intense and bright on their own or blended into other adult beverages. Now, Hudson Valley cassis has its own website, HudsonValleyCassis.com Though still a curiosity to many, 20,000 bottles of cassis will be sold in the region this year, making the Hudson Valley the number one producer of artisanal cassis in North America and the Western Hemisphere.  And it seems like…

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