David Flaherty joined the New York Cork Report team nearly two years ago, serving as our primary “man on the ground” in Manhattan. Today, that changes as he takes the helm of two upcoming sections — Spirits and Cider. Adding spirits and cider coverage here is something I’ve wanted to do for some time and — lucky for me — they are both things that David is knowledgeable and passionate about. Keep an eye out for David’s first piece soon.
With a nose that shows black cherry, dried cranberry, savory herbs and a subtle hint of grilled mushrooms, the Martha Clara Vineyards 2009 Cabernet Franc ($23) shows both nice varietal character and Long Island-ness. On the palate, there is a slightly underripe note, but nice cherry and plum fruit flavors with a woodsy, earthy-herbal edge. Medium-intensity tannins are pretty well integrated, providing a bit of drying grip, while understated acidity brings freshness. A solid effort from one of the region’s weirder vintages. If you’re a true lover of cabernet franc, you’ll appreciate this wine. Producer: Martha Clara Vineyards AVA: North Fork of…
The May 29 storms that hit the Finger Lakes brought a variety of rough weather elements, including hail. A few bursts of hail were large and destructive, and while most Finger Lakes wineries were not affected, Cayuga Ridge Winery is now confirming a loss of nearly 100%. [pullquote_right] It’s been an emotional time here. We work all season to ensure a healthy harvest, and in a short time it was all destroyed.” [/pullquote_right] “The hail hit us for about ten minutes on that Tuesday afternoon,” said Mary Jane Kircher, whose family owns and operates Cayuga Ridge. “There were pockets…
I have a very severe caffeine addiction. While I’m sure illegal substances have their allure, I’ll always stick with my favorite: a steaming hot cup of speed. In the city, I have a rotation of coffeehouses I can hit when I start to droop. I also have a well-documented love affair with that green and white java chain threatening to take over America’s souls. But when on the North Fork, it feels dirty and unsupportive of our small business owners to throw money at a corporation. But I need to feed my habit. And God forbid, I should make my own coffee EVERY morning! So through…
There are still some seats left for our next New York Cork Report “Drink Local Dinner,” this Friday, June 15 at Amarelle in Wading River, featuring five wines from Anthony Road Wine Company, located on Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes. It’s rare that a Finger Lakes winemaker comes down to Long Island for a dinner like this one, so 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.…
The July shipment of the Empire State Cellars Wine Club, won’t ship for another 3 or 4 weeks, but I want to tell you about them today so, if you’re not already a member but want the wines, you’ll have time to join. If you’re not familiar with the club, you can learn more here. “Hello New York” Wines Ravines Wine Cellars 2011 Dry Riesling: Winemaker Morten Hallgren favors dry wines as the best way to express Finger Lakes terroir. This riesling is precise and pure, with crunchy acidity and pretty floral, pear and lime peel flavors and a minerally vein throughout. Suhru…
By the time Community Beer Works opened for business this spring, hype surrounding Buffalo’s new nanobrewery had been building for months –– after all, not only would this be Buffalo’s first new brewery since 2000, but the CBW founders, particularly head brewer Rudy Watkins, are well known for their formidable skills and knowledge in the malt, yeast, and hop realm. Like Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, the mysterious brick building on Lafayette Avenue practically begged onlookers to speculate about what wild and wonderful libations might flow forth once its doors opened. Belgian quadrupels? Extra-extra-double-double-India-to-the-Max IPAs? Sours to make you cry for…
The Niagara region of New York continually forces me to rethink what I know about recent vintages in New York. Often the Finger Lakes, Hudson Valley and Long Island have quite similar seasons. Hurricanes or frost events aside, if a year is warm and dry in the Finger Lakes, it tends to be in the Hudson Valley and here too. It’s similar for cooler years. Take 2008 for example. It was a cool, somewhat cloudy summer for much of the state and the wines, particularly the reds, reflect that. That’s not a value judgement. That’s East Coast, cool-climate winemaking. Vintage…
Editor’s Note: This is the first piece in our new “Fork Finds” series by roving correspondent Tracy Weiss. In her weekly columns, she’ll share her latest finds on the North Fork or South Fork, including food, farmers, wine, beer and pretty much anything else interesting. June on the North and South Forks are for fatties. It’s almost mandatory to exchange your business casual attire for elastic pants, flip-flops and a thermos of sugar-laden margaritas worn around your neck on a nylon strap. Those lucky enough to spend summers “Out East” will tell you it’s traditional to gorge yourself on…
You may remember Juan Micieli-Martinez, winemaker at Martha Clara Vineyards, as the JuanMaker — a somewhat silly, penguin-loving winemaker who starred in a series of videos the winery produced a few years ago. While those videos were meant to educate viewers about some basic and sometimes not-so-basic parts of the wine production process, they were awfully goofy at times. With “Into the Bunghole” Juan is back, but with a bit more serious — though still approachable — tone. Sure, the name of the series itself keeps it from being too serious, but this first video offers great 101-type information on…