I've long been a fan of the Gamay grape. I first encountered it like many do, in the form of Beaujolais Noveau. I've since out-grown those wines, but I love Cru Beaujolais and also enjoy Gamay from the Loire Valley as well. These are wines that are often priced for daily drinking, have great acidity for with food and are just plain fruity and delicious. My affection for French Gamay is probably a big reason why I was so disappointed by Sheldrake Point's 2007 Gamay ($16). A surprisingly light ruby color (almost like a pinot noir) the nose on this…
Posts Tagged“finger lakes”
Heron Hill Winery 2005 “Ingle Vineyard” Cabernet Franc
Over the weekend, I tasted a handful of Finger Lakes reds, mostly cabernet franc, and I came away pleasantly surprised by what I tasted. True, each of the cab francs came from the outlier 2005 growing season, which was hotter and longer than usual, but the quality can't be denied — even by those of us that wish Finger Lakes wineries would plant more riesling and Gewurzt and less merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. Heron Hill Winery is perched on the western shore of Keuka Lake, but the grapes that go into Heron Hill Winery's 2005 "Ingle Vineyard" Cabernet…
Sheldrake Point Vineyard Late Harvest Riesling
Sometimes I think that dessert and ice wines are the unsung heroes of Finger Lakes wine country. True, riesling table wines are the shining stars, but there are some terrific sweet wines being made in the region too — many from riesling. Sheldrake Point Vineyard’s Late Harvest Riesling ($20) is beautiful in the glass — a brilliant lemon-yellow and slightly viscous. The nose brings big fruit aromas of peach and pineapple with hints of honey and baking spice. It’s sweet on the palate (8% RS) and there isn’t quite enough acidity for my tastes. Still, it’s far from cloying and…
Quick Q&A with Staci Nugent, Winemaker, Keuka Lake Vineyards
This week's Q&A victim is Staci Nugent, the winemaker for Keuka Lake Vineyards in Hammondsport, NY. She's a Finger Lakes native and a studied genetics in grad school, before discovering wine as her true calling. What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking? Back in my college days at Cornell, I was a huge fan of the Bartles & James wine coolers. Do they count? I don't remember my first one, but I'm sure something like wild berry was my favorite varietal. My senior year I took the "Introduction to Wines" class and remember being blown…
PALATE Update: Comparative Tasting Co-Hosted by LENNDEVOURS and Atwater Estate
Jason introduced the PALATE festival a couple weeks ago, but I have some exciting news about the upcoming food, wine and art festival in Corning, NY. As part of PALATE's programming, I'll be co-hosting a tasting with winemaker Vinny Aliperti on Wednesday, February 18 at 11 a.m at Atwater Estate Vineyards in Hector, NY. Vinny is Atwater's winemaker and also owns Billsboro Winery in Geneva. We'll be doing a comparative tasting of wines made from the same varieties, from the same years, by the same winemaker — but from different vineyards. It will be interesting to see how the wines…
Hunt Country Vineyards 2005 Cabernet Franc
If you don't like cabernet franc, you might be reading the wrong blog. And sure, for a long time I didn't have a lot of great things to say about Finger Lakes region reds, but a few have impressed me of late, including this one, Hunt Country Vineyards 2005 Cabernet Franc ($22). The summer of 2005 brought about great ripeness in vineyards throughout New York and that ripe fruit is on display here. The nose is bright and enticing, mixing strawberry and cherry fruit with black pepper, sweet herbs, and just a little vanilla. Bing cherry flavors, with more black…
Villa Bellangelo 2006 White Scooter
Pompous Ass and Red Cat aside, New York doesn't have many "critter wines" in its state-wide portfolio. You know critter wines — the ones with cute little animals on the labels that are clearly targeted at younger drinkers. Instead, you see quite a few labels with various vehicles on them, including labels for Bedells Main Road line (which feature a red pickup truck), Castello di Borghese's house wines (which also have pickups on them) and the Scooter Wines from Villa Bellangelo, which are described as "sweet and friendly." Friendly is in the eye (and palate) of the beholder, but this…
PALATE Promises to be a Winter Warmer
By Jason Feulner, Finger Lakes Correspondent I grew up in Corning, NY, on the southern edge of the Finger Lakes. It has always been a great small city with a tremendous amount of beauty and culture. Every year, throngs of tourists stroll through the world-famous glass museum, visit the quaint shops on Market Street, and enjoy various outdoor music and art festivals. Of course, that all takes place in the spring and summer. Recently, I was surprised to see an announcement that Finger Lakes Wine Country and Corning's Gaffer District were hosting a week-long wine event called PALATE from February 16 through the 22. As…
Atwater Estate Vineyards 2007 Vidal Blanc
Today's review is going to be a lot like its subject — easy going. Vidal blanc, a French hybrid grape, is a grape that doesn't get enough respect (a problem many hybrids face) but it does particularly well in the cool climate of the Finger Lakes where it's winter hardiness makes it a somewhat safer choice than vinifera varieties. And, with flavors that are a bit riesling like, it fits right in with the aromatic whites that make the region so exciting. And this is one of the best Vidals I've had, and certainly the best in recent memory. Pale…
Quick Q&A with Fred Merwarth, Winemaker, Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard
One of the very first Finger Lakes wines that I remember tasting was a riesling from Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard (I can't remember the vintage). I was still fairly new to wine, but enjoyed German rieslings even then, and I remember being surprised at how lively and delicious the Wiemer was. Unfortunately, Wiemer wines aren't widely available to me down here on Long Island, so I don't drink them as often as I'd like, but they are definitely worth seeking out. For today's Q&A, we pose our questions to Fred Merwarth, long-time winemaker at Wiemer. What (and where) was the…