My Flip cam makes its video debut, but there are still some kinks; I have yet to figure out how to lay in b-roll. Bummer. We shot some extra video during the tasting and intended to lay some in. Next time. With the growing focus on aged Finger Lakes rieslings, and with so many wineries hosting riesling verticals this year, I thought it would be instructive to hear from Sheldrake Point Vineyard's winemaker about several topics, including: His thoughts on this tasting, and how the oldest riesling showed His thoughts on trying to find the perfect time to open a…
Posts Tagged“finger lakes”
24 Years of Dr. Konstantin Frank Riesling
By Jason Feulner, Finger Lakes Correspondent On Sunday I had the unique privilege of tasting ten rieslings from Dr. Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars, ranging in date from 2008 all the way back to 1985. While several other Finger Lakes wineries offered riesling library tastings as part of Riesling Month, virtually no other can reach as far back as Dr. Frank's, which has bottles dating from the 1960s. In this sense, Dr. Frank's provides an historical perspective on the region's potential. Fred Frank, president of the winery, explained that the wines included in the tasting were not selected based on any notion of vintage quality…
Coming Soon: Video Blog From the Sheldrake Point Vineyard Riesling Vertical
By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Correspondent Photo Courtesy of Sheldrake Point Vineyard While attending Sheldrake Point Vineyard's riesling vertical this past weekend, I used my new Flip video camera for the first time. I sat down with winemaker Dave Breeden, and the video will be posted shortly. Among the topics we discussed: Sheldrake's vertical featured semi-dry riesling, not dry riesling. Why? Which style does Dave prefer to lay down? Are we, as a wine community, too concerned that a bottle will pass its mythical "peak?" How can you tell when peak is approaching? How did the Sheldrake wines show?…
Hermann J. Wiemer 2007 Dry Riesling
By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher One should never assume that the wineries with the best reputations make the best wines. In fact, I'm often skeptical of these "best" wineries. Sometimes wineries that worked hard to earn their reputations rest on their laurels a bit, feeling as though they've arrived at the pinnacle of the industry. Others never truly earned their place at all, instead relying on superior marketing and public relations. Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard, on the western side of Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes region of New York is one winery that not only earned its reputation…
Heron Hill Winery 2007 Semi-Dry Riesling
By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher Heron Hill Winery is one of many Finger Lakes wineries that try to appeal to a wide audience. On one hand, winemaker Thomas Laszlo makes a couple of my favorite Finger Lakes rieslings. He also makes some delicious dessert wines. Anything designated "Ingle Vineyard" can be counted on for deliciousness as well. On the other hand, not every tasting room visitor is going to drop $30 for the reserve riesling, so he also makes a pile of mediocre wines, some under the "Game Bird" label. Those wines are all under $15 and appeal to…
Billsboro Winery 2007 Dry Riesling
By Lenn Thompson, Publisher and Editor May is Riesling Month in the Finger Lakes, but somehow this is my first Finger Lakes riesling review this month. Look for more riesling reviews this week and next (I'm tasting a lot of them lately, just haven't written them up yet). Before we get to today's wine, a little background on Billsboro Winery. It's located on the west side of Seneca Lake, just south of the city of Geneva, NY and is owned by Kim and Vinny Aliperti. Vinny, who makes the wines, also serves as winemaker at Atwater Estate Vineyards, which is…
Wineries Open Their Libraries With Older Finger Lakes Rieslings
By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Correspondent Photos by Morgan Dawson It's about time. See what I did there? Clever, right? I've been waiting for quite a while to see Finger Lakes wineries celebrate the aging potential of their rieslings, and many are finally doing it. It's about time. I've also been encouraging my friends to lay a few bottles down or seek out older bottles — it's about, well, time. More than anything else, tasting older wines is pure fun. The wine is not only a snapshot of a given year; it's a story that has changed over the years.…
Rockin’ with Reds at Damiani
By Jason Feulner, Finger Lakes Correspondent There are a few Finger Lakes wineries that have made the production of red vinifera the cornerstone of their business plan. What makes Damiani Wine Cellars, located on the eastern shore of Seneca, unique is the winery's original emphasis on red to the exclusion of whites. When the winery opened in 2004 after several years of experimentation, it offered a variety of reds and only a limited number of whites. "Well, we are red wine drinkers," shrugs Phil Davis, a second-generation grower who oversees the grape growing and production. Lou Damiani serves as the winemaker of the operation. Both Davis and…
May is Riesling Month in the Finger Lakes Wine Country
May is Riesling Month in Finger Lakes Wine Country and, while the name could use some work, it looks like a great program. Throughout the month of May, many Finger Lakes wineries, restaurants and hotels will be offering special deals. The goings on are too numerous to list in a single blog post (you can see them here) but here are some of the highlights: Free Shipping on Riesling (All Month)Several Finger Lakes wineries will be offering free shipping on riesling purchases through their websites. Unfortunately, some wineries missed the point here and want you to buy an entire case…
2009 Golden Nose Awards Suspended
By Melissa Dobson, Finger Lakes News Correspondent The Seneca Lake Wine Trail has quietly suspended one of their most popular events of the year, the 2009 Golden Nose Awards Weekend, scheduled for May 30, 2009. “Despite how enthusiastic past attendees have been, and ostensibly driven by the weakened economy, ticket sales were not quite as robust as in years past, so rather than try to run the event with measurably diminished attendance, we have opted to quietly suspend the event and focus on the 2010 Golden Nose Award event," stated Paul Thomas, executive director of the Seneca Lake Wine Trail.…