Posts Tagged“fox run vineyards”

The Bizarre Tale of Why the Government Opposes Honest Labeling — and how Fox Run’s New Wine was Born

Imagine, for a moment, that McDonald’s was no longer allowed to sell French Fries because, by using the term “Fries,” the government decided that McDonald’s was luring people to over-eat and get fat. Nevermind the fact that the potatoes are, in fact, fried. Honest labeling is simply too alluring for customers. Penalizing them for honest labeling — wouldn’t that be ridiculous? So now try to imagine how the team at Fox Run Vineyards felt when the TTB rejected their chosen name for a new wine. That wine, a fortified white wine, was going to be called “Fortified No. 3.” That…

The Most Important Store in the State: Buzz Growing for Empire State Cellars

It is unusual for a single wine store to become such a focus for an entire state. More unusual still when the store is not located in New York City. Since returning home from the Wines of the Year weekend on Long Island, no fewer than three wine industry professionals from the Finger Lakes have asked me, “Did you go to Empire State Cellars?” Or, “What was it like?” Or, “Was it as cool a place as I’m hoping it is?” They are intrigued by the idea of the only wine store in the state that offers exclusively New York…

Finger Lakes Wineries Stomach Up-Front Costs, Add Food and Restaurants

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes EditorPhotos by Morgan Dawson Photography Most restaurants do not have to endure the uncertainty of a zealous owner who might show up at any moment with a truckload of summer vegetables, picked only hours before. At the Blue Heron Cafe they're getting used to it. "It's pretty entertaining, actually," says Heron Hill Winery's marketing director Kitty Oliver over a plate of the mahgarita flatbread pizza. "(Owner) John Ingle is so excited this time of year. He might drive in with a load of corn and say, 'Here you go!' And the staff finds a way…

Quick Q&A with Peter Bell, Winemaker, Fox Run Vineyards

 Peter Bell, winemaker at Fox Run Vineyards, probably needs little (if any) introduction to LENNDEVOURS readers. He perhaps more than any other Finger Lakes winemaker, joins discussions on this blog regularly. And yet, I still learned something when I asked him our standard set of questions, including his disdain for unfiltered wines. What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking? It must have been Mateus Rosé, in the early 1970s, in Toronto. I don’t recall enjoying it that much, but that’s what everyone drank. I think the tiny bubbles irritated me on an existential level. For…

Red, With Envy: Assessing 2007 Finger Lakes Reds

Evan Dawson, our intrepid Finger Lakes wine guy, working the bottling line at Fox Run Winery By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes CorrespondentPhoto by Peter Bell Men — married men, especially — are all too familiar with the unforeseen blunder, the deleterious effects, of saying something like this: "Honey, you look really nice today!" What begins as a compliment is quickly met with, "And what do I look like most days?" This is essentially the problem facing Finger Lakes wineries regarding the 2007 reds. The palpable excitement is met with caution, especially from business owners and marketers. Many would love to…

Tourism Expands in the Finger Lakes

By Finger Lakes Correspondent Jason Feulner According to the New York State Department of Agriculture, nearly 60% of wine sales in the Finger Lakes occur at the winery site by visiting consumers. These sales statistics are reflected in the strong regional alliances between wineries, wine routes, businesses and restaurants. The Finger Lakes has long sold itself as a scenic destination with wine as the main attraction. Visitors, enamored with the beauty of the area, are often inclined to purchase what they taste. This story in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle by Deborah Alexander reports that visitors with more spending money…

WTN: 2004 Tierce Riesling (Finger Lakes)

Last April, the Long Island Merlot Alliance, formed by Raphael, Pellegrini Vineyards, Sherwood House Vineyards, Shinn Estate Vineyards and Wolffer Estate Vineyards, released their first cooperatively produced merlot—2004 Merliance ($35). LIMA’s founders believe that merlot is Long Island’s signature varietal, and as such have dedicated themselves to its advancement and continued quality in our region. But, LIMA isn’t the only group of New York wineries working together to create special wines from other signature grapes.        There are some that will argue the point, but much like merlot is Long Island’s current leader, the classic riesling grape rules…