Posts Tagged“hermann j. wiemer”

Empire State Cellars Wine Club: November 2012 Selections

The November shipment of the Empire State Cellars Wine Club will ship in a couple weeks, but — as always — I’m excited to share the selections with you. If you’re not familiar with the club, you can learn more here. “Hello New York” Wines Lamoreaux Landing 2011 Gruner Veltliner: It’s exciting to include this relatively new grape to New York, and Lamoreaux Landing’s first commercial release of it. Dry and refreshing, it shows aloe, white pepper, lemon-lime citrus, and green herbs — with just a hint of salinity. Roanoke Vineyards 2010 BOND: Some complain about the lack of quality “table wines”…

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Let Us Eat Local: ‘Just Food’ Celebrates All Things Locally Grown

For those who spend their disposal income on the edible artistry of Manhattan’s best chefs, Just Food’s Fifth Annual Let Us Eat Local was like being inside Willy Wonka’s Fancy Fall Food Factory. The event benefited non-profit, Just Food, which keeps civilians in five boroughs of New York City connected with farms and local products. They engage the community by teaching how to grow and identity healthy food through CSAs, classes, outreach and Farm School, a program giving students a framework to grow produce in the concrete jungle. Forty restaurants rolled out dishes for a walk-around tasting using seasonal ingredients…

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Why Don’t Finger Lakes Wineries Offer Riesling in Magnum?

The other day I picked up a magnum of Hermann J. Wiemer 2008 Dry Riesling in magnum. It had me thinking: Magnums are so sexy. How come almost no one in the Finger Lakes offers riesling in magnum? I was going to say that no one in the Finger Lakes bottles their wine in larger formats, but of course that’s wrong. You can find Red Cat in magnum. Fox Run’s Ruby Vixen, , Arctic Fox, Chardonnay perhaps. Some of Bully Hill’s offerings, I’m sure. But why not riesling? After all, the world’s finest riesling ages gracefully for many years, and…

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Five Years After the Finger Lakes’ Worst Riesling Vintage in a Decade, Some Happy Surprises

What’s the worst riesling vintage of the past decade in the Finger Lakes? It’s an awkward question, given that winemakers in the Finger Lakes love to say that riesling performs beautifully in the regoin no matter the weather. That’s largely true, but it’s also a copout. I’m willing to say that 2007 is the worst riesling vintage of the decade. It was a year of heat and drought, and the result was a region dotted by stressed vines. For red wines, it was generally a success. But for riesling, the balance between ripe fruit and crackling acidity was much more…

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Hermann J. Wiemer 2010 Semi-Dry Riesling

Juicy pears and white flowers dominate an effusive nose, accented by subtle almond note. Off-dry but balanced, the palate shows not only pear fruit, but a distinct fig quality up front that leads into a long, floral finish that shows a light slate note. A bit more acidity would bring focus and elevate the wine a bit, but the residual sugar is still balanced enough to avoid being cloying. 2,200 cases produced. Producer: Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard AVA: Finger Lakes ABV: 11% Price: $17*   (3 out of 5, Very good/Recommended)

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Fighting Frost in the Finger Lakes

Some photographs tell a deeper story than the first glance reveals. This beautiful shot was taken by Todd Eichas at New Vines Bed & Breakfast on the east side of Seneca Lake, shortly after 6:00am this past Saturday. It shows more than a placid spring morning. New Vines sits on top of a hill overlooking two of the region’s most acclaimed vineyards: Magdalena Vineyard and Josef Vineyard, which are owned and operated by Hermann J. Wiemer. Eichas says his thermometer read 28 degrees on Saturday morning, but he says the vineyards below are always several degrees warmer. I asked Hermann…

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Not Your Average Riesling: The Story Behind the 2011 NYCR Finger Lakes Riesling of the Year

To understand why the Hermann J. Wiemer 2010 Dry Riesling Reserve is such a special wine, it’s important to understand that not all rieslings are created equally. Nor are all wines created easily. Winemaking at Wiemer is more difficult, more patient, more risk, more reward. There is perhaps no better wine to exemplify this than the NYCR Finger Lakes Riesling of the Year. “For me, the 2010 Reserve is the finest riesling I’ve made,” says winemaker Fred Merwarth. That’s an extraordinary statement for a winemaker who prefers euphemism to hyperbole, and who has built a prolific portfolio in 10 short…

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The 2011 New York Cork Report Wines of the Year

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor I think I can speak for my fellow editors and contributors when I say that our 2011 Wines of the Year tasting was a fun, challenging and inspiring day of 16 wine tasting flights. I always come away with myriad story ideas swirling in my head after this tasting. This year is no different. Look for pieces from the team over the next few weeks. But today, we announce the winners — including our first-ever New York Wine of the Year, Peconic Bay Winery 2007 Lowerre Family Estate. Our 2011 Regional Wines of the Year…

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EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT: Hermann J. Wiemer Wine Dinner at Aurora Inn on February 25

The Aurora Inn will present the eighth in its series of Epicurean Events on February 25th, with the Hermann J. Wiemer Wine Dinner. The meal will include five paired courses, in addition to a reception wine. The evening’s wines feature the Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard of Dundee, New York. Hermann J. Wiemer was a pioneer of Finger Lakes wine, bringing with him skills and traditions of his native Germany. Some fifty years later, the Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard is one of the premier producers of Riesling in the United States. Our epicurean dinner will feature an array of Wiemer wines,…

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Hermann J. Wiemer 2009 Magdalena Vineyard Riesling

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor As much affection as I feel for the wines of New York State, there are only a handful of wineries with “any wine” status — status that means I will happily drink any wine from their portfolio. Hermann J. Wiemer is a winery with such status in my life. From their $12 Frost Cuvee — a clean, fresh blend of riesling, gewurztraminer, pinot noir, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc — to their $95 TBA-style riesling, the portfolio is a winner. Several of these wines will be reviewed on the NYCR over the next few weeks, starting…

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