Posts Tagged“red newt”

Red Newt Cellars 2007 Curry Creek Vineyards Gewurztraminer

By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher I had a feeling that the new Gewurztraminers from Red Newt Cellars would illicit a response from a few readers. I just knew that some people would have a negative reaction to the prices, regardless of quality. The price of New York wines — the truths and the myths — is another topic for another time (and soon) though. Today, I want to tell you a bit about the other single-vineyard Gewurztraminer made in 2007 by Dave Whiting at Red Newt. After much deliberating, I can now say that Red Newt Cellars 2008 Curry…

Red Newt Cellars 2007 Sawmill Creek Vineyards Gewurztraminer

By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher When I heard that Red Newt Wine Cellars was releasing two single-vineyard Gewurztraminers, I was intrigued. Did the two vineyards really warrant separate bottlings, or was it a marketing ploy along the lines of "reserve" labels? And when I heard they were price at $36 and $42, I'll admit that I even thought to myself "Have they lost their minds?" Now that I've tasted them, I can say definitively that yes, the two vineyards (in 2007 anyway) led to distinct wines worthy of single-vineyard labeling. Are the prices exorbitant? That's really up to you,…

Red Newt Cellars 2007 Curry Creek Vineyards Pinot Gris

Most of the pinot gris coming out of the Finger Lakes (or Long Island for that matter) is mediocre at best, barely a step up from the lemon-water pinot grigio that you'll find at most every bar and restaurant. As with every wine generalization, there are exceptions of course. For instance, I almost always like Channing Daughters Winery's Pinot Grigio and now I can add a second wine to the "good New York pinot gris/grigio" list: Red Newt Cellars 2007 Curry Creek Vineyards 2007 Pinot Gris ($24) Right out of the fridge (when the wine was over-chilled) this wine wasn't…

Cautiously Raising a Glass to Single-Vineyard Finger Lakes Wines

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Correspondent Some of the best winemakers in the Finger Lakes are now making vineyard-specific wines, providing consumers with more information about what they're drinking, and allowing consumers to compare the different qualities delivered by different sites. Sounds like exactly what the Finger Lakes needs, right? Well, to a point. First, the good news: Many of the single-vineyard wines released from the 2007 vintage are intensely distinctive, and they stand as the model for what single-vineyard wines should be. They come from a perspicacious trio, three winemakers who prioritize site selection. LENNDEVOURS readers already know about…

How Tierce Riesling Gets Made: Inside the Winemaker’s Lab

Winemaker Johannes Reinhardt at the Tierce blending session By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes CorrespondentAll photos by Morgan Dawson "These are the most precocious aromatics I've ever seen at this point in a wine's development," Peter Bell said, surveying more than 40 glasses containing Riesling blends from the 2008 vintage. "I mean, it's December. This is remarkable. Wine does what it wants to do, and the aromatics could drop a cliff. But I doubt it. This is just remarkable."   This is not propaganda. Some winemakers play up the virtues of each vintage. They have to answer to accountants, after all.…

Finger Lakes Winemakers Announce the Release of TIERCE 2006 Riesling

Anthony Road Wine Company, Fox Run Vineyards and Red Newt Wine Cellars have announced the release of the third vintage of their co-produced riesling TIERCE, a 2006 Dry Riesling. I thought it had been released over the summer, but apparently not. Peter Bell, winemaker at Fox Run also let me know this morning that there will not be a 2007 edition because 2007 rieslings from the region "just aren't all that racy." I don't think that is true across the board, maybe the group learned a lesson with their 2005 TIERCE, which I thought lacked acidity the last time I…

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…