Made using Finger Lakes fruit, this Arrowhead Spring Vineyards 2010 Semi-Dry Riesling ($16) is a friendly, fruity wine with aromas off green apple, lime zest and just a touch of blanched almond. The palate is juicy, with gentle residual sugar that is balanced by solid acidity, with fruit cocktail flavors of green apple, peach and citrus. Producer: Arrowhead Spring Vineyards AVA: New York ABV: 12% Price: $16* (2.5 out of 5, Average-to-Very Good)
When Paul and Shannon Brock purchased Silver Thread Vineyard last summer, I immediately wondered about their first vintage and wines. 2011 was a challenge for even the most experienced growers — growers who had been taking care of their vines for the entire growing season. The Brocks came in in what amounts to the fourth quarter of the game. Having tasted a few of Paul’s first wines (he’s the winemaker), those worries seem to be unwarranted. The Silver Thread 2011s deliver the same bright, clean flavors as many of those he made at Lamoreaux Landing a few years ago. Silver Thread…
If two times is a coincidence, then perhaps three times is a trend, and in the Finger Lakes, a trend seems to be emerging: A third wine producer has decided to focus on riesling, pinot noir, and nothing else. There is no denying riesling’s regional strength, but the search for a regional stalwart red wine has led winemakers down many paths, not all of them successful. Pinot noir would be the most challenging of paths, a cliffside stroll as opposed to the more leisurely journey to quaffable reds such as cabernet franc or blaufrankisch. That’s not to say that any…
Well, I’m once again the midst of my annual month-long break from alcohol –– but that doesn’t mean I can’t still enjoy a trip to Finger Lakes wine country. In need of a road trip and eager to take advantage of Wednesday’s lovely weather, I hopped in the car and headed to Keuka Lake for a long overdue visit. (Note: to the tasting room servers’ credit, I didn’t get a single stare or snide comment when I asked for a spit bucket, which I’ve heard can be a problem at many wineries. I thus managed to taste responsibly and maintain my detox.)…
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…
I first tasted this wine as a part of Riesling Hour and it was one of the more popular wines amongst the Long Island wine industry folks who joined me for the tasting. This review is based on a subsequent tasting in my home. Light hints of apricot and lime bring nuance to a nose driven by sweet pear and green apple. Juicy, ripe and off-dry, the palate shows more sweet pear character along with flavors of peach and white grape — with snappy acidity that brings focus and verve. There is an interesting floral, green tea note on the…
By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor Two producers do not make a trend, but in any region there are trend-setters and trailblazers. In the Finger Lakes, Ravines Wine Cellars has been producing some of the strongest rieslings for the past decade. And newcomer Forge Cellars comes with the high expectations attached to the wines of Louis Barruol, a renowned winemaker from Gigondas in France. Both Ravines and Forge are now experimenting with old oak barrels when it comes to making riesling. Ravines winemaker Morten Hallgren took the first step, selecting a portion of his 2010 Argetsinger Vineyard Riesling to be…
By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor My Finger Lakes-focused colleague Evan Dawson and I sometimes lament what sometimes happens to Finger Lakes riesling when it’s fermented dry. Depending on the fruit and the winemaker, the wines can become shrill, hollow and overly austere. Casually, we refer to them as “lemon water riesling.” That’s not a compliment. It seems though that dry rieslings from longer and/or warmer growing seasons — like the long 2010 one — tend to avoid this problem more often. Billsboro Winery 2010 Dry Riesling ($16) is an fine example of that. Made from fruit grown at Sawmill…
By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor Sparkling riesling isn’t new in the Finger Lakes. A handful of wineries have been making it for years and a couple years ago, one even won the Governor’s Cup. Last fall, Atwater Estate Vineyards became the latest winery to make sparkling riesling, adding Riesling Bubble to its portfolio. Off-dry and force-carbonated, it also features modern packaging that definitely stands out on a store shelf (my picture doesn’t do it justice) and is closed with a crown cap rather than a cork. A fruity nose shows ripe peach, candied green apple and hints of mint syrup.…
By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor Robibero Family Vineyards, which took over the old Rivendell Winery building in New Paltz, NY in 2007, is a Hudson Valley winery to keep an eye on. The Robibero family has planted an estate vineyard and is working hard to breathe new life into the winery and tasting room and has hired Kristop Brown, formerly of Benmarl Winery, to help make the wines. For now the wines are made with fruit and juice purchased in other areas of the state — a common scenario in the Hudson River Valley. This Robibero Family Vineyards 2010 Dry…