Posts Tagged“riesling”

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?…

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…

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.…

The Circle of (New) Life: Red Newt Is Evolving

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Wine CorrespondentPhoto Courtesy of Dave Whiting Dave Whiting does not simply want Red Newt to survive. He wants it to thrive, and he admits that it's tougher now than ever. "Ten, twenty years ago you could open a winery in the Finger Lakes, open the doors, and be viable as long as the wine was decent," Whiting said after bottling a wine that he thinks will make a serious impact in markets outside New York state. "Now, with more wineries opening and production rising, you have to find ways to differentiate yourself. I don't just want…

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…

Atwater Estate Vineyards 2007 Dry Riesling

I've mentioned before that Atwater Estate Vineyards is really the winery responsible for sparking my obsession with Finger Lakes wines, particularly riesling and other aromatic whites. I first discovered winemaker Vinny Aliperti's delicious, well-priced whites when they were being poured at Roanoke Vineyards here on the North Fork. Roanoke co-owner Richie Pisacano only had a 2000 merlot of his own to sell upon opening and, because he worked with Vinny at Wolffer Estate, offered a handful of Atwater wines in the tasting room as well. I picked up this bottle of Atwater Estate 2007 Dry Riesling ($18) after the tasting…

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…

Hosmer Winery 2007 Riesling

Is there anything better than driving through wine country, stopping off at a winery that you hadn't planned to visit, and discovering a gem? It's one of the wine world's great joys and it happened to me and Nena on our last day in the Finger Lakes a few weeks ago. As we drove up the western side of Cayuga Lake, we spotted a sign for Hosmer Winery. The winery we had planned to visit wasn't open yet, so we stopped in at Hosmer… and we're glad that we did. The wines impressed almost across the board. This was one…

Fulkerson Winery 2007 Riesling Reserve

One of the wineries we were disappointed not to have to visit during our recent trip to Seneca Lake was Fulkerson Winery. They are a large producer in the region, making more than 50,000 cases annually. They are also one of the larger growers in the region and sell a significant amount of fruit and juice to home winemakers. Their portfolio is large and varied. In addition to the expected varieties (riesling, Gewurztraminer, etc.) they also grow and bottle things like Vincent, Dornfelder, Delaware, Diamond and Noiret. Some wineries struggled to make balanced, lively riesling from the hot 2007 vintage,…