Posts Tagged“riesling”

A Trip to Anthony Road Wine Company

Two weeks ago, when Nena and I were in the Finger Lakes region to take part in the PALATE 2009 festivities, I wanted to keep our visits to tasting rooms casual and mostly as 'civilians' so we could taste at our leisure like we did years ago before LENNDEVOURS became what it is today. There was one exception, however — our visit to Anthony Road Wine Company the morning of our arrival.  I don't remember when I first learned about Anthony Road, but assistant winemaker, Peter Becraft, used to live in Brooklyn and work at Greene Grape (the shop I…

The Road to Riesling: Anthony Road Wine Company

I'll be writing up a full post in the next week or so, but our first Finger Lakes stop today, at Anthony Road Wine Company, was simply a great experience. Meeting winemaker Johannes Reinhardt, assistant winemaker Peter Becraft and also the owners, Ann and John Martini, was a pleausure. And then we tasted the wines, which clearly reflect Reinhardts philosophy and impres sed across the board. As a special treat, we got to taste a few not-yet-bottled 2008 dessert wines. Keep an eye out for them next summer/fall. Beyond those two, my wines of the day were the 2007 Dry…

A Tale of Two Niagaras

By Bryan Calandrelli, Niagara Correspondent Lately, it’s been frustrating for me to keep fresh information about Niagara wines flowing to the readers of LENNDEVOURS. I’ve written about a handful of wineries producing dry wines that I’ve been excited about, but I’ve dealt with some trepidation concerning some of the others in the region. It’s the same feeling you might get when a new girlfriend comes home with you to meet your family. There’s always that one aunt or uncle that you haven’t quite mentioned before everyone meets face to face. Well, it’s about to get awkward as I introduce you…

Sheldrake Point Vineyard Late Harvest Riesling

Sometimes I think that dessert and ice wines are the unsung heroes of Finger Lakes wine country. True, riesling table wines are the shining stars, but there are some terrific sweet wines being made in the region too — many from riesling. Sheldrake Point Vineyard’s Late Harvest Riesling ($20) is beautiful in the glass — a brilliant lemon-yellow and slightly viscous. The nose brings big fruit aromas of peach and pineapple with hints of honey and baking spice. It’s sweet on the palate (8% RS) and there isn’t quite enough acidity for my tastes. Still, it’s far from cloying and…

Oh, Snap: Cold Temps Not Low Enough for Severe Damage

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Correspondent Last week, Dave Wiemann, the vineyard manager of Sheldrake Point Vineyard on Cayuga Lake, conducted a test to find out if the viciously cold temperatures had destroyed buds on his vines. He went to the coldest part of Sheldrake Point's 43 acres and cut ten canes of Riesling. He soaked the canes in water for 48 hours, then cut the buds. He was hoping to see green — a sign that the buds were still alive and well. He feared he could see the deadly black that signals a victory for the weather. The…

Wine Blogging Wednesday #53: McGregor Vineyard 2007 Dry Riesling

Okay, I'm late Wine Blogging Wednesday #53, hosted by El Jefe from El Bloggo Torcido. Sue me. But, at least I'm still taking part, albeit a few days late. I had to because this theme, wines with breakfast, is one of the most unique we've had in the 4+ years of WBW. Of course, anyone who knows Jefe won't be surprised that he is the mastermind behind an off-the-wall theme. Wine with breakfast, you say? He took us even one step further…outlawing sparkling, rose and sweet wines. We had to pick a dry red or dry white. He did cut…

Natural vs. Synthetic Corks: A Mystery Solved and an Ongoing Debate

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes CorrespondentPhoto by Morgan Dawson I nearly sprinted down to my basement — ahem, cellar — when Lenn made a bit of a shocking announcement last week: His 2007 Ravines Argetsinger Riesling was closed with a synthetic cork. This is a very highly regarded wine (Lenn included it in his 2008 wines of the year) and it seems destined to improve with time. Wine Spectator gave it 89 points and advised readers to "drink now through 2009;" I found that assessment to be wholly misguided and actually wrote, in silver marker, the words "drink after 2020"…

Dr. Konstantin Frank 2007 Dry Riesling

Of all the Finger Lakes wines that I review every year, those from Dr. Konstantin Frank are among my favorites. Why? Well, for one, the whites are  consistently good, especially the aromatic whit varieties like riesling and Gewürztraminer. For another, these are often the only quality New York wines that my friends and family back in Pittsburgh have any chance of seeing in their local, state-run liquor stores. Much like the other wine regions of New York, the Finger Lakes enjoyed a long, hot growing season in 2007 and that is apparent in many of the wines I've tasted from…

Jason’s Finger Lakes Wines of 2008

By Jason Feulner, Finger Lakes Correspondent Lenn asked me to write a "wines of the year" post, but as enthusiastic as I am about Finger Lakes wines, I feel ill-equipped to name a "wine of the year" since the joyous rigors of life keep me from driving around the Finger Lakes as much as I'd like. Through events and site visits, I probably tasted four dozen rieslings this year and sampled the spectrum of varietal selections at about 20 wineries. That's a lot of tasting, but there are a lot of wineries in the Finger Lakes region (at least 115 at this point). While…

Imagine Moore Winery 2007 “Joy” Dry Riesling

Imagine Moore Winery located in Naples, NY southwest of Canandaigua Lake, is a relative newcomer to the Finger Lakes Wine world. There's something undeniably charming about the operation. Co-owners Tim and Diane Moore are dedicated to sustainability and only buy fruit from sustainably managed vineyards throughout the Finger Lakes. Their labels, which are painted onto the bottles, are done with organic ink. And those labels, in addition to carrying the grape names, also feature names like Love, Harmony and Peace. There's got to be some "hippy" in the Moore's, no? I tasted a handful of their wines from the 2006…