By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief Tonight, let's take a look at the last of the Shinn Estate Vineyards 2007 reds that I tasted recently (there are at least 3 other un-released wines that I haven't formally reviewed yet) — Shinn Estate Vineyards 2007 Petit Verdot ($35/500ml). Much like malbec, is a petit verdot has spent more time in a leading role in recent years. But, also like malbec, there isn't really enough planted for it to become anything more than a member of the supporting cast in red blends and in small-production, almost-novelty wines like this one. This wine certainly qualifies…
Posts Tagged“wine”
For Thanksgiving, Drink What You Like
By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief You may have noticed that the New York Cork Report hasn't published a "What You Should Drink on Thanksgiving" story this year. That's by design. I don't see us writing one of those in the future either. Someone must read them — they appear in just about every possible wine media outlet. Every year. Like clockwork. You can read some of the details about why I personally don't like those columns, but in short: They are based in false expertise. There is no such thing as the "perfect" Thanksgiving wine, period. If there were, all of…
The Unique Tasting Room Experience That is Schloss Doepken
By Julia Burke, Niagara Correspondent This week I decided to take a break from my usual Niagara Escarpment stomping grounds and take a trip down to the Chautauqua-Lake Erie Wine Trail. Following the lake forty miles from southern New York into northwestern Pennsylvania, the Chautauqua-Lake Erie Wine Trail includes twenty-one wineries and nearly 30,000 acres of vineyards. A visit seemed long overdue. During my visit I tasted at Quincy Cellars, Sparkling Ponds, Mazza, Schloess Doepken, Johnson Estates and Noble Winery. All were interesting, and I hope to devote a future post to a discussion of their individual merits. However, my…
Niagara Escarpment: Harvest 2009 is Underway
The harvest moon over Freedom Run Winery By Bryan Calandrelli, Niagara Escarpment Editor Harvest came early for me this year as my lovely wife gave birth to our son Wyatt Calandrelli on September 29, 2009, a full 12 days before he was due. Both he and mom are happy and healthy. As for myself I am exhausted from a long night and day of labor, a long night of celebrating, a seasonal cold and several sleepless nights of diaper harvesting. So when I got invited to harvest grapes on Monday, I couldn’t resist dusting off my nippers and running my…
Leaf Pulling and Canopy Management: Let the Sun Shine In
Buried grapes in the research vineyards at Cornell Orchards, Ithaca, NY (left) and grapes more fully exposed to the sun at Peconic Bay Winery, Peconic, NY (right) By Tom Mansell, Science Editor As I checked my Twitter feed over the past few days, I noticed lots of tweets about the upcoming harvest from winemakers and growers. See the following from Lucas Vineyards winemaker Jeff Houck and Fox Run Vineyards owner Scott Osborn: Apparently many places are doing some post-verasion leaf removal, as recently discussed on this site. It got me thinking about what's actually happening inside the grape when all…
Raphael 2008 First Label Sauvignon Blanc
By Lenn Thompson, Founder and Editor-in-Chief Photo courtesy of Raphael Long Island chardonnay (and there is a lot of it planted and made) can be delicious, but it's rarely distinctive. I don't know anyone who visits Long Island for the first time and comes away thinking "Wow, those chardonnays blew me away." Long Island sauvignon blanc is a completely different story. Ignoring niche grapes with only small local plantings (chenin blanc, tocai friulano), sauvignon blanc is the grape that shows the most promise locally. At proper crop levels, it ripens consistently well, even in cooler years. And a unique Long…
Restaurant Wine Lists: The Quirky Village Tavern Shines
By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor When I dine out, I’m looking for three things on a wine list: Diversity. I get it. Ravenswood Zin is awesome, but it would be nice to see a little more. Price: I expect to pay a markup, but I don’t expect to need to pay in installments. Age: This is rare, but it’s always fun to see if an establishment carries any older bottles. The first time I had dinner at The Village Tavern in Hammondsport, NY I could hardly believe the wine list. The restaurant, located on the southern end of Keuka…
Whole Foods Market Re-Opens Wine Shop in New York City
By Sasha Smith, New York City Correspondent As a fan of the short-lived Whole Foods wine store at the original New York City Columbus Circle location, I’m happy to see that the healthy food chain ultimately won its battle with the New York State Liquor Authority and re-opened a wine store last week, this time at 808 Columbus Avenue, at 97th Street. The original wine shop, which was located in the supermarket, was shut down because it didn’t qualify as a separate location. I’m even happier to see that the store will specialize in New York State wines. I liked…
A Surprising Second Label at Shaw Vineyard
By Jason Feulner, Finger Lakes Correspondent (Note: this story is part one of a two-part series highlighting some unique production choices at Shaw Vineyard.) Wineries that produce a second label do so for many reasons, although the secondary nature of the label almost assuredly implies less-expensive, less-focused wine. Some top-flight establishments offer a second label that is still a solid wine by almost any standard, although many wineries throw whatever they can into a bottle and call it a day, often not focusing on quality in the process. On a recent tasting at Shaw Vineyard I encountered this pinot grigio, a part of their second-label…
Seneca Lake Trip Report: It’s All About Service
By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor Photos by Morgan Dawson On a tour of half a dozen Seneca Lake wineries earlier this week, I was reminded just how much service matters. At some stops I found myself wanting to buy wine that I thought was mediocre — simply because the service was so good. At other stops I found myself wanting to wave my wallet in front of the staff and shout, "See this? You could have had everything in it if you understood service!" For the most part I'm going to highlight the positive experiences. There is one exception,…