Real life has been extremely hectic lately it seems. As a result, LENNDEVOURS hasn’t been all that it can be — or has been in the past — of late. But, because this blog also serves as "What is Lenn up to these days" repository as well, I thought I’d explain why I’ve been so ridiculously busy lately. I’ve been working on my first issue as editor of the Long Island Wine Gazette. It’s been an amazing (and stressful) learning experience already and I don’t even have all of the stories in yet. Recruiting writers…and then weeding out the lesser…
Posts Written OnOctober 2006
Why I Hate Synthetic Corks (aka Bad Choices)
So I sat down last night to review a few different wines from Standing Stone Vineyards in the Finger Lakes region of New York. It’s a well-known producer and I’ve enjoyed both their dry vidal and vidal ice wine in the past. Then I opened my only bottle of their 2003 Pinot Noir ($26). As I slipped the capsule off, I was surprised to see a synthetic cork. In my experience, few wineries use them on a wine over $15 dollars — particularly not one that should have some cellar worthiness. So I extract the cork and pour… Something is…
Reminder: Wine Blogging Wednesday #26 is Next Week
Where’s wino? No no, Beau over at Basic Juice isn’t asking us to find him next Wednesday for WBW #26, that’s just the name of this month’s theme. He’s shaken things up a little this time ’round. Instead of thrusting an explicity variety/locale upon us, he’s offering some options. And, instead of posting our tasting notes, he wants us to send them to him directly so we can play a little game of "where’s the wine from based on the tasting notes?" Learn more at Basic Juice…and we hope you’ll look for Wino next Wednesday.
Read Local: New Long Island Magazine — canvas
Long Island has more than its share of publications — too many in fact (and this coming from a guy who writes or has written for several of them). So many of them are the same — too many advertisements and too few interesting stories. Long Island’s newest magazine, canvas, is a little different. For one, the production value is through the roof compared to so many of the ad-supported papers in these parts. Two, the editor isn’t some just-out-of-college rookie or crazy person without any real talent. canvas’ editor, Ramin Ganeshram is an experienced journalist, editor and cookbook author…
Who are my daily blog reads?
People ask me all the time what other wine and food blogs I read. The short answer is "too many"…there’s just so much interesting content out there for any wine lover or foodie. But, with life as hectic as it is these days, I’ve had to pare down my daily reads — the blogs that I read every single day. So, I thought I’d share this list with you. Maybe you already read them. Maybe you don’t. If it’s the latter, check them out. They are well worth the few minutes of reading. So, in no particular order, I give…
Congratulations to Alder Yarrow of Vinography
Wine blogs (and wine bloggers) will soon take over the world! Okay. Maybe not. But, the power of the blogged word is growing each and every day. Many that started off as wine (and food) bloggers have started writing in more traditional forums…while keeping their blogs alive of course. Now, Alder Yarrow, the raconteur and palate behind Vinography is invading Antonia Allegra’s "Symposium for Professional Wine Writers" as a featured speaker. As someone who is an aspiring wine writer, trust me when I tell you this is a big deal. Allegra’s symposium is the place for wine writers to mingle…
Ternhaven Cellars Releases Rustic Reds
Earlier this year, when Harold Watts sold his five-acre vineyard, fans of his Ternhaven Cellars wines worried that he’d close the doors to his Greenport tasting room too. Luckily for those fans — myself among them— reports of the North Fork’s easternmost tasting room’s demise were overstated. Watts, 73, has just released his 2001 wines and has vintages up to and including 2005 aging for future release in his tasting room. His wines are also available at The Tasting Room on Peconic Lane, Long Island’s only co-op tasting room for small, artisanal producers. On many occasions, I’ve described Watts, a…