Posts Written OnAugust 18, 2008

This is one of the first wines I got as part of my partnership with  the California Wine Club, and I have to admit that I really enjoyed it. I’ve long been a fan of Zinfandel, and I particularly liked the QPR of this one at $15. A medium-dark cherry red in the glass, the nose is everything you’d expect — cherries, raspberries, red licorice and black pepper. On the palate fresh, almost lively, cherry and cherry confection flavors are accented by spicy black pepper and dusty cocoa notes. The most impressive thing, especially at this price point, is the…

Merlot: "These merlot grapes at Channing Daughters are still hanging in big, robust bunches. They remain green for the time being; I did not see any sign of color change. I love the abundant, cascading look of these grapes….." - Ellen Watson Chardonnay: "The late afternoon sun shines on the back of the bunch of chardonnay grapes at Channing Daughters Vineyard.  The cluster which had previously seemed to be defying gravity, has now begun to hang downward.  These grapes are appearing more translucent; less dense. The green of the grapes has more yellow and lightness to it. " - Ellen…

In recent weeks I’ve had several readers tell me that they’d like more "newsy" information here on LENNDEVOURS. With that in mind, I’m going to bring back the Sips and Slurps posts every Monday (or close to it) with little news tidbits that crossed my desk during the previous week. To any members of the New York wine industry who would like their news to be included, just send me an email. This week’s Sips and Slurps: Paumanok Vineyards’ 2007 Chenin Blanc was featured in Lettie Teague’s most recent Food and Wine Magazine piece about buying wines from great vintages.…

This week, 25 judges will taste and nearly 800 New York-made wines at the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz as part of the New York Wine & Food Classic. The Classic is New York’s largest wine competition, and even if I’ve been a bit critical of it in the past, it is an important competition that focuses solely on New York wines. This year’s judging panel consists of 7 tasters from California, 11 from New York and 7 from the rest of the U.S. The California contingent includes Dan Berger, wine journalist; Rene Chazottes, wine director of the Pacific…