Posts Written OnSeptember 08, 2008

Here on Long Island, the influence of Italians and Italian-Americans is felt throughout wine country. Winery names like Castello di Borghese, Pellegrini, Pugliese, Scarola, Medolla, Christiano, Diliberto and Macari put that heritage front and center. In the Finger Lakes, the Italian influence seems a bit less obvious. Being further away from Italian-heavy sections of New York City is probably partly to blame. But, Michael Litterio, owner of Villa Bellangelo on the western side of Seneca Lake, is bringing Italian flavor to Finger Lakes wine. He’s from New Jersey by the way. His wine portfolio shows a definite leaning towards Italy…

By Jason Feulner, Finger Lakes Correspondent On the morning of Friday, August 22 the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance hosted a closed tasting of winemakers and critics at Sheldrake Point Vineyards on Cayuga Lake to determine which Riedel glass best exhibited the flavors and nuances of Finger Lakes Riesling. Later that day, George Riedel continued his tour of the Finger Lakes with a public tasting at Glenora on Seneca Lake to see whether a mixture of wine enthusiasts and reporters — including me — would come to the same conclusion as the group of winemakers. I approached this public tasting with…