Posts Written OnFebruary 2009

Video: PALATE 2009 Comparative Tasting — The Intro

As I’ve already mentioned, I co-hosted a comparative tasting as a part of PALATE 2009 last week. The tasting was held at Atwater Estate Vineyards, where 12-15 people had the unique opportunity to taste wines made by Atwater’s winemaker, Vinny Aliperti, fromi both Atwater and Vinny’s own winery, Billsboro Winery. We should some video of the event and have three clips pieced together, starting with this introduction where you’ll not only see yours truly in his LENNDEVOURS video debut, but also see me almost burn myself on the wall-installed heater behind the tasting bar. I also reveal the true pronunciation…

April New York Wine Month Canceled

All of the "discussion" surrounding Governor Paterson's proposed changes to the New York wine industry is having some perhaps unexpected consequences. Jim Trezise, of the New York Wine and Grape Foundation  sent the following in and email to some of those involved in planning for April's New York Wine Month: I just wanted to let you know that, unfortunately, we will NOT be conducting our “New York Wine Month” program in April as planned. This decision is based on information from the four wholesaler companies who have been very supportive: Elmira, Empire North, Opici, Southern, and Winebow. The reason for…

Grand Cru Classes to Present at City Winery on February 26

On February 26 at 6:00 p.m., my good friends Jared and Tracy from Grand Cru Classes, a wine education center on the North Fork, will be hosting a special seminar titled "Long Island Wines: From Potato Farms to Parker Points" at the newly launched City Winery in Manhattan. They'll be discussing the history and growth of the Long Island wine industry, highlighting the recent successes and recognition the region has received. The 90-minute program will include a guided wine tasting, featuring the following six wines, all of which have been graciously donated by the respective wineries.  TBD, Sparkling Brut, NV…

Our Last Day in the Finger Lakes

Yesterday, Nena and I woke up sad to be leaving Seneca Lake and the Finger Lakes, but we still had a few winery visits in us. We drove to Ithaca and then tasted our way north along Route 89, visiting a handful of wineries on the western shore of Cayuga Lake, including Thirsty Owl Wine Company, where we learned about this large, old block of Chancellor vines that were planted in 1972. For me, the stop of the day was Hosmer Winery, where we discovered some delicious rieslings and surprisingly good examples of seyval blanc and pinot gris. More on…

The Moment When a Finger Lakes Wine Lover Was Sold on Long Island

From left to right: Katie Feulner, Jason Feulner, Lenn Thompson, Nena Thompson, Evan Dawson, Morgan Dawson, Melissa Dobson, Rich Dobson By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Correspondent Everyone who loves wine has a memory that stands out with perfect clarity thanks to a single bottle of wine. We remember the meal, the lighting in the room, the conversations shared over the bottle. This is the power of wine. It is far more than a beverage. If we are fortunate, we have not one special wine memory, but many. I will never forget the moment I drank the first sip of Rosso del…

PALATE 2009: Atwater-Billsboro-LENNDEVOURS Tasting

Today, I'd like to thank the folks at Atwater Estate, including winemaker Vinny Aliperti (left),  assistant winemaker, Justin Boyette (right), and owner Ted Marks for their hospitality as we co-hosted a comparative tasting of 2007 wines. We had around 12 people join the tasting and I think it was a huge success, and even more fun. Nena shot some great video (we hope) and I'll be writing another post about the event, probably next week.

WBW #54: Piedmont: Ascheri 2006 Dolcetto D’Alba

I'm enjoying Finger Lakes wine country at the moment, but I did bring along this bottle of dolcetto for WBW #54 hosted by one of my favorite bloggers, David McDuff of McDuff's Food & Wine Trail. The theme this month, A Passion for Piedmont, was one I was very curious about as these aren't wines that I explore often. And sadly, I'm pretty sure that I haven't really explored them any further with this wine. I don't think bottle wasn't corked, but I think (hope?) that there was something wrong with it. It had a strong musty, stale flavor and…

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…

PALATE 2009 is Underway

We just got back to our beautiful hotel room at the Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel after a fun wine and cheese session that was part of this week's PALATE festivities. Stay tuned for more on the session, which proved one thing — everyone tastes and enjoys different things when you're talking about pairing wine with cheese. Still, we tasted some great (and I mean I'm-going-to-seek-some-out-before-we-leave-town great) cheese and some tasty local wines. Stay tuned for more information and pictures.

Waters Crest Winery 2006 Private Reserve Cabernet Franc

Home-turned-professional winemaker  Jim Waters owns one of Long Island's smallest wineries — it's the storage/bay area behind his tasting room in a small industrial strip mall in Cutchogue. Jim, through his wines and through his personality, helps his small winery stand next to the big boys of Long Island wine. 2006 was a so-so year for most growers, but this Waters Crest Winery 2006 Private Reserve Cabernet Franc ($35) doesn't show any of the barely or underripe flavors some 2006s I've tasted present. 16 months aging in new French oak probably helps in that regard. Dark crimson red in the…