By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher
Heron Hill Winery is one of many Finger Lakes wineries that try to appeal to a wide audience. On one hand, winemaker Thomas Laszlo makes a couple of my favorite Finger Lakes rieslings. He also makes some delicious dessert wines. Anything designated "Ingle Vineyard" can be counted on for deliciousness as well.
On the other hand, not every tasting room visitor is going to drop $30 for the reserve riesling, so he also makes a pile of mediocre wines, some under the "Game Bird" label. Those wines are all under $15 and appeal to a wide audience. That's probably the audience that keeps the lights on.
This riesling, Heron Hill Winery's 2007 Semi-Dry Riesling ($13), which is made from grapes grown througout New York (inlcuding Lake Erie and Long Island) shows ripe peach and honeyed citrus on the nose.
The medium-to-light-bodied palate features straight-forward peach flavors, with something akin to watermelon rind there too. With 2.5% residual sugar and not quite enough acidity to truly balance it, this wine defintely tastes sweet. The finish, which I'd like to be a bit drier as well is short as well.
You can do far worse for $13, but there are better wines at that price point too. The Heron Hill Reserve, Ingle Vineyard and Old Vines rieslings are so much better, and the Ingle Vineyard wine is only a few dollars more.
Producer: Heron Hill Winery
AVA: New York
ABV: 11.5%
Price: $13*
Rating: (2 out of 5 | Average)