By Lenn Thompson, Founder and Editor-in-Chief For some reason, we haven't been drinking as much rose around the house this summer as we normally do. I'm not sure why, exactly, but this wine was a nice reminder of why we should drink it more often, with and without our meals. I should also mention that year in and year out, this is always one of my wife's favorite local roses. Corey Creek Vineyards' 2008 Domaines CC Rose ($18) is made using the saignee method where juice is bled off early in the red wine process and fermented separately. It's mostly…
Posts Written OnAugust 2009
SURU 2007 Red
By Lenn Thompson, Founder and Editor-in-Chief Russell Hearn, winemaker at Pellegrini Vineyards, partner in Premium Wine Group and founding member of the Long Island Merlot Alliance has, along with his wife Susan, launched his own label: SURU (SUsan and RUssell and as you can see, they are framed by an H for their surname) The new line includes a pinot grigioi, a riesling a rose of shiraz and this wine, simply named "Red." Although the have their own 17-acre vineyard in Matittuck, where they grow merlot, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot, Russell told me that their goal is…
What We Drank (8/24/09)
With the exception of our friend Jason up in Syracuse, it sounds like we all tasted some pretty good juice last week. Bryan Callandrelli: Miles Wine Cellars 2006 Cabe With the obvious buzz regarding the 2007 vintage reds, it's ironic that after tasting dozens of them, I chose a 2006 red as one of the few bottles I brought home from the Finger Lakes Wine Festival. After a lighting-fast flight through Miles Wine Cellar's selections, I found this 100% Hungarian Oak cabernet franc to be a steal at the festival price of 2/$20. With aromas of blackberry, pepper and leather…
Announcing Wine Blogging Wednesday #61: At the Source
By Lenn Thompson, Founder and Editor-in-Chief As the founder of Wine Blogging Wendesday, I like to hop in and host at least once a year. It's fun to force people to drink what you tell them to. It's a power rush. A boost to my ego. Okay. What really happened is that the planned host for September went and got pregnant and gracefully bowed out until after the baby is born in the spring. So, I'm jumping in so we don't miss a month. After brainstorming a bit, I dismissed simply making participants drink local again. That's been done. But,…
Whole Foods Market Re-Opens Wine Shop in New York City
By Sasha Smith, New York City Correspondent As a fan of the short-lived Whole Foods wine store at the original New York City Columbus Circle location, I’m happy to see that the healthy food chain ultimately won its battle with the New York State Liquor Authority and re-opened a wine store last week, this time at 808 Columbus Avenue, at 97th Street. The original wine shop, which was located in the supermarket, was shut down because it didn’t qualify as a separate location. I’m even happier to see that the store will specialize in New York State wines. I liked…
Saranac Caramel Porter
By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist Saranac Caramel Porter poured a dark brown color with a finger-width tan head. The aroma had a light roasted character, sweet malt, toffee, and caramel. The body's carbonation is light and the texture is syrupy with a sweetness throughout and very noticeable caramel flavoring up front. The finish is subdued with a light sweetness lingering. Overall this beer is just ok. This is a sweet porter with the caramel nose offering promise that the body fails to deliver on. There is a nice twinge of flavor in the middle but the beer just falls flat in to many areas. If I…
Peconic Bay Winery 2007 “Nautique” Esprit de Blanc
By Lenn Thompson, Founder and Editor-in-Chief “When you can balance value and quality, you really can exceed expectations.” That's what Jim Silver, general manager at Peconic Bay Winery told me when I asked him to explain the thinking behind the wineries new "Nautique" line of everyday wines, which replace the old "Local Flavor" line. With sleek new packaging and retail prices around $12 ($16 at the winery) I think winemaker Greg Gove's new creations over-deliver. (Read my review of this wine's red sibling from a couple weeks ago.) The Nautique 2008 Esprit de Blanc ($16), a steel-fermented blend of 88%…
They Made Wine Out of What? Judging an Amateur Wine Competition
By Bryan Calandrelli, Niagara Regional Correspondent In the spirit of my “Funny Farm” style transition to rural living, I recently co-chaired the 14th Annual Home Winemakers Competition for the Niagara County Fair. This event manages to energize a small group of passionate local winemakers to showcase their skills, and this year we decided to bring in some local wineries to award fruit and grapes to the best in class winners. Now I know what you’re thinking, how do I get all these glamorous gigs? Okay, maybe you’re not thinking that, but the truth is there’s nothing glam about tasting more…
Mattebella Vineyards NV Famiglia Red
By Lenn Thompson, Founder and Editor-in-Chief Yet another new producer has popped up on the North Fork — Mattebella Vineyards. Owned by Mark and Christine Tobin, and named for their children Matthew and Isabella, Mattebella Vineyards owns and operates a 15-acre vineyard that was planted in 1997 and 1998. Of the 15 acres, 6.5 acres are chardonnay, 6.5 are merlot and 2 are cabernet franc. Mark makes the wines with help from the experts at Premium Wine Group, and Christine makes the decisions in the vineyard. Prior to his four new releases, Mark sold fruit to other local producers. Now…
“I Had Some Tears…” Anthony Road Wins the Governor’s Cup
By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor Anthony Road Wine Company's winemaker Johannes Reinhardt is the most humble man I've ever known. Just watch this video as his winery accepts the Governor's Cup award, handed out for the wine deemed "Best in New York state." Today the award went to Anthony Road for their 2008 Semi-Dry Riesling. Johannes doesn't look like he's getting the honor of his career; he looks like he's having hernia surgery. When I reached him by phone this evening I was surprised to hear what he was doing. "I've just sat down with a glass of sparkling…