Posts Written OnOctober 2009

Drinking (and Collecting) Local in Long Island Wine Country

Part of the evolution of Wolffer Estate Vineyards' wine labels By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief I don't remember when I first heard about long-time reader Jay Schneider's "Long Island wine shelf" but this post is long overdue. Stories like this should be told.  I know that he mentioned it early in our email exchanges, but originally I didn't think much of it. A lot of people collect wine labels. I guess you could say that I even do so — though digitally. So I didn't give it much though until I met him in person at an event I was co-hosting…

Martha Clara Vineyards 2008 Gewurztraminer

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief High residual sugar and pineapple-flavored wines aside, Martha Clara Vineyards, one of the largest on the North Fork, seems to be on the rise from a quality standpoint. They have winemaker Juan Martinez-Micieli, formerly of Shinn Estate Vineyards and Pellegrini Vineyards, to thank for that. He's working to steer this large ship in a better direction. His Martha Clara Vineyards 2008 Gewurztraminer ($19) is one of, if not the best the estate has produced and the key to this wine's success is balance.  The nose offers classic lychee aromas with candied orange peel, lime zest and…

2009 Harvest Update: Handling High Acids at McGregor Vineyard

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor Photo courtesy McGregor Vineyard Before harvest has even ended, McGregor Vineyard owner John McGregor has a sense for what the 2009 vintage will offer.  "There are some people who really love these kinds of years," he says. "They love racy wines. They love acid. Well, we're going to have that." The challenge will be making sure the wines don't show so much acid that they're off balance. "I would guess that we're dealing with the same issues other people are dealing with in the Finger Lakes right now," McGregor explains. "You can only do…

What We Drank (October 26, 2009)

As always, a diverse group of libations from our editors and contributors. From Evan Dawson: Caymus Vineyards 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Let's talk a bit about acidity. I often hear people who drink warm-climate wines profess their love for acidity and balance, and yet when they drink New York wines they tend to remark on the crackling acidity as if it's too much to handle. I think there's a good chance that they're simply not accustomed to the real deal, and they're certainly not getting it in wines like this. That's not to say this isn't a good wine. It's beautifully…

2009 Harvest Update: Plenty of Green in Sheldrake Point’s Vineyards

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor Photos Courtesy of Sheldrake Point Vineyard Contrary to what you might have heard, not all vineyards in the Finger Lakes have been torched and shut down by hard frosts. In fact, vines located in some of the region's most historically warm vineyards have been largely protected. These photographs taken at Sheldrake Point Vineyards' Cayuga Lake vineyards on October 24 (Saturday) illustrate the value of a warm mesoclimate in the Finger Lakes. Some sites have proven to be at least five degrees warmer than the average site, and those five small degrees can make an…

2009 Harvest Update: Jamesport Vineyards

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief Photos courtesy of Jamesport Vineyards  Getting in touch with winery owners and grape growers is always a challenge this time a year. They've got more pressing (pun intended) things to do than respond to the enthusiastic (okay, incessant) requests from me for harvest data. But, little by little, the the reports are coming in, including a few emails from Jake Perdie, tasting room manager at Jamesport Vineyards, owned by veteran grower Ron Goerler. They picked all of their chardonnay last week, at 22.5 brix, and 5 tons were sold to Red Hook Winery in Brooklyn. Before…

Chautauqua Lake Erie Wine Trail: Not What You Think. Not Too Sweet.

By Julia Burke, Niagara Escarpment Correspondent Though I had to get the Schloss Doepken experience off my chest, it’s only fair that I take some time to report on the other wineries I visited during my trip to the Chautauqua Lake Erie Wine Trail last week. Following the recommendations of winery employees, I visited Sparkling Ponds Winery, Mazza Vineyards, Noble Winery and Johnson Estate Winery. I was pleasantly surprised with several of the wines I tried. It seems many Lake Erie wineries are making drier, more crisp and composed versions of what are traditionally mass-appeal sweet wines such as Catawba…

Brewery Ommegang Hennepin

By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist After this week's very beer heavy edition of "What We Drank", I decided to review Brewery Ommegang's Hennepin.  Hennepin is a Saison-style beer, which is a Belgian style that is also referred to as a farmhouse ale. This is a complex style that is meant to be drank primarily in the summer, but can really be enjoyed year round. I have found that wine lovers take a particular liking to the Saison style, as the nose and body have wine-like earthy tones.  Hennepin poured a hazy, golden yellow color with a huge, frothy, white head. The aroma has ripe green apples,…

2009 Harvest Update: In Valvin Muscat We Trust at Villa Bellangelo

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor You've probably never had a Valvin Muscat before (based on the sheer scarcity of the variety), but Villa Bellangelo on Seneca Lake is betting you'll like it. Their Valvin Muscat has become a flagship wine, and we were there when this year's crop came in. Winemaker Darren Bowker estimated the brix to be around 18 with the fruit weighing just over 7 tons per acre. "We'd like a little higher brix and a little lower weight, but this is not a grape that needs to be down at two or three tons," Bowker said.…