Posts Written OnNovember 06, 2009

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief Some quick-hit reviews from the New York Cork Report Tasting Table over the last week or two. Dr. Konstantin Frank 2007 Pinot Noir ($20): Toasty vanilla, cherry, plum and dried leaf earthiness a nice, aromatic nose. Medium body, black cherry and plum, oak, leather, vanilla and spice. Low acid and low tannin. Soft, earthy on medium finish. Rating:  (2.5 out of 5 | Average-to-Very Good) Macari Vineyards 2005 Estate Merlot ($19): Leaf tobacco, red cherry and mulberry, with nice herbal component and a surprising amount of black pepper on the nose. Medium-light bodied and well balanced.…

By Julia Burke, Niagara Escarpment Correspondent Riesling (in some form) shows up on nearly every wine list on the Niagara Wine Trail – after all, it is New York’s signature white grape. But for Spring Lake Winery, located just east of Lockport, riesling isn’t just a standby white grape. It’s the only variety planted on their eight acres.  The Varallo family, owners of Spring Lake, have been making wine for three generations, but it was only a few years ago that they decided to try their hands at growing grapes. After researching the land and consulting with Finger Lakes and…

By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist Shmaltz Brewing Company is one of the more interesting breweries in the country. The Jewish-themed company is based in California, but the beer is brewed in Saratoga, New York, so it's technically a New York beer. The brewery produces two lines of beer, the He'Brew line and the Coney Island Craft Lager line. The He'Brew line consists of Jewish-themed beers such as Messiah Bold and Genesis Ale, while the Coney Island Lager line consists of strong lagers whose names and labels feature members of the world famous Coney Island Freakshow.  The He'Brew line also features the Jewbelation series, which consists…