Posts Written OnNovember 11, 2009

Kristin Vanden Brul shows off her new offerings from Long Island By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor If you walk into a wine shop on Long Island, will you find Finger Lakes wines? How about the other way around – do you expect to find Long Island wines in Finger Lakes shops? I recently discovered the shuttered mentality up close in a wine shop on Keuka Lake. The employee said, "We can't sell Long Island wines. People would get upset with us." This assertion was backed by only the flimsiest logic, that somehow the Finger Lakes is competing with Long…

By David Page, Shinn Estate Vineyards and Shinn Farmhouse I first tasted Peconic Bay Scallops in the early 1990s on a weekend getaway to the North Fork. In late autumn, Barbara and I would leave our restaurant after dinner service and head east with great anticipation of visiting Charlie Manwaring at Southold Fish Market. After getting a good night's sleep we would head over to see Charlie in the early morning and would often find him still shucking the succulent meat from the scallop shells. We have since had the chance to harvest scallops in Hallock's Bay and then eat…

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor Photos courtesy of Keuka Spring Vineyards By late August it was obvious to the Wiltberger family at Keuka Spring Vineyards that 2009 had become a challenging vintage. They had to make decisions on how to ensure ripe grapes, particularly the red varieties. Checking out the cabernet franc, they made the kind of call that can save a vintage: They decided to cut yields in half. "It's made all the difference," owner Len Wiltberger said on a quiet day with most of the grapes in. "We went from nearly five tons an acre to about…

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor Photo, of grapes ripening before harvest, courtesy of Hunt Country Vineyards What is harvest like as we cross into November? Hunt Country Vineyards owner Art Hunt wrote about the back-breaking work, the beautiful images and the speed of the harvest crew. Instead of excerpting it, I'm posting Art's entire vivid description below. The day started out at 27 degrees.There was an incredibly thick white frost on everything, making the roofs look like it had snowed. The sun comes up earlier now that we are back on EST and the fog lay thick on the…