Posts Written OnNovember 2009

Thoughts on the Final Niagara Harvest Report of ’09

By Bryan Calandrelli, Niagara Escarpment Editor The harvest season in Niagara has just about come to a close, and I’ve spent the last two days harvesting, crushing, and pressing grapes that hung into November. I’m exhausted and I can tell there is a sense of relief in the air that the wineries in our area don’t have to constantly fuss over weather forecasts anymore. I’ve personally seen the whole spectrum of diseased grapes this year — underripe one, fragile one and damn-near perfect ones.. So it’s become increasingly frustrating to me to read any sweeping speculation — including my own…

Finger Lakes Riesling: The ABCs of Riesling ABV, or, All About Alcohol

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor Photo montage by Morgan Dawson Photography Are Finger Lakes wine producers insecure about alcohol? It's a strange question, I realize. But it's one that came to mind when my wife and I were out to dinner recently. We ordered a bottle of Joh. Jos. Prum 2007 Riesling Kabinett from Germany's Mosel. The wine was beautiful — and it was only 9% alcohol by volume (ABV). Not long ago we enjoyed a Fritz Haag from Mosel that came in at 7% ABV.  So I wondered: Why don't we see Finger Lakes rieslings at lower alcohol…

Osprey Dominion Vineyards to Install the First Wind Power Turbine at a Long Island Winery

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief I wrote back in May about Shinn Estate Vineyards and its desires to erect a wind turbine in its vineyard to harness East End winds for power. That saga is on-going and filled with follow-up meetings and hearings. Owners David Page and Barbara Shinn remain hopeful that their turbine project will be underway soon — but they won't be the first North Fork winery using wind power. Osprey’s Dominion Vineyard today celebrated the ground breaking of their own Wind Power turbine. The producer commissioned Eastern Energy Systems, Inc. to install a 20k wind turbine at their…

Local With Local (Finger Lakes): Heart & Hands 2007 Barrel Reserve Pinot Noir and Pan-Seared Duck with Cranberry-Clove Relish

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief and Deb Whiting, Chef, Red Newt Bistro My assignment this month from Lenn was to create a dish to pair with the Heart & Hands Wine Company 2007 Barrel Reserve Pinot Noir.  This is a beautiful Finger Lakes pinot with overtones of currant and cranberry and by the way is my favorite pinot noir in the Finger Lakes! So, I decided to pair it with one of my favorite dishes…..duck breast. This is a simple but elegant relish that works well with pan seared duck breast (also be great on that Thanksgiving turkey too) with undertones…

Heron Hill Winery 2007 Pinot Noir Reserve

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief There is little doubt that riesling rules the Finger Lakes roost, but what grape will be the one on which the region's red grape reputation will be built? The jury is still out I think. Some say cabernet franc. Other content that Blaufrankisch is the grape. Many blend the two in what might be a signature red blend. Maybe it'll even be a hybrid, though the potential is probably limited there. Then you have a small, dedicated group of growers and winemakers who think that pinot noir shows the most potential — but only in the…

2009 Harvest Update: Aromatic Whites Stand Out at Red Newt Wine Cellars

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor Photo courtesy of Red Newt Wine Cellars Why is David Whiting smiling? More importantly, why is he smiling while holding what appears to be a pitchfork? We might never know the answer to the second question, but he's happy to explain the first. Harvest has wrapped up at Red Newt — at least, the final grapes came in to Red Newt Wine Cellars one week ago. Crush has finished, and Whiting is already working with assistant winemaker Brandon Seager to assess the 2009 vintage. It will take time, but Whiting is fired up to…

Uncork New York: Sip, Savor and Shop @ City Winery on December 6

There have been rumors about this event swirling for weeks, but as of today it's official — Sip, Savor & Shop, a showcase for New York wine and food, will take place on Sunday, December 6 from 2 to 6 p.m. More than 35 wineries from across New York State will be joined by farmers and food producers, as well as several local restaurants, to present a taste of New York and celebrate the holiday season. Over 100 wines from Long Island, the Hudson Valley, the Finger Lakes, and other regions, will be available for tasting — and most uniquely…

What We Drank (November 2, 2009)

Some nice diversity in this week's peek at our cellars. From Evan Dawson: Epicuro 2007 Aglianico Beneventano (Italy) A lot of people are going to drink this wine because you can find it at Trader Joe's for about $5. And a lot of people are going to say, "Wow, Aglianico really sucks." That's the danger in trying a new varietal if it comes from a large or bulk producer. Certainly some wines made by larger producers are outstanding. But it's easy to try one bottle and say, "Yeah, I've had Zweigelt. Didn't love it." (That has been me before).  I have deeply…

Brown’s Brewing Co. Dunkelweizen

By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist One of the more interesting beer styles that American craft brewers have experimented with is the Dunkelweizen. Dunkelweizens are brewed as darker versions of wheat beers (Dunkel means "dark") and usually brown and cloudy from the yeast. They are brewed with complex malts and a light sweetness with low levels of bitterness. The common wheat and banana flavors are also present in this style. Brown's Brewing Company in Troy, NY has just started to bottle their Dunkel and I decided that this week was a great time to review it. Brown's Dunkelweizen poured a dark…