Posts Written OnJanuary 05, 2010

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief After several weeks of voting, I'm happy to announce the New York Cork Report 2009 Readers' Choice Award winners:  Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards Red Cat from the Finger Lakes and Shinn Estate Vineyards 2007 Cabernet Franc from Long Island Red Cat winning will come as no surprise to anyone that knows anything about the New York wine world. It's the state's best selling wine and has a legion of devout fans. Those fans were no doubt called to action during this voting process. With 52% of the total vote, it won by a landslide. The Finger Lakes…

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief This Benmarl Winery 2008 Cabernet Franc ($20) is yet another bit of ammo in the argument for cabernet franc as New York State's most consistently, and widely, successful red variety. I've tasted several good (or even very good) cabernet franc-based wines from Hudson Valley wineries, but more often than not, they are made using fruit grown either on Long Island or in the Finger Lakes. That's not the case with this wine, which is made 100% with estate-grown fruit. The nose opens with earthy dried leaves and dried spices, with a light spice component and understated…