This is what our editors are drinking right now:

Franc Lenn Thompson: Windham Winery 2004 Cabernet Franc (Virginia) 

There is a lot of cabernet franc grown and made in Virginia, so you'd think I'd come back from my trip with a long list of killer wines.

Not so, at least not when it comes to the cabernet franc I tasted.

Sadly, it seems as though the prevailing style is to oak and manipulate the "green" out. Too many tasted like lighter cabernet sauvignon, or at least didn't display any of the vegetal/herbacious edge that defines cabernet franc.

This Windham Winery 2004 Cabernet Franc (the winery is now known as Doukenie Winery) had that edge and was easily my favorite Virginia cab franc. It showed just-ripe fruit with "green" that was more herbal and roasted jalapeno than bell pepper, with nice spice, balance and restrained oak.

We (me and the VA wine mafia) tasted probably 25 wines from a wide array of states that night — Utah, Colorado, Virginia, Hawaii, Maryland, North Carolina, and New York — and this was far and away my favorite non-Long Island red wine. 


Evan Evan Dawson: Zilliken 1989 Spatlese and Zilliken 1992 Spatlese (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer)

How cool to see these
wines on the
list at Solera Wine Bar in Rochester. Solera, which offers a vertical of Hermann J. Wiemer Riesling dating
back to
2001 (with even the 1990 available by the bottle!), carries a diverse
and
ponderous list.

We'll feature their thoughtful New York wine selections
on the Cork Report
soon, but for now, a note on these older German rieslings.

These are not wines of
soaring
price or pedigree, and if you look up their scores in the past, you'll
find
that they're considered solid but certainly not spectacular. But add two
decades, and what do you get?

I can't imagine anyone
arguing
that these rieslings are anything but much, much more complex and
enjoyable in
this mature stage.

From the burst of still-fresh acidity to the rich,
creamy
finale, there is so much to love about mature riesling. Are you laying
bottles
down yet? I truly hope that the world does not experience complete
annihilation
over the next two decades, because I can't wait to see where the best
Finger Lakes rieslings go.


Ithaca_Groundbreak Bryan Calandrelli: Ithaca Brewing Company Ground Break Ale

Since I'm still a sucker for seasonal beer I picked up Ithaca Brewing
Co.'s Ground Break Ale last week. The package describes it as an American-Style
Saison.

If you know my beer habits than you'd know that I appreciate the farmhouse ale as my session beer of choice.

Golden yellow with some noticeable turbidity, it showed aromas of
citrus, spice, yeast and pine. I'm not sure if it's the marketing or my aroma associations but the nose was simply spring-like.

Overall good stuff from Ithaca Brewing although it isn't something I'd
drink all year long but I'll probably have to pick up a few more before the
season ends.