By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief As I mentioned last week, there really are some terrific values to be had on Long Island — even in the $15 range. For the most part, Long Island's best $15 wines are chardonnay based and are fermented either mostly or entirely in steel. That's because there's a lot of chardonnay grown here (it's the second most-planted grape after merlot) and by eschewing oak barrels, winemakers can keep their costs down significantly. Paumanok Vineyards can always be counted on for at least two value wines, their "Festival" labels, which include a red blend and a chardonnay.…
Posts Written OnApril 2010
May Means R&R — Riesling at Rose — for the NYCR
By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief May is going to be a fun month around here. For one, Finger Lakes Editor Evan Dawson and I are putting the finish touches on plans for TasteCamp EAST 2010, taking place in the Finger Lakes May 7-9. We've launched the event site and will update it as things are pinned down. But the fun doesn't begin and end there. Not even close. New York's two biggest wine regions — the Finger Lakes and Long Island — each have variety/wine-style promotions going on throughout May. In the Finger Lakes, it's "Riesling Month" which means several wineries…
An eNose for Riesling? Machine trained to sniff out pleasant aromas
by Tom Mansell, Science Editor What do humans like to smell? One would think that smell preference would vary from person to person, given cultural and genetic differences. Some smells, though, seem to smell good to pretty much everyone, cross-culturally. In a paper released recently in PLOS Computational Biology, researchers working in Israel reported experiments with an "eNose," a chemical detection device that approximates the ability of the human nose to sense odor molecules. Human subjects were given aroma samples and asked to rate their "pleasantness". The machine was then trained on this data, enabling it to detect the chemical…
New Bill Threatens to End Direct Wine Shipping: “More and more like a monopoly”
By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor Congress could soon decide whether consumers can buy wine directly from wineries, and legislation is moving more quickly than many industry observers anticipated. A bipartisan bill (HR 5034) would give more power and control to states, which would strengthen the current three-tier system of distribution. The bill is championed by the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA), but it's opposed vehemently by winery owners across the country — including some here in New York state. In a statement released by WSWA, CEO Craig Wolf said, "America's regulated three-tier system is — hands down…
Vineyard Visuals: Pinot Noir Bud Swell at Eminence Road Farm Winery
Photo courtesy of Eminence Road Farm Winery Here's a shot pinot noir bud swell (being thoroughly investigated by vineyard dog, Lester) from this morning in Eminence Road's tiny Western Catskills vineyard. According to owner Andrew Scott "We are a full 3 weeks ahead of schedule!"
Vineyard Visuals: Wild Vines at Anthony Road Wine Company
Photo courtesy of Anthony Road Wine Company This picture definitely shows full-on bud break — but only in wild vines that associate winemaker Peter Becraft says "grow everywhere" around Anthony Road and are probably vitis riparia.
Mansell to Ignite Ithaca with Wine Science
By Tom Mansell, Science Editor Tonight at 7 p.m., at Ithaca geek haven Pixel Lounge, a unique and interesting gathering of ideas will occur. According to the website… IGNITE ITHACA is a high-energy evening of 5-minute talks by people who have an idea–and the guts to get onstage and share it with their hometown crowd. Run by local volunteers who are connected through the global IGNITE network, IGNITE is a force for raising the collective IQ and building connections. Some of the scheduled talks include: “Grand Theft Faust — Illegal File Sharing at the Dawn of Print” “Ithacka: Why Ithaca…
Vineyard Visuals: Merlot Vines at Sheldrake Point Vineyards
Photo courtesy of Sheldrake Point Vineyard
The New York Cork Club’s April 2010 Selections
This month's selections: Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard 2008 Dry Riesling and Pellegrini Vineyards 2005 Merlot By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief Despite my lack of a good picture of one, today I'm happy to announce our New York Cork Club selections for April: Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard 2008 Dry Riesling and Pellegrini Vineyards 2005 Merlot. If you read this site, you've probably already our review of the Wiemer so I won't go into the notes again. The Pellegrini review will be published next week, but needless to say, I like it quite a bit to include it in the club. Not familiar…
Wine Blogging Wednesday #68: Got Gamay?
By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief I don't write about it as often here on NYCR as I used to (or maybe should) but the Wine Blogging Wednesday train continues on, with next week's edition marking the 68th virtual wine tasting. The theme is Got Gamay? and it's being hosted by Frank Morgan of Drink What You Like, a blog with a decided drink local slant (Virginia wines). There's very little gamay grown in New York, and what is grown and made here isn't all that interesting to me, so I'll likely be looking to two of my favorite non-NY regions: Beaujolais…