By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief Here are some wines that have crossed the NYCR tasting table over the past couple of weeks but won't be reviewed as standalone posts. For this edition, we welcome some fruit (non-grape that is) wines for the first time. There will be more coverage of that category going forward as well. Brookview Station Winery NV Oh What Pear!, Hudson River Valley ($16): Light nose of under-ripe pear and pear cider. Medium bodied with a lightly oily texture on the mid-palate, it's a little sugary at first but finishes fairly clean. Subtle pear skin note brings a…
Posts Written OnApril 2010
Channing Daughters Winery 2008 Due Uve
By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief Sometimes wine geeks — myself included — overthink wine. It's all too easy get caught up things like varietal typicity, age-worthiness and a wine's ability to taste fresh several days after being uncorked. Fact is, unique blends are just that — unique, not wrong or odd. A wine doesn't always have to evolve and improve in our cellars for 20+ years in order to be good. Not every wine has to be mind-blowing or awe-inspiring. Sometimes, wine need only be satisfying and delicious. Take Channing Daughters Winery 2008 Due Uve ($20) for example. It's 68% merlot…
What’s Gewurz That Could Happen? In the Finger Lakes, a Complement to Riesling
By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor Photo courtesy of Keuka Spring Vineyards In a previous life, Sheldrake Point Vineyard general manager Bob Madill was undoubtedly a drill sergeant. "Give me 20. Down. Now." In this incarnation, he drills a regional philosophy into the minds of his colleagues and customers. "Aromatic. White. Wines." It carries the rhythmic punch of machine gun fire. The challenge, of course, is that while grapes like gewurztraminer and gruner veltliner might perform at a world-class level in the Finger Lakes, most customers remain far more familiar with the ubiquitous merlot and cabernet sauvignon. Wine producers will…
Vineyard Visuals: Cabernet Franc Bud Break at Shinn Estate Vineyards
Hermann J. Wiemer 2008 Late Harvest Riesling
By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief The first time I encountered a Hermann J. Wiemer "Late Harvest" Riesling — last summer in their tasting room on Seneca Lake — I was a bit confused. Aren't most dessert wines bottled in 375 ml bottles rather than 750? I think it was my wife Nena who actually asked "Is this a dessert wine?" as general manager Oskar Bynke poured the 2007 of this wine for us. No, it's not dessert wine. But the grapes that go into it are harvested later than most of their other riesling. "Late Harvest" is more akin to Spatlese…
What We Drank (April 13, 2010)
Here's just a sampling of what our editors are drinking, another all-wine edition: Evan Dawson: Luchador 2007 Shiraz, South Australia This was the choice of our guest-of-honor at dinner in Rochester this weekend. I don't typically seek out Australian wine, so I was at least curious. Strangely, there is very little in this wine that smells or tastes like a beverage made from grapes. To say that it tastes like chocolate is to say that McDonald's french fries taste like salt. This wine is so overwhelmed with milk chocolate that I thought I was drinking a candy bar. I suppose…
Vineyard Visuals: Bud Swell at the Grand Cru Classes Educational Vineyard
Photo courtesy of Grand Cru Classes Jared Skolnick of Vine Views and Grand Cru Classes sent this picture from his nine-row educational vineyard in Mattituck.
NYCR at Drink Local Wine 2010 Conference
By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief It hasn't been publicized as well as you'd think (partially because people who are going — like me — haven't posted about it much) but I'm really looking forward to attending the Drink Local Wine 2010 Conference next weekend (April 24-25) in Virginia wine country. As you know, the NYCR has long been championing the idea of drinking wine, no matter where local is for you, so conferences like this are right in our sweet spot. Rumor has it that the conference may come to New York sometime soon and you can bet that we'll be…
Video: Gotham Project Riesling (from Lamoreaux Landing) at Terroir Tribeca
Video courtesy of Terroir This video is a little long, and definitely not rated G, but we think it's a lot of fun and shows just how excited these wine-loving folks at Terroir are about having a Finger Lakes riesling on tap. Yes, on tap.
My Day Trip Back to the Future of Niagara Wines
Southbrook's LEED certified winery and biodynamic vineyards in Niagara on the Lake, ON. by Bryan Calandrelli, Niagara Region Editor If you read this column with any regularity, what I’m about to write will be nothing new. But it’s certainly worth repeating: In only ten short years the Niagara Wine Region USA has come a long way. With thirteen wineries open and several more in the works, the region’s future as a wine destination seems more and more likely. The potential for quality reds, whites, roses and dessert wines has never been more apparent. But as much as good as I…