Evan Dawson, author of “Summer in a Glass: The Coming of Age of Finger Lakes Winemaking,” first became interested in Finger Lakes wine on his first trip to the region with his wife-to-be Morgan, whom he met as a student at Ohio University. Morgan is a Penn Yan native; Evan was born in Cleveland but has family in Jamestown, Chautauqua and Buffalo, so the region has always felt like home. In addition to serving as managing editor, Evan covers the Chautaqua-Lake Erie and Finger Lakes regions, including insights from and stories about the people behind the wines. He’ll also cover…
Posts Written OnMay 2010
Lenn Thompson | Executive Editor
Lenn Thompson, a proud Pittsburgh, PA native, moved to Long Island over a decade ago and quickly fell in love with the region’s dynamic and emerging wine community. An Internet marketing guru and writer by profession, he founded NewYorkCorkReport.com in early 2004 to share his passion for the wines, beers and spirits of New York State and give the region the coverage it deserves. Since then, the site has become the premier source for independent New York wine commentary, reviews and news. Formerly the editor of the Long Island Wine Gazette, a contributor to Edible Brooklyn, wine columnist for Hamptons.com…
TasteCamp EAST 2010 Interview: Neil Miller | Stressing the Vine
By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief Neil Miller's blog Stressing the Vine is one that I've been a fan of for some time, so when he expressed interest in attending TasteCamp, I was excited. It's always fun to meet fellow bloggers — especially ones so focused on local wines and food — and Neil did not disappoint. I found him to have a very well-tuned palate and to be both entusiastic but pragmatic about local wines. And now, our TasteCamp 2010 Q&A with Neil: Was this your first visit to Finger Lakes wine country? No. Had you ever had any Finger…
NYCR Changes: Evan Dawson Becomes Managing Editor, Julia Burke Becomes Beer Editor
By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor A little housekeeping today. As you may have noticed (okay, probably not) we've made some changes to the NYCR contributors page, including two pieces of staff shuffling. One has an immediate impact to our editorial calendar, the other will become much more apparent once we re-launch the site — this summer I hope. First, I'm happy to announce that Evan Dawson will take on the role of Managing Editor going forward. This reflects not only his leadership role as we grow and move the site forward, but also that once some technical challenges are eliminated…
Guest Post: Heart & Hands Wine Company: A Passion for Pinot at Cayuga Lake (Richard Auffrey, The Passionate Foodie)
By Richard Auffrey, The Passionate Foodie It was Sunday afternoon, the final event of TasteCamp 2010, and palate fatigue ran rampant among the attendees. There had already been 200-300 wines available for tasting over the weekend and I was not sure I could handle any more. Snow flurries whipped through the air and I faced a six-plus hour drive home. Plus, my GPS couldn't seem to locate the Heart & Hands Wine Company. After a phone call, I was able to find the winery and join the rest of the TasteCamp crew. And soon, all of the troubles of the…
Red Newt Cellars 2007 Dry Reserve Riesling
By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief Making dry riesling isn't easy. Sure, you can let the yeast do its thing and ferment to dryness, but if you are shooting for balance and depth of flavor, it's not that simple. It takes good, ripe fruit (and I'm not just talking sugar levels here) and a deft hand in the cellar. Without careful attention, you're left with what I often term "acid water" — crisp wines without much of anything going on beyond acidity. Dave Whiting, co-owner and winemaker at Red Newt Cellars, successfully walks the tightrope with Red New Wine Cellars 2007 Dry…
Congratulations to Tom Mansell and Sarah Goonan
By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief We'll take a little break from New York wine this morning to offer heart-felt congratulations to our science editor, Tom Mansell and his fiancee Sarah Goonan, who got engaged over the weekend. I've only known them for a relatively short time, but I can tell you that they are a lot of fun together and that Sarah seems ideally matched to Tom's mad scientist ways. Congratulations, guys. It's about time, Tom, and I wish you many years of exploding carboys, ladybug taint and hybrid grape exploration together. Based on the rock in this picture, they must…
What We Drank (May 24, 2009)
By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief I'm taking this week off from What We Drank (mostly because everything I tasted over the weekend will be reviewed elsewhere on the site). Luckily, some other team members are picking up the slack this week. Julia Burke: Lagunitas Brewing Company Wilco Tango Foxtrot Petaluma hophead brewing superstar Lagunitas must've gotten really friendly with the band Wilco lately. The acronym "WTF" on this "Jobless Recovery Ale" seemed appropriate for my life: I returned from South Africa completely broke and am attempting to recover by working nonstop. Drinking on the job being a key aspect of the…
Thirsty Owl Wine Company 2008 Riesling
By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief Even as many Finger Lakes wineries get more attention from national publications, Thirsty Owl Wine Company continues to fly (pun intended) a bit under the radar. I'm not familiar enough with the people behind the wines to say why, though. Still, the Cayuga Lake producer does come recommended by at least a handful of local wine lovers I respect and trust, so I was excited to be able to buy a bottle of this riesling a little while back. Peach and dried apricot aromas lead the way on the nose with a dollop of honey and…
Shinn Estate Vineyards 2009 Rose
By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief Looking for a light, crisp rose with delicate red fruit character and maybe a little citrusy acidity? Look somewhere else.There are plenty of local roses that fit that description. Shinn Estate Vineyards 2009 Rose ($15) is something different. It is a completely different animal and is clearly not meant to be a beach or poolside gulper. The nose offers the expected red cherry and strawberry fruit, but there is some decidedly earthy character here too, and some dried herbs — showing classic Long Island merlot and cabernet franc characteristics, which makes sense — those are the…