Posts Written OnSeptember 24, 2010

Corinne and Mike Oleksyn, owners of Kings Garden Vineyards, report that they’ve picked the chardonnay and pinot noir from their estate vineyards. Both grapes were harvested on September 18, with the chardonnay coming in at 2.5-3 tons per acre, 22 degrees brix, 7 g/L of TA and pH of 3.2. The pinot crop was much lighter at 1.5 tons/acre. Brix was at 22, TA at 6 g/L and pH of 3.4 In explaining how they decide when to pick the pinot, Corinne says “We don’t like to let our pinot noir get above 22 or 23 brix. It just raises…

These are a some wines that have crossed the NYCR tasting table recently but will not be reviewed as part of a standalone post. As always, these are transcribed almost directly from my notebook with little editing: Atwater Estate Vineyards 2008 Gewurztraminer ($16): Candied ginger, peach, lychee and pear on the nose with restrained floral character. Very gingery on the palate with pear and citrus flavors. Tastes dry at 1.2% RS because of good acidity. Medium finish that is a bit hot. Rating: 83 Brookview Station NV All Aboard Red ($12): Unknown blend of hybrid and vinifera grapes. Nose is…

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor More fall seasonals are trickling into my local shops, so the search for the best examples continued this week with another opposite-ends-of-the-state comparison: Blue Point Oktoberfest and Southern Tier Harvest Special Ale. I’d heard raves about both from beer friends, so it was amazing to find them as different as they were. Southern Tier harvest pours clear amber into my awesome Old Toad Pub tulip glass from an epic dinner there on Wednesday (stay tuned for that story!) with a delicate head and minimal lacing. The nose is hops. Yup, hops. No nutmeg, no clove,…