Posts Written OnApril 2011

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor Brooklyn Main Engine Start is the first beer out of the gate of Brooklyn's spanking new brewhouse, and it's a cool lesser-known Belgian style: the Abbey "singel," which is the lightest of the Trappist styles. Traditionally drunk at lunchtime (but then, so am I), singels are a simpler, lower-alcohol alternative to the better-known and more wallop-packing dubbels and tripels. This particular one is only 6% ABV, which is apple juice for most of today's DIPA and quad lovers. Main Engine Start pours a surprisingly clear (according to the brewery it's unfiltered) toasted straw gold color…

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor We're working to sort though all of the last-minute preparations, but our event tomorrow afternoon — to benefit The Cody Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities at Stony Brook University — is going to be a great time for our attendees. Tickets are still available, but today I wanted to post our final auction lots for our silent auction: Channing Daughters Winery: Case of Mosaico Clovis Point: 6-pack of 2007 Reds Heron Hill Winery: Red Wine Gift Basket Hunt Country Vineyards: Mixed Case of Riesling Jamesport Vineyards: Wine Four-Pack Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars: 4-Pack of…

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor "It's a rare day when a bridge gets burned. It seems that in the Finger Lakes, you can move around in the wine industry and keep your relationships strong with previous employers and colleagues. That's one of the great attributes of this region." So says Derek Wilber (pictured right), the outgoing president and winemaker of White Springs Winery on Seneca Lake, and the once-and-future winemaker at Swedish Hill on Cayuga Lake. Wilber, who worked at Swedish Hill from 2000 to 2005, will return next week to take over for Ian Barry, who heads west…

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor There are a surprisingly large number of people who email me — usually at least once a year — telling me that it's time once again for their next trip to Long Island wine country. I've come to understand their palates to varying degrees, so I can usually point them to wines and wineries that I'm particularly excited about at the time their emails come in. Inevitably they want to know if there is a new or new-to-them winery that they have to check out. Of late, my answer has been "Yes." The winery? Clovis…

By Evan Dawson, Managing Editor There will come a time, long after we are dead, when writers and researchers will wonder who some of us were. Not that we existed, but who we were to our core, what drove us, how we responded to challenge and tragedy. I suspect that the ease of communication in the modern era will make a full accounting of written communication more difficult for researchers. After all, who keeps many emails or text messages in the way we once filed letters away? We can be thankful that M.F.K. Fisher came to prominence in an era…

By Bryan Calandrelli, Niagara Region Editor TasteCamp North 2011 is just around the corner, so I thought it would make sense to introduce some of the wineries and people we'll be meeting during the U.S. portion of the programming. Niagara USA might not have the international cast of winemakers that you

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor Curious how Rich Olsen-Harbich with his terroir-driven, low-touch winemaking philosophy will change the portfolio at Bedell Cellars, where he took over head winemaking duties over the summer? The Bedell Cellars 2010 Taste Rose ($18) is your first opportunity to taste for yourself. This wine, which replaces the Domaine CC Rose in the Bedell/Corey Creek lineup is dominated by merlot (62%) with cabernet franc (27%), syrah (7%) and petit verdot (4%) — all intended for rose rather than saignee, whole-cluster pressed and fermented with ambient yeast. The nose bursts with a distinct passion fruit-meets-guava aroma with…

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes EditorPhotos by Morgan Dawson Photography  Can you see how much fun we had on Saturday? We were overwhelmed with the turnout for the official book launch event at the New York Wine and Culinary Center for Summer in a Glass. That's Fred Merwarth of Hermann J. Wiemer on my left and Johannes Reinhardt of Anthony Road Wine Company on my right. Johannes and Fred kept the crowd entertained with stories of their personal journies (if you haven't heard it, you must ask Fred about Hermann's fib when Fred first went to work for Wiemer). There…

By Evan Dawson, Managing Editor The emails and comments from readers has already been overwhelming. Lenn thought it would be interesting to share a selected comment from time to time, and we encourage NYCR readers to share their thoughts as well. This comes from a man named Wolf Tinz. I don't exactly know where Wolf lives, but I found his email extremely moving. Some readers have already told me they plan to join us for the official book launch event this coming Saturday, April 23, from 4-6 at the New York Wine and Culinary Center in Canandaigua. Tickets are still…