Posts Written OnAugust 19, 2011

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor Want to find the best wineries in a region, particularly ones from a cooler climate? Taste the red wines from less-than-ideal vintages. If the reds wines made in shorter, cooler and/or rainier growing seasons are good, chances are the rest of the portfolio is going to impress as well. The best wineries delivery quality year in and year out. By that, and any other criteria really, Seneca Lake's Hermann J. Wiemer is a top producer. This Hermann J. Wiemer 2008 Cabernet Franc ($20) — from a not-very warm year — is a bit of proof.…

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor A "dark pale ale" — sure, why not? Ellicottville Brewing Company has a competent hand with sessionable, balanced, and tasty pale ales, so I had high hopes for this latest example of the dark-and-hoppy trend. Black Hops is hoppy enough on the nose, with just a hint of roast to back it up, but overall the aromas are quite understated. It's an appropriate black walnut color in the glass with a one-finger head and some short-lived lacing. On the palate, a reasonable balance of roasty dark malt and citrusy hops but no real body or…