Posts Written OnSeptember 2011

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor Conversations about pumpkin ale can be testy. Some can’t get enough of the style and will try every pumpkin ale on the market; some think it’s an overly spiced or sickly-sweet abomination among fall seasonals. Whatever the direction of the debate, the mention of one beer’s name is enough to silence critics and humble wannabes. “But what about PumKing?” somebody says, and the controversy is over. Southern Tier Brewing Company PumKing has single-pintedly done what precious few beers can: it has taken on a style — one that’s at best a niche market and at…

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor  The next in our series of New York Cork Report Artisan Dinners will take place once again at Luce & Hawkins on Monday, October 24 at 7 p.m. We're calling it "The Wurst Beer Dinner" and we'll be joined by the folks from Greenport Harbor Brewing, one of the the East End's top breweries. They'll be pouring five of their beers — including an extremely limited-production cask ale — along side a killer four-course, Oktoberfest-inspired menu put together by Chef Keith Luce: First Course: Monkfish Liver Dumpling Soup Second Course: Duck and Sweetbread wurst Brussels…

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor Photo courtesy Tricia Barry Pinot noir is always one of the first off the vine, as it ripens early in the season. Many Finger Lakes wineries picked their pinot during a long stretch of sunshine that lasted from the middle of last week until this past Tuesday. Only a small percentage of vineyards still have pinot hanging, and most will wait until another forecasted run of warmth and sun that could last for much of the next week. It has been a struggle. Disease pressure has soared this year, thanks to wildly inconsistent weather…

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor Winery owners can spin all they like, but consumers won't forget how miserable the early spring was, or how brutal July became. And it doesn't take an expert grower to know that these are not ideal vineyard conditions. And yet spin is a common part of any business, wine not the least among them. So when grower Sam Argetsinger (blue shirt at right) and Ravines Wine Cellars winemaker Morten Hallgren addressed the annual Ravinous Club luncheon, it was refreshing to hear tell their customers exactly what they were thinking. "Spring started wet and cold,…

Are raucous crowds and dance parties the future of Long Island tasting rooms? By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor There was a time not long ago when, if you wanted to find live music at a Long Island winery, you had to do some research. Only a handful of wineries hosted performances on any given weekend. Now, it's more difficult to find a winery without music. Similarly, you'd rarely find food beyond maybe cheese and bread at a tasting room just a few years ago. You'd certainly never find DJs and dance parties, cover charges or beer trucks. Collectively, I refer…

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor Rochester’s Old Toad Pub took its legendary beer pairing dinner tradition to new levels of decadence on Wednesday with "Beer and Beasts," a dinner devoted to all manner of tasty animals cooked in all manner of tasty ways. While many of Old Toad’s past dinners have featured high-alcohol monsters by breweries notorious for pushing limits — breweries such as Mikkeller, Dogfish Head, and Brewdog — this dinner was unique for its use of lighter and more delicate styles. Pilsners and pale ales don’t often get to shine in the beer world, but they’re arguably the…

By Mark Grimaldi, Director, Marketing and Events Wednesday night's sold out New York Cork Report Artisan Dinner, featuring Paumanok Vineyards chenin blanc, at Luce & Hawkins was one for the books.  With several members of the Massoud family in attendance, Kareem and Charles (pictured right) took the stage, along with Chef Luce to give a play-by-play for each individual course. Kareem and Charles have a great way of playing off of each other, taking turns adding their thoughts on the vintages and wines.  Chef Luce, always eloquent, really lets you know just how far he goes to make sure that…

By Evan Dawson, Managing Editor Many of you will taste a wide selection of 2010 Finger Lakes rieslings this evening as a part of the inaugural Riesling Hour. It's a marketing effort that seeks to bring more wines to more people, generating buzz for the most recent vintage. We don't want to color your thoughts about what you'll taste, and every group will have a slightly different pack of wines. But here are some answers to questions that have already come up. Are the wines ready? It's a fair question. At least one winery opted out of the event, saying…

By Dave Seel, Long Island Food Correspondent Saturday night was a cool one. Fall was definitely in the air for the 2011 HARVEST East End Fall Tasting. White tents gleamed against a slightly overcast sky on the fields next to Mecox Bay Dairy. The event, presented by Food & Wine and organized by the Long Island Merlot Alliance and the Long Island Wine Council, raised over $30,000 for East End Hospice, Group For The East End, and The Peconic Land Trust. It also offered those attending to taste some of the wine and food from the region's growing wineries and…