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Posts Written OnAugust 2012

Harvest Update: Cascade and Centennial Hops at McCollum Orchards

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McCollum Orchards, Niagara’s new hops farm and orchard in Lockport, New York, kicked off its first commercial harvest this week with Centennial hops. Bree Bacon Woodbridge, co-owner of the farm with her husband Rich, reports that the crop “looks pretty good, all things considered. We picked several cones that are the size of my thumb.” Woodbridge says the very hot, dry 2012 season brought “more pest pressure than last year. We were back on our heels and then were able to put in irrigation, with inline fertilizer, which helped regulate a lot. We have done a lot of hand-picking of…

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Empire State Cellars Wine Club: September 2012 Selections

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The September shipment of the Empire State Cellars Wine Club, won’t ship for another 3 or 4 weeks, but I want to tell you about them today so, if you’re not already a member but want the wines, you’ll have time to join. If you’re not familiar with the club, you can learn more here. “Hello New York” Wines Keuka Spring Vineyards 2011 Riesling: Most 2011 Finger Lakes rieslings are marked by incredible, snappy acidity and this off-dry example shows near-perfect balance. Showing apricot, nectarine and lime flavors and hints of fig, this is a great value. Arrowhead Spring Vineyards 2009 Arrowhead Red: This…

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Vineyard Visuals Niagara: Riesling Down at Eveningside Vineyards

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Eveningside Vineyards in Cambria saw a storm pass through last weekend that literally took down a row of riesling vines next to their tasting room. I arrived the next day to see it for myself and ask owner Randy Biehl how things looked. Bryan Calandrelli: So when did this happen? Randy Biehl: About 6:30 Saturday evening we were in the tasting room closing up and the building started rumbling. We looked outside and saw shingles in the yard and our lawn chairs flying around in front of the vineyard and then I saw our first row of riesling was down…

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Sheldrake Point Vineyards 2010 Waterfall Chardonnay

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Aromas of green and golden apples, lemon zest and citrus blossom are lightly blanketed by notes of toasted oak and buttery pastry. The oak influence is dialed back on the palate, but the fruit character is a bit lacking — just a bit of apple and pear tinged with a bit of vanilla. Juicy acidity keeps the mouthfeel lively and fresh. Well made and certainly not over-oaked or unbalanced — but just not distinctive. Producer: Sheldrake Point Vineyards AVA: Finger Lakes ABV: 12.7% Price: $14*

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Martha Clara Vineyards 2010 Pinot Grigio

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Martha Clara Vineyards 2010 Pinot Grigio ($20) shows off the heat of the vintage — in both good and not-so-good ways. Apple and dried pineapple aromas dominate the nose with a faint limoncello note — both the citrusy lemon character and the slight booziness. Some heat on the palate as well, with apple, peach and pineapple flavors and a short finish. Producer: Martha Clara Vineyards AVA: North Fork of Long Island ABV: 13% Price: $20*   (2 out of 5, Average)

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Silver Thread Vineyard 2011 Dry Riesling

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It’s impossible to over-state the impact the cooler 2011 growing season played, but I’m enjoying what new co-owner and winemaker Paul Brock is doing with the wines at Silver Thread Vineyard. He is making fresh, clean wines that are delicious on their own but that perhaps shine brightest with food — all at good price points. In other words, exactly the types of wines I reach for every day. With bright, fresh aromas of citrus blossom, lime, grapefruit and flinty slate, Silver Thread Vineyard 2011 Dry Riesling ($16) showcases the winery’s apparent new direction quite well. Grapefruit flavor bursts on…

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New Releases at the Niagara Wine Trail Wine and Culinary Festival

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Last weekend’s Niagara Wine Trail Wine & Culinary Festival was a chance for the trail to raise money for promotions while extending its bottles to a wine drinking audience that may still be a little shy about stepping foot into an actual winery. The site — Academy Park in Lewiston, NY — seemed like perfect setting to appeal to the summertime festival-going crowds that know the town for its jazz festival, peach festival and the live shows at Artpark Performing Arts Center. My hope that the event would be a great opportunity for me to catch up with winemakers and owners…

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Whole Foods Market-Harpoon Brewery “Saison Liaison”

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You can’t mess with Saison. Seriously, don’t even try. You meet a frothy glass of it in an alley, promptly throw down your wallet, bow your head, take a few cautious steps backward, and run. And, just recently, a new player has stepped out of the alley and onto the scene. Harpoon Brewery has teamed up with Jeff Wallace, the NYC Whole Foods Beer Buyer (and an avid homebrewer), on a new collaboration called “Saison Liaison,” which will only be available at Whole Foods Markets in NYC that carry growlers. Saisons are my favorite beer style, made even cooler by the fact that they nearly disappeared from the world,…

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The Bizarre Tale of Why the Government Opposes Honest Labeling — and how Fox Run’s New Wine was Born

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Imagine, for a moment, that McDonald’s was no longer allowed to sell French Fries because, by using the term “Fries,” the government decided that McDonald’s was luring people to over-eat and get fat. Nevermind the fact that the potatoes are, in fact, fried. Honest labeling is simply too alluring for customers. Penalizing them for honest labeling — wouldn’t that be ridiculous? So now try to imagine how the team at Fox Run Vineyards felt when the TTB rejected their chosen name for a new wine. That wine, a fortified white wine, was going to be called “Fortified No. 3.” That…

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