NYCR-transparent1

Posts Written OnOctober 2012

What Do YOU Want from NYCR? We Want to Hear From You.

comment-cork

To be a better writer, I’ve always thought that you need to be an avid reader. So, I’ve been spending quite a bit of time of late reading books written by some of my favorite wine writers — people like Terry Thiese, Jamie Goode, Hugh Johnson and Eric Asimov. I’ve also been obsessively listening to I’ll Drink to That! a podcast by Levi Dalton that is fantastic. He sits down with some of the best and brightest in the wine world and they talk about a wide array of topics — everything from living in Champagne to counterfeit wines to opening a…

Continue Reading

Shinn Estate Vineyards 2009 Wild Boar Doe

shinn-2009-wbd

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — Long Island wine lovers shouldn’t overlook the 2009 vintage. Sure, 2010 has been declared “the” vintage by many, but 2009’s long, warm, dry autumn rewarded those willing and able to let their reds hang into October and beyond. Wines like this one — Shinn Estate Vineyards 2009 Wild Boar Doe ($30), a blend of 40% merlot, 23% cabernet sauvignon, 17% malbec, 15% petit verdot and 5% cabernet franc — are proof. I’ve tasted several vintages of WBD and this might be my favorite. Layered and somewhat brooding, the nose offers blackberry, cassis and…

Continue Reading

What We Drank (October 16, 2012)

This is a sampling of what our editors and contributors have been drinking. Amy Zavatto: Eve’s Cidery “Bittersweet” Call me trendy: Tried Eve’s Cider’s “Bittersweet” at Brooklyn Oenology and walked out of there with a bottle. If this is what cider can be, sign me up — zippy, snappy apple nose. On the palate, the dry, crisp mouthfeel fills out mid-palate into something juicier and fresh; truly the flavor of just-picked sweet-tart apple, but right before it could go over the top, the flavors reign themselves in, leaving you with a bone-dry finish. Roast pork loin, please. Mark Grimaldi: Brick House…

Continue Reading

5 Questions with… Gabriella Macari, Macari Vineyards

gabriella-macari-cropped

Every wine not only has a story behind it, but a surprisingly large group of people as well. And, by bringing back “5 Questions with…” our once-popular feature, we will introduce you to the people that make up the New York wine community. Sometimes we’ll talk to winemakers, sure, but there are people in a variety of roles that you may not even be aware of. For this week’s installment, we talk to Gabriella Macari of Macari Vineyards. Her parents, Joe and Alex Macari, own the winery, but Gabriella and her brother Joey represent the next generation — and are…

Continue Reading

Empire State Cellars Wine Club: November 2012 Selections

esc-club

The November shipment of the Empire State Cellars Wine Club will ship in a couple weeks, but — as always — I’m excited to share the selections with you. If you’re not familiar with the club, you can learn more here. “Hello New York” Wines Lamoreaux Landing 2011 Gruner Veltliner: It’s exciting to include this relatively new grape to New York, and Lamoreaux Landing’s first commercial release of it. Dry and refreshing, it shows aloe, white pepper, lemon-lime citrus, and green herbs — with just a hint of salinity. Roanoke Vineyards 2010 BOND: Some complain about the lack of quality “table wines”…

Continue Reading

Why Cider Week Matters

Cider Week NY kicks off today (well, to be more accurate: Cider 10 Days kicks off). Throughout New York City and the Hudson Valley, hundreds of participating restaurants and bars will begin pouring with a vengeance. In my eyes, this couldn’t happen at a more crucial time. The cider revolution is in its nascency. And already its in danger of losing its soul. Although cider is a niche market in the U.S, sales rose 23% last year. This is huge. And there is an interesting comparison here-what began 20 years ago in the craft beer world, is now happening in…

Continue Reading

What We Drank (October 11, 2012)

wwd101112

This is what our editors and contributors have been drinking… David Flaherty: Jolly Pumpkin Weizen Bam Bière Whenever I can get my hands on this stuff, I do, because Jolly Pumpkin is some beer out of left field — no, I take that back, this is some beer from under the bleachers in left field where the circus freaks hang out. And I do enjoy a good circus freak. I’ve said it before and I’ll continue to say it: there is some wild s%&t coming out of Dexter, Michigan (population <3,000). It must be the cold winters; the fact that creative…

Continue Reading

New York Wine, Beer, and Spirits Summit: Focus on Marketing, Not Fracking or WIGS

main

When two dozen invited wine industry professionals take their seats at the head table at the New York Wine, Beer and Spirits Summit later this month, they’ll have specific goals in mind. So will Governor Andrew Cuomo, and that includes his desire to make sure the summit is not bogged down by two recurring debates: wine in grocery stores, and hydrofracking. Several sources confirm that the summit will be geared toward other issues, leaving the volatile hot buttons for another day. Indeed, Governor Cuomo has repeatedly stated his opposition to wine in grocery stores, and his administration continues to review…

Continue Reading

Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars 2011 Gruner Veltliner

lamoreaux-2011-gruner

Gruner veltliner, a variety typically associated with Austria, is still new to New York, with only a handful of folks growing it and making it into wine. But, the early returns have been interesting. Much like riesling, gruner seems to tell the tale of the growing season in a very direct, concise way. Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars 2011 Gruner Veltliner ($20) — the winery’s first commercial gruner release — is more lithe than the 2010 bottling that I was lucky enough to taste, but still has me excited for the grape’s potential in the Finger Lakes. Showing aromas of aloe,…

Continue Reading