Posts Written OnMarch 2015

Peter Conway to Join the NYCR’s Hudson Valley Desk

Please join me in welcoming Peter Conway as the newest member of the New York Cork Report’s correspondent team. Since 2005 he has written the wine and food pairing blog, Mano a Vino. I met Peter at the North American Wine Bloggers Conference in Charlottesville, VA several years ago. Peter recently moved to the Hudson Valley, in Garrison, NY with his wife Diana Polack, after raising their two children in Montclair, NJ over 27 the last years. Peter tells me that his passion for wine was ignited in 1979 when he happened upon a spectacular wine in a tiny Florida Gulf Coast wine store.…

Continue Reading

Weekly New York Wine News — March 30, 2015

Assistant Vineyard Manager Donna Rudolph working in the vineyard (Photo via Bedell Cellars’ Facebook) NEWS The Leader - 3/24/2015 Senator Schumer believes that the long cold winter may again justify federal aid for NY wine producers. Albany Times Union - 3/24/2015 Republican State Senetor Phil Boyle from Long Island signs on to bill to keep State Liquor Authority from enforcing the adult beverage laws of other states. Dan’s Papers - 3/24/2015 The Damianos Family sells 87 acres on Long Island and will continue to work vineyards until new owners are ready to establish their own wine farm. Auburn Citizen - 3/25/2015 Two…

Continue Reading

Southampton Publick House 2013 Imperial Russian Stout

Comparing a vintage beer at different stages of its maturity isn’t something I get to do all the time, let alone a beer I have taken notes on. Recently, I’ve been cleaning up my wine and beer storage that I’ve wanted to check in on and, well, drinking them. I happen to pop this 2013 Imperial Russian Stout almost two years to the day that I last reviewed it here, on the New York Cork Report in 2013. Much about the beer has changed, yet much has stayed the same. The color and appearance of the stout hadn’t changed at…

Continue Reading

The Story Behind McGregor Vineyard’s Black Russian Red: A Chat With John McGregor

It has been called “unique” and “iconic” – and has developed an almost cult-like following since it first appeared more than two decades ago. McGregor Vineyard’s Black Russian Red is a field blend of two varieties of Eastern European origin – Saperavi and Sereksiya Charni. Finger Lakes pioneer Bob McGregor created the blend in the early 1990’s as an alternative to classic Bordeaux blends that require varieties that are challenging to consistently cultivate in Upstate New York, releasing the first vintage in 1991. Based on its early success, the wine has been produced every vintage since. Today, continuation of the…

Continue Reading

Op-Ed: It’s Time for Gender Equity in the Cellar (by August Deimel, Winemaker, Keuka Springs Vineyards)

Photo credit: Meg Tipton (Editor’s Note: The following op-ed was written by August Deimel, winemaker at Keuka Springs Vineyard) Last month I attended an event celebrating the contribution of alumni from my undergraduate alma mater, St. John’s College, to the wine industry. During a panel discussion that was part of that event, a woman in the audience asked a question that seemed to catch the panel very much off guard. She asked why, of the seven people who were being featured that weekend, there was not a single woman. The panel searched half-heartedly for an answer, but the questioner went…

Continue Reading

Weekly New York Wine News — March 23, 2015

Photo via Peter Becraft, winemaker at Anthony Road Wine Company NEWS Syracuse.com - 3/18/2015 Early report from the floor of the Eastern Winery Expo held Tuesday through Thursday last week in Syracuse. New York Times - 3/20/2015 Walter Channing, Jr, highly accomplished vintner and artist has passed away after an impressive career. A New York wine pioneer who decided to plant Chardonnay in an old potato field in 1982. Inside Scoop SF - 3/20/2015 San Francisco Chronicle wine editor Jon Bonné is saying goodbye to his work in California, and is moving back to New York…we are guessing he was not…

Continue Reading

NY Drinks NY Means that Winter is Over. I Promise!

At this point, winter has been such a relentless bitch many of us will drink anything to keep warm and shut out the dark, grey days. But with Spring fast approaching, I’m here to remind you to be mindful of what’s in your glass. Don’t just slug whatever bottle you have on hand in order to stay indoors. For me - NY Drinks NY heralds Open Season on Spring wine. New, shiny things I have yet to taste. This yearly event brings together three dozen or more wineries from across New York State for a Grand Tasting and … marks…

Continue Reading

NY Drinks NY: Tasting New York In 60 Minutes Or Less

Since I recently moved back to New York state, I looked forward to the NY Drinks NY tasting for weeks as a way to plunge back in and get reacquainted with New York wine. But then a business lunch ran late and I hoofed it in to Astor Center with barely an hour to spare. Merda! With thirty-five producers, seven wines (roughly) apiece, and 60 or so minutes, I definitely needed an organizing principle. Tracking down my Hudson Valley neighbors seemed a solid place to start. Soon, I found all — three of them? Benmarl Winery, Brotherhood Winery, and Whitecliff…

Continue Reading

Raphael 2014 Sauvignon Blanc

Made without even a splinter of oak, Raphael 2014 Sauvignon Blanc ($20), is a brisk, somewhat lean rendition of North Fork sauvignon blanc. Dominant aromas and flavors of citrus blossom, stony talc and straw are supported by light lemon, lemon verbena and gooseberry qualities. Juicy, citrusy acid keeps the palate crunchy and accentuates the minerally, stony notes. Bottled only a month ago, I plan to re-taste this wine in a month or so and will update this note if needed. Producer: Raphael AVA: North Fork of Long Island Varieties: 97% Sauvignon Blanc, 3% Semillon pH: 3.18 TA: 8.4 g/L Barrel Program: None;…

Continue Reading