Browsing CategoryFinger Lakes

Fulkerson Winery 2013 “William Vigne” Zweigelt

Fulkerson Winery’s 2013 William Vigne Zweigelt ($18) is the rare New York zweigelt — and it’s a good summer BBQ red for a couple of reasons. First, its youthful and fruit-forward. I don’t need or even want a lot of complexity in a wine I’m having with a charred burger with assorted toppings. Aromas and flavors of black cherry and black currant flavors are accented by subtle cinnamon spice and a faint-but-distinct note of citronella. I haven’t tested it’s effectiveness as a bug repellent, however. Second, it’s low tannin, which means it can take a light chill without becoming puckery and unpleasant.…

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Keuka Spring Vineyards 2013 Wiltberger Vineyard Field Blend Dry Rose

Last year, Keuka Spring Vineyards winemaker August Deimel crafted one of the NYCR tasting panel’s top two 2012 roses, so when he sent  the 2013, it didn’t take me long to get it in the tasting queue. Keuka Spring Vineyards 2013 Wiltberger Vineyard Field Blend Dry Rose ($17) is completely different from that stellar 2012.  It’s a field blend — a blend of lemberger, cabernet franc, merlot — and smells of trawberries and cream with hints of peppery spice and spring flowers. The dry, medium-bodied palate is richer than the 2012, with watermelon and red cherry flavors backed by more of that…

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Naked and Still Loving It: The Unique Success of Lamoreaux Landing’s T23

Red wine loves wood the way sunlight loves a hillside, the way Tarantino loves violence, the way feet love grass. One does not necessarily need the other, but can you imagine it another way? At Lamoreaux Landing on Seneca Lake, they could indeed imagine it another way. Back in 2002, the winemaking team floated the idea of viticultural nudity. This would not be performance art in a 750-ml bottle. This would be an experiment to see what would happen if cabernet franc saw no oak barrels. Today, the question of who gets the credit remains murky. Josh Wig, a co-owner,…

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Introducing “Finger Lakes Wine By the Numbers”

Earlier this year, NYCR set out to gather data on the Finger Lakes wine industry to get a better understanding of several aspects of the industry. The method was simple: we gathered data from industry, winery and reseller websites regarding the wines from Finger Lakes producers that were being offered online. Admittedly, it was not a scientific data collection, and the information was only as accurate and complete as the sites provided. But we did gather data on more than one hundred wineries and nearly two thousand wines, which provided a significantly large sample size for our review. And because…

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Heron Hill Winery 2012 “Morris Vineyard” Reserve Pinot Blanc

Heron Hill Winery 2012 “Morris Vineyard” Reserve Pinot Blanc ($18*) offers a delicate nose of Bartlett pear, mango drizzled with lime juice and green melon. Medium bodied and showing a bit of mid-palate sweetness, the palate is dominated  by green apple and tropical fruits. That residual sugar brings nice weight and a nice nudge of acidity drives a juicy finish that lingers with subtle sweetness and distant lemon verbena herbal note. Producer: Heron Hill Winery AVA: Finger Lakes Harvest Date(s): September 11, 2012Brix: 21.5 ABV: 12.5% RS: 1.48% TA: 6.1 g/l pH: 3.26 Production:  235 cases Release Date: October 4, 2013 Price: $18* (3 out of 5, Very good/Recommended)

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Kelby James Russell 2013 Dry Rosé

  The label certainly tells you who made this wine. Red Newt winemaker Kelby Russell put his name right on the label of Kelby James Russell 2013 Dry Rosé ($16), which was made at Red Newt from 100% cabernet franc grapes. White cherries and red raspberries dominate the nose with a hint of watermelon and notes of black pepper, cabernet franc dusty earthiness and a squirt of lime. Fresh and balanced, the medium-bodied palate is driven by red berry fruits with another sprinkling of pepper and woodsy, savory spice. A bit of red apple peeks through on the medium-short finish,…

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The 2012 Finger Lakes Vintage: Finally, the Hype is not Hyperbole

“Don’t judge me by the size of my parents’ house.” These were the words a friend said to me in ninth grade before I came to hang out. He was concerned that I might judge him based on the opulence in which he was being raised. He worried I would assume he was just like his house: extravagant, showy, boasting of power. He needn’t have felt that way. No one should have to apologize for their parents’ success; we can simply hope it won’t make them lazy and entitled. The house is not the person. Circumstances change. I couldn’t help…

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Ithaca Beer Company “Ground Break” American-Style Saison

Ithaca Beer Company is one of my go-to brewers when I’m upstate (anywhere north of Westchester for us Long Islanders). They have a solid lineup, yet the brown ale and “Flower Power” IPA are always my favorites. This saison pours a dark yellow to orange color with champagne-like froth. There’s more haze and sediment than I would have expected from an American Saison, although its European counterparts are well known for it. Whatever particles aren’t stuck to the bottom of the bottle slide happily into the bath of ale (it’s ok, yeast is packed with vitamin B and B12). The…

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5 Questions with… Ian Barry, Barry Family Cellars

For most New York Cork Report readers the name Ian Barry probably isn’t a new one. Barry, most recently winemaker at Villa Bellangelo has also held winemaking positions in the Finger Lakes at Keuka Lake Vineyards, Swedish Hill Winery and Heron Hill Winery and thus has made a number of appearances  across these pages. Many may not know however that Barry started out at a small vineyard in the Hudson Valley near SUNY New Paltz where he was pursuing a teaching degree and where he also worked on the retail side of the wine industry as a wine shop manager…

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Finger Lakes Flooding Leaves Devastation but Minimal Impact on Wine Industry

On Tuesday night, May 13, northern Keuka Lake in the Finger Lakes was hit with the most severe storms it’s had since Hurricane Agnes in 1972. Reports say that between 4 and 9 inches of rain fell, coming largely in two waves that were just a few hours apart, causing massive flooding. The Town of Jerusalem, especially Penn Yan and Branchport, was hardest hit, and a state of emergency was declared in Yates County. While a building in Penn Yan collapsed, and numerous houses and businesses were flooded and culverts washed away, no one was injured. On Friday the 16, more heavy…

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