Browsing CategoryFinger Lakes

Getting Out of That Restaurant Rut

You have probably found yourself in a restaurant rut at some point or another. You want to head out for dinner, and you cycle through the same short list of usual restaurant options. They’re your favorites for a reason, but you get to wondering: Is there anything new that we haven’t tried yet? Is there anything we’ve been meaning to try for a while, but haven’t? How do you break out of that rut? Sometimes it’s about abandoning comfort for a little risk. In the case of a recent Finger Lakes visit, it was simply about making time to visit…

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What Bottles are We Really Laying Down? A Brief Look at My Cellar

This is going to be a strange way to contact someone who owes you wine, but Kim Aliperti, Lenn and I would like to finally collect on our case. I was thinking about laying Finger Lakes wine down the other day and it occurred to me: Lenn and I went in together on a case of Billsboro Winery 2008 Riesling. That wine happened to be our first-ever Finger Lakes White Wine of the Year, and deservedly so. It’s wonderful. Lenn and I thought it was the right kind of wine to cellar. Here’s the odd part: I’m reasonably sure that we paid…

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Evan Dawson Interviewed by Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

Evan doesn’t always like it when we publish items about his tremendous book. I don’t think he minds when the book sells, of course, but he just doesn’t want it to ever seem like we mention it too often. So we don’t. But earlier this morning I saw that he was interviewed by the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle and thought it worth sharing. Happy Friday, everyone, and congratulations on the great success with the book, Evan.

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Mystery Man Behind the Finger Lakes’ Best Winery Website Reveals Plans for Boundary Breaks: Only Riesling

Some time around the first of the year, word started to spread in Finger Lakes wine circles about a remarkable new website for a winery most people had never heard of. Within hours, questions were flying: Who did that amazing photography? What is Boundary Breaks? Who owns it? With a little digging I was able to uncover some answers, but only after the owner secured a promise from me not to reveal his identity. It’s not that he’s a celebrity — you’ve almost certainly never heard of him — but he has business reasons to keep his name out of…

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Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars 2011 Semi-Dry Riesling

Located on the eastern side of Seneca Lake, Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars can always be counted on to deliver good values in under-$15 riesling — and this Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars 2011 Semi-Dry Riesling ($14) continues that tradition. Very fruity on the nose, it offers aromas of green and yellow apple, sweet juicy musk melon and golden raisin. Though noticeably sweet, the palate packs a fruit cocktail-like melange of apple, peach, melon and honey flavors, with subtle grapefruit and golden raisin notes with enough balancing acidity to keep it from being cloying — though a bit more verve through the mid-palate would…

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Silver Thread Vineyard 2011 Doyle East Vineyard Riesling

When Paul and Shannon Brock took over Silver Thread Vineyard in the summer of 2011 — just before harvest — fans of Finger Lakes wines were anxious to see what Paul, who is also the winemaker, would do with the wines. Obviously they weren’t very involved in the growing of their estate’s grapes but with careful harvest-time decisions and sourcing of grapes from other growers, the Brocks released a series of impressive 2011 rieslings, including Silver Thread Vineyard 2011 Doyle East Vineyard Riesling ($25), a tiny, 23-case production. Juicy and fresh on the nose, this riesling offers notes of pear —…

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Two Films that Finger Lakes Wine Lovers — and Finger Lakes Winemakers — Should See

If you love wine — if you even like wine — there are two new movies coming out just in time for the holidays that you should see. Okay, that’s not entirely fair. I’ve only seen one, so I can’t give a full review of both, and neither will be in theaters. You have to make an effort to find these films, which are documentaries. And you should. I’ll take it a step further: It would be wonderful if Finger Lakes wine industry professionals took the time to watch both films. The reason is simple, and goes back to the…

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Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars 2010 Unoaked Chardonnay

This is Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars‘ first unoaked chardonnay — and this wine is a solid start to what I hope is a new wine in the on-going portfolio. The nose is dominated by aromas of golden delicious apples and pineapple with hints of citrus in the background.  Plump, fruity and showing good concentration of fruit flavor, the medium-bodied palate is simple — gobs of apple and pineapple — but balanced. Once the wine warms nearly to room temperature, a subtle nutty-leesy component emerges, bringing just a bit of complexity. Producer: Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars AVA: Finger Lakes ABV: 13.2% Price: $15*   (2.5…

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Fox Run Vineyards 2011 Dry Riesling

White flowers and flint bring nuance to a citrusy nose with underlying nectarine aromas. The palate is peachy with a bit of pear, honey and lime/grapefruit citrus flavors. Dry and energetic — but not hard or austere — the lime juice-y acidity is nicely integrated and lengthens the finish nicely. Flinty/smokey note on the finish. Producer: Fox Run Vineyards AVA: Finger Lakes ABV: 12% Price: $16* (3.5 out of 5 | Very Good, Recommended to Outstanding and Delicious, Highly Recommended)

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Hermann J. Wiemer 2010 Magdalena Vineyard Riesling

You’ll find several wines made in the Finger Lakes with vineyards listed on the label. Academically, I really enjoy the opportunity to taste wines grown in smaller parcels and kept separate throughout the winemaking process. But there is also a bit of marketing gimmick to them. If a vineyard isn’t distinctive and mature, you’re really just using vineyard desingations to do it. Some vineyards haven’t ‘earned’ it yet. On the other end of the spectrum is Magdalena Vineyard, owned and managed by Hermann J. Wiemer. It is one of the few grand cru sites in the Finger Lakes. It’s one of the…

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