Posts Tagged“riesling”

Finger Lakes Harvest 2007: Excellent for Reds, Hopeful for Whites

By Finger Lakes Correspondent Jason Feulner  "The intense flavors just burst in your mouth," explains Phil Davis of Damiani Wine Cellars, describing the qualities of the red vinifera grapes he harvested and tasted in the fall of 2007. "The juice is dark and complex and shows a lot of potential." Davis is one of many Finger Lakes winemakers who are extolling the virtues of the 2007 harvest, which they claim may lead to one of the best Finger Lakes vintages in many years. The weather certainly was unique. A dry spring led to a very dry summer; the growing season…

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The 12 LI Wines of Christmas: #4 Waters Crest Winery 2004 Private Reserve Cabernet Franc

This post is a part of my 12 Long Island Wines for Christmas series that will run from now until Christmas 2007. See the entire series here.We’re only four wines into my 12 Long Island Wines of Christmas, and we’re already including a second cabernet franc? Yes. We are. And, it’s one that comes from a smaller, lesser-known producer. One that you might not even know about. I’ve long been a fan of Jim Waters’ riesling and gewurztraminer, but this 2004 Cabernet Franc Private Reserve blew me away when I first tasted it. Ripe and spicy, it’s a wine that…

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WTN: Macari Vineyards 2007 Early Wine (North Fork of Long Island)

Just about every Long Island winemaker and vineyard manager I’ve spoken to in recent weeks has told me that 2007 is going to be a tremendous, classic vintage for Long Island wines. Sure, sometimes winemakers are prone to hyperbole – they do need to sell wine after all – but I trust them this time. We’ve had months of sunny, warm-but-not-hot days with very little rain. Of course, we won’t know for at least several months just how good the white wines of 2007 will be. For the reds, it could be several years. But if you don’t want to…

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Coming Spring 2008: Grapes of Roth Riesling

Roman Roth shared some exciting news (at least for riesling lovers) with me over the weekend. He’s making a Grapes of Roth 2007 Riesling. Roman found 4 tons of fruit at Split Rock Vineyard in Greenport, and as he put it "The grapes looked great when I first saw them with a low yield of 2 tons per acre and so I jumped at the opportunity. We have been babying it here at the winery. At the moment it is fermenting at extremely low temperature of 56 Fahrenheit and it is looking good." Just like the GoR merlots, only about…

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WTNs: Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars Current Releases (Finger Lakes)

Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars is one of New York’s most well-known wineries, and with good reason. In addition to being a truly pioneering producer, they craft some of the Finger Lakes region’s best wines–particularly their whites. Last weekend, I tasted through their current whites, dry rose, and sparklers. So, in quick-fire style, here are some notes on them: Dr. Konstantin Frank 2006 Dry Rose ($18) A medium, orange-tinged pink, the nose is extremely faint and austere with just a little red berry aroma. Medium bodied and with a terrific mouth feel, and crisp finish, this wine is marred…

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WTN: Lamoreaux Landing 2006 Dry Riesling (Finger Lakes)

So I still haven’t decided what, if any, rating system I’m going to start using when I review wines here on LENNDEVOURS. That’s part of the reason that there haven’t been as many tasting notes as there usually is. The other reason is that sometimes I just plain don’t feel like sitting down and "tasting" wine. Sometimes you just want to drink wine, right? But, I sat down last night with three recent releases from Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars up in the Finger Lakes. One (a chardonnay) was corked and you’ll be reading about the Gewürztraminer plenty here in the…

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Visiting the Finger Lakes: Part 2

By Finger Lakes Correspondent Jason Feulner In the first part of this series, I wrote about when to go to the Finger Lakes, where to stay for maximum wine-tasting opportunity, and how to go about selecting wineries to visit.  This time around, I’d like to talk about the general qualities of the wine and other attractions. If any readers have any questions–any questions at all–feel free to leave a comment. I am happy to help no matter the query! What to Expect in the WineThe Finger Lakes region has a reputation for white wine, which is well-deserved. Riesling is good…

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Quick WTN: Weingut Kunstler 1009 Domdechaney Riesling Trocken (Rheingau)

Contrary to popular belief we in the LENNDEVOURS house do drink wines that aren’t from  New York State…including quite a few German rieslings, which are among our favorites. Of course, sometimes I just don’t feel like pulling out my tasting notebook and taking actualy notes, like with this bottle from Weingut Kunstler, which we enjoyed with a dinner of good bread, cheeses and cured meats. I was going to save this wine for an upcoming WBW (there’s a hint for you) but it was a recent gift and he told us it was tasting well right now. Usually, you expect…

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A Delicate Touch in the Finger Lakes: An Interview with Ravines’ Morten Hallgren

By Finger Lakes Correspondent Jason Feulner Morten Hallgren has an unusual background for a U.S. winemaker, especially one in the Finger Lakes.  He was born in Denmark and moved to Provence in southern France after his father decided to purchase an ancient winemaking estate founded in 1307.  Although Hallgren learned French winemaking techniques throughout his childhood, he decided to pursue science and attended university in the United States, majoring in astrophysics (yes, it seems that in this case it does take a rocket scientist to make wine). Eventually, Hallgren found his calling and enrolled in an oenologist program at the…

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Tourism Expands in the Finger Lakes

By Finger Lakes Correspondent Jason Feulner According to the New York State Department of Agriculture, nearly 60% of wine sales in the Finger Lakes occur at the winery site by visiting consumers. These sales statistics are reflected in the strong regional alliances between wineries, wine routes, businesses and restaurants. The Finger Lakes has long sold itself as a scenic destination with wine as the main attraction. Visitors, enamored with the beauty of the area, are often inclined to purchase what they taste. This story in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle by Deborah Alexander reports that visitors with more spending money…

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