Posts Tagged“sparkling wine”

Wolffer Estate Vineyard 2010 “Noblesse Oblige” Extra Brut Rose Sparkling Wine

Wolffer Estate is one of the better-known and recognized brands in Long Island wine. Their standard dry rose is nearly ubiquitous in the warmer months (not to mention their barrel-aged rose and the new “Summer in a Bottle” bottling). Winemaker Roman Roth is also making some of the best merlot-based blends and cabernet franc on the island. What doesn’t get nearly enough attention is the sparkling wine program at Wolffer — including Wolffer Estate 2010 Noblesse Oblige Extra Brut Rose Sparkling ($40). Made from pinot noir and chardonnay, it offers aromas of fresh apple and apple skin with hints of red berries.…

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Finger Lakes Wine by the Numbers: Balance, Value and Single-Vineyard Wines

The Finger Lakes can make a statistics-based case for being the most balanced wine region in the country. Its sparkling wines offer far better value than sparkling wines from other regions. And how much more would you pay for scarcer, single-vineyard wines? Those three themes fill out our newest edition of “Finger Lakes Wine By the Numbers.” The purpose of this series is to provide a quantitative view of the Finger Lakes wine industry based on a survey of wines offered by Finger Lakes wineries on their websites. The introductory post presented information on three aspects of the industry: The…

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Lieb Cellars 2009 Blanc de Blancs

  There are times when I want sparkling wine to be yeasty, funky and autolytic. Other times, I want bubbly that is pure, clean and driven by citrus and mineral flavors — and that is when I’d reach for Lieb Cellars 2009 Blanc de Blancs ($35). Fresh and bright, the nose offers aromas just-ripe pear, lemon zest, lemon meringue pie and citrus blossom with only the most subtle yeasty qualities. Dry and piercingly crisp and refreshing, the palate combines fruit flavors like pear, green apple and golden raspberry with a distinct marine minerality. Gentle mid-palate richness is balanced by frothy,…

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NY Drinks NY: Sparkling Wines of New York

Like panel moderator Linda Lawry, I also believe that Champagne or any of its descendants are labors of love best in enjoyed simply because it’s Tuesday. For that reason (and also because I’m a bit of a lush), I was thrilled to attend a Sparkling Wines of New York seminar at the NY Drinks NY event at Astor Center on Monday. As the Director of the International Wine Center, an organization dedicated to wine education for neophytes and oenophiles both, Lawry was a good fit lead the discussion. She introduced representatives from wineries to present their creations with the panache and…

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Sparkling Pointe 2008 Blanc de Noirs

I’m convinced that if New York sparkling wine had the marketing push behind it — say like riesling in the Finger Lakes — a lot more wine lovers would know about and be drinking these wines. From fun and fresh to funky and rich, New York bubbly (and I’m talking about the good stuff here, not the fizzy sweet garbage) runs the gamut. Sparkling Pointe, in Southold on the North Fork of Long Island, makes some of the best examples in a variety of classic styles, but this small production (just over 200 cases)  Sparkling Pointe 2008 Blanc de Noirs…

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Sparkling Pointe 2009 Topaz Imperial

The current lineup of wines at Sparkling Pointe — Long Island’s only only-sparkling winery — is impressive top to bottom. Over the next few days, I’ll review some of their current releases, including this Sparkling Pointe 2009 Topaz Imperial ($37). Coppery pink in the glass — looking vaguely of its namesake gemstone — this sparkler offers lively aromas of red cherries, wild strawberries and cranberries, with lesser hints of lemony citrus and distant-but-distinct wet rock minerality. The lighter-bodied palate is at first apple-y before delivering mixed red berries and a savory toasty-earthy minerality. Dry, well balanced and featuring tiny, persistent bubbles it…

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Finger Lakes Sparkling Wine: Looking for Room at the Dance

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor In the flickering glint of the strobe lights, amidst the pulsing beat and bodies, it was impossible to see the edges of the room. No matter. The party was in the middle, and it centered around Riesling. He was always the magnet, the draw, the energy. Tonight, like most nights, he had brought a few friends. The girls would wink and nod at his entourage, but ultimately they were fighting for the mysterious man who was known for being simultaneously acerbic and sweet. He always gets the girl. That's pretty much the story of…

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Chateau Frank and the Economics of Bubbles

By Jason Feulner, Finger Lakes Correspondent During a recent visit to Dr. Frank's to compile a profile of its sparkling wine operation for Life in the Finger Lakes, I learned more than I expected to about the hard economic realities of creating such wines in the Finger Lakes. As nearly all Finger Lakes winemakers will profess, the region is well suited to making sparkling wine. Because of the cool climate, and a wide open harvest window, growers can let grapes hang just a little longer to enhance ripeness and flavor without sacrificing the crisp acidity necessary for good sparklers. Two of Dr. Frank's team winemakers who work with sparklers, Eric Bauman and…

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WTN: Osprey’s Dominion 2002 Blush de Noir (North Fork of Long Island)

Osprey’s Dominion Vineyards reminds me a little bit of a winery like Beringer. One one hand, they make some sweet, entry-level wines that I assume are meant for the trailer park set. But, they also make some of my favorite red wines on the other end of their portfolio. Perhaps it’s a matter of making wines for the masses to pay for the wines winemaker and U.C. Davis grad Adam Suprenant really wants to make? Anyway, I recently tasted through some of their new and upcoming releases for a column I’m writing, so you’ll get to see my notes here…

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WTN: Martha Clara Vineyards NV Blanc de Blanc

Martha Clara Vineyards, best known in these parts for having a bevy of large- and small-scale wine events, is really coming on. And by that I mean that their wines are improving with each released vintage. When I first starting covering the region several years ago, their portfolio was firmly entrenched as one aimed at the white zinfandel set — not fine wine lovers. Standby wines like the sweet, Beagle-labeled rose are still the top sellers, but further down the tasting sheet you’ll find some much better, refined, and delicious wines. Yes, the tasting room still overflows with new wine…

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