Pittsburgh (my beloved home town) falls within the borders of Pennsylvania, a commonwealth whose liquor laws barely have crept out of prohibition, so it should come as no surprise that it’s not the most wine-savvy city east of the Mississippi River. But, with one of the city’s two major newspapers publishing stories like this one (thanks Beau), is there any hope that it will change? It’s disturbing to say the least. Elizabeth Downer, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s restaurant critic recently took over as it’s wine critic (cheers to the PPG for finally having a wine critic) as well. And, while her…
Posts Tagged“wine”
Winners From the New York Wine and Food Classic
This week, Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard’s 2005 Dry Riesling ($16) defeated 702 other New York wines to win the Governor’s Cup, awarded to the events best wine. Dr. Konstantin Frank’s Vinifera Wine Cellars was named New York’s "Winery of the Year" based on the number, and level, of medals its wines won. Sponsored and run by the New York Wine and Grape Foundation (NYWGF), a nonprofit statewide trade organization based in the in newly opened New York Wine and Culinary Center. Howard Goldberg reported in the New York Times, "The wine industry and influential wine periodicals treat the contest as…
50 States. 50 Wineries #11: Wills Creek Vineyards (Alabama)
You’ve probably noticed that "50 States. 50 Wineries. 50 Weeks." has become merely 50 wineries from 50 states. That’s just because it’s been so much harder to gather samples than I anticipated. So, instead of doing one a week, I’ll taste them as I can get them. The goal is still to taste, and write about, wine from each of America’s 50 states. This time around, we head to the deep south — Alabama — and Will Creek Vineyards. I knew that this project would lead to tasting some interesting wines made from grapes outside of the Vitis vinifera realm,…
“DRINK LOCAL” T-Shirts Available
For quite a while now, I’ve been trying to find some interesting-without-being-lame wine-related t-shirts…with very little luck. Then I tried to find some locally focused ones…with even less luck. So, I decided to create one of my own, emblazoned with "DRINK LOCAL" on the front. The message is clear, concise and one that is near and dear to my heart. And, as much as I hate the idea of "going commerical" I’ve opened up a GoodStorm shop where anyone can buy one. I’ve got a few different colors set up right now, but plan to add more at some point.…
WTN: Lenz Winery 2001 “Old Vines” Cabernet Sauvignon (North Fork of Long Island)
The Lenz Winery has been making a lot of noise lately about its wines and how they rate against top-flight Bordeaux in professional blind tastings. It’s an interesting marketing hook to be sure. The recently released Lenz 2001 Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon ($30) is one of the wines that fared best. And I can see why. It’s obviously much more important that consumers like a wine (instead of critics), but something tells me this wine will be well received. "Old vines" doesn’t have any official meaning (much like "reserve") but this rich, deep purple-crimson cab is impressive nonetheless. The nose…
More Thoughts on the Wine Advocate and New York Wines
I’ve gotten a few emails about my post a couple of weeks ago about the Wine Advocate’s recent coverage of New York wines, charging that I was overly negative and (shockingly) dismissed David Schildknecht’s credentials. Re-reading my post, I still think I was pretty even handed, but I wanted to offer a few more thoughts to make sure that my feelings are clear. Now hear this — this is a milestone for NY and Long Island wines. There is no disputing that, regardless of what you think of the 100-point scoring system, Parker or his influence on consumers. This is…
WTN: Grapes of Roth 2001 Merlot ($50)
Later this month, Roman Roth, the winemaking talent behind the wines of Wolffer Estate, Shinn Estate Vineyards and Roanoke Vineyards, will show off his garagiste side. Translated from French garagiste literally means “garage owner," but in the world of wine, it’s used to describe a winemaker who produces small lots of high-quality, handcrafted wines – sometimes right in his or her own garage. And while Roth didn’t make his private label — Grapes of Roth — in his garage, he’s embraced the garagiste philosophy, crafting fewer than two hundred cases of his 2001 Grapes of Roth Merlot ($50). Roth grew…
Long Island’s 2006 Vintage So Far: Damp and Dangerous
I’ve been reading a few stories locally about how "great" the 2006 vintage is looking here on Long Island. Of course, knowing that the authors of these stories don’t typically cover wine (if ever) I was skeptical. It’s been very wet and humid lately and we’ve had several days where we’ve touched 90 degrees. But, rather than make assumptions, I asked Richie Pisacano, owner of Roanoke Vineyards and vineyard manager at Wolffer Estate for an update on what he’s seeing. He’s been growing grapes on Long Island a long time, and he’s not one to fall victim to marketing/PR spin.…
WTN: Shinn Estate Vineyards “Red” ($14)
I have an announcement to make: I have a new favorite local red wine for every day, food-friendly drinking. Shinn Estate Vineyard’s non-vintage Red ($14) is a blend of 75% merlot and 25% cabernet sauvignon, isn’t the most complex local merlot. It isn’t the richest, deepest pour either…but it’s ideally suited for food Light-to-medium bodied, this wine actually has some pinot noir-like qualities despite the grapes involved. Light ruby in the glass, the nose is mainly raspberry and strawberries, with just the most subtle hints of spice. The palate is juicy red berries, hints of oak character, and terrific food-friendly…