New York Cork Report

Video: Leonard Oakes Estate Winery 2011 Icewine Harvest

By Bryan Calandrelli, Niagara Region Editor

This short film is a combination of harvest images I shot in January and a recent interview with Leonard Oakes Estate Winery winemaker Jonathan Oakes about the progress of this 2011 Icewine of Vidal Blanc.

4 a.m. is the Right Time for Ice Wine

By Bryan Calandrelli, Niagara Region Editor

The landscape along the Lake Ontario shoreline-hugging roadway that stretches eastward to Orleans County – Route 18 – pretty much becomes desolate once you pass Olcott. And it only seems more desolate at four in the morning on the coldest day of the winter. Lyndonville’s distance from the center of the Niagara Wine Trail keeps me from making this journey as often as I’d like to, but on this morning there was no hesitation – it was Leonard Oakes Estate Winery’s annual ice wine harvest.

As I made my way through an apple orchard to the first few rows of grapevines in the dark of night, there wasn’t much that would indicate that this was one of the most important days of the year for winemaker Jonathan Oakes, who had been waiting for this day since bud break.

“I don’t feel relaxed until these grapes are off and we’re in with a long enough window to press it out and work with it,” said Oakes.

It was only after hearing the low rumbling tractor noise and following the faint glimmer of headlights at the opposite end of the pitch-black vineyard that I found the winemaker surrounded by a few winery staff and an army of volunteers.

“Can you see the look of relief in my face?” asked Oakes.

While many wineries have already celebrated the end of harvest with toasts and parties, a few Niagara region wineries don’t consider the season to be over until their vats are full of ultra-sweet vidal blanc juice.

With this winter’s unusually mild temperatures, the thought of a normal ice wine harvest seemed like wishful thinking. Yet Oakes reassured me that the weather window we were in was perfect, even going as far as to state that this was the easiest winter harvest for the winery since they started. The lack of snow accumulation in the vineyard made getting the tractors, equipment and people in easier and the huge amount of support they received from volunteers enabled them to get the grapes off the vine in record time.

“During the last couple of harvests, the idea of ice wine was new to our area and it was difficult to recruit people that would be willing to get out there and help,” said Oakes. This year things were different. “All the recent accolades and buzz about our ice wine has really helped to secure people that want to come out and participate,” he said.

It’s this excitement and interest, combined with the fact that the Niagara region has already proven it can consistently produce some of the world’s best ice wine, that leads Oakes to believe that the industry has a strong future in his backyard. 

“I look at the amount of plantable acres we have left, with a grape variety like vidal that can grow in a little more severe conditions, and I think there’s just unlimited potential in our area,” said Oakes.

Even in mild winters like this one. Mother Nature ends up delivering what local winemakers need. And while Niagara is certainly not the only region to produce this style of wine, it does benefit from the success of Ontario’s ice wine industry. Niagara USA needs only to look at their example across the river on how to distinguish itself from the rest.

“It’s going to rely heavily on who jumps out and makes a distinct claim as to what is what our region can be known for,” said Oakes.

Regional branding aside, it’s in the post-harvest moment where I’m standing around with the rest of the crew warming up appropriately enough with a glass of Canadian whisky celebrating an end to a frigid end of the season harvest where I get a feeling of how special ice wine is to have gotten so many people to brave the elements just to take part in its production.

As daylight broke leaving Lyndonville, my journey back home was not as isolated as the trip there. I noticed a few carloads of vineyard workers following me back to Burt, NY where Schulze Vineyards & Winery had just begun their own harvest.

The New York Cork Report 2011 Wines of the Year Finalists

The winners from our 2010 Wines of the Year tasting (Photo by Morgan Dawson Photography) 

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

This is the third year of our New York Cork Report "Wines of the Year" program and over the past several weeks, my colleagues Bryan Calandrelli and Evan Dawson, and I have been tasting, re-tasting and re-re-tasting dozens of wines to , narrow and hone our lists of finalists 2011 Wines of the Year.

We don't pretend that we've tasted every single wine released during the 2011 calendar year, but we feel that we've tasted a more-than-representative sampling from each region. Each of these finalists was hand-picked by the regional editor for each region -- Evan Dawson (Finger Lakes), Bryan Calandrelli (Niagara) and myself (Long Island and Hudson River Region) -- and will be blind tasted by most of the  NYCR team in mid-February to determine the winners. While the team will attend and take part in the tasting, only wine editors will vote.

You will notice some variations in terms of categories and wines per category. Those decisions are left up to the regional editors.

Finger Lakes Region

Red Wines
Billsboro Winery 2010 Syrah
McGregor Vineyard 2007 30-Month Barrel Black Russian Red
Ravines Wine Cellars 2009 Pinot Noir
Red Tail Ridge Winery 2009 Teroldego
Rooster Hill Vineyards 2008 Lemberger Reserve

Riesling Wines
Anthony Road Wine Company 2009 Art Series Riesling
Bloomer Creek Vineyard 2010 uten Vineyard First Harves Dry Riesling
Hermann J. Wiemer 2010 Dry Riesling Reserve
Keuka Lake Vineyards 2010 Semi-Dry Riesling
Tierce 2009 Riesling
Standing Stone Vineyards 2010 Riesling

Sparkling Wines
Chateau Frank 2006 Blanc de Noir
Hermann J. Wiemer 2006 Blanc de Noir
 

Dessert Wines
Atwater Estate Vineyards 2010 Celsius
Ravines Wine Cellars 2007 Appasionata
Standing Stone 2010 Riesling Ice

Hudson River Valley Region

Red Wines
Hudson-Chatham Winery 2010 Casscles Vineyard Reserve Baco Noir
Oak Summit Vineyard 2010 Pinot Noir
Tousey Winery 2010 Cabernet Franc

White Wines
Hudson-Chatham Winery 2010 Estate Seyval Blanc
Millbrook Vineyards 2010 Tocai Friulano
Oak Summit 2010 Chardonnay

Long Island Region

Merlot Wines
Clovis Point 2007 Vintner's Reserve Merlot
Grapes of Roth 2005 Merlot
Lenz Winery 2007 Estate Merlot
Paumanok Vineyards 2007 Merlot
Wolffer Estate Vineyards 2007 Christian's Cuvee Merlot

Non-Merlot Red Wines
Jamesport Vineyards 2007 Sidor Reserve Syrah
Leo Family 2007 Red
Peconic Bay Winery 2007 Lowerre Family Estate
Roanoke Vineyards 2007 Blend 2
Roanoke Vineyards 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

White Wines
Bedell Cellars 2010 Viognier
Channing Daughters Winery 2010 Mudd Vineyard West Sauvignon Blanc
Grapes of Roth 2009 Riesling
Palmer Vineyards 2010 Sauvignon Blanc
Paumanok Vineyards 2010 Sauvignon Blanc

Sparkling Wines
Bedell Cellars 2007 Blanc de Blancs
Lenz Winery 1999 Cuvee RD
Lenz Winery 2005 Cuvee
Sparkling Pointe 2001 Brut Seduction
Sparkling Pointe 2007 Brut

Dessert Wines
Jamesport Vineyards 2010 Late Harvest Riesling
Grapes of Roth 2009 Noble Roth Late Harvest Riesling
Paumanok Vineyards 2010 Late Harvest Riesling
Shinn Estate Vineyards 2009 Veil
Wolffer Estate Vineyards 2009 Laica

Niagara Region

Reds Wines
Arrowhead Spring Vineyards 2010 Pinot Noir
Arrowhead Spring 2010 Estate Syrah
Eveningside Vineyards 2009 Cabernet Franc
Freedom Run Winery 2010 Reserve Pinot Noir
Long Cliff Winery 2010 Pinot Noir

White Wines
Arrowhead Spring 2009 Reserve Chardonnay
Eveningside Vineyards 2010 Reserve Chardonnay
Freedom Run Winery 2010 Estate Chardonnay
Leonard Oakes 2010 Reserve Riesling
Schulze Vineyards 2010 Vidal Blanc 

 

Congratulations to all of the finalists. Keep an eye on this site for more information and results in a few weeks.

Vineyard Visuals: Leonard Oakes Estate 2012 Icewine Harvest

By Bryan Calandrelli, Niagara Region Editor

Jonathan Oakes and his crew were in the vineyard early this morning collecting frozen vidal blanc grapes for Leonard Oakes Estate Winery's 2012 Icewine of Vidal Blanc.

With a call time of 4 a.m. the crew got the last grapes into bins by 7 a.m. and have already begun pressing.

New York Cork Club Reborn as Empire State Cellars Wine Club

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

It has been quiet the wine club front here on NYCR for the last few months. Trust me when I tell you that there's been a great deal going on in the background. 

We've found a new home and a new name.

Today I am excited to announce that our wine club, formerly known as the New York Cork Club, will be reborn on January 1, 2012 as the Empire State Cellars Wine Club, fulfilled by Empire State Cellars in Riverhead.

The ESC Wine Club will offer a variety of club options, options that offer flexibility and a variety of price point. But, as always I will still be picking all of the wines -- independently -- which is just one reason that ESC is a good fit for the club.

There are three tiers  to the club, each shipping every other month (rather than monthly). They are:

• Hello New York: Includes one white wine and one red wine in the $20-and-under per bottle price range.
• Getting to Know New York: Includes the "Hello New York" selections plus another red and white wine in the $30-and-under per bottle range for a total of four wines every other month. These wines will include a bit more off-beat or harder-to-get selections.
• New York Wine Trail: This tier and entitles the you to receive both the "Hello New York" and "Getting to Know New York" club selections, plus two selections in the $40-and-under range per bottle. This level will showcase some of the best wines made in the state, as well as rare and library wines.
• Excelsior: This tier gets you just the "New York Wine Trail" $40-and-under wines and can be purchased separately, or together with the "Hello New York" option.

If that weren't enough options, you can also request "All Reds" or "All Whites" in your membership.

Empire State Cellars will ship six (6) times per year beginning in January 2012, and the club will renew automatically. 

If you'd like to join the club, please call Katherine Jaeger, Manager of Wine Clubs, at wineclub@empirestatecellars.com. 

The folks at ESC have also let me know that if you call before December 15 to join, they will send you two additional bottles of acclaimed New York wine with their compliments as part of your first shipment! 

This is going to be a lot of fun for me -- and for you too. I'm working on the January shipment wine picks now and there are some outstanding wines included!

Empire State Cellars to Open Tomorrow

Empire State Cellars will open tomorrow, November 4, morning at the Tanger Outlet Center in Riverhead, New York

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

The wait is over. Empire State Cellars, a new wine shop and tasting room dedicated solely to New York State-made wine and spirits, will open tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. at the Tanger Outlet Center in Riverhead.

"It has been pretty labor intensive to say the least, and mentally draining, but the end result is worth all of the late nights and long hours. This is good for everyone," said Jim Silver, General Manager of Peconic Bay Winery, who is opening Empire State Cellars as second of it s five permissible tasting rooms under its Farm Winery license.

Upon opening tomorrow, the store will have 400 different wines and spirits in stock, with the goal of expanding that to 600 in the very near future. "There are still dozens of wineries we want in the store but that haven't gotten back to us yet. Some have been too busy with their harvest to sell us their wines. Some are sold out of certain things we really wan to carry. But that said, we've got an absolutely astonishing selection from all over the state," said Silver.

Empire State Cellars will be open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week, and will offer tastings of several wines every day.

I've joined Jim and the Empire State team -- specifically manager Polly Brown and assistant manager Evan Ducz -- as they taste several wines they were considering for the store, and I can tell you that their enthusiasm for finding delicious wines from every corner of the state is obvious, even inspiring. Representing every region and as many wineries as possible is a priority.

"We really see this as a way to bring all of the state's wine regions together, to showcase their wines and, of course, sell them. The response has been amazing. Just about every winery we got in touch with is working with us."

When I asked Silver what wines he was most excited about stocking, his answer was so long that I almost had to cut him off: "There are some items that just blew me away with their quality and three of them were from Arrowhead Spring Vineyards in Niagara. I'm also happy to have gotten the Bloomer Creek Vineyards wines, some items from Mazza Vineyards in Lake Erie, neat sparkling wines from Swedish Hill Winery, new vintages from Waters Crest Winery and Palmer Vineyards, and single-vineyard wines from Keuka Lake Vineyards, Red Newt Cellars and Lamoreaux Landing. There are way too many wines to list that are very cool."

Personally, I'm nearly as excited about the selection of New York spirits, which includes items from Tuthilltown Spirits, Finger Lakes Distilling and Breukelen Distilling.

A grand opening celebration is in the works, but has not been scheduled.

I'm also excited to report that my wine club, formerly known as the New York Cork Club, will be re-born on January 1 as the Empire State Cellars Wine Club. With the shop's devotion to New York wines, and willingness to allow me to continue picking the wines independently, it was an easy decision to make. I'll tell you more about the new club tomorrow!

What We Drank (November 2, 2011)

Here's a sampling of what we've been drinking this week...

Dave Seel: Pellegrini Vineyards 2007 Chardonnay
I'm a big fan of finding good wine at decent prices. I'll literally spend almost an hour in a wine shop, scouring the regions and vintages trying to find that perfect balance of cost vs. quality. Of course, my definition of "a decent price" may be different from some. Of course, it's changed over the years. There was a time when finding an awesome wine for dinner at $16 was considered a good deal in my book. Don't get me wrong, I love a good $15-$20 dollar bottle, but as life has taken over, diapers and dog food have worn away at the old nightly wine budget. Now, I'm psyched if I can find something worth drinking for under or around $10 bucks. It's not an easy task and I've had to stomach some pretty unimpressive wines, but every once in a while I find a steal and the search is totally worth it.

Last week, I was on the search in a small neighborhood wine shop known for its quality of selection. Initially I was intrigued by a row of Portuguese wines, good for both their European flavors and price point. But then my eyes drew me elsewhere, just beyond a row of Merlot, was a perfect value gem. The 2007 Pellegrini Chardonnay on clearance...for only $6.99. I'd recently tried this Long Island chardonnay at the Winebar at The Portly Grape and new both the wife and I dug it.

It's a great wine to pair with seafood, chicken, or even a pork dish. We were having chicken soup that particular night and the chardonnay's tart apple, slight vanilla and nutty flavors paired nicely with my herb-tastic version of the soup. Even if you can't find it on clearance, it's a great example of a good Long Island white and is perfect on it's own or with food. I'm not giving away my secret stash, but if you scout out Long Island's North Shore wine shops, you may just find this gem, waiting patiently for you to take it home and prove to you that cheap doesn't always mean bad.

Mark Grimaldi: Billsboro Winery 2010 Syrah
I was off popping into some Seneca Lake wineries last weekend while we were up visiting family.  One of my stops was Billsboro.  Having been really impressed with their Riesling in the past I was excited to taste the current release.  What I wasn't prepared for was to taste their Syrah. 

MIND BLOWN. 

It wasn't blown because the wine was good, because I know Vinny Aliperti can make good wine, it was blown because I guess I was not expecting to taste that much fruit, with that much varietal correctness from a Finger Lakes Syrah. It's just never been a region I've associated with this variety. But if there was a year to ripen Syrah, I guess it was 2010.

It's color was deep, but bright, and screamed of freshness, and when I looked at it all I could think was that this feeling would follow through onto the palate as well.  On the nose, red berries jump at you, with just a slight hint of that white pepper I usually pick up in the Northern Rhone. It smelled great.

The palate was lively, and fun, almost bouncy with a real savory quality to it. The fruit and tannins came together elegantly, and perfectly ripe for my tastes. Nicely balanced acid and a finish that made me want another sip before it even ended.  It's not complex, and you don't have to try hard to understand it.  It was just a really juicy, delicious, balanced red that I would have no problem having in heavy rotation on the table. 

The only problem is that they only make something like 150 cases.  I believe the fruit comes from "Sawmill Creek Vineyard", which the more and more I taste from this vineyard, has me thinking that if the Finger Lakes could have a grand or 1er Cru vineyard site one day, this would be one of them.

Evan Dawson: Chateau Lascombes 2002
Nice to be reminded that even wine with a pedigree -- second-growth Bordeaux! -- can be fat, boring, utterly lacking distinction or a sense of place. Not a legendary vintage, but my quarrel has nothing to do with the vintage.

This wine was almost silly. Extracted and black, it felt like a wine that was trying too hard from the get-go.

Often we hear vignerons claim, "The fruit can stand up to the oak." In this case, no, it can not. The oak overwhelms the nose, with brown sugar and Starbucks caramel macchiato offering the clearest sense of aromatics, followed by vaguely dark fruits.

The structure is fine; nothing to complain about, and the fine-grained tannins work nicely at this stage. But even after several hours open, the wine had not improved beyond a rather one-dimensional, awkward effort.

Hard to say I'd have gone with Bordeaux had I tasted it blind.

Lenn Thompson: Aarrowhead Spring Vineyards 2009 Pinot Noir
Lots of people talk about a lack of quality pinot noir in the under-$20 category. Well, here's one $18 pinot from the Niagara Escarpment that is more than, "decent for the money."

It's downright good and might be my favorite New York pinot that I put in my mouth this year.

Fresh, bouncy and all about crunchy cherry-cranberry flavors up front, the finish turns soft and silky with light spice and beautiful dried fall leaves earthiness on the finish.

It remains to be seen whether Niagara USA will become pinot country or cabernet franc country -- but this wine sure makes the case for pinot.

You won't see any "perfect Thanksgiving wine" commentary on this website, but I could see this on my table in a few weeks.

Best of all, I will soon have ready access to this wine on Long Island -- more on that tomorrow though.

Vineyard Visuals: Freedom Run Winery Drying Grapes for Appassimento wines

By Bryan Calandrelli, Niagara Editor

Here are a couple pictures of Larry Manning from Freedom Run Winery as he prepares racks of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot grapes that will air dry in the estate's 190-year old barn for their second vintage Appassimento-style wine.

Harvest 2011: Wild Ride for Niagara So Far

Pinot Noir grapes still hanging at Freedom Run Winery in Lockport, NY

By Bryan Calandrelli, Niagara Region Editor

For Jonathan Oakes, winemaker at Leonard Oakes Estate Winery and Schulze Vineyards and Winery, the 2011 growing season can be summed up in one word: wild.

“It’s been one of the wildest rides I’ve seen in a long time,” he said.

Thanks to Mother Nature, of course. It started with a cool and excessively wet late spring followed by an intensely hot and dry July. The good news for Oakes is that all that heat enabled the vines to catch up to where they needed to be mid-way through the season…just about the time for his family’s vineyard to get hit by a hail storm. Luckily, it was early enough in the season -- before sugars were accumulating in the grapes -- so the damage was minimal.

Late September rains forced some growers, including Oakes to bring in the whites all at once to avoid the disease pressure associated with the conditions.

“We got pushed into this tight window where most of the whites were ripe at the same time,” Oakes said.

Arrowhead Spring Vineyards owner Duncan Ross foresees a successful harvest of his chardonnay (currently at 23.5 brix) this week and if things stay dry as forecasted, he is considering pulling merlot in as soon as Sunday.

Randy Biehl, owner of Eveningside Vineyards, started his estate harvest on September 24 by pulling chardonnay. I was one of many volunteers who showed up to pitch in and can vouch for the ripeness and overall health of the fruit we brought in. 

Closer to the Lake Ontario, Schulze Vineyards will begin harvesting their Siegfried Riesling grapes this week, and grower Martin Schulze is pleased with how all of his grapes are looking at this point in the season.

“We’ve still got a ways to go for the reds but the stems are ripe and the grapes have a lot of flavor,” says Schulze.

We can’t discuss the growing season in Niagara without mentioning pinot noir and the progress of the largest plantings -- Leland’s Vineyard and Freedom Run Winery’s -- pretty much tell the story of the challenges and benefits of 2011.

I’ve written about Leland’s Vineyard in the past and once again their challenge this season was not only in working with the weather but still raising the fruiting zone and re-trellising. The varying soil types in this large vineyard haven’t made things easy on owner Leland Mote and manager Don Demaison, as the difference in vigor from one end to the vineyard is obvious.

With some botrytis pressure and the all-too-realistic fear that the upcoming weather would only worsen the situation, the decision to pull pinot on September 20 came a week earlier than anticipated. I personally pulled some fruit for my own wine and was pleased with the flavors and overall health of the grapes. Other local buyers of pinot noir from the vineyard include Eveningside Vineyards, Arrowhead Spring Vineyards and Gust Of Sun Winery.

Down the road, the pinot noir grapes in the vineyards of Freedom Run Winery are still hanging and will be harvested October 5. The somewhat-extreme leaf pulling strategy the winery employs seems to pay off in years like this. Other than some raisining, the pinot grapes along with most of the other varieties are in good shape. Expect sugar levels to be close to the range the winery saw in 2010 ranging from 22.5 to 24 brix.

There seems to be a consensus that this year will be average to above-average in terms of quality for what is currently coming in -- that is whites and pinot noir for now. Other than this last week of wet weather, Niagara had pretty much avoided the other instances of prolonged excessive rains that affected regions further downstate.

But given that we may still have another month to go in the season though any speculation on overall quality would be presumptive.

Vineyard Visuals: A Foggy Morning at Schulze Winery

Our Niagara region editor, Bryan Calandrelli shares this picture from Schulze Winery on a foggy morning. These are some of the oldest cabernet franc vines in the region.

This is actually a screen capture from footage Bryan is shooting for a documentary about the region.

Leonard Oakes Estate Winery's Double Gold Rush

By Bryan Calandrelli, Niagara Region Editor

The timing of Leonard Oakes Estate Winery’s party celebrating their two double-gold medal winning wines from the annual New York Food & Wine Classic couldn’t have been more appropriate. Two weeks before, their 2008 Vidal Icewine and Steampunk Cider both received this award, with the Icewine even taking home the honor of “Best Dessert Wine” in NYS, but the real story behind the appropriately named “Double Gold Rush” event: it was the first public release of the aforementioned hard cider.

Being a lucky member of the industry and media, I was invited to the early tasting before the general public arrived and as I walked through the door I was greeted with a glass and some info on the wines, a pulled pork slider and a pour of the new cider. Jonathan Oakes was socializing with some growers and I had a chance to compliment him again on the deliciousness in my glass and get some more information about the newest addition to the winery’s tasting menu.

As diverse as the Niagara USA growing region is with vinifera, native, fruit and hybrid wines, Leonard Oakes is the first to make a true cider and their decision to go traditional was made a decade ago with LynOaken Farm’s planting of ten different English Heritage apple varieties.

After years of experimenting with small batches Oakes was convinced he could create a cider with the complexity and funk of the English ciders with the crisp, clean forward fruit flavors he thought the American palate would appreciate.

“We wanted to go away from the syrupy sweet over processed additive heavy ciders and go for a pure reflection of the apple with the structure of the English style combined with the American ideal of cider,” explained Oakes (pictured below left).

The winery’s own description of Steampunk says it all:

"Using a mélange of traditional English bitter sweet (Elllis Bitter, Binet Rouge, Chisel J, Dabinette, Harry Master, Major, Michelin, Madaille, Brown Snout, Sommerset Red Streak, Tremalt ) and new age dessert apples (Fuji and Braeburn), Steampunk CIDER is the geared up infusion of old world style with new world flare."

  From what I’ve tasted, combined with what I’ve seen firsthand from when people taste it, it looks like Oakes has achieved exactly what he set out to. One sip of Steampunk inspires a flurry of words akin to refreshing, crisp, complex, clean, mouthwatering and addictive. The result is a dangerous combination of deliciousness and drinkability.

As the public portion of the event began, a sizable line formed from outside the tasting room through the door past the pork sliders and in front of the winemaker pouring his cider.  Jonathan’s enthusiasm and excitement was contagious and everyone I saw was just happy to shake his hand and congratulate him and the winery’s success.

And judging from an equally long line at the cash register as I was leaving, there’s no doubt that Steampunk cider’s popularity will quickly grow among the cider, wine and beer drinkers who can get their hands on it.

I hesitate to even mention what will happen if just a small percentage of grocery stores that carry LynOaken Farms produce are allowed to sell Leonard Oakes’s ciders. Let’s just say there will be more planting of English heritage apple trees in their future.

Vineyard Visuals: Merlot Verasion at Arrowhead Spring Vineyards

Photo courtesy of Arrowhead Spring Vineyards

Brotherhood Winery 2008 Pinot Noir

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

Established in 1839, Brotherhood Winery in Washingtonville, NY is America's oldest winery and one of the largest, best-known and widely distributed wineries in the Hudson Valley region.

The portfolio is large -- and among the most diverse in the state.

On one end they produce a Sherry-style wine flavored with Korean ginseng, a rose blended with strawberries and woodruff, and two different honey wines. On the end of the spectrum, you'll find some excellent sparkling wines and vinifera table wines that are always well-priced and often over-deliver.

Many of those vinifera wines are sourced from elsewhere in the state. The rieslings typically come from the Finger Lakes, while the Bordeaux varieties are mostly sourced from Long Island. And this Brotherhood Winery 2008 Pinot Noir ($15) was made from Niagara-grown fruit.

If you're going to buy fruit, it only makes sense to buy it from the successful places, right?

Pure and focused, this pinot offers aromas of pomegranates, cranberries and cherries with a subtle woodsy spiciness with very little overt oak or vanilla character.

The cran-cherry fruitiness carries over, though not overly intense, on the light-bodied palate, with subtle earthiness and smoke notes. On the second day open, a gentle floral quality emerges too, along with more noticeable spice.

With just a little silky tannin, this is a wine that mainly relies on fresh acidity for structure. It might be a bit too acidic for some, but I appreciate it. I like it, in fact.

Though somewhat straightforward, there is a purity here and a fresh balance that it easy to appreciate. In fact, there may be no better $15 pinot noir in New York.

Producer: Brotherhood Winery
AVA: New York (actually Niagara)
ABV: 13%  
pH: 3.43
TA: 6.1g/L
Price: $15*
 

(3 out of 5, Very good/Recommended)

(*Ratings Guide)

 

Extreme Grape Makeover: Chardonnay Edition

By Bryan Calandrelli, Niagara Region Editor

We all know it. Chardonnay has an image problem. It lost its way by rooting itself all over the world without regard for its culture, forgetting what made it so great in the first place.

It’s been taking acid left and right, tartaric acid that is, and hanging out in some dark places, mostly new oak, for way too long. It is a grape that is in desperate need of a PR boost, an image makeover and a primetime comeback appearance in front of the wine world. One wine region has taken this on with the hopes of boosting its own reputation as a producer of world-class chardonnay.

With the International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration (IC4), Niagara Ontario has pulled off the unimaginable and unleashed a not-so-new but considerably improved image of chardonnay – and it can only be described as cool.

Fifty six wineries from across the globe, including several from Canada, brought their chardonnays to Niagara Ontario last month for a series of lunches, tastings and celebrations in hopes of raising awareness that chardonnay produced in cooler climates retains a distinctive character that resembles what made chardonnay so great in Burgundy.

The makeover process involved a few gradual steps. First the organizers had to define “cool chardonnay.” They took the political strategist approach by defining “warm climate” chardonnay – their opponent if you will – on the event’s website as being “over-oaked and lifeless.” Ouch!

Next, IC4 organizers laid the groundwork for what regions could be considered cool-climate. Defining a region as such isn’t all that simple, but they described cool by altitude, by latitude, by marine influence and/or by climatic conditions. Most importantly, they needed to convince us, the rank and file drinkers, why we should seek out chardonnay grown in these regions. As the IC4 website states, “Chardonnay vines that are grown in cool climates and encouraged to allow a sense of place to shine through can produce a wine that is balanced, refreshing, complex and elegant.” Sold!

With cool chardonnay now redefined, there was only one thing left to do: nail that primetime appearance at the IC4 event. I was lucky enough to make it out for two events – a winemaker luncheon and tasting at Southbrook Vineyards and the Grand Tasting at Tawse Winery – and I feel like a born again chardonnay lover.

So who was cool enough to pour at the Chardonnay world tour, aka the Grand Tasting? Wineries from Ontario, Burgundy, Oregon, British Columbia, New Zealand, Austria, South Africa, Italy, Australia, Chile and New York were all represented. But for me, this is where the message can get a little muddy. Many would question how Australia, Italy or South Africa would be considered a cool climate or question what they have in common with Burgundy or Niagara.

The impression I got after speaking to a few winemakers was that it’s all relative.

Obviously Burgundy doesn’t need a PR makeover like the rest of the chardonnay-growing world, but I did find Burgundian-turned-Oregonian winemaker Gilles de Domingo of Copper Mountain Vineyards to be a good source for explaining his view of cool climate.

“The essentials of cool climate include a relatively late harvest of the chardonnay grapes in late September or even into October following a late bud break during the spring,” he says. Simply put, de Domingo believes a cool climate is one moderated enough to allow a gradual warm-up in the spring, while keeping daytime temperatures low enough during the summer to allow the grapes to hang late into the season.

There were a number of standouts wines at this tasting, including some from regions most people wouldn’t assume were cool climate. Josef Chromey Winery of Tasmania made a good showing, and Ataraxia’s 2009 Chardonnay from the lesser-known South African sub-region of Hemel-en-Aarde Valley were impressive. Pyramid Valley Vineyard from New Zealand poured chardonnays that were zesty and refreshing, and that may have even bordered on grassy, leaving the impression that the Canterbury region’s climate may have even been too cool for chardonnay.

It goes without saying that many of the Niagara Ontario chards were outstanding. The organizers and participating wineries obviously did their homework and poured the best the region has to offer.

My favorites were from Southbrook, Hidden Bench, Pearl Morisette and Tawse. Poured side-by-side with the international wineries, there’s no doubt, to me at least, that Niagara chardonnay can stand with the best of them.

What was the common thread in all these wines? Similarities became transparent in lively acidities, delicate balances, lower alcohols, and fruit profiles resembling citrus and stone fruit as opposed to melon and tropical aromas. There was an obvious lack of over-oaked wines, and not one of my notes included the words buttery or butterscotch, indicating that maloactic fermentations were closely managed.

But should New York now jump on the cool chardonnay bandwagon?

Interestingly enough, Dr. Konstantin Frank was the only New York producer at the event. We are certainly the textbook definition of cool climate and there’s no shortage of chardonnay growing across the state, so there’s nothing stopping New York from making wines like these – and educating the consumer as to why they’re special as well. I think New York can learn from Niagara’s coordinated marketing campaigns and meticulous quality control.

There may even be a few other grapes in the state that ready for an image makeover too. How about merlot on Long Island or Lemberger in the Finger Lakes? Maybe even baco noir in the Hudson Valley is ready for its closeup.

Niagara Wines (and Cider!) to Beat the Summer Heat

By Bryan Calandrelli, Niagara Region Editor

It’s still hot in New York this week -- really hot. We’ll hit 90º in Niagara and luckily for those of us who turn to local alcoholic beverages for relief, there are a few options that stand out among the rest

Eveningside Vineyards 2010 Reserve Chardonnay
Oaked chardonnay, you ask? Why yes, this delicately oaked Niagara chardonnay didn’t undergo maloactic fermentation and has pretty much been my go-to wine this summer. Among the aromas of orange peel and nectarine, hints of pineapple combine with subtle coconut and vanilla notes to resemble a well-made piña colada. Want butter in your chardonnay? You aren’t going to find it here.

Freedom Run Winery 2010 Vin Gris
Freedom Run swung for the fences with this saingée style rosé made from cabernet franc and merlot. Without even a hint of green, this rosé is over the top, with fruit-forward aromas of ripe strawberries and candied cherries. With ripeness levels as high as they were in 2010, this rosé has got some weight and carries it gracefully. The only problem with this wine is that only 37 cases were produced, and there are only a few left.

Schulze Vineyards 2010 Semi-Dry Vidal
To any acid-loving wine snob this wine would already have two strikes against it because of its name. With vidal considered a hybrid and the term “semi-dry” being translated as “white wine with training wheels,” I’d probably prefer to pour this blind for my geekier wine friends. Intense grapefruit, apricot and melon aromas explode out of the glass while its racy acidity and stony minerality leave you wondering why more people can’t make vidal sing like this.

Arrowhead Spring Pinot Noir 2009
That bottle of white not doing it for you? Well if you must open a red during this season’s latest display of global warming, then let it be pinot noir and specifically this Niagara Escarpment-grown specimen. With fruit from the vineyard of soon to be Long Cliff Winery, owner and winemaker Duncan Ross has crafted a fruit-forward pinot that is true to the region while keeping it at a wallet-friendly $17. Aromas of raspberry, cranberry and spice team up with soft tannins and a light body to make for an easy drinking red with which to watch the long summer sunset.

Leonard Oakes Steampunk Cider
What does a winery do when its roots are in apple farming and its young winemaker is as versatile as good sparkling wine? That’s right, make a kick-ass sparkling cider made from at least 12 different apple varieties grown on their farm. The first bottle I sampled of this cider didn’t last more than 15 minutes. It’s that good. What does it taste like? Apples! It’s simply one of the most refreshing alcoholic beverages I’ve ever had and it’s got attitude.

Empire State Cellars, a New York Wine Superstore, to Open in Riverhead

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

The Long Island Wine Council estimates that 1.2 million people visited Long Island wine country last year. The Finger Lakes Wine Country promotion group estimates that 750,000 visited wineries in that region. And according to the New York Wine and Grape Foundation website, there were nearly 5 million total visitors to New York wine country in 2008.

That's a lot of people tasting -- and hopefully buying -- a lot of New York wine.

Empire State Cellars has the potential to dwarf that exposure when it opens later this summer at the Tanger Outlet Center in Riverhead.

"Incredibly, the Tanger Riverhead Outlet mall sees five million cars (per year). That’s about fourteen million shoppers a year -- from Long Island, Manhattan and beyond -- with a startlingly high demographic and propensity to make purchases," said Jim Silver, general manager of Peconic Bay Winery, which will open the store as the second of it s five permissible tasting rooms under its Farm Winery license.

Satellite tasting rooms are nothing new, of course. They are increasingly common in the Finger Lakes and Pindar Vineyards on the North Fork has a second tasting room in the village of Port Jefferson to take advantage of the tourist traffic there.

This is much more than just a satellite tasting room, however.

New York Wine, Cider and Spirits Superstore

Under New York SLA rules, Peconic Bay Winery can sell not only its own wines at Empire State Cellars, but cider, spirits and other wines from any winery as well -- as long as it is New York AVA products produced in New York State. Empire State Wines will sell all of the above. "We would also like to include New York cheeses and food crafts as well, but we might not have that at first," Silver added.

"We intend to represent the very best the state has to offer, as well as great values -- since this is an outlet store -- at competitive prices," he said. The store will stock wines from every corner of New York wine country -- Lake Erie, Thousand Islands, Adirondacks, Hudson Valley, Niagara, Finger Lakes and Long Island.

"We will try to represent any New York producer that wants to be in the store," Silver said of the planned selection. The store will also stock multi-vintage verticals of select wines as well as older wines, when available.

Any winery represented in the shop will also have the opportunity to pour at scheduled daily in-store tastings. "If a Finger Lakes winemaker is visiting the area, we may schedule them for the day, and maybe the next day have someone from the Hudson Valley pouring his baco noirs and the next day maybe a Long Island winery will pour new releases," Silver said.  

It's About Timing

The concept for Empire State Cellars isn't a new one, of course. There are and have been wine shops that focus on New York wines or feature large New York selections -- most famously the now-closed Vintage NY stores in Manhattan and New Paltz.

When I asked Silver where he thinks his concept will succeed where others haven't he said it's largely about timing. "There’s a growing interest in New York wines that is unprecedented so I think the time is right for this type of store. There’s no Jack Daniels, no Smirnoff, and no Cavit Pinot Grigio in this store. We have to exist on people’s growing interest in the local wine and the local economy too. It’s not going to be easy I’m sure, but with the support of the industry behind us we should all do well."

The new shop will be run and managed independently of the winery by Polly Brown (picture right with Silver and assistant manager Evan Ducz), the shops operations director. "She has a great depth and diversity of experience in the wine, spirits and food industries -- most of it in Napa. Polly is charged with handling the selection and the marketing of all of the wines, and is strictly independent," Silver said.

Local Reviews Too

The "local" angle of the shop isn't just about the products it will sell -- it extends to how they sell them as well. According to Silver, Empire State Cellars will feature “home-grown” shelf-talking reviews and descriptions of wines and spirits as well. "The reviews and write ups from the New York Cork Report, the New York Times and Wine Spectator magazine -- which is a New York company -- will be the predominant reviews on the shelf."

What This Could Mean for New York Wine and its Fans

It's only one shop, however, but I think the impact could be large. Empire State Cellars has the opportunity to do something that I don't think has been done before -- bring the quality message, the quantity message, the value message and the diversity message all together in one well-curated store -- and present it to millions of people. 

That New York produces wine, cider and spirits isn't news these days. But when people have the opportunity to experience all the best, all in one room -- and that is the goal here it seems -- it can completely change the way the state's artisan beverages are perceived. Plus, this isn't just a marketing vehicle or a one-time even or yearly festival. It’s like a farmer’s market devoted just to wine -- that is open every day. I think it can, and will, sell a lot of wine.

And if you are on Long Island and interested in local wines -- there may be no better place to explore and learn. Brown hopes to work with all of the state's top producers -- even those without distributors. That means that Empire State will likely be the only place on Long Island to get many of these products. As a "local" geek, I'm really looking forward to that.

Silver and Brown hope to open the shop on August 1 (but with all the licensing involved, there isn't a firm date yet). For those familiar with the Riverhead Tanger Outlets, the store will be located next to the food court and will essentially share a parking lot with the Ralph Lauren outlet store.

Calling all New York Wineries

Silver wants to hear from any and all wineries, cider makers and distillers interested in selling their products in the store:

"We’re interested in knowing what the wineries would like us to carry – to get the conversation started. Once we’ve heard from you we’ll get back to you with our thoughts, terms and policies and let you know when we will start taking samples. We also need to figure out a mechanism to consolidate product in the various regions so we can pick up wine and bring it down here. Of course the Long Island wineries will be able to bring us their stuff regularly, but we’d like to have pick up points in the Finger Lakes and other regions so our truck can bring them down to the store. Since these sales will be bond-to-bond we cannot take deliveries from distributors. All sales will be direct. I can tell you I’m personally looking forward to getting my hands on some Roanoke, Anthony Road, Weimer, Paumanok, Shinn, Lucas, Channing, Ravines, Sheldrake, Hearts and Hands, McKenzie Rye, wow, the list really goes on and on!"

Contact Jim at: jim@peconicbaywinery.com

What Wines Would YOU Recommend

We know that our NYCR readership is extremely passionate and knowledgeable about New York wines, so let's let Silver, Brown and the Empire State Wines team know the producers that we'd recommend. I'm already planning a long email of my own recommendations.

What Niagara USA Needs to Reach Its Potential

By Bryan Calandrelli, Niagara Region Editor

I’ve been able to experience firsthand the rapid expansion and improvement in quality in the last four years in the Niagara region. There is plenty to be optimistic about. Just four short years ago, the region was home to seven wineries of varying styles and quality -- and they had just formed what we know today as the Niagara Wine Trail.

By the end of this summer, the trail will have more than doubled in size to 15 thanks to wineries like Long Cliff and Gust of Sun, which are slated to open their doors before the end of the growing season.

The relative affordability of buying land here, combined with the fact that there’s plenty of great vineyard land still available, has no doubt contributed to this rapid growth.

After last month’s TasteCamp, the obvious lack of big investment couldn’t have been more apparent during Sunday’s time in the U.S. side of Niagara wine country. While this is something the region can’t change overnight, it is certainly not an issue unique to Niagara – and not the only thing holding itback.

So after four years of seeing some things change and many things stay the same, I thought it would be interesting to list what I believe to be the not-so-obvious obstacles this young region faces.

Winemaking Experience

There have been quite a few memorable wines made here and it’s amazing in a positive way to think that only a small portion of them were made by a winemaker with formal training in winemaking. While I’m of the belief that great grapes make great wine, consumers expect quality in every bottle of every vintage – something that is undoubtedly easier with experience and a familiarity with the local conditions terroir.

Now this obviously goes back to the “money thing” but I think it also has to do with the priorities the winery.

Eveningside Vineyards is a great example of a winery with micro-production and a modest budget that finds the resources to pay consulting winemaker Angelo Pavan of Cave Spring Cellars in Ontario. His experienced hand shows in the quality and consistency I’ve tasted in their wines from day one.

I want to make myself clear though, I don't believe formal training or a degree is a must to make great wine. On the job experience and apprenticing goes a long way in this industry.

Marketing Niagara

Let’s pretend for a second there isn’t a native grape called “Niagara” that everyone associates with grape-y, foxy and often off-putting aromas. The word would then be open for sexier associations, like ice wine, chardonnay, pinot noir or cabernet franc. I know it’s not that easy, but the preconceived notion that all of our wine is foxy, grape-y or sweet is a hurdle that the region needs to overcome.

I am well aware that the native grape stigma is not exclusive to the Niagara region. The Finger Lakes has always had these native wines but that region is now a shining example of how to cultivate the grapes that do best, in their case riesling, and market themselves as the premier destination for that grape in the country.

Buses and Limos

It wouldn’t benefit any business owner to complain about the sheer number of visitors that come through their doors, especially in such a young region. But when a certain contingent of customers, and I use that term liberally, simply see your business as a stop on a day-long winery crawl, I think there needs to be careful consideration as to who your real “customers” are.

I’ve come to believe that it’s not the wine you’re wasting when you are pouring for people who don’t care enough to know what’s in their glass. It’s the winery employee’s time that may be the real waste. The personal interaction between pourer and taster cannot be underestimated, especially when the wines benefit from the background of vintage variation, winemaking techniques or any information that lends itself to a customer’s appreciation of the experience.

Too often I’ve seen tasting rooms get instantly inundated with groups of 20, 30 and even 40 – the majority who have been drinking in their buses, are indifferent to what wines they’re trying and are all around disruptive to smaller groups and couples looking to taste in a relaxing atmosphere. I’ve seen wineries increase their tasting fees just to ensure they aren’t losing money on these groups, but that in my opinion negatively affects sales, especially to those who generally buy at least one wine at each winery because they feel obligated.

Hospitality

Like in Field of Dreams, the idea of “If you build it, they will come” is one you can apply to wineries. In Niagara USA, the wineries have been built and the vineyards have been planted, but where do they stay and where do they eat?

Of course, there are plenty of awesome accommodations in Western New York, but not so much in the middle of the wine growing region. At the same time, the trail is now big enough to consider taking two days to explore. While the towns of Lewiston, Youngstown and the cities of Niagara Falls and Buffalo are all close enough to be made home base, there just aren’t enough B&Bs and restaurants in the heart of the trail.

Sure, there are a handful of restaurants and cottages on the lakeshore, but they haven’t made much of an effort to stock local wines or do things to position themselves to benefit from the influx of tourists.

I also feel it’s up to the wineries to make their farm a destination in and of itself, with special tasting events and promotions, live music, art exhibitions and picnics. But it seems like they’re just struggling to keep up with aforementioned buses and limos. That’s preventing them from dedicating staff to anything other than mass tastings.

None of these obstacles are insurmountable, especially in the long term. But producers here need to look to their neighbors to the north and south to come up with some solutions. Niagara is by no means isolated. It sits between two of the largest growing regions on the east coast. Hopefully the knowledge accumulated by those around us will help us evolve, and not just in growing and winemaking, but in marketing, operating and in our ability to take care of our visitors.

TasteCamp North 2011: On Acidity, Perception and Other Observations

A reminder at Tawse Winery

One of the first wines I tasted when I arrived in Niagara-on-the-Lake for TasteCamp 2011 was a riesling. Its crushing acidity very nearly made ceviche out of my tongue.

Now before I start to sound like a certain wine critic, I should point out that I cut my wine teeth on Finger Lakes riesling. I like acidity, but I like balance better.

An Acid Balancing Act

Back to Niagara, where titratable acidity (TA) in rieslings regularly reaches double digits on the grams per liter scale (for Canadians, that's grams per litre). I made it a point to ask the residual sugar on almost every riesling I tried. The best rieslings that I had at TasteCamp were above 1.5% RS. (NB: At the risk of overgeneralizing, pH and total acidity -- total positive ions in addition to the protons measured by titratable acidity, e.g., potassium and calcium ions - can also affect the perception of acidity.)

As we ponder why this might be, let's look at the NYCR Wines of the Year competition for the past two years. 

In the Finger Lakes category, the 2010 white wine of the year (and in turn, New York State wine of the year with a unanimous vote) was the 2008 Billsboro Riesling (10.8 g/L TA, 2.5% RS). In 2011, the Finger Lakes riesling of the year was Damiani 2010 Riesling, with a whopping 12 g/L TA and 4% RS. We've previously addressed reasons why sweeter rieslings might do better in large tastings, particularly in the absence of food.

It could be that among many other wines, drier rieslings can't compete due to simple palate fatigue. This is probably part of the overall picture. Also, I'm sure that some of the more zingy offerings in would have benefited from a complementary food pairing. However, it could also be that in high-acid vintages, you just need some sugar to balance things out. It's not a bad thing. In fact, careful attention to a wine's acid-sugar (and generally, acid-alcohol-tannin-sugar) balance demonstrates responsible and thoughtful winemaking. 

For example, Hermann J. Wiemer rieslings almost never go below 0.7% RS, even for "dry" offerings.

Everybody has his or her own palate and definition of balance. Some of the rieslings that might put me off are what I call "Evan Dawson" rieslings, after Evan's professed liking for dry rieslings with electric acidity.  These tend to go splendidly with food, as evidenced at last year's TasteCamp by the heavenly pairing of an early morning sip of Ravines Argetsinger Vineyard Riesling (0.3% RS) with a frittata from Lisa Hallgren's kitchen.

But in my case, for sipping alone, Mary Poppins' spoonful of sugar does indeed help the medicine go down.  Craving some sugar doesn't make me a bad person. It means that I like to see the elements of a wine in harmony.

"There is no botrytis in Niagara"

This mantra has echoes of Fox Run winemaker Peter Bell's declaration at TasteCamp 2010 that "There is no Brett in the Finger Lakes." 

Like Bell's assertion, I'm sure this was more of a general stylistic comment than a Jedi mind trick, but many of the winery representatives I talked to mentioned that it's actually quite difficult to get botrytis in Niagara.  Indeed, much of the riesling is quite clean, except where botrytis has been sought out on purpose. Foggy patches of vineyard blocks can accumulate botrytis and in some cases these grapes are used to make spicy, botrytis-laced wines.

An excellent example of this practice was Vineland Riesling 2010 Reserve, which we tasted out of tank. This auslese-style wine will be held back for five years before release, but right now it is singing with spicy botrytis and artfully balanced sweetness (6% RS, 10 g/L TA).

Miscellaneous thoughts

In putting TasteCamp North on my itinerary squarely between my PhD defense and my wedding/honeymoon, I am a bit late to the posting party. Many of the points I wanted to tackle have already been covered by other astute NYCR writers. 

However, this delay does give me an opportunity to respond to some of the points made while adding a few of my own:

• Evan, Julia, and Bryan all mentioned the organic/biodynamic producers. Evan praises Tawse winemaker Paul Pender's "utterly refreshing lack of militancy" about biodynamics while still mentioning the dynamizer (pictured right) and cow horn preps. This analysis is spot on, as usual. I, too, noticed Pender's appeal to the more scientific and practical aspects of biodynamics. On the surface, you'd think that the spiritual aspect of biodynamics was completely absent at Tawse.  However, spirituality and biodynamics go hand in hand, and it's misleading to say otherwise. 

• I agree that chardonnay was very well-done for the most part. I'm not as averse to oak as some people, but I do crave acidity, which Niagara Chardonnay has in spades to give even the biggest oak monster a refreshing finish.

• There are lots of producers bottling entirely on screwcap. Coyote Run's winemaker David Sheppard said "I have no tolerance for cork taint."  I suppose switching over and/or buying new bottling lines is easier in a place with as much capital as Niagara seems to have.

• Experiments with wild ferments abounded, but none were as successfully demonstrated as the wild fermentation pinot we tasted at Freedom Run.

• Lakeview Cellars poured a limey Kerner and banana-tangerine Auxerrois, but both grapes are somewhat rare in Niagara.

Overall, my experience at TasteCamp North was very rewarding and gave me the chance to taste an up-and-coming region. The progress that this very young region has made in its short existence is astounding and it's clear that passionate wine industry (and financiers) are making that happen.

TasteCamp North 2011: A Photo Diary

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

With TasteCamp North 2011 attendees, including most of the NYCR team,  back home and pondering the stories that we'd all like to write -- and they are numerous -- I wanted to share some of the pictures I took over the course of the weekend.

We tasted some outstanding local wines, enjoyed meals prepared by farm-to-table chefs and met some incredibly passionate and talented people in the wine industries on both sides of the border. Over the next few weeks, you can expect some great stories from the event right here on the site.

In the meantime, here's a bit of a photo diary of TasteCamp 2011.

Vineyard at Chateau des Charmes -- in the St. David's Bench appellation.

 

The group listening to Paul Pender, winemaker at Tawse Winery. Tawse is one of the region's organic and biodynamic producers.

 

The vineyard at Tawse Winery has the most densely grown clover cover crop I've ever seen under the vines -- by design.

 

Dinner the first night was at Ravine Vineyard -- and included some delicious wood oven-roasted suckling pig (and crispy pig skin that I've been dreaming about ever since.)

 

Vineland Estates winemaker Brian Schmidt likes to hold back his riesling to show how it ages. And, he was generous enough to open up a bottle of 1989 Semi-Dry for us -- and it was deliciously alive.

 

It was great to hear some history of the St. Urban vineyard at Vineland Estates.

 

The now-famous BYO dinner at TasteCamp was held at Treadwells -- a terrific farm-to-table restaurant. Rumor has it that more than 70 bottles of wine were opened from all corners of the globe.

 

On our final day of TasteCamp, we crossed back into the United States. This is a picture of Arrowhead Spring Vineyards.

A handful of Niagara USA wineries poured for the group before brunch at Carmelo's in Lewiston, NY. Here, the well-hatted Jonathan Oakes from Leonard Oakes Estate Winery speaks with our Finger Lakes editor, Evan Dawson.

 

 

What We Drank (May 4, 2011)

This is a (small) sampling of what our editors were drinking last week...

Lenn Thompson: Bedell Cellars 2002 Merlot

This mature local merlot -- from a surprisingly under-hyped vintage -- showed very well at my birthday dinner last Friday at Fifth Season in Port Jefferson (a restaurant that use to be in local wine country but moved to the tourist town a few years ago).

There was still nice fruit intensity, but the mushroomy, dusty chocolate and faintly herbal secondary characters -- and enough structure to maybe age another few years -- were the real stars with my waygu burger with bacon and cheddar.

Even if only one of my dining companions drank it with me, it was a great way to celebrate... especially because of Fifth Season's BYO policy -- if it's a local wine, the corkage fee is waived.

I actually just heard about this policy recently and I'm glad I did. We'll be back, with more local wine in tow.

As for the wine itself, they are actually selling it right now in the Bedell tasting room as a library selection.

 

Julia Burke: Arrowhead Spring Vineyards 2009 Chardonnay

This weekend I celebrated the end of my alcohol detox with a day of winery visits in Niagara.

Though I enjoyed several great local wines (and meads), the highlight was Arrowhead Spring's new 2009 chardonnay. For a winemaker who seems to be the "chard whisperer" to declare this one, from a supposedly tough vintage, the best he's ever made is no joke, and I had to agree as I sipped this luscious wine.

The nose is quite restrained with barely a whisper of oak; instead, it's fierce citrus with just a hint of creaminess on the background, like a meringue cake topped with orange and lemon zest.

But on the palate, the velvety-smoothness kicks in full throttle for a gorgeous combination of clean fruit, whipped butter, and razor-sharp acid. First as an aperitif, then with vineyard manager Robin Ross's apple crisp for dessert, this was a tremendous wine and a great reminder of winemaker Duncan Ross's affinity for the variety.

TasteCamp North Preview: Our Hosts in Niagara USA

By Bryan Calandrelli, Niagara Region Editor

TasteCamp North 2011 is just around the corner, so I thought it would make sense to introduce some of the wineries and people we'll be meeting during the U.S. portion of the programming.

Niagara USA might not have the international cast of winemakers that you’d find in a more developed region -- yet -- but it boasts a diverse group of pioneers who are collectively proving every day that quality wines can be made on the escarpment north to Lake Ontario. 

Duncan Ross of Arrowhead Spring Vineyards: 

Duncan Ross’s winemaking obsession inspired him to build a picturesque wine farm on the slopes of the Niagara Escarpment with his wife, Robin, who manages their seven-acre vineyard. This scenic sloping farm hosts the only significant plantings of syrah and malbec in the region.

Duncan is certainly one of the most outspoken personalities in the region when it comes to his belief that Niagara is one of the best places to grow vinifera in the country. He’s been vocal in the debates that are helping to shape the New York wine industry and he’s a frequent commenter on the New York Cork Report. He is also a passionate believer in the red blend, which can be tasted in his winery’s flagship red Meritage.

Duncan also likes his chardonnay fermented in barrels, which coincidentally may be the first wine that 2011 wine attendees sample after the Grand Tasting on Sunday.

In addition to his barrel-fermented estate grown chardonnay and syrah, chances are guests will get to taste his Bordeaux varieties from the barrel. Robin will also discuss vineyard practices and the farm’s ultimate goal of sustainability.

Kurt Guba of Freedom Run Winery: 

Kurt Guba has one of the most recognizable faces of any member of the Niagara Escarpment wine industry, and that’s not just because he’s in my “Stump the Goob” video series. A stage actor by trade, he’s not shy when discussing the wines he helps craft at Freedom Run.

As a certified sommelier, Kurt’s driving passion is education. When he’s not climbing on barrels or making sure every tasting room guest gets the most out of their experience, he teaches students at Niagara County Community College’s Culinary Program which has a partnership with Freedom Run to serve as a teaching winery.

Kurt will be waxing on his favorite subject as he guides attendees through an extensive tasting of the winery’s three vineyard blocks of pinot noir. In addition to the heartbreak grape, guests will get to taste barrel samples of cabernet franc, merlot and cabernet sauvignon. Attendees will also be the first to sample Freedom Run’s apassimento-style wines currently in barrel.

Jonathan Oakes of Leonard Oakes Estate Winery: 

Jonathan Oakes is one of the busiest winemakers in the region.

As a recent graduate of Niagara Teaching College’s Viticulture and Oenology program, he now applies his cool-climate winemaking skills at both Schulze Vineyards and Leonard Oakes Estate Winery, a family winery that’s a part of LynOaken Farms, a large apple producer in the region.

Even though Jonathan is a relatively young winemaker, he’s now responsible for the huge volume of wine made between the two wineries. From vinifera to hybrid and native grapes, still to sparkling, and late harvest to icewine, he shows his versatility while he consistently produces quality wine across a wide spectrum of styles.

Jonathan will be pouring some 2010 reds, whites, sparkling wines, and icewines that have yet to be bottled from both wineries. His presentation will highlight the terroir of the areas north of the escarpment as well as on the similarities and differences between Niagara USA and Ontario growing regions.

Op-Ed: "Expectations for New York Wine Are Higher Than Ever – Are We Ready?" Jim Silver, GM, Peconic Bay Winery

By Jim Silver, General Manager, Peconic Bay Winery

In a 2004 speech on his educational programs, President Bush decried the “soft bigotry of low expectations” by the opposition party. The worthy phrase resonated with many. I wondered about such expectations in regard to New York wines, and how our wine industry would react if a mirror were held up to its wines and the reflection said “it’s great…for what it is…”

That stinging phrase, “for what it is…” is the comment that sinks and supplants the “world class” argument every time, and I’ve tried to count how often I’ve heard it over the years.

As if further explanation were even required at this point, let me posit the possibility of a Pauillac or a Volnay being described the same way -- not likely. But this malignant axiom gets attached to places like Chile and Argentina, though less so recently, and to more obscure places who exist in the shadow of more reputable neighbors. Minor appellations like the Cotes de Bourg, Languedoc, Anjou, Toro, Rufina, Michigan and Niagara...even whole grape varieties aren’t immune to similar treatment. 

Expectations are naturally lowered to meet the potential of these weaker communes, right?

What inspires a sommelier or other taste-making wine professional to put a Cheverny, Grüner Veltliner, Verdichio or a Navarra by the glass? Wines like this are obscure but of high quality they’ll tell you, and they are bringing their customers an experience and a value that they would certainly have little chance of otherwise finding. Correct on all counts. What do they see when they look at our home state’s truly fine wines?  I’m not going to dig up the old chestnut of Loire restaurants selling only Loire wines and Bordeaux restaurants selling only Bordeaux wine. We know that New York is cosmopolitan to the utmost, and not in the least bit provincial. Besides, I’d even be willing to suggest that our placement near to the Big Apple is an unfair advantage we haven’t even exploited fully.

So why are our wines termed “great...for what it is…” so often? Are expectations lowered for New York wines, like other minor regions?

I believe our circumstance is self-inflicted. We (often) fail to support our legitimate claims to greatness by failing to meet our customers’ expectations of quality versus price. Unstable and illogical pricing is further compounded by a varied, random mix of world-class wines with inferior wines. That is auxiliary to a difficult-to-fulfill and difficult-to-maintain supply chain. Further, we haven’t fully embraced the tools that bring us closer to the end-user of our product (like social media) and we’re not evolving as quickly as other industries.

By simply attempting to meet our customers’ expectations at a business level, fiscally and logistically, we start to market ourselves properly. Simple postures support this.

Availability is good for the reputation of an emerging region. Wineries (in New York) should commit to wholesale distribution. Self distribution is more profitable in the short term, but ignores long-term planning, diversification of sales and brand building. Availability of product in a wide area, and with regular delivery makes sales easier and ensures greater visibility of that product and the region. Wholesale should be an integrated part of the winery’s business plan. If the winery waits for folks to show up at the front door, they’ll wish for wholesale when gasoline hits five or six dollars a gallon. Professional retail and restaurant buyers demand variety, but they want fewer vendors too. Let your distributor do the driving, and put boots on the street to bring the message directly to the gatekeeper. 

All of that said, there will always be family farms of a small stature (and varying quality levels) that distribution means nothing to because they make a fine living for themselves. That works for them, but they are not part of the greater question of regional ascendancy. Quality leaders can be found everywhere but while these farms may lead locally, they will fail to gain reputations in the broad market.  Conversely, those who embrace a wider stance over the broad market dominate the message, regardless of their relative quality.

Resistance to small brands by the wholesale distributors is mitigated by a committed producer. That is, the winery who hires a salesperson to aid the distributors’ work, and sets pricing that delivers uniformity and fairness, all balanced with logical expectations.

If you aren’t over-delivering, you are under-delivering.  Wineries (in New York) must commit to pricing policies that are fair, consistent, logical and distinguish quality -- and by fair, I mean to the winery and to the consumer both. Resist the urge to raise prices, and instead, make more wine if you are selling all of it consistently. Regular price manipulations walk a very fine line between gouging and maximizing profits and one should err on the side of the end-user. Consistency of price builds loyalty in all corners of the marketplace, while fluctuations confuse even your biggest fans. Your pricing should have enough room in it to respond well to changing market conditions. The market always makes room for a wine that delivers fairly in quality and value regardless of its actual price.

Ultimately, we may find that producing less wine of better quality at higher prices is easier than taking on the world at $15 a bottle -- or even less.

Over-deliver on your packaging materials too. Too often our wines are packaged in sixty-five cent bottles of pale green glass and silicon closures. For just a couple of dollars more a case, punted glass, updated labels and real capsules show integrity and pride, and elevate the consumers’ experience from the point of purchase. There was a time, when cheap packaging meant some kind of authenticity because, after all, the proof was in the bottle. Those days are long gone. 

And over-delivering also means engaging the customer warmly, personally and consistently. If we learned anything from the NYCR's Brian Sedgwick experiment it’s that it’s possible to be too buried in work to realize that the customer is standing right there wanting to be recognized and welcomed. I’m afraid that too often it’s the coolness of the reception rather than the climate visitors remember, but we’re changing that -- and social media and healthy competition is pushing us in the right direction.

Improving the vineyard set. Simply wanting to be world-class doesn’t make it so. By continually striving to improve our wines and the vines that produce them we are making investments in the future of our state’s industry.

Hybrids -- which many agree are inferior to vinifera -- aren’t going to immediately go away, and when possible they should be replaced by superior varieties. Repackaging hybrid wines, as well as inferior vinifera wines, as proprietary wines makes a great deal of sense.

Cash-flow wines like these bring razor thin margins most of the time while damaging the region’s reputation; however they are often an important part of the economic landscape, for the small and large operators.  Repackage the hybrids into another Red Cat (a brilliant brand) or a Winter White and you can build a new business model and a new revenue stream that doesn’t make excuses and doesn’t pretend to be something it isn’t. A Traminette may get seven tons per acre but even a well-made one isn’t going to get a 90 in the Wine Spectator and it isn’t likely to be at the Modern by the glass. But the respectfully made, traditional, unique, and frankly spectacular riesling might.  It is a rare thing indeed to find a varietally labeled hybrid wine that is universally celebrated, aside from the now ever-present vidal ice wines -- although I can think of a baco noir or two. 

It is possible to produce hybrids for fun and profit, but it requires a much more honest assessment of the resulting wines. Great wine made next to generic hybrid wine is a high-wire act that requires expert branding and marketing. It is difficult work to say the least, and we should be working towards an all-vinifera New York as quickly as possible. 

Improving our vineyard set means improving our clones of vinifera too where applicable. Now is the time to start. Let it be said though that most Long Island producers do not struggle with questions relating to vinifera versus hybrids -- rather they struggle with the unique problem of presenting to the public older vintages. Here we walk the delicate line between inventory that doesn’t move quickly and selling the benefits of aged wines to the consumer, while knowing full well that the truth lies somewhere between the two.

Stop complaining about the Californians. It isn’t productive to publicly rail against high-alcohol and highly extracted California wines; it just sounds like an insubstantial argument for distinctiveness.  Worse, it may estrange customers who enjoy both New York wines and California wines, which is a lot of them. 

California, in production for about as long as New York, has managed to define its own style, create a massive domestic and global market for itself, and meet the world’s wine buyers at every level of quality and price. And they manage to do that, right in our front yards, and from 3,000 miles away. They are also forward thinking enough to replace Ruby Cabernet and other inferior varieties, set high standards for sustainability, elevate and innovate packaging materials, and more recently throttle back on new oak and high alcohols when they see the tide turning against that. 

Why are we floating in the tube while they drive the boat? A better idea is to stop making any comparisons to other regions. Let’s leave that to the spectators, enthusiasts and fans of our wines.  Let’s see what the world thinks they taste like before we urge them in one direction or another. 

Sometimes I wonder how many “average” consumers of New York rieslings and chardonnays can actually sit down and compare them to notable Germans and Burgundies. Probably not a lot. Just as most consumers can’t compare our merlots to Pomerol with much authority. They can, however, compare them to California merlots so perhaps our arguments should be made from the glass, not in ardent diatribes meant to embarrass our Left Coast peers and their warmer climate.

So, are we suffering the soft bigotry of low expectations? Are expectations lowered for New York wines? The answer is absolutely “no.” 

Expectations for New York wines are exactly the same as every other wine region in the world -- thankfully.  The sooner we realize that the better off we’ll be. It’s meeting the expectations of the world that will decide whether or not our reputation is defined by phrases like “for what it is…” sooner than “world-beating”, “great value”, “emerging region”, or “unique terroir.”  We don’t need to continue a futile search for identity, or worse, promote an ersatz identity invented by a PR firm. Rather, we need to let our improved reputation descend upon us organically in terms laid out by an appreciative world. 

The gatekeepers of the industry aren’t blind to our existence, nor are they bigoted against the local wine scene. And the best of them don’t need a PR firm to remind them where we are located. We will learn from them by examining what they do buy for their by-the-glass programs and their retailer case-stacks and we will adjust to meet them -- because so far, trying to make them change their course to meet us hasn’t entirely worked. 

Black Willow Joins the Niagara Wine Trail

By Bryan Calandrelli, Niagara Region Editor

I recently made my first visit to the region's newest winery, Black Willow Winery, in Burt. The tasting room for is housed in a newly renovated barn that sits right on Lake Road (Rt. 18) less than a mile from the southern shore of Lake Ontario.

There isn't an adjacent vineyard yet, but with all the orchards surrounding the property, it has the quaint rural feel that you associate with wine country.

Once inside, I was immediately impressed with the crisp and delicate nature of the whites. With grapes sourced from Cayuga Lake, the chardonnay was lightly oaked, with clean citrus and pear aromas. There were subtle toasty notes, but overall, this lived up to it’s billing as a “lightly oaked” wine.

The Trilogy White picked up right where the Chardonnay left off, with clean flavors of tropical fruit and spice. It's a blend of gewurtztraminer, cayuga and riesling and was soft, subdued and balanced. It too was sourced from Cayuga Lake.

The first red I tried was cabernet franc, and though I was ultimately disappointed from an exaggerated push of fruit (likely from some oxidation), the un-oaked black cherry notes will most likely still appeal to many customers who don’t fuss over volatility. The Trilogy Red had a hint of oxidation, thanks in part to the blend consisting of likely the same cabernet franc with Chancellor and cabernet sauvignon,Yet its aroma of bright cherry fruit was reminiscent of Swedish Fish candy.
 
Just as expected, there were a few native wines on the list and the first was actually pretty restrained. Bare Cat Blush, named after the owner’s love of hairless cats, is a Catawba-based blush that doesn’t venture into “sweet for sweet’s sake” territory. Its aroma is a dead ringer for Pez, and it has just enough grapey flavor to appeal to the native grape lovers.

Black Widow Berry is a blend of concord and blackberry extract. Interestingly enough the tasting room staff encourages you to eat a Junior Mint before tasting it, which goes against any instinct I have but actually works with this 7% RS wine.

But what probably got me most excited was getting to taste the winery’s soon-to-be released meads while owner and winemaker Cynthia Chamberlain showed me the production area. Black Willow’s meads, otherwise known as honey wines, are sourced from local honey and fermented dry. These wines were unlike any I’ve tasted in Niagara.

The Odin Nectar was diluted to 24 brix and fermented dry with aromas that I would normally associate with beer: citrus, pulp and banana. It also reminded me of skin-fermented white-grape wines on the palate.

Chamberlain revealed that this one will be sweetened slightly by adding honey back to the wine before bottling.

Finally, the wine that rocked my palate was an experimental product called Nordic Fire. This mead was made from pepper-infused honey, giving it a pleasant citrus and white pepper nose and red-hot fireball pepper packed flavor on the palate. Chamberlain said that the actual wine should not have as much alcohol as it really brings out the heat but I actually really liked it.

Even though the winery isn’t offering any locally grown wines yet, Chamberlain made clear her intentions of planting vines.

“We’re still determining what we can plant here given that we are so close to the lakeshore, we don’t get the warmth that they get further inland,” she says. “We’d like to plant something different and something we know will ripen.”

No matter what they decide to put in the ground it’s exciting to see a new winery with intentions of making all their wines in house with their own hands, even being as bold to be the first ones to make and sell mead on the trail. As far as location goes, they couldn’t be in a better area. The lakeshore between Wilson and Olcott, NY is beautiful and it’s great to see Black Willow bringing more people out to this area.

Are New York Wineries Leaving Money on the Table?

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

Our post last week introducing our "Brian Sedgwick" email project certainly generated a reaction -- good and bad -- from inside and outside the New York wine community. We knew it would get peoples' attention and we knew we'd likely ruffle some feathers. That wasn't the goal, but it was inevitable, really.

Before I get into some of the details and the findings, I'd like to set the record straight.

We didn't do this to "get" anyone. When I conceived of this idea, I realized it would simply include a single email sent to wineries in the "off season." Some New York's wineries are closed this time of year and some of those that remain open are understaffed.

This was never meant to be an comprehensive, definitive study. It's a mere snapshot to get a general sense for how well New York wineries are paying attention to their general email addresses.

In challenging times, businesses of every type need to take advantage of every opportunity before them. And based on what we found, I think one can assume New York wineries are leaving money on the table.

In all, we sent this email to 193 New York wineries:

Good afternoon. I'm going to be visiting <REGION> wine country with some friends this weekend (Saturday and Sunday) and I'm trying to decide where I should taste and eat.

Could you provide some information?

- What time do you open and close on weekends?
- How much is your tasting fee and how many wines do we get to taste?
- What other wineries around yours would you recommend?
- Do you have recommended restaurants nearby?

This is our first trip to the <REGION> wineries so I'd appreciate any insight you can offer.

Thanks,
Brian

The Results

Of those 192 emails sent, only 112 replies came in (58%), which means that 42% of the emails were not responded to. That's 81 wineries that did not respond.

Looking at how quickly the email was responded to, 39% of the emails were replied to the same day we sent them out, 25% the next day and 8% were responded to on the third day or beyond.

I think the numbers speak for themselves. Needless to say, I find these numbers disturbing. If I owned a winery, I'd want every single email like this to be responded to in a timely, well-considered fashion.

People have mentioned publicly on Twitter and also in private emails that the email we sent out didn't seem "real" -- as though it were spam or something similar. I disagree completely.

People have also pointed out -- correctly -- that winery staff sizes vary greatly, implying that larger wineries are more likely to respond than those with only a handful of employees. That is also not true. Some of the state's smallest wineries replied while some of the biggest ones did not.

Breaking down the results by region doesn't offer much deeper insight -- except that Lake Erie wineries performed worst of all -- but several people have asked to see the regional breakdown:

Finger Lakes
92 emails sent out
57 responses (62%)
35 no-response (38%)
49% same day
5% next day
8% beyond

Hudson Valley
27 emails sent out
20 responses (74%)
7 no-response (26%)
44% same day
22% next day
7% beyond

Lake Erie
17 emails sent out
5 responses (29%)
12 no-response (71%)
6% same day
18% next day
6% beyond

Long Island
47 emails sent out
24 responses (51%)
23 no-response (49%)
30% same day
21% next day
11% beyond

Niagara
10 emails sent out
6 responses (60%)
4 no-response (40%)
40% same day
10% next day
10% beyond

Response Quality

The biggest mistake I made when planning and executing this project was incorrectly thinking that four questions could be used for every winery. Some of the questions simply didn't apply to some wineries -- some are closed, some don't charge for tastings, some are flexible with how many wines you can taste, some sell wine from a variety of wineries etc. Next time, we'll keep the different business models in mind.

So, I'm not going to share the data related to whether each question was answered, but I can say without a doubt that the quality of the responses we received varied greatly.

The good news is that (and I'm speaking anecdotally here) most of the wineries that responded took the time to welcome Brian to the region and answer his questions. Even one of the state's smallest producers, Heart & Hands Wine Company, which was closed the weekend in question, responded with a thoughtful email. (Note: We've removed the individual wineries mentioned in the email):

Brian -

Thank you for your inquiry.

Unfortunately, we will not be open this weekend for tastings.  Other wineries in this area (eastern shore of Cayuga Lake) that we would recommend are: (3 WINERIES LISTED)


If you are going to be traveling to other lakes in the region, you may stop by the following wineries: (6 Listed)

Two fantastic restaurants nearby are located in the village of Aurora.  The Aurora Inn is one of the finest restaurants in the region with a wonderful wine list. The Fargo, located across the street from the Aurora Inn, offers "upscale" pub food and a great beer selection.

Also, The Finger Lakes Wine Center in Ithaca is a great way to taste a number of great wines from the region without having to travel too far.

We look forward to your visit to the region & hope you enjoy your time.

Cheers,
Tom & Susan

Peconic Bay Winery -- a well-staffed operation -- on the North Fork of Long Island also sent one of the better responses:

Hi Brian,

We're open 11-6 on Saturday and 11-5 on Sunday.  

It would be a good weekend to come by as we have our Nautique Jazz & Blues Fest going on. Saturday we're featuring Matt Marshak live from 1-5pm and have a fun little promo going on with our Nautique Sparkling wine (complimentary chocolate lollipop with purchase of a glass, complimentary champagne glasses with purchase of a bottle).  

This weekend also kicks of LI Winterfest Jazz on the Vine and there will be jazz playing at several different wineries. You can visit www.liwinterfest.com for participating wineries. Not all wineries participate in this actual program (like us) as some choose to do their own thing but many do have something going on.  We always recommend (3 WINERIES LISTED), but I would check their websites to see what they're planning.

Our tasting fees run anywhere from $5-$12 (3-6 wines per flight) depending on which tasting flight you select.
 

Also I recommend eating at (2 RESTAURANTS LISTED)  You can go to our website and under "visit us" there's a tab for "where to eat" and we have an extensive restaurant list.  

Reservations are highly recommended with the Jazz festivals going on - it's a big weekend out here.  I would also recommend (if you have 6 or more people in your party) calling the tasting room and reserving a table 631-734-7361 ext 0.  Whatever you decide, enjoy!

Cheers!

Valerie Hallock
Events Director
Peconic Bay Winery

I don't call these two emails out as the only well-written emails we received, but instead merely as two good examples from two very different businesses.

On the other end of the quality spectrum were a surprising number of wineries that simply offered their hours, or their hours and fee structure, showing no apparent interest in recommending other local wineries or restaurants.

What Comes Next?

This is what matters -- what will local wineries do going forward? We sincerely hope that those doing the right things continue to do them and that those who did not reply to our email use this as a springboard to action. I've spoken with several winery owners (on both sides) and I'm more than happy to share detailed information with any others out there that want to know how their wineries performed.

We will be doing this again in the future. We've learned quite a bit already about how we can improve our end of things and will likely expand it even more to get a larger sample size -- maybe five emails to each winery. The results still won't be definitive, but the data should be more telling.

In the end, we hope this effort is a positive and productive one.

We welcome comments from consumers: How do you communicate with wineries? How do you set up visits or trips to the wine regions?

And we want to hear from wineries: How is communication changing when it comes to reaching customers?

Times Union New York Wine Club: March 2011 Selections

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

I'm always proud of the wines that I pick for the Times Union New York Wine Club because, well, if I weren't, I wouldn't pick them.

That said, I'm extra excited about our March 2011 selections.

For our Basic-Level Members this month, we have an perennial favorite and a charity-minded newcomer.

First, we have Shinn Estate Vineyards 2010 Coalescence, a wine that straddles the line between a white and a rose. Sounds interesting, doesn't it?

It's steel-fermented blend of chardonnay, merlot blanc, sauvignon blanc and pinot noir blanc. Fresh and fruity-but-balanced it mostly looks like a white wine, but from certain angles in certain light, you can definitely tell there are some red varieties in there. The 2009 was my summer wine last year... and this one is in the running for this year.

Our other Basic-Level wine for March is the debut of Red Tail Ridge Winery's 2010 Good Karma. Medium-bodied and just off-dry, it overflows with honeyed apples, pears, ripe peach -- with a squirt of citrusy acidity that balances a slightly creamy, mouth-filling. Best of all, a portion of every bottle sold goes to a local charity.

Readers of this site will recognize our two Premium-Level wines this month -- they both won their categories in our 2010 Wines of the Year tasting -- and both required a little extra work to get our hands on.

Leonard Oakes Estate Winery 2009 Chardonnay was our Niagara White Wine of the Year and stood out for it's ripe, extremely tropical fruit flavors and beautiful balance. Made without a splinter of oak, this is a brisk wine ready for spring.

Roanoke Vineyards on the North Fork of Long Island only sells its wines in its tasting room and via its wine club, but, we were able to convince them to sell us enough Roanoke Vineyards 2007 Blend One for the club. A blend of 60% cabernet sauvignon, 28% merlot and 12% cabernet franc, this winner of the Long Island Non-Merlot Red Wine of the Year shows the ripeness of the 2007 vintages as well as restrained oak and impeccable balance.

If you want to open it now, I recommend decanting it for at least an hour. Or, you can hide this one from yourself in the corner of your cellar and be rewarded many years down the road.

Learn more about the club and by all means, sign up. You can just do a month or three if you want to try it out. And as always, if you have any questions, please just ask me!