Tom Turkey and Standing Stone Vineyards

What wines did you serve with your Thanksgiving dinner? We opted for a Gewurztraminer and a Cabernet Franc with dinner and a tasty late harvest vignoles as our dessert wine. I chose the white wine, a 2006 Gewurztraminer from Casa Larga Vineyards. Light and slightly spicy, it really complimented the big bird and all the trimmings. Jim, the red wine lover, chose a 2006 Cabernet Franc from Standing Stone Vineyards. This cab franc is delicious - light and dry, lots of cherry/fruitiness, and a smooth finish. We tried a piece of dark chocolate with it tonight - it tasted like chocolate covered cherries! Really wonderful!
This wine took us back to when we visited the Standing Stone Vineyards this past summer. Located on the east side of Seneca Lake near Hector, NY, Standing Stone has a spectacular view of the Lake! Now I sit here writing in 28 degree weather with snow on the ground, but the day we were at Standing Stone was one of those 90 degree days. We walked from the stifling heat into the cool, cottage-like tasting room. Outside the tasting room is a huge deck overlooking the lake. The owners do it all - landscaping, serving people and bottling their wines. We sampled their 2005 Reserve Chardonnay, the 2006 Gewurztraminer, the 2006 Riesling, the 2006 Cabernet Franc and the Vidal Ice Wine. All were very, very good, but the Cabernet Franc ($17.99) and Gewurztraminer ($18.99) were our choices to bring home.
We haven't tried the Gewurztraminer yet- we're saving it for a Gewurztraminer tasting/rating one of these days. But the Cab Franc was the perfect addition to our Thanksgiving table! Yum!

Mayers Lake Ontario Winery and Vineyards

Wow! Another stunning fall day! We have been so blessed this fall with the warm weather and stunning fall colors... AND everything I read says that this year's grape harvest is the best in many years. I can't wait to start tasting the '07 wines!

Jim and I took a few minutes out of our weekend to visit a small winery close to us - Mayers Lake Ontario Winery and Vineyards located at Mayers Cider Mill. Mayers makes their wine currently in Webster, but grows their grapes on land in Hilton, NY. They are planning on building the beautiful winery in Hilton that they depict on their labels. We had visited Mayers this summer to purchase beer-making supplies (they have wine making supplies and classes also!) and knew they were working on the new wine tasting room and deck. The room is quaint - nicely decorated with a small wood bar, tables and shelves. They offer polo shirts and baseball caps with their logo as well as unique wine bottle bags and other wine paraphernalia. We both started out with a delicious semi-dry Riesling (of course). I went on to sample the Pinot Grigo (appropriately light and smooth) and the Pinot Noir (light, fruity with a nice finish). Jim sampled the Oaked Chardonnay (nice and oak-y!) and the Cabernet Franc, which he especially enjoyed. They also offer specialty wines (reds and whites), a Blush Chardonnay, a nice middle-of-the-road-in-sweetness Cayuga wine, and sweeter Niagara and sweet Riesling wines. As new wines are bottled, they are added to the sampling list. If you are up North in the Webster area, it is well worth the stop (pick up some cider while you're there, too!). We are eagerly anticipating the opening of the new winery in Hilton when it is complete. We'll keep you posted!