Wine Clubs Are the Way to GO!

Many of the Finger Lakes wineries offer wine clubs. Wine clubs offer several benefits:

• They are a great way to get special bottles of wine from your favorite winery throughout the year.


• Frequently Reserve wines and specialty wines are offered. (Sometimes they are only offered to Club members)


• Discounts are given to Club members for tastings, dinners, other special events.


• You may get a newsletter with information non happenings at the winery.


• If you attend the special events you get a discount to, you will meet fantastic people who share your love of a winery.

Wine Clubs usually involve wine shipments 3-4 times a year. The only catch is that someone over age 21 has to be home to sign for the shipments. This hasn't been too big a deal for us as UPS or Fed Ex will try delivering at another time. We haven't missed one yet! We have been members of several different wine Clubs over the years and have enjoyed the benefits of each. I would highly recommend trying one out.

Dignity Matters

We worked this past Columbus Day weekend at Standing Stone Vineyards. Columbus Day weekend is traditionally one of the busiest for the Finger Lakes Wineries as people want to take in the gorgeous Fall Foliage. We knew there would be bus loads of wine tasters and were happy to help out.

Jim was in his element explaining the wines in detail to small groups of 4-6 people. His strategy: to make the experience as personal as possible; chatting about what brought the tasters to the winery and which types of wine they prefer, then educating them on what they were tasting.

Then there was Joyce, in the "bus load" room in the back, pouring wine for 20 people at a time whose main focus was drinking, not learning.

There were several lessons learned through this experience, but possibly the most important was that dignity matters. This point was brought home last weekend when we read in our local newspaper that the owner of a Seneca Lake winery was assaulted by patrons visiting his winery because he refused to serve people who obviously had had too much already. I know, I know they just wanted to have fun and the owner was bringing them down. But let's take a look at the whole picture. First, you have the bus load of people whose stop at this winery at the top of Seneca Lake could have easily been the last stop of a LOOOONG day of wine tasting. The tourism these bus groups represent are what supports our Finger Lakes Wine industry. However, winery owners want to showcase their products, not deal with the irrational, inebriated public.

My advice to those who go on wine tastings just to catch a buzz is: stop watching the reality shows where obnoxious behavior is glorified and take a long hard look at yourself. You are losing a real learning opportunity and you are portraying yourself in a very poor light. Don't you want others to come to this region because it is a beautiful, classy up-and-coming major wine producing area? Or do you want the area to have the reputation of having to deal with obnoxious, belligerent drunks?

My father told me to always put my best foot forward, that people DO judge a book by its cover and to treat others the way you want to be treated. Yes, dignity matters. And yes, our Finger Lakes Wineries should shine with all the possibilities that await them. Hurray for the owner for not serving them.

Fox Run Vineyards Does It Again!

Where could you go to meet great people, learn about wine and food pairings, eat delicious foods, try wines and have a GREAT time? Why a winemaker’s dinner of course! And Ruth Osborn hosted a beautiful evening Saturday night at Fox Run Vineyards on Seneca Lake. If you have never had the chance to experience a winemaker’s dinner, I highly recommend it. The intimate setting where winemaker and chef explain their specialties and why they work so well together is second to none as a truly hands-on learning experience.
We joined about 30 other people at 6:00 sharp in the Lakeview Tasting Room where appetizers where offered with your choice of wine. Jim and I sampled crab brochette which was delicious, but according to the buzz, Executive Chef Heather Tompkins’ baked brie was the big hit! Next we were ushered into the restaurant dining room (it was too cold to eat in the barrel room) where tables in groups of 4-6 were elegantly set with red flower centerpieces on flowered tablecloths. Our dinner companions were winemaker Peter Bell and his wife, Joanna. As we discussed children in and out of college, the first course was served: seafood bouillabaisse (shrimp, scallops, clams and mussels in a saffron-tomato broth). WOW. This was paired with a wine-event exclusive: a delicious dry rose. Only 10 cases of this superb rose were bottled this year, so it is only available to wine club members (see the Fox Run website for details to become a club member). I savored every sip of the rose with the hope that next year more will be bottled. It was the perfect pairing with seafood.
Next we were served house-made crepes filled with Lively Run goat cheese, spinach and leeks topped with wine soaked cherries and hazelnuts. This was paired with the 2008 Riesling. I could have happily eaten this all night long! Heather, a true artist, explains that she starts out with a basic idea, then embellishes the recipe with her own inspirations. The wine soaked cherries were one of her additions on this dish and they just elevated the crepes to truly outstanding.
The main course was Beef Bourguignon (full of beef, root vegetables, mushrooms, and a rich wine gravy) served on a crusty baguette. The 2007 Meritage (rhymes with heritage) was an excellent pairing with the beef’s deep flavors.
And lastly, dessert was an outrageous red velvet cupcake with chocolate ganache and port caramel sauce. Paired perfectly with the Ruby Port, the bittersweet chocolate-frosted cupcake and wine combination was to die for!
Each course and wine pairing was described by Heather, Peter or Kelby Russell, intern extraordinaire to Peter Bell. It was interesting to find out that the wine pairing could be changed at the last minute as each course is taste-tested!
Thank-you Ruth, Peter, Heather, Kelby and all the staff at Fox Run for a fabulous evening and a very special way to celebrate Valentine’s Day!

Step up Danny Wegman!

We have a wonderful grocery store - Wegman's - in our area. Wegman's is a great sponsor of many important initiatives locally and we are glad to have them. One of the areas that they support is the local farmers and local produce. They are an integral part of the New York Wine and Culinary Center located in Canandaigua. OK, so far so good. But I need to call Danny out on his minimal support of the Finger Lakes wineries in the Menu magazine that Wegman's puts out a few times a year. I conducted a little informal research by looking back into the 2009 Menu magazines and this is what I found:
Winter 09 - out of 16 wine and food pairings printed, Wegman's paired 0 (that is the big ZERO) New York State wines with their recipes. Boo.
Summer 09 - out of 18 recipes and wine pairings, Dr. Frank's Salmon Run Riesling is the only Finger Lakes wine suggested. (come on, Salmon Run is Dr. Frank's low-end wine, not his really good stuff, but we'll take whatever we can get).
Fall 09 - of 14 wine and food pairings, only Fox Run's Chardonnay was suggested to represent NY wines. Boo again (NOT to Fox Run, but to Wegman's for such minimal support).
Holiday 09 - again - only Dr. Frank's Salmon Run Riesling suggested out of the 22 wines mentioned.
Finally, Winter 10 - a little better - 2 wines were mentioned: Dr. Frank's Chardonnay and Heron Hill Pinot Noir

Overall, I would say a pretty poor showing for someone as powerful and influential in the Rochester Area as Wegman's. Many of the wines they pair with their recipes are from California. My suggestion is that if Wegman's wants to promote their California wine connections (as I'm sure they are doing), then they should at least suggest 2 wines with each pairing - one from the Finger Lakes and the other from California or elsewhere.
Come on Danny Wegman, Step up and promote the wineries in your backyard!

Upcoming Wine Events at Fox Run and on Seneca Lake!

Something very special is happening at Fox Run Vineyards: Fox Run's Valentine's Dinner with the Winemaker on February 13th! Check out Fox Run's website http://www.foxrunvineyards.com/

because they have a link to my video post of last year's Wine maker's Dinner! I know that will convince you to attend! But seriously, the menu looks great. Heather Tomkins is the new Executive Chef at Fox Run and she is fabulous. It is a very special way to show your Valentine how much they mean to you! Join us - you won't be sorry.

Another Fox Run event coming up is a Winter Tasting on February 26 from 5:30 - 7:30. Heather will create 4 different taste treats to pair with Fox Run's wines. Peter Bell, Fox Run's winemaker, will be there to explain the wines that will be paired with Heather's delicious creations. Jim and I attended a tasting in the fall where Heather created such wonderful treats such as pumpkin hummus (paired with Reserve Chardonnay), roasted dates wrapped in bacon stuffed with Red Buddy (paired with Merlot) and fried cauliflower with green curry sauce (paired with Riesling). For this event (held near Halloween), it was optional to dress in costume. So Jim and I debated - should we dress up? What is no one else does? What can we"dress up" as that might also pass for normal clothes? We came up with Clark Kent and Lois Lane as you can see. Thank goodness because other than someone with a NY Yankees jersey on, no one else appeared to be wearing a costume! None-the-less, we had a great time eating, participating in the blind wine tasting/guessing the wine game and talking to fellow Fox Run wine lovers!

Also February 12-14, the Seneca Lake Wine Trail will be hosting their Chocolates and Wines at numerous wineries around the lake. You can order tickets to that event at this website: senecalakewine.com

All great fun events to warm you up on these long, cold winter days! See you there!

Canadian Wine Tastings

This morning's local fish wrapper had an article about how Canadians are charged an exorbitant amount of taxes/duty when bringing Finger Lakes wines home. It seems to me a shame that the Canadian government penalizes its people for bringing American wines into their country. Yet they want Americans to head north and spend our money in their country. Case in point, Jim and I spent a weekend up at Niagara-On-The-Lake this fall. We went to visit the wineries in the area. The wineries we went to were sleek; very European in look and style. And - get this- to have a TASTING of ONE of their ice wines...$10.00! Hmmmm

Play-off Wines

I was going to Tweet the wines we served yesterday for the play-offs, but decided I needed more room than a tweet offers, so here goes:
We served Ravine Wine Cellar's 2007 Chardonnay, Hermann J. Wiemer's 2007 Merlot and Standing Stone's Smokehouse White a semi-dry Vidal Blanc. They were all great choices. Karen and Dan really liked the Smokehouse White which is Standing Stone's white table wine. It is slightly sweet and very drinkable - and at under $10 a bottle, very easy on the pocket. A good sipping wine while watching the game. Ravine's Wine Cellars produces dry wines. This Chardonnay, while dry, is very pleasant. It is aged in stainless steel, but undergoes a second fermentation process that produces a slightly buttery taste and feel. Kathy and I enjoyed sipping and having the Chardonnay with our dinner. (Dry wines are perfect to pair with foods). Jim tried the Wiemer Merlot and raved about it. When I tried it later, I could see why. Rich with plum and cherry flavors and oh so smooth, this Merlot is a keeper. Least you think we are all sissy wine drinkers watching manly football games, we also served everyone's favorite beers including a local brewery, Rohrbach's Highland Lager in a growler. Yum.
A couple nights ago we opened Ravines 2007 Cabernet Franc. We had visited the winery last weekend, joined their wine club, and brought a couple bottles home. The Cab Franc is very light and dry - I almost thought it was a Pinot Noir. (Jim makes me guess what wine I am drinking and whose winery it is from). Again this wine pairs nicely with food - we had salmon that night. While I liked the Cab Franc, if I were to choose which I liked better, the Cab Franc or Chardonnay, I would definitely chose the Chardonnay.

Help! I'm sandwiched!

Wow! It has been along time since my last blog. I hope at least you are following my Twitters on this website where I give a brief description of Finger Lakes wines that Jim and I have tasted this fall.

Last spring I found myself suddenly a part of the sandwich generation (aging, needy relatives, kid and work) and little time for anything else (other than drinking wonderful Finger Lakes wines). My blogging obviously took a hit, and this lack of blogging has lead to a New Year's resolution. I would like to open up this blog and invite fellow NY wine drinkers to send me your thoughts about the Finger Lakes (or other NY State) wines you are drinking. I know, for example, my friend Jon loves McGregor, Shaw and Damiani wines. I would love his opinions to be posted here. And I know there are members of the FLWR "Pack" who would be great contributors also. So here are the ground rules to become one of the "Rovers"

1. I am the editor and have the right to edit as I see fit. This is a professional blog and it should remain so, therefore...

2. No inappropriate language, cursing, off color jokes or images will be allowed. I will post only those pieces that are professional, thoughtful and appropriate.

3. You can e-mail your written blog entry to me at fingerlakeswineretrievers@gmail.com along with any photos you wish to be part of the piece.

4. I will post you entry in a timely manner. Please let me know how you want it signed: first name only, whole name, etc.

5. If I have any questions about your entry, I will contact you by e-mail.

6. You will officially become a FLWR Rover when your entry is published.

So get out there and drink some fabulous NY State wines. Several were mentioned in the Wine Spectator the last several months and are available in local liquor stores. I would also encourage you to submit your opinions about wine related topics (ex: wines in grocery stores).

I will also try to catch you up on what wine events we attended this fall and local winery visits. So stay tuned, and PLEASE participate. I would love to have a large number of FLWR Rovers out there!

Vertical Pinnacle Tasting at Standing Stone Vineyards

Jim is looking happy here even though it is 90 degrees in the shade! We had a great time at the Pinnacle Vertical tasting at Standing Stone a few weeks back. (Note winery owner Marti Macinski in the background). Pinnacle is a blend of Cab Sav, Cab Franc and Merlot. It started with 80%

Cab Sav, but now is 90% Cab Sav and since 2000 all the grapes used in the Pinnacle are grown at Standing Stone.


Marti gave us the history of each vintage we tasted of the Pinnacle - '95,'03,'05,'06 and '07. 1995 was a good year - hot and dry, 2003 was wet and cool ( like this year?), in 2005 there weren't many reds available because in the winter of 2004 the temperature went from 67 degrees on Jan. 6th to -10 degrees on Jan 10th killing many of the vines. The 2006 vintage is ready to drink now and the 2007 was just bottled last month and has not yet been released. We had wonderful food pairings - olive bread and spreads, duck, sausage. Overall a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. We left with several bottles of their 2005 Pinnacle and a Chardonnay Ice Wine. Here are some upcoming verticals at Standing Stone.

UPCOMING VERTICAL TASTINGS
at STANDING STONE VINEYARDS



September 6, 2009 2-4 pm: Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon



October 4, 2009: Merlot



Cost: $20 per person, call to make a reservation
Standing Stone Vineyards9934 Route 414Hector, NY 14841 (607) 582-6051www.standingstonewines.com

Raspberries and Wine

Anyone who has raspberry bushes knows what I have been doing several times a day every day for the past 3 weeks! Yes, it's been a bumper crop of berries. I have created pies and more pies, muffins and more pies. I have frozen them by the bag full! There is absolutely NOTHING to compare to having raspberries in vanilla yogurt in February. You are instantaneously transported back to July. Heaven.

Now I don't want to mislead you into thinking I didn't have any help with the picking. But first, flash back a to a year ago to when my helper, Rory was around. Rory would sit patiently by the bushes as I picked. There would be a raspberry for me, one for Rory, and one for the basket as I went merrily picking along. That dog could catch a raspberry tossed at him from any angle. He was a dead-eye! Fast forward to Maggie (aka: Pac-man as shown above). So much work to do on that dog - so little time (and energy!)

Anyway, I got to thinking as I was picking, how growing raspberries is very much like growing grapes (but on a MUCH less intense scale). I worry about how low I trimmed the plants during the fall and winter. I obsess over the little berries as they sprout in the Spring: Will this be a good crop? Will it be too wet or dry this season? As the berries develop, then pop, I become concerned with mold, spots on the fruit, too many berries together on one branch. And now as the picking winds down, I am already planning my growing strategy for next year. Is it worth it? You bet, especially in those seemingly endless days of winter. Just as a smooth, deep red Cabernet Franc or Merlot is well worth the effort as you sip it by the fire on a cold winter's night.