These are a few of my favorite things...

What better day than New Year's to review the past year and remember the fine wines and wonderful places we have been in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of upstate NY. Last New Year's Eve we spent with Dave and Kathy at the Brown Hound Bistro in South Bristol. The Brown Hound is quaint and intimate, with food that is out of this world! With their focus on local food and Finger Lakes wines, it was an excellent choice to ring out the old and celebrate the New Year. Throughout 2013, we enjoyed many dinners out and at our home. Of course all involved Finger Lakes wines (I wholly support NY Wine Spotting and ask for a Finger Lakes wine whenever we dine out).
So, a list of some of the favorite wines we have enjoyed with friends and family in 2013:

2012  Ravines Dry Riesling
2012  Hermann J. Wiemer Dry Riesling
2011. Boundary Breaks Riesling 110
2010  Dr. Frank's Lemberger
2011  Heart and Hands Pinot Noir
2010  Fox Run Cabernet Sauvignon
2010  Shalestone Merlot
2011  Forge Cellars Pinot Noir
2011  Heron Hill  Ingle Vineyards Unoaked Chardonnay
2011  Standing Stone Petit Verdot
2008  Heart and Hands Blanc de Noirs
N/V   Damiani: Dolce Bianco
And today at our neighbor's house, we enjoyed. Zugibe Vineyards Four Fred's Red.
What lies in store for 2014?

NY Wine Spotting

Great article by Evan Dawson.  Let's get more local wines in local restaurants! I'm in!

http://newyorkcorkreport.com/blog/2013/07/26/ny-wine-spotting-is-this-the-campaign-that-finally-gets-more-ny-wine-into-local-restaurants/

Reappearing and rambling

Wow this has been a  long gap.  We have been living in the Finger Lakes region for just  over a year now and loving it. There is so much to see and do, but it is hard juggling it with work and other duties.  So I have a few random thoughts to share on the past year:

So much is happening at the wineries:

*Ravines now owns 2 locations -- the former White Springs in Geneva which is a beautiful spot made more so by Morton's beautiful wines - as well as their original location on Keuka Lake.

*Trish has left Fox Run and we are all waiting to see what great things she will be up to next. 

(Not to worry about Fox Run as Peter Bell and Sarah Gummoe are still producing award winning wines!)

* Silver Thread opened on the East side of Seneca with some very lovely wines.

*Another new winery to keep an eye on is Boundary Breaks. On their website claim they only do single vineyard, single clone rieslings because they want to do  "one thing very, very well".  And they do -try their 110, 198, 239, and Ovid Line North Rieslings.  They are wonderful.  Tricia, Peter and Kelby Russell from Fox Run (at the time) helped with the 2011 Rieslings and Ian Barry, winemaker from Villa Bellangelo will help with some of the 2012 vintages.

* Which reminds me that Kelby is now making wine at Red Newt!

And this is just what I can think of off the top of my head.  

I have been impressed over the past year also with the way wineries are using technology to promote themselves.  Many of the wineries have improved their websites and are keeping them current.  Many also have Facebook and Twitter accounts which keep us all current on releases and happenings.  Wine dinners abound and are a great way to meet people with similar interests in wine and learn about the various vineyards and food pairings.  The NY Wine and Culinary Center in Canandaigua also is hosting a great number of wine seminars not just with wines of the Finger Lakes but also wines of the Niagara Escarpment and downstate regions. 

Last random thought:  I think I will have to get Jim to start a blog on NY State beer!  There are so many craft breweries popping up that I think we will need to retrieve information on them also!  We have enjoyed many including our nearby Naked Dove (their IPA is hands down the best!) Hmmm Finger Lakes Wine and Beer Retrievers?  I don't think Maggie can handle it on her own.  Thinking maybe another dog.....?

 

Great Wines for the Farewell

The other night was our farewell party for the old house.  Yes in a few weeks we should be in our new residence in the Finger Lakes.  Just thought you'd like to know which wines we served.  They were all chosen because they are exceptional Finger Lakes wines.  Here they are in drinking order from dry to sweet:

1.  Fox Run Blanc de Blancs.  This was spectacular with the shrimp cocktail and was well received by the pack!  A lovely, dry sparkling wine made with their Chardonnay grapes.

2. Chardonnay:  We served two because the first went so fast:  Ravines 2008 Chardonnay and Fox Run's 2008 Reserve Chardonnay.  This is a big Chardonnay crowd and both were enjoyed to the max!

3.  Red Newt Davis Vineyard 2009 Riesling.  This is my absolute favorite riesling of all time.  I savored every drop.

4.  Fox Run 2010 Rose.  Dry, soft and smooth.  I hope we have more to sip on a hot afternoon on the deck of the new house.

5.  Heart and Hands 2009 Pinot Noir. You just can't beat a Heart and Hands Pinot Noir.

6.  Ravines 2008 Meritage.  Deeply colored and flavored. Stunning.

7.  Standing Stone Chardonnay Ice 2009, ending the evening on a sweet note.  All honey and raisins and apricots.

We have totally enjoyed the company of our dear friends in the pack at all our wine parties and look forward to many more wine parties with them and new friends in the new residence. 

PS While writing this, I am finishing a glass of Heron Hill 2007 Cab Franc that was a gift from Dave and Kathy S.  This is a wonderfully balanced Cab Franc that has only gotten better with time. 

Consider Signing the Fracking Petition

Below is a link to a petition asking for a ban against fracking in the Finger Lakes watershed.

http://signon.org/sign/ban-hydrofracking-from.fb1?source=s.fb&r_by=1553052  

Consider signing it to support the people, land, water, tourism, agriculture and THE WINE INDUSTRY in the Finger Lakes.  Over 500 chemicals, some carcinogens, have been found in the waste water from fracking. Hundreds of trucks moving supplies and the waste water (where does THAT go? Into the ground to contaminate our produce and livestock?) will decimate the beautiful area of the Finger Lakes. Air pollution around the wells is another side effect.  Thanks to former VP Cheney, hydrofracking for natural gas is exempt from the Safe Drinking Water Act's restrictions. What are we doing to our land and what legacy are we leaving for our children?  I recommend watching Gasland to get more information about how fracking has impacted other areas of the country.  Frightening.

Way to go Monroe County.

"Likely Monroe voters back fracking" is the headline in today's fish wrapper. 55% of the people polled support fracking, 45% oppose and 10% undecided.  Wake up people!  It doesn't look likely the Monroe County will be affected and because it won't impact them directly, why not support it?  I lived in Buffalo during the 1970's and early 80's.  I drove past Love Canal frequently.  Anyone who saw the boarded up houses and empty playgrounds or read the horrific stories of what Hooker Chemical's "safe" way of disposing their toxic waste did to the people in that neighborhood, would understand the impact on health and the environment big companies can have (all the while promising the safety of their procedures). The way the fracking companies have been sneaking in and buying land for cash all around the Finger Lakes is sly and devious, praying on the economic hardships we are facing.   Studies completed in areas where hydrofracking has been done point to destruction, contamination and negative health affects.  Wake up ALL of New York State!  Do you want the beauty of the Finger Lakes decimated?  Drinking water and land contaminated for future generations?  Isn't it about time we stood up for our planet and protected the beauty and abundance we have?  And does anyone honestly think that this will decrease our dependance on foreign energy supplies?  You can live without natural gas, but can you live without drinking water?  The question I would like to ask every person who supports hydrofracking is..."Would you want it in your back yard?"  I think we would have different results.

Wow, it's been awhile, eh? Sorry but we are working on our move to the Finger Lakes Region....

Tonight Jim and I are doing a taste test. We kept meaning to get to Shalestone Vineyards this summer, but because of circumstances way beyond our control, we just keep missing them. So yesterday I went to the McKenzie Child Sale and Festivities for Columbus Day and stopped at the "Bet the Farm" retail shop in Aurora. We tasted "Bet the Farm" wines: Pinot Grigio, Traminette, a white blend, Gamay Noir, Pinot Noir and Cab Franc. I liked what I tasted. They were all light, smooth, but also complex. The winemaker was actually trained by Lou Damiani and does her winemaking at Damiani. Anyway, I bought 2 Shalestones wines at the retail shop because I fear we won't make it there before it closes again this year. I bought the Pinot Noir and Cab Franc. Tonight we opened the Shalestone Pinot Noir. It is full of cherries, nutmeg and coffee with a long finish. Jim, however felt it tasted more like a Cab Franc with green pepper tones. I agreed that the tannins were evident half way through, but then I got cherries again. He disagreed (as we do often these days) and went downstairs to get our benchmark of pinot noirs, Heart and Hands, to compare.

Heart and Hands is like eating a golden delicious apple: smooth, round, full and lush. It gives you that warm fuzzy feeling. The Shalestone is cherry and more fruit forward. I like them both and we are having a discussion about the fairness of comparing them. I think they are both good, though different. Jim prefers Heart and Hands. " That's the way it is" at our house tonight. Try some yourself and let us know your opinion.

A Real Tribute to Deb

As difficult as the evening had to be for Red Newt's Dave Whiting, the Sparkling Winemaker's Table dinner was a fitting tribute to his wife, Debra. Dave's toast to love and celebration (their son's birthday and engagement) was heartfelt and Deb's presence was felt throughout the evening. This was her menu, the last one she had planned. And the staff outdid themselves with each course's creation and presentation.

We started with grilled bacon wrapped shrimp on a white bean and roasted fennel cake drizzled with a lemon-mustard vinaigrette paired with Chateau Frank 2002 Blanc de Noir. Next was organic field green salad with caramelized chevre, duck breast, fried leeks and cherry balsamic vinaigrette paired with Heart and Hands 2009 Brut Rose. The main course was baked almond crusted sea bass topped with apricot relish and apricot verjus glaze served with a garlic scape potato pancake with green beans. This was paired nicely with Lamoreaux Landing 2006 Blanc de Blanc. The dessert was Chocolate Pate with Black Tea and Cardamom Ice Cream paired with Red Newt Cellars 2007 Hellbender Soiree. The food was out of this world and the pairings superb. Contributing winemakers or Dave's sons were seated at each table which made for fascinating conversation about the wine industry, local produce and food pairings.

What better way to pay tribute to Deb than through her passions of food and wine and with her family and the extended family of friends who support it? Thank-you Dave.

Sad News about Debra Whiting

We would like to extend our condolences to Dave Whiting and family. The Finger Lakes region mourns such a huge loss.

Brut Rose Vertical at Heart & Hands Wine Company

Have you ever been to a vertical wine tasting? Often winemakers will hold back some of their wines for their wine "library". The library wines can then be accessed for special events such as the Vertical Tasting on Sunday at Heart & Hands Wine Company. At a vertical, you are able to compare different vintages side by side. The Heart & Hand's vertical of their Brut Rose included the 2007, 2008, and 2009 vintages. Winemaker Tom Higgins had tasting notes available with information about the vintage season, which Pinot Noir clones were used and his tasting notes from when each was opened Sunday morning. He paired the Roses with Strawberry shortcake (and whip cream - yum) which really brought out the berry flavors in the sparkling wine.

Before I tell you about each vintage, I think a short course in Champagne and Sparkling Wines is in order. For a wine to be called Champagne, it must be made from either Chardonnay, Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier grapes grown in the Champagne region of France. Since Heart & Hands is in Union Springs NY, they must call their wine Sparkling Wine. HOWEVER, Tom uses the Champagne METHOD (or Traditional method) to make his Sparkling Wine. The Champagne Method is labor intensive, takes longer and is more expensive than other methods used. In the Champagne Method, the final blend of the still wine is bottled with a small amount of wine, sugar and yeast. A secondary fermentation occurs in the bottle which can last up to 3 months (to get those bubbles). Then the bottles are stacked with their necks pointing down and are turned at regular time intervals. In the degorgement stage, the bottle necks are plunged into a freezing solution which freezes the bottle around the sediment (which has traveled to the neck). The bottle is turned upright, the cap popped, and ice and sediment shoot out. Lastly, the bottle is topped with a reserve wine and sugar combo, re-corked and further aged. Using the Champagne Method generally produces a higher quality sparkling wine, and Tom is all about quality.

So - the 3 vintages:

2007: A hot and dry vintage. Dijon Pinot Noir Clones were used. This is important as these clones are from Burgundy and used to make still wines (such as Pinot Noir). The wine was a slightly darker shade of pink than the other two due (according to Tom) to thicker skins on the grapes. This sparkling wine was described by Tom :" Raspberry opens up on the nose leading to ruby red grapefruit, cranberry-raspberry-orange muffin". It was really really good with the strawberry shortcake!

2008: This was a normal vintage. The Pinot Noir clones were Champagne clones (from the Champagne region of France). Tom described it as "Plum skin and delicate floral notes open up to grapefruit and freshly mowed straw supported by a firm backbone."

2009: This vintage was cool and moist. Again Champagne clones were used. Tom's description:" Hints of candied cherries enter the nose followed by a ripe cherry burst on the palate with a touch of dried cranberry tartness on the finish."

All were really good and while there were commonalities among them, each had subtle differences that distinguished them depending on the taster's palate! Needless to say,we purchased the 2009, which is currently in the tasting room. But get some soon, because it won't last long.

New releases also available in the tasting room now are the 2010 Dry Riesling (108 cases produced) and the 2010 Riesling (226 cases produced). Other wines available for tasting are the 2009 Pinot Noir and the 2008 Barrel Reserve Pinot Noir (which is out-of-this-world).

P.S. Thank-you, Tom, for graciously signing a bottle of the Reserve Pinot Noir for Jim to give a friend who is retiring.