Damiani Wine Cellars Compares their Cab Sauv to the World!

How does Damiani's Cab Sauv compare to old world and new world Cab Sauvs? Last weekend they hosted a Blind Tasting in which Damiani's 07 Barrel Select Cabernet Sauvignon was compared to Cab Sauvs from Australia, Northern Italy, France, Argentina and California. A crisp,but sunny spring day was the setting and the new Damiani tasting room on the East side of Seneca Lake was the place. Tables were set up in the lower level (which still has a gorgeous view of the lake) for the tasters. A large table with food pairings (sliced meats, peppers, chocolates and cheeses) was available to compliment the nuances in the wine. And so we began. Wines A, B and C were poured and we sniffed, eyed, swirled, pondered, tasted, pondered some more and eventually rated each wine. Terms such as: fruit forward, earthy, minty, minerally were thrown about and the consensus of the group was that these were new world wines. Sure enough, it was revealed that one was a $12.oo Argentine wine - 2008 Mendoza, another Australian - Cover Drive 2007 ($22.00) and the other from California- 2005 Sensorium ($35.00). Next came bottles D,E,F and the process repeated. These wines, 2 of which were old world: 2005 Chateau d'Issan Margaux at $74.oo a bottle and a 1999 Swansburg Castel (?) at $40.00 a bottle, were deeper in color, peppery and delicious. The third wine of this group was the Damiani 2007 Barrel Select at $30.00 a bottle. It was interesting to find out that Cab Sauv grapes originated from Sauv Blanc and Cab Franc vines! So what were the favorites? The French, the Italian and the Damiani. Yay!
Meeting new people, getting educated and drinking great wines, what better way to spend a March afternoon? There are more events coming up at Damiani's: April 24th a Merlot tasting, May 22 - Riesling, June 6 - Sauv Blanc and July 24 - Pinot Gris. Other reds will be tasted in the fall. Thank-you, Damiani Wine Cellars!

Vacation!!!!

My husband was really taken with Will.I.Am's name (of the Black Eyed Peas) during the SuperBowl. While he was ecstatic that the Packers won and still expounds the greatness of their defense, his mind has been secretly pondering other thoughts. Just days before his birthday he sprang his new identity on us. That's right, Jim will now be referred to as Jam.Es! Pity us here at my house. Soooo, OK that makes me Joy.Ce and the dog: Mag.E. Cool.
"Jam.Es" and I decided to go on vacation the other day. I know, I know, others have taken off for Florida, Belize and the Caribbean in the middle of a LOOOONG, COLD winter, however, we took off for Seneca Lake. Actually, we had to strategically plan our vacation between winter storm warnings. Last Thursday was the day to go (the next storm was to start Thursday night), so we grabbed the window and made it to the lake by noon. Our plan was to stop at the StoneCat Cafe for a bite to eat before hitting the wineries. Unfortunately, there were no cars at all in the Cafe parking lot, so we scraped that idea and headed to Damiani's new tasting room with its glorious view of the Lake. It is large and open with a kitchen area for food pairing prep - really well done. We totally enjoyed our tasting and chat with Gabriel Damiani, and walked away with a 2009 Riesling, the 2009 Dolce Bianco (for our daughter who likes a slightly sweeter wine) and a couple of bottles of Cab Sauv Barrel Select 2008. Damiani is having a dinner coming up in March as well as a Cab Sauv tasting where they compare their Barrel Select to other wines from around the world. Check their website for details. Both sound great!
Next we stopped at the new JR Dill winery, but it is only open Fri-Sun. We really want to try the wines, so will have to come back.
On to Red Newt Cellars, Winery and Bistro, where we knew the Bistro would be open. Debra Whiting (winery co-owner with husband Dave and the Bistro's executive chef) prepares wonderful lunches and dinners at the Bistro. We enjoyed a grilled chicken sandwich with bacon, greens, cheese and cranberry sauce, chicken lentil soup and Riesling. Chris, our server, offered us two Rieslings recently rated in Wine Spectator at 89 and 90 Points. One was slightly sweeter, 2009 Lahoma Vineyards Riesling, and the other slightly drier, 2009 Sawmill Creek Vineyards Riesling. They were both really nice. Then Chris brought us another Riesling to try that has not been rated yet by Wine Spectator, the 2009 Davis Vineyard Riesling. This Riesling's sweetness fell between the other two and was absolutely awesome. It paired the best with the sandwich and soup. We all agreed that this one will also do really well with Wine Spectator. Since there are a limited number of cases of all three (less than 200), we bought several bottles. We really like the fact that Red Newt gives credit to the Vineyard that grows the grapes they use. For example, the Davis Vineyard is that of Phil Davis of Diamiani wines. Another example of the unique cooperative/collaborative spirit of the Finger Lakes wineries.
We made one last stop at Standing Stone Vineyards to pick up some favorites: Pinot Noir 2007, Pinnacle 2007 and Smokehouse Red (their red blend). We had a great chat with Gary and Sandra Smith, caught Marti for a second, then started our homeward trip before the storm hit! We were gone for maybe 6 hours, but what a relaxing, enjoyable day! Now is the time to go to the wineries when it's quiet and you can talk with the staff, winemakers and winery owners. We are so lucky to have this mini-vacation right outside our back door. Needless to say, when the snows hit on Friday, "Jam.Es" and I built a fire, got out a bottle of wine and re-lived our day at the lake!

J.R. Dill - New Winery on Seneca Lake

Columbus Day Weekend
While Jim and I were busy with our annual October trek to Niagara on the Lake, "Rover" Jon diligently scoured the East side of Seneca Lake to report on the latest happenings. He discovered a new winery, J.R. Dill's which he said has really great dry wines. It is located 6 miles north of Watkin's Glen. Young J.R. (26?) is making wines from vines his great grandfather worked over 100 years ago. I am looking forward to visiting this new winery as well as Damiani's new tasting room, which is now open.
Jim and I have been helping out at Standing Stone this fall. They have a wonderful Saperavi, the 2007 Pinot Noir is out of this world as is the 2007 Pinnacle (Cab Sav, Merlot and Cab Franc blend with the addition of the Petit Verdot grape). The 2006 Pinnacle is also really good. It is fun to ask tasters their opinion when sampling the two, because it is pretty much 50/50 as to their preferences between the 07 and 06. I can't say enough about the ice wines from Standing Stone either. There are 4 to taste: Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Vidal. Each is unique and de-lish (with 91+ Wine Spectator ratings)!
We are looking forward to Standing Stone's First Ever Loyalty Club Event: Barrel tastings and Verticals.... Nov. 21st. Check out the Standing Stone website for more details.
In the mean time, pour yourself a glass of a Finger Lakes Wine and enjoy the beauty of the fall!

Damiani Wine Cellar's New Tasting Room is Coming...

Damiani Wine Cellars will be opening their new tasting room in about a month's time. It is located 5 miles south of the current tasting room on the east side of Seneca Lake, Route 414. We will definitely have to schedule a trip there when it opens, but in the meantime, we had a great tasting opportunity with Gabriel Damiani last weekend. Their current tasting room is really a beautiful old house, and it was gloriously air-conditioned! We previously had only tasted their reds and their 2009 Riesling, so welcomed the opportunity to try the other whites available. Gabriel said they don't make any bad wines, and he was right. We have loved their reds for awhile, but now we love them all. The wines are all dry wines, but some taste sweeter or fruitier depending on the type of grape. They are a small winery making a limited numbers of cases (from 100- 600). We started with the whites. The Sav Blanc (188 cases made) was exceptional. Lots of grass and tropical fruit flavors. The Riesling (2009) is made with grapes from Argetsinger vineyards. I love this Riesling; it is so crisp and clean. We sampled and liked the Gewurztraminer. The Pinot Grigio was also lovely and Gabriel was glad everyone in the group liked it as he said he planted all the vines for this grape by hand, and that the vineyards are truly a labor of love that he hopes will be there for the family's descendants to enjoy.

Then came the reds. We really, really liked the Cab Franc Barrel Select, The Merlot, the Cab Sav and the Meritage. The Pinot Noir was well done also. Lastly we tried the 2007 Sparking Brut. All I can say is if you have a special occasion or even don't have a special occasion, but like champagne, try this! It was truly a taste experience as it goes through many changes as soon as it hits your mouth! The effervescence changes from sweet to citrus to vanilla. Wow. Needless to say, we purchased a bottle of the Brut to accompany the Barrel Select Cab Franc and Riesling. As we were driving home we realized we didn't grab a Meritage. Guess we'll just have to go back when the new tasting room opens!

P.S. Today "Rover" Jon sent me this photo of the wines he purchased at Damiani this weekend: the Barrel Select Cab Franc, the Barrel Select Pinot Noir, and the Cabernet Sauvignon Barrel Select! As a fellow Damiani lover, he is enjoying his purchases in celebration of the 4th. His review of these Damiani wines: "awesome"!

Rendezvous with Riesling at the NY Wine and Culinary Center

OK so that's Fox Run's Merlot in the glass, but it really makes the words stand out!

My friend John said the other day that he doesn't like going to big wine events because you never get to speak to the owners or winemakers and such personalization is the beauty of visiting the Finger Lakes wineries. The Rendezvous With Riesling event, however, was exactly that. Practically everyone we spoke with was either a winery owner, winemaker or both. With 44 wineries represented from throughout the Finger Lakes (and a few from Long Island), we barely scratched the surface because we had such fun talking to the owners/winemakers. The New York Wine and Culinary Center provided a beautiful backdrop in which to showcase these wineries without ever feeling crowded or uncomfortable. There were 7 gourmet food sponsors who provided samplings also as well as Rohrbach's Brewery. It was the perfect venue to get to know new wineries that we haven't visited on our "retrievals".

Several stand-outs beg to be mentioned first such as Anthony Road's 2008 Martini-Reinhart Selection Riesling Trockenbeeren (Wine Spectator 93 points). The comment I wrote about this late harvest treat was - WOW. Truly a treat. We were also able to sample Dr. Konstantin Frank's 2008 Bunch Select Late Harvest (Wine Spectator gave it 92 points). Again this was an exceptional treat that we were thrilled to be able to try. We also enjoyed Damiani's 2008 Riesling. They are just starting to bottle it so it is still young, but very zippy, crisp, citrus-y and full of promise. (And yes, this is the Damiani Wine Cellars that we have come to love for having exceptional red wines...)

We visited several favorites, but were very impressed with a winery we had never visited, Keuka Spring Vineyards. We spoke a length with Len Wiltberger, the owner, who poured us the most delicious glass of 2008 Gewurztraminer (Best White Wine at the San Francisco Chronicle Competition). It had just the right balance of flowers, citrus and pepper. We were also able to compare the 2009 Riesling (just taken from the barrel for the event) to the 2007 Reserve Riesling. It is always fun to taste the differences in young vs. older vintages to taste the effects time has on taste. Both were excellent; the 2009 has the promise of mellowing out nicely. Other new wineries we tried and enjoyed were Highland Cellars/Hickory Hollow and Boomer Creek Vineyards.

Least I forget, we had some awesome gourmet sausage from Hartmann's Old World Sausage in Canandaigua. I wish I had written down the names of all the sausages, but one was better than the next. We will definitely get some for our next wine party!

So, the evening truly was all about meeting the winemakers and hearing their stories; the pride in their voices as they told the tales of their favorite wines or newest creations. Where else on earth could you make the connection with these hard working people who are so passionate about their craft? THAT'S what makes our Finger Lakes wine region so unique.

The Competition Continues aka: Wine, Wine and More Wine

Jim set off early this gorgeous spring morning for Fox Run Vineyards. Apparently there were several bottles of wine that didn't make it to the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition a few weeks back due to shipping/receiving/customs problems. So 8 judges gathered at Fox Run and Jim volunteered to help pour and serve the wines to the judges. While I know he deeply regretted not sitting in his windowless cubical punching numbers all day for the fine folks on probation, he just had to make due with the stunning lake view, blue sky and glasses filled with delicious wines. Tough, I know! He dutifully reported back that about 100 bottles were judged. And he didn't spill a drop carrying the trays of filled glasses down into the barrel room. So rest assured that ALL wines submitted have now been judged. Don't forget the 10th annual Wine Auction and Dinner to benefit Camp Good days and Special Times on May 1 - there are still tickets available (visit www.campgooddays.org). At the dinner, you will be able to sample many of the award winning wines along with a delectable dinner!

Also coming up this weekend are the following events:

Damiani Wine Cellars are having a Pinot Noir Release Party in their tasting room Friday April 16th from 5:30 - 8:30. Additionally, enjoy the artwork of Pamela Drix on exhibit. Sounds like a great way to enjoy the sunset!

Winestock NY 2010 is going to be celebrated at 3 Brothers Winery on Saturday April 17th from noon to 6:00 pm. With Live music all day and food pairings, it sounds like fun. There is a $20/person cover charge.

So drink up, drink responsibly and enjoy!

We waited until the cows came home!

It's not every day you run into a cattle stampede on the east side of Seneca Lake on the way to visit wineries! OK, so they were calves and there were only about 8 of them. They had obviously

"escaped" from home and were giddy with freedom. They had traffic stopped in both directions as they merrily darted back and forth down the road (jumping over the white and yellow lines). You could almost hear them talking to each other:

"Hey, let's head for that big wine barrel down the road."

"OK, we're all with you!"

"Well, no, maybe we should turn around..."

"OK let's turn around."

"Hey look, there's some really sweet looking grass over there!"

"Let's go for it - hey watch that white line - come on!"

"No, I really think we should..."

As we carefull drove around them on our way to Damiani Wine Cellars, we couldn't help but chuckle at their great escape and obvious enjoyment of freedom. They reminded me of school kids let out for the summer - free at last and not sure what to do first. Oh, to live in the moment like that!

Damiani Wine Cellars (http://www.damianiwinecellars.com/) is owned and operated by Phil Davis and Lou Damiani, friends and natives of Seneca Lake. They produce limited quantities of "fine, hand-crafted wine." Their wines are dry or "off dry" and they even offer a few unfiltered wines (like tasting it directly out of the barrel). In the white wines, they are currently offering Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio,and Riesling all 2007 vintage. They also offer a Dolce Bianco NV (blend of Vignoles, Cayuga and Vidal grapes) which won the Bronze Medal at the 2007 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition and a Silver medal from the 2008 Golden Nose Competition. The reds include Vino Rosso NV (Pinot Noir and Rougeon,Vincent and Leon Millet hybrids blend), 2006 Pinot Noir, 2007 Pinot Noir, 2007 Cabernet Franc (double gold medal winner and scored an 87 in Wine Spectator), 2006 Merlot, 2007 Merlot (double gold and gold medal winner and Wine Spectator score of 86), 2006 Meritage and a 2007 Barrel Select Merlot Reserve wine. We had a great time doing vertical tastings of the Pinot Noir and Merlot as well as pairing wines with artisan chocolates available at the winery. Damiani's wines were delicious - smooth and flavorful. While we know the reds in the Finger Lakes keep getting better, Damiani's really excel. And what a thrill to see their wines (and the Finger Lakes Region) represented in Wine Spectator! Hard choices, but we ended up purchasing the Cab Sauv (unfiltered) and the 2007 Merlot. Then we found 2 bottles of the Cab Franc at a local liquor store (the winery is sold out), so will try one of them soon and let you know our impression. My friend, Jon, who was at Damiani Cellars earlier in the day, purchased the Barrel Select Merlot (it is a double gold, gold and silver medal winner with a rating of 87 in Wine Spectator). Jon is planning a return trip in October when the 2008's are released! We're with you Jon, we will definately make a return trip to Damiani Wine Cellars! (Hopefully the cows will stay home!)