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.

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.

2008 Reflections

As the end of the year draws close, I reflect on this past year and a few of the wonderful wines we've tried recently and which deserve a mention:

Hermann J. Wiemer 2007 Merlot


Hermann J. Wiemer 2007 Estate White


Dr. Frank 's 2006 Merlot


Standing Stone Pinnacle 2005


Standing Stone Cab Franc 2006

Happy New Year!

Drink Finger Lakes Wines - responsibly!

Rate Dr. Frank's Salmon Run Riesling!

It's Dr. Frank's 45th Anniversary today so we chose his 2005 Salmon Run Riesling as our first poll. This wine is very affordable at about $12.99 per bottle. Buy one, try it and get back to us with your opinion! (The poll is along the right hand side). If you respond, you will be listed as honorary "Pack" members!

Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars

Rory, our 10-year-old (golden), is our poster boy! My good friend, Laura Wilder, is a VERY talented Roycroft Artisan. I have linked to her website, www.laurawilder.com, so you can see her wonderful Arts and Crafts Style prints, as well as her portraits, house paintings and drawings. About a year ago, she began a line of dog breed prints and needed models, so Rory volunteered to be “The Golden Retriever”. I believe he embodies all that a Golden Retriever is: friendly, happy, alert and VERY handsome. My Rory is my shadow, my protector and my bodyguard! He worries if I am out of the house; when I go away on trips, he sleeps by the back door. All is right in Rory’s world when I am home and he is snoozing on the floor beside me.
Unfortunately, I had to leave Rory when Jim and I took a trek on the west side of Keuka Lake to visit Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars. What a great experience we had! I feel terrible that I didn’t write down the name of the man who served us the wine because he was chock full of information. Moreover, I must say that every wine we tasted was delicious. And the atmosphere was VERRY nice - oriental rugs- a beautiful wood bar - classy.
We started out tasting champagnes: the 2000 Blanc de Noirs ($34.99) and the Célèbre ($19.99). The Blanc de Noirs was delicious dry champagne. The Célèbre, made from Riesling grapes, was also dry and very good. Next, we compared the Dry Riesling ($17.99) to the Semi Dry Riesling ($15.99). These two Rieslings were big winners this year in wine competitions. The Dry Riesling won five gold medals at competitions as well as a Platinum “Best of Class” medal at the Los Angeles International Wine Competition. Of the 20 Best of Class awards given out, Dr. Frank’s Dry Riesling was the only New York State wine to earn the top honor. And it is exceptional! Pick up a bottle if you can! By the way, the Semi Dry Riesling was no slouch either, winning six gold medals at various competitions. You can’t go wrong with either one.
Next, we tried the 2006 Rkatsiteli ($24.99) and the 2006 Gewurztraminer ($24.99). The Rkatsiteli is usually gone by June or July, so be warned for the future. We were able to taste it a few weeks ago so there were still bottles available. The Rkatsiteli is an ancient grape. Rkatsiteli grape seeds were discovered on Mt. Ararat dating back to 3000 BC (Noah’s Ark?) Only a handful of wineries on the East Coast – McGregor’s and Dr. Frank in New York State and Horton Wines in Virginia grow Rkatsiteli grapes. This 2006 Rkatsiteli had a green apple flavor (usually it has more of a grapefriuty flavor). The Gewurztraminer was also delicious – a great wine to have with spicy meals or Thanksgiving dinner.
Moving into the “pink”, we sampled the 2006 Dry Rose ($14.99) which is a Pinot- Bordeaux blend. With .2% residual sugar, this wine surprises the “blush wines must be sweet” people. It could be paired nicely with fish or vegetable dishes or stand alone as a nice summer sipping wine.
We tried three red wines. The 2005 Pinot Noir ($24.99) is made from grapes grown on the original vines that are now 50+ years old – the oldest on the East Coast and the 3rd oldest in the US! The roots run 16 feet deep (and would go deeper except they hit shale and are now growing sideways)! The Cabernet Franc ($19.99) is a dry red that would be great with steak. This wine could be aged 10-20 years if stored properly. The last wine we sampled was the 2004 Meritage ($12.99). This is an exceptional value for such a good wine (Meritages generally run in the $20 range).
Let me just point out that at this winery alone, we sampled 10 wines. This is not unusual, so here is my plug for wise alcohol consumption. If you are going to more than one winery, you could be drinking the equivalent of several glasses of wine in a short amount of time. The average amount of wine per tasting is 1 oz. Five ounces equals a standard glass of wine, so we had the equivalent of two glasses of wine at Dr. Franks. While all the wineries are very careful in the amounts they serve and provide crackers, I know that I can’t keep up that pace at each winery- especially if I am visiting more than one winery in a day. So know that the wineries are very obliging when you ask to split a tasting. In fact, all praised us for doing so. In other words, we purchase one tasting and Jim and I share the glass (about 2 sips each). That way, we are only drinking half the amount that we would have if we each ordered a tasting. I know I want to get home in one piece because Rory will be waiting by the door!