Glorious Garlic Festival at Fox Run Vineyards

Winston wishes he could taste the Hedonia wine we sampled at Fox Run Vineyards during their 22nd Annual Glorious Garlic Festival (August 2, and 3)  Either that or he is mad at us for not taking him!  But if we had, we never would have made it to the wine tasting tent and had a sit down tasting with Peter Bell, Winemaker extraodinaire.  We learned how the Chardonnay grape can produce two very different tasting wines.  First we sampled the Un-oaked Chardonnay which is aged in stainless steel tanks.  This produces a refreshing, crisp, light, fruit forward, dry wine that is very drinkable by itself on the deck or with food. Next we sampled the Reserve Chardonnay which is aged in French and American oak barrels to create that rich mouth feel and buttery, creamy wine that we love so much with seafood. Fox Run's Reserve Chardonnay is well balanced - no overpowering oak here.  Peter tells us that it is the malolactic fermentation that the Oaked Chardonnay goes through that coverts the malice acid (think green apple tartness) to lactic acid ( fuller mouth feel and buttery notes). That explains why the Un-oaked has the tartness and crispness (and is the same reason a Riesling or Gewurztraminer is crisp, tart and fruit-forward) - no malolactic fermentation! 

Next we tried the Hedonia.  This fortified wine occupies a unique niche. If you like Gewurztraminer, you will like this wine as it is made from the Traminette grape - relative of the Gewürztraminer grape.  Peter feels the best way to drink it is before dinner (as an aperitif) to wake up your taste buds. And simpler is better - on the rocks with a twist of orange.  Ways to mix it to create other cocktails are on the Fox Run website, but we really enjoyed sipping it alone and well chilled.  At 20% alcohol and with 9% residual sugar, it is delicious, serious and needs to be experienced!

Of course, there were many things garlic at the Garlic Festival, too.  Local garlic cheeses, pickles, sauces, and crafts along with the music of various bands.  A great way to spend a hot August weekend! 

We tired Winston out just talking about it!

(Think LLBean will want him as a poster child?)

2012 Tierce is here!

     What view from the deck at Red Newt Wine Cellars on  July 5th where the 2012 Tierce was released! Tierce began as the cooperative efforts of three Finger Lakes winemakers: Peter Bell of Fox Run, Johannes Reinhardt of Anthony Road and Dave Whiting of Red Newt in 2005. The "Tierce Brothers" have grown to encompass six winemakers now (and some are women)!  However the collaboration of the various winemakers from different locations on Seneca Lake is unique to wine regions of the world.

      Jim and I arrived as several other cars were pulling into the large parking lot behind the winery.  It was a gorgeous July night: low humidity, a cloudless sky, and a refreshing breeze. The tasting room doors and windows were open allowing the light breeze to keep everyone comfortable.  We were directed to begin the evening by sampling three favorite summer wines:  Anthony Road's Pinot Gris, Fox Run's Rosé Lemberger and Red Newt's Gewurtztraminer. We took our first sample of the crisp, light Pinot Gris out on the deck to enjoy the scenery of the southeast side of Seneca Lake. We also were able to sample the perfectly chilledPinot Lemberger, which I absolutely love.  We were just finishing the Gewurtztraminer with its lovely floral nose and lychee finish when we were called to the tasting room for the Tierce unveiling.

     Bob Madill introduced the featured speaker, Stewart Piggot.  Piggot began by discussing his new book, Best White Wines on Earth, and told of the metamorphous of people's views of Riesling and how other parts of the world have caught on to to the merits of Riesling.  Riesling is no longer associated with an over-the-top sweet wine, but can range from bone dry to a super sweet dessert wine.  And the Finger Lakes shines in Riesling production.   Next, the Tierce Brothers were introduced: Johannes Reinhardt, Peter Bell and Kelby Russell (from Red Newt).  Each discussed the nuances of their dry rieslings that went into the Tierce blend.  

      Jim and I were eager to try each ourselves, so when the speeches were over, we were poured a sample of each and we took them to the deck to taste. I don't have the best palate, so my impressions were:  Fox Run's flavors hit immediately and were the brightest, Red Newt's flavors developed slowly and pleasantly and were strongest in the middle. Anthony Road's citrus flavors started strong, faded a bit in the middle and then came back to finish with lingering vanilla or almond.  Jim felt Fox Run was the most flavorful and he enjoyed the balance of Anthony Road's as well.  He felt Fox Run and Red Newt's wines had slight petrol notes.  All were delightful and we wondered how they would be when  blended.

      Finally the Tierce was revealed, and we were amazed at the synergistic effect the three dry Rieslings had on each other.  I could taste Fox Run's initial flavor burst, Red Newt's citrus/mineral notes in the middle and Anthony Road's lingering vanilla notes at the end.  Truly this wine showcased the best of the three components.   

      As we finished our Tierce Dry Riesling, we asked Johannes Reinhardt about the possibility of another Tierce Red.  He said that the quality of the vintage will decide whether the winemakers get together to make a red blend like they did in 2007.  Who knows - 2010 was a really good year….

California? PUH!

So here again is a plug for joining wine clubs at your favorite Finger Lakes Winery. Why? Because...

• You get wine DELIVERED TO YOUR HOME 4-6 times a year.


• Often the wine is exclusive to wine club members: limited productions, library wines, or a new release.


• You can be invited to special events such as pig roasts, dinners, vertical tastings, barrel tastings, etc.


• There is a discount on wines purchased in the retail shop.


• Newsletters, food pairings, recipes...


• No tasting room fees.

Our Finger Lakes region is so beautiful and the wines are emerging as world-class (don't believe me, check out the Wine Spectator). Who needs California?

Rooster Hill Pig Roast

The month of August is here and we started it with a bang at Rooster Hill's Wine Club Pig Roast. Again, another fabulous day on the east side of Keuka Lake! The view from their patio is stupendous! Their patio also hosts a huge wood fired pizza oven. So while we arrived, distributed our raffle tickets, and enjoyed participating in a blind wine tasting, the pizza oven was cranking out gourmet pizzas! (Seafood, pineapple, pepperoni and plain with huge chunks of tomato in the sauce...yum!) The band played Jimmy Buffet and other favorites while club members tasted wines and socialized. We were able to try all the newly bottled 2009 wines which are not yet released. We especially liked the Pinot Noir (young but complex, so it will only get better), the Gewurztraminer and the Estate Late Harvest Vidal Blanc. Watch for these releases and give them a try! The dinner was fabulous: awesome pork with fresh salads, baked beans, rolls and cookies!

As the sun slowly sank in the sky, we sat on the patio enjoying our last glass of wine with new friends Dave and Barb, and made plans to meet them again at the Holiday Party! Thank- you Amy Hoffman (president and co-founder) and staff for a well-organized and enjoyable afternoon.

Ravines Wine Club Dinner

Wow! Where does the time go, especially in the summer? It has been almost a month since we attended the First Annual Ravenous Wine Club Party on July 10th. It was a hot, steamy afternoon with a gorgeous view of Keuka Lake. Ravine's is located on the east side of Keuka Lake where the lake splits into a "Y". This gives you a panoramic north and south view as well as a nice view of the widest part of the lake. And it was a perfect day for a dinner. We enjoyed scrumptious appetizers while winemaker and owner Morten Hallgren poured his wonderful, dry, European-style wines. Morten's wife, Lisa, is the chef and mastermind behind the food pairings. Her dinner followed with fantastic salads made with local produce: Laurence Francois's Mediterranean Couscous, Cold Green Bean and Lemon Salad and the utterly awesome Lisa's Potato Salad. These were accompanied by Grilled Chicken with Garlic Scape Pesto and followed by desserts of cheesecake and chocolate! (The recipes for the chicken and salads are on Ravines new website http://ravineswine.com/welcome/ ). We truly enjoyed ourselves and had a chance to make some new acquaintances while reconnecting with old. Well done, Ravines!

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!

February Finger Lakes Wine Events

Upcoming Wine Events (some events have no cost listed. Please contact the wineries to find out about costs):

Casa Larga Vineyards - Sweetheart's Saturday
Feb 09, 2008 (Sat) @ 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Place: Casa Larga Vineyards
Fairport
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with your sweetheart at Casa Larga! Our Wine Shop will be offering a variety of special treats in honor of the holiday, including samples of our Blanc de...more: http://www.localwineevents.com/Finger-Lakes-Wine/event-153251.html

Celebrate Chocolate & Wine Weekend
Feb 09, 2008 (Sat) to Feb 10, 2008 (Sun) @ 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Place: Wineries along the Seneca Lake Wine Trai...
Watkins Glen
Cost: $25/person or $18 for designated driver
Enjoy a self-guided tour around beautiful Seneca Lake. Pick up your gift item at your assigned starting winery then start sampling chocolates, or foods prepared with chocolate, ...more: http://www.localwineevents.com/Finger-Lakes-Wine/event-159728.html

Cobblestone Farm Winery Sweet Sensation Weekend
Feb 09, 2008 (Sat) to Feb 10, 2008 (Sun) @ 9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Place: Cobblestone Farm Winery and Vineyard
Romulus
Cost: None
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with your loved one. Enjoy fine wines paired with complimentary tasty treats such as cheesecake, apple pie, and chocolate brownies. more: http://www.localwineevents.com/Finger-Lakes-Wine/event-165233.html

Fire and Ice Ice Wine Festival - Casa Larga Vineyards
Feb 10, 2008 (Sun) @ 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Place: Casa Larga Vineyards
Fairport
Cost: $12; $10 for Club Members
Ice Wine takes the stage at this annual event! 2008 marks the 12th year for Fire and Ice™, the celebration of Casa Larga's Ice Wines. Each year, this festival draws hundreds of i...more: http://www.localwineevents.com/Finger-Lakes-Wine/event-153252.html

Casa Larga Vineyards - Fiori Wine Enthusiast's Dinner
Feb 29, 2008 (Fri) @ 6:00 PM - 9:30 PM
Place: Casa Larga Vineyards
Fairport
Join Casa Larga for an elegant evening of celebration! The dinner is part of a month-long celebration of award winning wines, including Fiori Vidal and Fiori Cabernet Franc ice wi...more: http://www.localwineevents.com/Finger-Lakes-Wine/event-153253.html