Canandaigua Wine Walk and Dinner

     Despite the 38 degree weather with a windchill of- I don't know, 4 below?-  Jim and I braved the Canandaigua Wine Walk today. There were several good wineries represented - Hermann J. Wiemer, Lamoreaux  Landing, and a new one we wanted to try - Point of the Bluff Winery (Keuka Lake). It is always a fun time on the wine or beer walks because of the people you meet along the way and the new places you discover. Today we met a couple from Connecticut who moved to the area four years ago because their children are here. We had a great time comparing wineries we liked and I have a referral to their daughter's hair salon! We also discovered some new businesses in town that we will be sure to frequent.  Some highlights were Point of the Bluff's Semi Dry Riesling, Lamoreaux Landing's 2009 Chardonnay and Knapp Winery's Vignoles ( a semi sweet white wine that our daughter will like and will also be a great summertime sipper if the ice ever melts off the lake). We discovered Good Life Tea Company on S. Main Street-  specializing in awesome teas and we visited a favorite, F. Oliver's  to purchase an infused EVOO.
     We returned home to our marinating (soy sauce, sherry, ground ginger, brown sugar and garlic) salmon. Dinner was grilled salmon, asparagus drizzled with F. Oliver's Garden Fresh Gremolata extra virgin olive oil (lemon, parsley and garlic), brown rice, salad and Hedonistic Chocolate's Dark Chocolate Orange Cranberry Bark for dessert. Forge Cellar 2011 Pinot Noir (smokey/complex) accompanied the salmon perfectly and was outstanding with the dark chocolate. So we continue to eat good food and drink good wines to stave off the cold weather that just keeps coming....

P.S. Point of the Bluff will open their new tasting room on the west side of Keuka Lake on Memorial Day.

May Day and a Barrel of Fun!

This is very late in coming, but Jim and I attended a marvelous barrel tasting at Ravines on May 1st. This encompassed several vertical tastings paired with phenomenal food. At the end, we got to mix our own Meritage blend! But let's start at the beginning.

Finger Lakes Wine Retriever's friends and "Rovers", Maggie and Jon arrived at Ravines before we did, but saved us a couple glasses which were immediately filled with Keuka Village! We chatted outside until the preparations were all ready for us inside. Then we entered the tasting room to find tables set and wine ready to be poured. Winemaker extraordinaire, Morten Hallgren took his place behind the bar as we took our places at the table. Then the food pairings and wine tasting began! We knew the wines would be delicious, but we never expected the extensive food pairings which accompanied them. Still more unbelievable was that the kitchen equipment in the new kitchen area below the tasting room was not yet hooked up, so Lisa Hallgren made to make do (and did so exceptionally), with toaster ovens! We were able to taste the 09 Riesling that was awarded 90 points by the Wine Spectator, Merlot, Pinot Noir, some 2010's from the barrels and compare them to earlier vintages. Paired with quiche, salad, chocolates, and I wish I could remember what else, it was a meal, an education and beyond our wildest expectations. Everyone enjoyed sharing, talking and meeting each other and Morten enjoyed it all! Thank-you Ravines, Morten and Lisa for a wonderful afternoon.