New York Cork Report

January 6: Taste Live with Finger Lakes Cabernet Franc

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief

I'm exited to announce today that I'll be co-hosting a live Twitter tasting of four cabernet franc-based Finger Lakes wines as a part of TasteLive. My co-hosts are the folks from Finger Lakes Wine Country (FLWC), who have definitely embraced new and social media more than any other New York wine organization. 

FLWC launched a TasteLive page a month or so ago, and this will be the first event to really kick off the page. There will be many more, so stay tuned for more announcements.

For this edition, we'll be tasting these four wines:

• Fox Run Vineyards 2007 Cabernet Franc/Lemberger
• Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards 2007 Cabernet Franc
• Red Newt Wine Cellars 2007 “Sawmill Creek” Cabernet Franc
• Rooster Hill Vineyards 2007 Cabernet Franc

Too often, people dismiss red wines from the Finger Lakes, but I think participants are in for some surprises with these wines, even though I've only tasted two of the four myself.

We'll kick off the tasting at 8:00 p.m. ET, and we hope that you'll join us on Twitter and on the Finger Lakes Wine Country TasteLive Site.

Niagara Fruit Wines: Not Just For Breakfast Anymore

By Julia Burke, Niagara Escarpment Correspondent

Full disclosure: I hate fruit wines. When I think of the wines of the Niagara Escarpment, visions of riesling, chardonnay, cab franc and ice wine dance in my head; fruit wines, on the other hand, get me about as excited as soy bacon strips: I’m vaguely aware of their existence but don’t feel the need to take the relationship to the next level.

But in a wine region that shows remarkable diversity despite its small size, there’s no excuse for closed-mindedness, and after one of our fruit-wine-producing estates represented Niagara USA at a recent tasting event in New York City I made up my mind to at least give fruit wine another chance.

My goal: to find three fruit wines I liked, and figure out a way to use them in a meal.

The Winery at Marjim Manor is unique in Niagara for its focus on fruit wine, and as such was an obvious first stop. With over 20 different types of fruit wine in rotation made primarily from estate fruit, Marjim offers everything from a dry, punchy blueberry wine to a syrupy pear dessert wine. All made by local wine consultant/winemaker Dominic Carisetti, these wines were interesting, tasty and generally well-balanced.

I zeroed in on the Legacy, a tart currant wine which was just a bit too puckery to be quaffed on its own but showed great potential as a food pairing or cooking ingredient. Our server, Chris, was a wealth of pairing suggestions and explained that owner Margo Bittner stresses food pairing as a unique way for fruit wines to shine. “We try different matches and talk about what food would be best with each wine,” she says. The currant wine, I was told, would be a great match for beef or pork.

I found my next fruit wine at Leonard Oakes Estate winery, an up-and-coming winery thats offers two fruit wines as a supplement to a strong list of vinifera and hybrids. Both were outstanding – their Fuji Apple wine was crisp, only slightly sweet, and heavenly with  a piece of cheddar cheese, while their Cerise, a carbonated cherry cider, was delightfully refreshing and begged to be mixed into a Christmas morning cocktail. I purchased a bottle of the Cerise, marveling once again at the amazing versatility of winemaker Jonathan Oakes.

My final stop was Honeymoon Trail Winery, a haven for sweet wine lovers with few wines dropping below 2% residual sugar. Most of the wines, made by owner Gary Hoover, were too sweet for my palate, but I had a few dessert ideas for their Frozen Cherry wine, which balanced its sugar with a nice acidity.

I had my three wines, and it was time to start cooking.

Creating a dish starring Marjim Manor’s Legacy was a no-brainer: I added chicken broth, brown sugar, chopped dried apricots, and cornstarch to a reduction of the currant wine to make a delicious fruit sauce for pork tenderloin. While the recipe was a hit with my test kitchen (my family), everyone agreed that the wine went down easier in sauce than in the glass. While it’s a welcome change from the sweeter fruit wines, it’s a bit too tart to be a quaffer.

For dessert I deep-fried and caramelized some banana coins and made my world-famous hot fudge to drizzle on top. My plan was to blend in some Frozen Cherry, but the wine ruined the consistency of the hot fudge. I tried serving it as a dessert drink in cordial glasses along with the banana coins, but it was far too sweet for anyone at the table. A flourless chocolate cake might have been a better match.

I cook best with a glass of wine or beer in hand, so while my coins were deep-frying I started playing with fruit wines and vodka. I found that currant wine and vodka make a terrific combination, and realized that perhaps this was an even better avenue for fruit wines: mixed drinks!

In search of a new group of guinea pigs, I brought a mini bar to work the next day: vodka, Cava, Cerise, Legacy, and Frozen Cherry. In lieu of an employee Christmas party we began mixing different combinations, and it became clear that fruit wines are a wonderful bar ingredient.

While Frozen Cherry and Cava was nice and my Legacy/vodka cocktail went over well, the very best drink was Cava and Cerise. The tart, sparkly cherry and the subtly-flavored bubbly were a delightful combination, and with its bright-red hue the cocktail looked especially festive in a tall, thin glass. We drank a toast to on-the-job drinking and went back to work, productivity increased by the antioxidants we’d consumed.

Though I can’t say I’d curl up by the fire with a glass of blueberry wine any time soon, I have to admit that these three fruit wines won me over with their versatility as ingredients in food and drink. While they certainly won’t get Niagara USA a Wine Spectator cover, fruit wines, especially if they’re made from fruit grown on the estate, have a definite niche in Niagara as fun cooking tools that show off another side of our fertile region.

 

 

 

What We Drank (December 21, 2009)

From Bryan Calandrelli: Porcupine Ridge Syrah 2008

I'm usually picky when it comes to syrah. In the past I've pretty much stuck to Northern Rhone, Washington State or Chilean efforts.

For better or for worse I've avoided anything called shiraz just because I'm as close to a cool climate snob as anyone I know.

This bottle of Porcupine Ridge 2008 Syrah from South Africa isn't something I would normally pick up, but our fellow correspondent's (Julia's) plan to intern a South African grape harvest made the region much more interesting.

Although this one listed at 14.5% ABV, I gave it the benefit of the doubt as they named it syrah insinuating it had more in common with Crozes Hermitage than Australia.

It has aggressive aromas of cherry and raspberry fruits, with clove and smoked meat. It is plush while still rustic mouth feel makes for an interesting syrah. With great balance and an expansive finish, I was surprised on how fun this wine is to drink even though the meat flavor reminded me of blood.

Overall this wine is a good mix of old and new world. For $10, I'd suggest it for holiday get-togethers and parties. It would make a great conversion starter with my wine geek friends.

From Evan Dawson: Guinness Draught from a bottle

Take a close look at the picture. It wasn't the rocket widget clanging around the inside of this bottle that got my attention. It was the fact that this was a bottle of beer offering 11.2 ounces, not the standard 12.

My initial take was outrage. I discovered that this Guinness bottle has been around for eight years, and so I'm sure I've never thought to check the label before.

But what's the reason? I could only find some vague references to a "cool new package." Yes, cool as in, "makes the company tons of cash." Remember when CBS' Andy Rooney hammered coffee makers for repeatedly reducing the amount of coffee you got in the same package? I do: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/03/07/60minutes/rooney/main543240.shtml

Then I wondered what would happen if a wine company decided it was time to start selling bottles of 725 ML. Would most customers notice?

For every 30 bottles sold they'd have saved themselves an extra bottle of wine to sell. Sigh.

This is going to happen, isn't it? Someone is probably going to jump into the comments to inform me: It already has.

From Lenn Thompson: Chateau du Hureau 2005 Saumur-Champigny

Even when I'm not drinking New York wine, you'll often find cabernet franc in my glass -- usually from the Loire Valley. When I drink cab franc, I want cab franc, not wines that are trying to be cabernet sauvignon -- beaten with oak and overly extracted.

So, as the snow dumped on Long Island over the weekend, I was sipping this wine from a well-respected producer (recommended by a guy who knows the Loire better than I do). 

It was just what I was looking for, too. 

Sometimes people ask me about good versus bad "green" in cabernet franc and this wine is a perfect illustration. Dark berry fruit leads the way, but with subtle spice, a little note of earthy dried leaves and green herbal qualities, it's everything I dig in cabernet franc.

The green here is distinctly herbs, not bell pepper or other vegetables. That's the key.

On day two, this wine had broadened quite a bit, becoming much more mouthfilling and with a minerally, almost rocky-metallic note joining the fray.

I don't have much experience aging wines like this, but I think the other three bottles are going to sit in my cellar for a while. Should be fun to check in every couple of years.

VOTE: The New York Cork Report 2009 Readers' Choice Awards

We're a couple days late getting these polls created and posted, but now is your chance to vote for the New York Cork Report 2009 Readers' Choice Awards.

Voting begins today and will continue until 11:59 p.m. on December 31. To help ensure that people vote only once, we are using every tool that Poll Daddy offers -- including limiting each IP address to one vote and using cookies. We are also relying on the honesty and integrity of our readers.

We will announce the winners early in 2010.

Middle Ages Brewing Company Wizard's Winter Ale

By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist

One of the more underrated breweries in New York resides in Syracuse. Middle Ages Brewing Company opened in 1995 and makes only British style ales, all with Ringwood yeast.

Middle Ages Brewing Company's Wizard's Winter Ale poured a clear, maroon color with a thumb width of off-white head. The aroma is deep, with biscuity malt and spices.

The body is smooth with a little bready malt and some light spices. The finish is crisp and leaves a yeasty dryness on the palate. Wizard left a small amount of lace on the glass.

Overall, not a bad beer, but certainly not Middle Ages' best. The middle is a little hollow and thin, and the spices are a bit too apparent up front.

Producer: Middle Ages Brewing Company
ABV: 6.8%
Price: $2.75 (12 oz. Bottle)
Rating: (2.5 out of 5 | Average-to-Very Good)

By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist

One of the more underrated breweries in New York resides in Syracuse. Middle Ages Brewing Company opened in 1995 and makes only British style ales, all with Ringwood yeast.

Middle Ages Brewing Company's Wizard's Winter Ale poured a clear, maroon color with a thumb width of off-white head. The aroma is deep, with biscuity malt and spices.

The body is smooth with a little bready malt and some light spices. The finish is crisp and leaves a yeasty dryness on the palate. Wizard left a small amount of lace on the glass.

Overall, not a bad beer, but certainly not Middle Ages' best. The middle is a little hollow and thin, and the spices are a bit too apparent up front.

Producer: Middle Ages Brewing Company
ABV: 6.8%
Price: $2.75 (12 oz. Bottle)
Rating: (2.5 out of 5 | Average-to-Very Good)

Victorianbourg's Bet On Pinot by the Lake Shore

By Bryan Calandrelli, Niagara Region Editor

Last week’s opening of Victorianbourg Estate Winery in Wilson, NY is both exciting and important for the Niagara Wine Trail for several reasons. Obviously since our wine region is still so small, with only twelve wineries open, the term “the more the merrier” still rings true. Nearly any addition would be welcomed, but this one is made more exciting by the fact they are primarily using estate fruit for the purpose of making dry wines.

When I met Victorianbourg owner Dan Hogue and I was impressed with what he is growing on his 50-acre property, which sits less than a mile from the shore of Lake Ontario. He’s one of two people growing pinot gris here and from what I’ve tasted, there’s no reason there shouldn’t be more. But what’s most exciting is his commitment to growing pinot noir on the lake shore.

In its initial conception, the Niagara Escarpment AVA was drawn up with pinot noir in mind. Its slopes of clay over limestone, combined with the 200-day growing season, was thought to be perfect for Burgundian pinot. But the AVA itself is an extremely narrow band of land based on elevation that does not include the vineyard-suitable land that stretches north to Lake Ontario.

Until now, there hadn’t been a significant planting of pinot noir on the sandy/gravelly/silty deeper soils closer to the lake. With a longer growing season (from frost to frost) than the escarpment, there’s no doubt that pinot grapes will ripen in Victorianbourg’s vineyards. The question is whether lighter soils can produce concentrated grapes that bring the depth in flavor other wineries are getting with hillside vineyards on the escarpment.

The general fertility and vigor of the soil will play a role in how pinot noir will do. The sloping clay soils of the escarpment keep the plant from getting too vigorous but the soils between the lake and escarpment tend to be more fertile. This can result in more of the vines’ energy going into canopy growth. That means less energy going into ripening the grapes and less concentration of flavor. It’ll be interesting to see how Victorianbourg farms its pinot grapes and how they differ from wineries like Warm lake Estate and Freedom Run Winery.

Along with pinot gris, chardonnay and riesling, Victorianbourg has also added a small planting of gruner veltliner. I’ve been wondering about how gruner would do here, especially closer to the lake, for a long time.

With wineries like Arrowhead Spring with its plantings of syrah and malbec, and now Victorianbourg with gruner, it seems like the newer wineries are more apt to take a risk and experiment with grape varieties. For those of us here able to taste the first wines made from these new vineyards, we’re quickly learning what works where and why. Victorianbourg is adding to the trail’s diversity while providing future wineries with an example of farming grapes like pinot noir and pinot gris where they haven’t been farmed before. That’s why Niagara’s newest winery is so exciting.

An Introduction to Long Island Merlot

By Jason Feulner, Finger Lakes Correspondent

Despite my relationship to Lenn and this blog, my encounters with Long Island wine have been ad hoc: a wine here, and a wine there, but never a firm introduction to what the region has to offer. With this in mind, I jumped at the chance the other day to attend a Long Island Merlot dinner at the New York Wine and Culinary Center in Canandaigua.

The event was held in cooperation with the Long Island Merlot Alliance, an organization dedicated to the research and promotion of quality merlot production within the Long Island wine community. The Merlot Alliance currently has seven member wineries and hopes to attract more since most if not all Long Island wineries produce merlot.

 This event was my first wine dinner at the Wine and Culinary Center, and it was tremendous experience. Head chef Carlo Peretti (pictured at right) is a delightful host and his display cooking was engaging and fun.

Our courses consisted of Montauk Scallops with Beet Iced Mignonette, Long Island Duck Breast with Braised Apple and Cabbage Slaw, Pan Roasted New York State Bison Fillet, and for dessert a Raspberry Chocolate Pot de Creme.

All of the food was excellent.

At a typical dinner I would have been satisfied with the scallops, duck, or bison by themselves, but in this case I reveled in all three. In addition, the chef paired these dishes nicely with the lineup of Long Island merlot.

Clovis Point winemaker John Leo (picutred at right) provided tasting commentary with some support from Donnell Brown, executive director of the Merlot Alliance. Overall, the lineup of wines offered was extremely interesting. It consisted of no outright show-stoppers but each wine provided some inherent quality and a few stood out from the rest.

Within the group, the 2004 Clovis Point excelled for being very much a balance of the various styles presented, a middle-of-the-pack wine not in quality but in terms of it emphasis on fruit vs. oak, the straight merlot flavor vs. other blended varietals.

The Merliance 2006 merlot, a 100% merlot blend of the merlot lots of the LIMA member wineries, stood in contrast to the rest with its fruit-forward, simple taste highlighting the qualities of merlot as its own grape. In a completely different style to the Merliance, the 2004 Sherwood House utilized a Bordeaux-style blend to create a subtle, earthy wine balanced with the flavors of cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot.

One of the tasting treats offered by Pellegrini was their 1997 merlot, a wine that was probably just past its peak but nonetheless had all the beautiful elements of a well-aged, quality red, providing bright fruit with dusky flavors and textures.

A 2007 McCall Vineyard merlot was still in bottle shock, yet the warm vintage seemed apparent and this wine seems ready to expand its profile once it has a little more time in the bottle.

With dessert we tried a 2007 Raphael Merlot Port, a wine that didn't blow me away but provided for a lovely after-dinner drink. The idea of a merlot port-style wine intrigues me and I think the flavors work to some degree--I hope to taste such a wine again.

I left the wine dinner with two main conclusions: Namely, wine dinners at the Culinary Center come highly recommended (they hold them very often, usually with winery-specific themes), and Long Island merlot provides a diverse lineup of styles. If this small lineup is any indication, merlot can find expression in a variety of ways within Long Island. The merlot grape seems to provide an excellent anchor in terms of defining Long Island reds and the terroir that produces them.

The New York Cork Report Readers' Choice Awards Finalists

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief

 Nominations closed last night at midnight for the New York Cork Club 2009 Readers' Choice Awards. All told, over 150 New York wines were nominated by you, our readers and after tallying them up, we have our 5 finalists from the Finger Lakes and 5 from Long Island. Unfortunately, no other region received enough nominations to choose finalists.

The finalist are:

Finger Lakes

• Anthony Road Wine Company 2008 Semi-Dry Riesling
• Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards Red Cat
• Heart & Hands Wine Company 2007 Barrel Select Pinot Noir
• Hermann J. Wiemer 2007 Dry Riesling
• Swedish Hill Winery Svenska Red

Long Island

• Channing Daughters Winery 2007 Meditazione
• Macari Vineyards 2008 Rose
• Paumanok Vineyards 2008 Chenin Blanc
• Shinn Estate Vineyards 2007 Cabernet Franc
• Wolffer Estate Vineyards 2005 Christian's Cuvee Merlot
  
  

Voting will begin tomorrow -- via an online poll that I'm building today -- and will run through the end of the calendar year, closing at midnight on New Year's Eve. Congratulations to the finalists and thank you to each and every one of you who nominated your favorite New York wines!

The New York Cork Club Partners with BacchusWineOnline.com

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief

  I'm excited to announce today that, starting with our January selections, I'll be partnering with BacchusWineOnline.com for The New York Cork Club, the one-of-a-kind wine club featuring wines that I hand-pick every month.

Before telling you a bit about the new partnership, I'd like to thank Greene Grape, a great little wine shop in Brooklyn for all of their help and support to this point with the NYCC. But, as a smaller wine shop not necessarily focused on New York wines, Greene Grape was no longer the perfect fit for the club.

Bacchus however, is the absolute 'perfect storm' of a wine shop for the New York Cork Club. They have an extensive and always-growing selection of New York wines already. It's a clear focus for the shop going forward too, which is easy for me to get excited about. They are also a larger shop, which means more room to stock wines and stronger buying power in the market.

Those alone would be attributes in a partnership like this, but add the fact that Bacchus is active in social media, including Twitter and TasteLive, and it truly is the perfect wine shop for me to partner with on the club. 

If you'd like some background on the club, I'd encourage you to visit the NYCC page. You can also see many of our previous selections listed here.

And, if you'd like to sign up -- it does make a perfect holiday gift -- visit our new sign-up page.

Lenz Winery 2007 Old Vines Chardonnay

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief

Barrel-fermented chardonnay isn't my favorite style. That's well documented. But, that doesn't mean I can't appreciate one that is well-made.

This Lenz Winery 2007 Old Vines Chardonnay ($25) is one that I appreciate. In fact, I went back to this a few times after my tasting was complete and enjoyed it quite a bit.

Of course, it's not completely barrel fermented either. Winemaker Eric Fry employs "limited barrel fermentation" and while this wine is aged in oak, Fry tends to "use older barrels that allow the wine to achieve greater complexity and flavor concentration but leave less of an oak fingerprint on the wine."

A brilliant medium-gold in the glass, this wine offers layers aromas of fresh and roasted apple, pear, dried apricot, pineapple, grassy herbs and fig.

Concentrated tree fruit flavors -- Bartlett pear and apple -- are joined by an interesting candied orange peel note, a bit more dried fruit and subtle spice.

Citrusy acidity balances the fuller body of this wine near-perfectly and the finish is long, showing a little lees character.

This is a beautifully crafted chardonnay that shows the ripeness of the 2007 year without losing sight of the balance and class that Lenz is so well known for. And at $25, it's a good value to boot.

Producer: The Lenz Winery
AVA: North Fork of Long island
ABV: 13%
Price: $25*
Rating:    (3.5 out of 5 | Very good-to-Delicious)

(Ratings Guide)

What We Drank (December 14, 2009)

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief

We only have two contributions to What We Drank this week, but they teach us two important lessons: don't ignore wines from poor vintages and don't give up on a wine too quickly if its corked.

From Lenn Thompson: Roanoke Vineyards 2003 Blend 2

I have a confession to make -- as much wine as I drink, I tend to be a hoarder of special bottles. My cellar is filled with "last bottles" of many wines that I've enjoyed and purchased over the years. It's terrible, especially considering many of them aren't going to get much better than they are today and are only going to go downhill.

But, on Friday night, Nena requested "Something GOOD, maybe from Paumanok or Roanoke." And, being the loving (and smart) husband that I am I obliged, reaching into the Roanoke Vineyards corner of my cellar. I had two of these bottles and I could have very easily ended the weekend without any.

This blend of cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and merlot was one of the best local wines we've had in a while. And it's no where near done developing in-bottle either.

The black plum, blackberry and black cherry fruit core is still there, still bright and deep, is accented beautifully by layers of coffee bean, dark chocolate, exotic spices and an intriguing herb-marinated olive note. The tannins are round and mouth-filling, but smooth and supple. 

I was curious to see how this wine would taste the day after opening. But the bottle didn't even make it until the end of that first night, serving as a strong reminder that you can't write off "lesser" vintages in any region. Look to the best growers and winemakers and you can find great wines even in challenging years like 2003 on the North Fork.

 From Evan Dawson: Produttori del Barbaresco 2005 Barbaresco

What an interesting lesson in corked wine. It was immediately obvious that this wine was corked, but it was not immediately obvious how badly the cork taint had affected it. I poured a glass and let it rest for about 10 minutes before smelling the wine. The initial burst, before swirling, was musty cardboard. But with some swirling this Nebbiolo gave away many of its most classic characteristics: roses, tar, strawberries and cream, along with a tangy metal streak.

That first night, we followed the same routine: let the glass rest, notice the cork taint building up, swirl to get past it. I thought of the TCA in visual terms like a pudding that develops a hard skin that can easily be broken through.

On the second night the musty cardboard was gone. A vibrant Nebbiolo nose remained. We've been fortunate to avoid corked bottles for a while, and perhaps more fortunate that this wine was only partially impacted.

Hey, Mr. Mansell, how commonly do you find partially corked bottles?

A Golden Ticket for "the Greatest Homebrewer in Buffalo"

By Julia Burke, Niagara Escarpment Correspondent
Photos courtesy of Tom Ocque

“My name is Jake Ocque, and I think I have a brewing problem.”

Of course, some problems shouldn’t be solved. Jake Ocque was introduced to me as “the greatest homebrewer in Buffalo” when I met him a year ago while bartending at Pizza Plant Italian Pub, but now his brewing skill has won him and his brother Tom an honor beyond the average beer geek’s wildest dreams: the opportunity to brew at the legendary Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico, California.

On Friday, the beer he brewed there --a Baltic Porter -- was tapped at Pizza Plant for an exclusive release to the public. I spoke with Jake via email (nasty weather prevented him from attending the Friday night event) about his once-in-a-lifetime experience and his passion for making great beer.

The Ocque brothers won a gold medal in this year’s National Homebrew Competition, a contest with over 5,500 entries from 1,500 brewers across the country, for their mild ale and a bronze medal for a sweet mead. Like Willy Wonka’s contest in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sierra Nevada offered each of the gold medal winners a “Golden Ticket” -- a trip to the brewery for a tour and a chance to brew beer and learn from Sierra Nevada’s brewers at what’s known as “Beer Camp.”

Apparently it is every bit as fun as it sounds. “Beer Camp was amazing!” Jake told me. “I was totally surprised. I liked Sierra Nevada’s beer and all but I just didn’t expect to be treated like a king for two and a half days.”

Upon arrival the Beer Campers were invited to the brewery pub for dinner with a “special guest.” As it turns out, “that was the day that Sam Calagione from Dogfish Head Brewing was there brewing the Life and Limb (and Limb and Life) collaboration beer,” says Jake.

The next day the Campers were treated to an eight-hour tour of the brewery. “They walked us through every aspect of the brewery from the ingredients arriving, to the mashtuns, to the boil kettles, to the huge 800-barrel fermenters -- that’s nearly 25,000 gallons...and they have like 50 of them -- to the filling line, and finally to the packaged beer departing,” says Jake. “They even showed us how they’re environmentally sustainable. The whole thing gave me a new-found respect for the brewery.”

The highlight of Beer Camp, however, wasn’t until the next day, when the campers were placed in charge of brewing an exclusive beer to be released by Sierra Nevada. “There were thirteen other brewers there,” recalls Jake. “Let me just say that it was not easy coming up with a style of beer to brew when you have thirteen homebrewers. We all wanted to brew something that Sierra Nevada hadn’t made before and decided on a Baltic Porter.”

Pizza Plant, a popular hangout for serious beer geeks, was the lucky Buffalo bar that received a keg of the Baltic Porter, and it was enthusiastically received on Friday night. And rightly so, since it’s delicious: a roasty, chewy, slightly sweet porter with just the right amount of hops in the finish -- a great beer even without the great story behind it.

Jake refers to his National Homebrew Competition win as getting "lucky" but his brewing skill has been hard won over many years of practice. “I got into homebrewing because I love good beer,” he recalls. “As a student at UB I did my master’s research on the yeast that is used to make beer, Saccharomyces cerevisae. Although the research was not beer related at all, it gave me some insight into how beer can be made. My friend Ethan and I used to sit in Alternative Brews (a University-area bar with an extensive beer list) sucking down some brews and we would usually come to the conclusion, ‘we should brew our own!’. Jake bought his brother a homebrewing kit first, then his brother returned the favor.

“I got serious about homebrewing when I entered the Amber Waves of Grain homebrew competition in 2007 and won a gold medal with a Belgian Dark Strong Ale. It felt good to have my hard work recognized in such a large and competitive homebrew competition,” says Jake. “In 2008 I started to enter more and more competitions within New York. This past year I teamed up with my brother Tom and we brewed at least twice a month together and we entered every competition in New York in hopes to win the New York State Homebrewer of the Year award. In seven competitions throughout the state, we won at least 50 medals.” For these accomplishments, Jake and Tom were awarded Homebrewers of the Year, and now with Beer Camp under their belts, their brewing success has reached the national level.

Jake encourages aspiring homebrewers to take the plunge. “Believe it or not, it’s not that hard to make good beer,” he says. “There are books available today that explain every part of the brewing process. There are websites that have forums where you can have your questions answered, sometimes within minutes.” Jake lists the Niagara Association of Homebrewers (www.niagarabrewers.org) as an especially helpful resource. “The club is full of a bunch of really great people that are willing to help others with their brewing skills or to just have a good time at one of their many events.”

I had to ask Jake one final question: what would his five stuck-on-a-desert-island beers be? “If I had some Russian River Temptation, Sierra Nevada Estate, Cantillon Lou Pepe Gueuze, Dogfish Head Paolo Santo Marron, and some Westvleteren 8 I’d probably be happy on that island for a while,” he says. “I suppose that when those beers were finished, I’d find something on that island to ferment.”

Southern Tier Old Man Winter

By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist

Old Man Winter is Southern Tier Brewing Company's winter seasonal. Southern Tier is known for their huge-flavored beers in 22 oz. bottles but their line of twelve ounce beers are just as good.

Old Man Winter poured a clear, light brown color with a finger width of off-white head. The aroma was hoppy with light malt underneath and hints of raisins.

The body is thinner, with malt up front, and a faint sweetness. A crisp, hoppy bitterness comes in towards the middle, leading to a lingering hop finish that leaves a very pleasant dryness on the palate.

Winter seasonals are not normally hoppy and there is nothing overly bold or daring but I like this offering from Southern Tier. Overall this is a very good sessional winter beer. It is easy drinking and well balanced.

Producer: Southern Tier Brewing Company
ABV: 7.2%
Price: $2.50 (12 oz. Bottle)
Rating:    (3 out of 5 | Very Good, Recommended)