New York Cork Report

The Tasting Room Closing Today -- for Good?

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

Theresa Dilworth, owner of Comtesse Therese winery and bistro will close The Tasting Room, Long Island's lone co-op tasting room for wineries, at the end of business today.

Dilworth purchased and re-opened The Tasting Room in 2006 after the previous owners sold their interests in the local wine industry and shut it down.

She hopes to re-open again sometime in 2011 at a different location.

"I am planning to spend a lot of time at my bistro this spring, summer and fall season," she said in a recent email "My vineyard is also in Aquebogue. I am also working on a new bed and breakfast project in Riverhead. My interests are in the western part of the North Fork, and my time is limited on the weekends."

The closing goes beyond a simple lack of time, however. Dilworth thinks it needs a better, more-trafficked location too. "I have basically lost interest in the Peconic Lane location and have been wanting to move it to a Main Road location since last summer," she told me.

Dilworth is exploring two new Main Road locations -- both much closer to her bistro and vineyard -- but neither will be available for at least several months, which could lead to a challenging season for the wineries that have poured there, which include Bouke, Brooklyn Oenology, Medolla Vineyards, Onabay Vineyards and Schneider Vineyards.

The Tasting Room has served an important role for these small producers without storefronts of their own. And the multi-winery concept is clearly a good one, and I think one that can work.

Lisa Donneson, proprietor of Bouke agrees, telling me "It’s an excellent concept and can work on Long Island. It offers the consumer a chance to sample a range of styles under one roof and join an interesting wine club. It offers boutique producers a place to showcase their wines."

And clearly the pouring wineries thought The Tasting Room was working for them. Alie Shaper, owner and winemaker for Brooklyn Oenology said "I gained quite a bit of new business by having my wines available for tasting and purchase out on the wine trail. It has been a significant outlet for myself and my fellow wineries, and I'm saddened by its closure."

Shaper recently opened a tasting room of her own -- though in Brooklyn rather than on the North Fork -- but the other wineries are without tasting rooms starting tomorrow morning, leaving some wondering what their next step is.

"The Tasting Room closing is going to be a challenge for a small, high-end label like us," said Chiara Edmands of Onabay Vineyards, adding "It's a shame it didn't work out."

Even if Dilworth re-opens The Tasting Room in a new location sometime in the summer or fall, there's no guarantee that it will be a multi-producer location. 

While Dilworth thinks the multi-vineyard concept can work on Long Island, she adds "However, frankly at the moment I am more interested in selling my own wines than selling other people's wines. At the new location on the Main Road, assuming it comes to fruition, I have not decided whether it will be a single vineyard or multi-vineyard location."

I have heard that one or more wineries/brands are considering opening something similar at the current location, but I have yet to confirm that.

I hope that The Tasting Room isn't gone for good, but it will be interesting to see what happens next.

 

Amber Waves of Grain 2011 Homebrewing Competition

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor

This weekend hundreds of beer drinkers gathered on Grand Island to celebrate a single passion: homebrewing.

The "Amber Waves of Grain Homebrewing Competition," hosted by the Niagara Association of Homebrewers, celebrates the ultimate in "drinking local" over two days of tasting and judging over 420 entries, from double IPAs to meads to barleywines.

The quality of the homebrews I tasted was unequivocally impressive. Of the beers I tasted in the American Stout/Imperial Stout/Foreign Export Stout category, almost all were pleasures to drink, and one was so good I would have chosen it over many classic commercial examples.

Judge Tim Collins, who has been judging AWOG for 15 years, noted, "the quality has risen thanks to the availability of good information. Beginning homebrewers can get a recipe online, get advice from friends or a homebrewing club, and make a great beer."

Many of the judges I spoke with were longtime homebrewers who were enthusiastic about the competition not only because of the sensory challenge and sense of camaraderie, but the chance to learn and improve their own brewing. Other judges were professional brewers, BJCP-certified experts in beer evaluation, and leaders of local beer clubs. The diversity in background and the open, friendly, discussion-based atmosphere made for a tremendous beer tasting experience.

As more and more homebrewers team up to form brewing clubs and even nanobreweries and microbreweries of their own, it's exciting to experience the amazing talent and great beer emerging from the basements, kitchens and garages of western New York.

You can view the results of the Amber Waves of Grain 2011 competition online.

Red Tail Ridge Winery Awarded LEED Certification

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor

Red Tail Ridge Winery on Seneca Lake has achieved LEED Green Building Certification after a long and rigorous process. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

In a news release, Red Tail Ridge laid out the many steps that have been made in this process:

• All heating and cooling requirements for wine processing is provided by geothermal energy
• Alternative energy use creates 50% energy savings
• Building is constructed from recycled materials
• All winery processing waste (including water, lees, pomace) is recycled
• Natural lighting inside the winery eliminates need for day-time aritifical lighting
• Winery uses low-energy light fixtures
• 70% of the total wood-based building materials were harvested from FSC-certified forests

"Not only are we putting our best foot forward environmentally, we are also saving over 50% in our energy consumption," owner-winemaker Nancy Irelan said in the release.

Tracie Hall, the Executive Director of the U.S. Green Building Council's upstate New York chapter, praised Red Tail Ridge for getting certified. Hall cited the innovative winemaking processes employed by the winery, saying that Red Tail Ridge has effectively cut costs, saved energy and reduced "environmental impact, all while producing amazing wines."

The New York Cork Report has covered Red Tail Ridge's green efforts; the above photo comes from our November 2009 story.

Owners Nancy Irelan and Mike Schnelle explained years ago that they were willing to invest in this process with the expectation that they would be rewarded with lower costs and a smaller environmental footprint. It appears they were right. Irelan and Schnelle have proven willing to help others learn about this process, and they're planning a party to celebrate the LEED certification in May.

The New York Cork Report Tasting Table -- February 23, 2011

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

These are a selection of New York wines that have crossed the NYCR tasting table recently but will not be reviewed as part of a standalone post. As always, these are transcribed almost directly from my notebook with little editing:

Kings Garden Vineyard NV King's Cab ($20): Cigar box, red cherry and backing chocolate on the nose. Juicy and fruity on the palate with smoky oak and some vanilla. Maybe a little RS? Lacks structure, but brings nice approachable flavors. Rating: 82

Kings Garden Vineyard NV Syrah ($20): Light nose with cranberry, pomegranate and a little meaty funk (brett?) Subtle sweetness to the red fruit flavors. A little varietal black pepper, but surprisingly light. Not under-ripe, just not much to it. Low tannins and low acid. Rating: 77

Lakewood Vineyards 2008 Crystallus ($17): Blend of Lemberger, pinot noir and cabernet franc. Nose is smoky with cherry-raspberry fruit that is a little sweet/jammy. Hints of pepper and brown sugar. Sweet red fruit greets the palate but is cut by a sprinkling of black pepper. Subtle mushroom-earthiness. Low tannins with high acid that leads to a rustic finish. Rating: 83

Lamoreaux Landing 2009 Estate White ($10): Honeydew melon, pear and grapefruit -- with a little lime candy on the nose with a perfume-y floral note. Off-dry and fruity but much more subtle than expected. Floral, pear and melon flavors that are far from intense. Rating: 83 

Lieb Family Cellars 2008 Bridge Lane Cabernet Franc ($15): Nose brings white pepper, plum and raspberry with rhubarb and roasted Brussels sprouts. A little under-ripe on the palate. Red cherry and plum and lots of pepper -- again with Brussels sprouts/asparagus flavors. A touch of raw, toasty oak peeks through. Medium finish. Rating: 82

Macari Vineyards 2005 Reserve Merlot ($36): Nose of dried red fruits -- cranberry and cherry -- along with some fresh red cherries, black pepper and backing spice. Dried fruit qualities are even more forward on the palate -- raisin, prune and dried cranberry -- with a bit more brown spice and black pepper. Medium-intensity tannins are well-incorporated and subtle acidity keeps it fresh. Medium-long finish shows a little oak and leather. Rating: 85

Macari Vineyards 2010 'Early Wine' Chardonnay ($17): Nearly colorless in the glass, it delivers aromas of candied citrus, lemon balm, white pepper and a weird pencil eraser note. The palate is intensely citrusy -- mostly lemon -- wiht a little green apple edge. Fresh with good acidity and a little RS. Long apple-y finish that is somewhat candied. Wish this were under $15.  Rating: 84

Martha Clara Vineyards 2009 Gewurztraminer ($19): Big aromas of lychee and rose petal are backed by lemon rind and pineapple fruit. Mouth-filling flavors of melon, pineapple and lychee with a bit more understated rose petal character. A little on the sweet side -- edging on flabby, but not there. Just okay acid -- more would really elevate. Rating: 85

Saperavi, the Great Red Grape of the Finger Lakes? Open Minds at Standing Stone Vineyards

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor

Marti Macinski is thinking back to the early 1990s, when she first planted Saperavi. We're sitting in her lab, and it's freezing, and she's laughing, which she is almost always doing.

"We had such different expectations for Saperavi," she says. "And look at it now!"

Saperavi is a grape native to the Republic of Georgia, where the word means "ink." It's an appropriate description for the wines that Saperavi makes. In fact, Macinski planted Saperavi in 1994, just a few years after launching Standing Stone Vineyards, because it seemed to have a future as a blending grape. 

"Our thinking was that Saperavi would be the secret to pinot," she says. "Even in the best of years, pinot is so light that, if you want to sell it to Americans, you have to beef it up a little."

That little experiment died nearly instantly. "Disaster," she sighs. "Even a drop of Saperavi in a barrel of pinot caused all kinds of problems. I mean a single drop. It was not a fit."

After that, Saperavi did the one thing it can do damn well: grow. Macinski says it's a hearty vinifera, owing to its roots in frosty Georgia. There wasn't much of it at Standing Stone Vineyards -- certainly not as much as there is at McGregor Vineyard, where the resulting Black Russian Red has become a wine club favorite -- but there was enough for Macinski to begin a new experiment in 2005.

"That was the first time we figured we'd give Saperavi a shot on its own," she says. This time, she doesn't laugh. She just smiles a satisfied smile, like a student who stumbled across a cheat sheet before a big exam. "You know when you taste riesling, you know it works here? That's Saperavi."

But what about the other Standing Stone reds? "I'm proud of our other reds, but it's Saperavi that's distinguished itself as a grape that really belongs here," she says.

It's no small thing for Macinski to make this kind of pronouncement. Listen to her assessment of Finger Lakes winemaking in general: "We're not making the wines I want to make yet. We just don't know enough as a winemaking community. Give us time, because there's something phenomenal in this dirt."

So why is she so confident about Saperavi, having only made a few vintages? "Quality!" she says, laughing as if to say, Why else? But there is something else: That winter hardiness, and the way it yields. The loose clusters make Saperavi resistant to disease.

In 2010, Macinski says her Saperavi cranked out 6.3 tons to the acre (she only has about one acre in the ground). But even with the high yield, she says the grapes showed 24 brix at harvest. "And that's normal!" she explains. "We can't seem to get it below 23 brix. It just produces."

There will be a challenge in educating consumers about what, exactly, Saperavi is. Most have never heard of it. Macinski believes the market will gladly pay $20 to $25 per bottle once they taste it and understand.

But there is another challenge that comes from the government. The TTB does not recognize Saperavi as a winemaking grape in this country, so it can't be labeled as such. Yet. "Oh, we're working on that," Macinski says. (She's also a lawyer, which helps.) "Right now we can't call it Saperavi, so we'll come up with another name for the 200 cases of the 2010. Or maybe the TTB will change its mind next week. We've filled out the paperwork, so we're optimistic."

We tasted the Standing Stone 2005 Saperavi in the tasting room. Marti's husband Tom joined us, noting that Saperavi "was supposedly Stalin's favorite wine." After the laughter subsided, he acknowledged that perhaps that wasn't the best marketing hook. "It's better described as Uncle Joe's Red," he joked. 

The wine is no joke, however. It is dense and full, but soft and mellow in the mouth. There are clear echoes of McGregor's Black Russian Red, with the familiar pomegranate note. This is a unique wine that will stretch the minds of wine lovers. The oak is restrained. Macinski uses neutral, mostly American oak for as much as 18 months. "Oak is a technique, not a flavor," she says, and I almost spin around in the hopes that somehow other winemakers are listening.

I was surprised that, given the McGregor family's local history with this grape, there wasn't more discussion of the Black Russian Red. But Standing Stone is interested in establishing their own profile, while clearly respecting the work of others. In fact, Macinski is actively encouraging her colleagues to give Saperavi a try. "Any grape that's going to be realistically successful in the long run needs at least 20 producers making it," she asserts. "There is strength in numbers. We want to see more of it. If you believe in a variety in a cool climate region like the Finger Lakes, you need to let others know."

With that in mind, Macinski salutes the work of Nancy Irelan across Seneca Lake at Red Tail Ridge. Irelan is growing Teroldego, another red variety with "real potential," Macinski says. "We might not win over the world with our merlot, but we could change minds with Saperavi, or Teroldego, or who knows."

And wouldn't that be funny if the grape that was planted for blending purposes turns out to be the regional star, all on its own? "Saperavi can be a Finger Lakes grape," Macinski says, then adds, "and it might be the Finger Lakes grape."

Channing Daughters Winery 2008 Vino Bianco

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

Christopher Tracy, winemaker and partner at Channing Daughters Winery, is doing some of the most interesting things with chardonnay on Long Island. Of the winery's current offerings there are six different wines that either are or could be labeled "Chardonnay" and three other wines, including this Channing Daughters Winery 2008 Vino Bianco ($20) feature significnat proportions of Long Island's most-planted white grape.

Made with 40% chardonnay (Dijon 96 and Musque clones), 30% sauvignon blanc, 20% pinot grigio and 10% tocai fruilano, it shows pretty floral aromatics layered with white pepper, Asian pear, coriander seed, apple, peach and autumn leaves. There is also a dose of nutty oak that stand out a bit more than it has in previous vintages.

Medium bodied, the palate shows great balance between fruit, oak and acidity. The flavors closely match the nose and the mid-palate is at once lightly creamy and still fresh and juicy. The finish is medium-long and brings a spiced apple note that lingers nicely.

I was surprised that this wine didn't garner a bit more attention at our Wines of the Year tasting, but I fear that it being the only oak-influenced wine in a lineup of steel-fermented wines didn't help.

Producer: Channing Daughters Winery
AVA: Long Island
ABV: 12.5%
Price: $20
Rating: 90

(Ratings Guide)

McGregor's Black Russian Red Turns 20: Trailblazing Past, and a Growing Future

By Evan Dawson, Managing Editor

The wine that is quite possibly the single most interesting wine in the Finger Lakes is turning 20, sort of, in 2011, and the McGregor family is throwing a party. (This is a family that really knows how to throw a bash.) Details on the event to follow, but first, let's lift the veil on a little history.

The McGregor Black Russian Red is, technically, older than 20 years. Bob McGregor spent the 1980s searching for the right blends and combination to unlock the potential in these unusual grapes -- Saperavi and Sereksiya Charni. Today, you can still find an occasional bottle of 1991 Black Russian hanging around. It was the first recognized vintage of this blend, and if you're fortunate enough to find one, don't be surprised if it's still pretty darn good.

It's a story of innovation and determination, led by Bob McGregor and carried on by his son, John, and family. It is not a stretch to say that Bob was a trailblazer, because McGregor was one of the first to recognize what some Finger Lakes winemakers are only now recognizing: In an unpredictable cool climate region, sometimes you have to open your mind to find what truly works. 

Bob McGregor had struggled with Bordeaux varieties. His early pinots made him happy, and earned the praise of a few writers, but Bob wanted that big, robust red to round out his portfolio. That was the goal. Cabernet was dying on the vine, literally, in the 1970s and 1980s. Bob McGregor's background pushed him to search for something different.

He had come from the business of photo chemistry. McGregor worked for Kodak, but it's probably more accurate to say he was a physicist whose brilliant work extended far beyond the walls in Rochester. McGregor had done some work on national security projects. If he could handle that kind of work, what was grape growing, anyway?

Not so simple, it turned out. And Bob wasn't surprised about that. Like Steve Sasson, the Kodak researcher who eventually invented the digital camera, Bob McGregor realized that great success is preceded by many failures. 

So when he chatted with Dr. John McGrew of the USDA in 1979, Bob listened. Thirty years later, Bob and I laughed about how the names of these eastern European grapes sounded more like hockey names. Saperavi, Sereksiya, Mtzvani, Rkatsitelli. But was he going to turn down a chance to try them out?

The charm of the McGregor story is that for a decade, these varieties caused him more headaches. "Mtzvani was more of a weed than anything," Bob recently told me. But he didn't give up on the big, dark Saperavi and Black Sereksiya. First he tried them on their own -- "They made wine that reminded me of some of the hybrid wines," Bob said -- then he blended them. The blend seemed to hold promise, but he was convinced the French oak was holding it back. 

By 1991 it was natural for Bob to think he was cursed, doomed with these varieties, and yet he persisted still. That's the year that his move to American oak seemed to change everything. He loved the smokey, bacony character that complemented the wine while allowing its fascinating nuance to show. 

Consider that: It had been more than a decade of experimenting with grape varieties that had very little track record anywhere in the world. It's hard to imagine anyone else not giving up, but McGregor plugged on.

Today, John McGregor continues that tradition by conducting experiments of his own. To wit, McGregor Vineyard is preparing to release the 2007 Black Russian Red 30 Month Barrel Reserve. Can the wine stand up to that much time in wood? John McGregor gives an emphatic yes.

"I have no problem stating that this sets the standard in how far Finger Lakes red wines have come -- it’s truly a stunning example of the Finger Lakes on the world’s wine stage," John wrote to members of the highly devoted McGregor Clan Club. 

I recently tasted this wine and found that its unique character is very much there, along with a prominent oak component. I have known people who love the Black Russian Red, and I have known people who prefer other wines. But that is exactly the definition of an intellectually stimulating wine. If you haven't tasted a Saperavi or Black Sereksiya, be prepared for a new experience. 

Talk to McGregor Clan Club members, and there is a certain joy in not only sharing the Black Russian with someone for the first time, but in blowing up expectations.

If you watch this video, you will see a perfect example of a wine connoisseur utterly baffled when encountering the Black Russian for the first time. The man critiquing the wine is none other than Bartholomew Broadbent, son of the famous Michael Broadbent of British wine auction fame. Broadbent seems to assume the Black Russian will be sweet, based possibly on his fleeting notions of Georgian Saperavi, which is often sweet. The video captures an evolution in Broadbent's assessment. He seems determined to condemn the wine, then begrudgingly salutes it as a novelty, then admits his expectations were way off. Does he ultimately offer a glowing review? No. Is that based on his prior expectations? You can decide for yourself.

(This is, by the way, not a small parallel to what you'll discover in my forthcoming book, which tells the story of Black Russian through this dichotomy of skeptics and devoted enthusiasts.)

I have been to the annual McGregor Clan Club picnic and listened to people debate the aging curve of this wine based on its high natural acidity (the Clan Club is a thoughtful, educated group of wine lovers). Malolactic fermentation helps tame some of the acid, but there remains a verve and backbone that allows it to age with grace. 

But after 20 years, it would stand to reason that other winemakers and growers would pursue Saperavi and Black Sereksiya. After all, McGregor not only has a devoted following for it, but it sells briskly at $60 per bottle. 

Tomorrow, the New York Cork Report will have the story of the next major Finger Lakes producer to make wine from Saperavi. Standing Stone Vineyards now has more than an acre of Saperavi, and winemaker Marti Macinski says it could turn out to be the great red wine of the Finger Lakes.

When I asked her if the spread of Saperavi in the Finger Lakes is a tribute to Bob McGregor's work, she replied, "I'm happy to say that! I like to say I've never had an original thought, but I'm a wonderful thief!"

But Standing Stone marks the only other winery to pursue Saperavi. When I talk to other winemakers and winery owners, I get a range of responses as to why. Some tell me they don't believe it's as good as the customers think. Some point to the scores of critics, which have been spotty. But it's Dave Whiting, owner and winemaker at Red Newt Wine Cellars (and the winemaker at McGregor in the late 1980s), who probably sums it up best: "Those grapes are so unique to McGregor that you would have a hard time duplicating what they do anywhere else. It’s not that other winemakers don’t like the wine, but our customers would have no idea what it is. The McGregors have invested years, and now they have people who know what Black Russian is. That’s pretty special."

John McGregor seems to agree that Whiting's take makes sense. "We've put so much effort into this," he explains. "It's not easy. It might take years for other wineries to get to where we are with Saperavi, but I'll be very interested to see the results."

If other producers do eventually follow, Bob McGregor's legacy will only grow. If others don't, he has already created something unique to the region. I recently drank a 1998 Black Russian that was still vibrant and youthful. If Bob thought he had finally found something in the 1991 vintage, bottles like this are the proof.

*****

McGregor Vineyards will release the 2007 Black Russian 30 Month Barrel Reserve at the annual Black Russian Red Dinner at the Village Tavern in Hammondsport on Saturday, March 12. Reservations are still available for $99. Click here for more information.

 

Peconic Bay Winery Names Hargrave Assistant Winemaker

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

Peconic Bay Winery has namd Zander Hargrave assistant winemaker, adding him to long-time head winemaker Greg Gove's team.

The Hargrave name isn't new to Long Island wine lovers. Zander's parents, Louisa and Alex Hargrave, founded Hargrave Vineyard, Long Island's first commercial winery, in 1973, and Zander's uncle, Charlie Hargrave, has served as vineyard manager at Peconic Bay for over a decade.

Born "shortly before the excellent harvest of 1977," Zander told me that "As a child, growing up on a vineyard was much less about the wine than the people who were around. There was always some action to be found."

Despite growing up in the vineyard, it was a high school trip to France that really got Zander hooked on wine. "Coming home from that trip in 1994 I began to take a much more active roll in the work on the farm and in the tasting room. I began to really learn about the many varietals we grew. So I worked in every facet of the operation at Hargrave Vineyard, from running tours and tastings, driving the tractor, suckering in the vineyard, picking, pruning, mowing, bottling, and many other jobs in the cellar and lab. I have always loved harvest the most, there is so much energy to be drawn from harvest," he said.

He spent the summer of 1996 in the cellar at Chateau Fuisse in Pouilly Fuisse where he learned "a lot about making amazing chardonnay."

When his parents sold the vineyard to Marco and Ann Marie Borghese in 1999, Zander stayed on with his sister Anne and worked with them for a around a year to ease the transition. "Then I left the vineyard but it never left me," he says looking back.

From there, Zander worked in a variety of non-winery fields -- sales representative for a local newspaper, manager of a horse farm, production manager at Satur Farms, landscaping, and volleyball and tennis coach for Southold High School. He even opened and ran a crepe stand at Harbes Farm and worked at a country club to pay the bills while getting his Masters degree in education at Stony Brook University.

Zander student taught at Longwood Junior High School and Center Moriches High School and subbed throughout the Longwood school district for two years until his uncle called looking for help in the vineyard.

Since then, he's filled a variety of rolls -- mainly in the vineyard and cellar -- at Peconic Bay Winery. He's even earned the unofficial title of "Cider Czar" taking on the winery's new hard cider program.

"I am thrilled to be a part of the Peconic Bay Winery family, working alongside my mentor Greg Gove and uncle Charlie. Paul and Ursula Lowerre are terrific, supportive owners and Jim Silver is a creative genius. I am truly fortunate to be working in a job that I love surrounded by people I trust."

Speaking of Jim Silver, let let me know that he's revamped the winery's distribution channels, turning to Empire Merchants (Metro New York), Empire North (Upstate New York), CDI (Connecticut), and R & R Marketing (New Jersey).  Distribution can be a challenge for New York wineries, but Silver said "we're about to light the afterburners on our wholesale distribution in the tri-state area, I couldn't be happier."

Book Review: The Wild Vine by Todd Kliman

By Evan Dawson, Managing Editor

The Wild Vine is not, at its core, a wine book in the most common sense. It is a story of outsiders, connected over the generations by a common sense of purpose and discovery. And like The Billionaire's Vinegar, it is such a compelling work of narrative nonfiction that I have reccomended it to friends who don't care much for wine.

But if you do care for wine, Todd Kliman's book takes on an added weight. And if you care for American wine, it becomes essential reading; the fact that it's gripping and well paced is merely a bonus.

Kliman tells the story of how the Norton grape came to be the American answer to the great wine grapes of Europe. His exhaustive research takes us back centuries, when settlers strove to create a wine society but failed repeatedly. The history and storytelling is so interesting that there is a sense of drama and relief when Dr. Daniel Norton creates this wonder grape; we know it's coming, but it's exciting nonetheless. 

But you might wonder: What's Norton? Even the most ardent wine lovers in this country know little or nothing about Norton. That's apparently a problem of modern marketing, but it's also a result of the unfortunate history of the grape and some of its champions, as Kliman details richly. Shifting from the past to the present, Kliman sketches parallels that are hard to miss.

Unfortunately, Kliman seems determined to make sure we don't miss them, so by the book's end he has hammered us with overt declarations. I found myself wondering why he seemed to lose faith in subtlety as the book progressed. After all, he has written such a lovely story that we couldn't possibly miss the connections he wishes us to see.

Without ruining the plot, I'll simply say that Kliman might have been better served to trust his readers a bit more.

There is also the issue of purple prose, a term used to describe over-writing. Twelve pages in to the Wild Vine, I tweeted, "Todd Kliman can write his face off." He is a better writer now than I will probably ever be. But just because you can write your face off does not mean you should actually try to do so. Kliman has so many wonderful tools in his arsenal, but too often he attempts to use them all instead of carefully choosing the best weapon to employ. The first 76 pages of The Wild Vine, comprising Part One, represent some of the very best narrative nonfiction I've ever read. Part Three was a bit tiring, because Kliman seemed set on using two or three adjectives where one would suffice.

But do not let my criticisms convince you I didn't enjoy The Wild Vine. I am now determined to seek out some Norton from Virginia and Missouri. I want to know what the modern-day supporters of Norton are making. The book is a triumph of research and storytelling, and there are stretches of some truly brilliant writing. Kliman is the food and wine editor and restaurant critic for The Washingtonian, and this is his first book. I expect he'll write more, and we'll all benefit if he does.

Village Beer Merchant Celebrates a Birthday With Local Beer

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor

There's no shortage of appreciation for craft beer sources in Buffalo, it seems: last week Village Beer Merchant (VBM), the city's best source for hard-to-find imported and domestic brews, celebrated its third birthday with a packed house and tastings by four New York breweries.

With no advertising other than word-of-mouth, VBM's anniversary party was a smash hit with local craft beer lovers.

Samples and growler fills from Flying Bison, Southern Tier, Saranac and Ommegang provided a chance to taste seasonals from the state's most popular breweries. 

"It's a great turnout," says Vincent Somogyi of VBM. "I'm almost glad we didn't advertise - this is about as big a crowd as we can handle!"

The line for growler fills was busy as well, a testament to the delicious lineup of New York and out-of-state beers on tap. 

Providing dynamite service and knowledge, regular tasting events, and a unique selection, along with a solid and consistent show of support for local beer, Village Beer Merchant has become a key component of Buffalo's craft beer scene and is my personal favorite place to shop.

Happy birthday, VBM - and many happy returns!

Video: Sheldrake Point Vineyards Winemaker Dave Breeden Discusses the Art and Science of Winemaking

Stumbled upon this video by Stephanie Warren and Ritchie King, posted on the Sheldrake Point website.

This video is provided by Scienceline, a project of New York University's Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program.

Gentlemen, Start Your Engines: Brooklyn Brewery Expands

By David Flaherty, New York City Correspondent
Photos by Chris Lehault of IDrunkThat.com

Like moths to a flame. Like lemmings to the edge of the cliff. Like schoolchildren to the tether ball pole, we came. From far and wide, the craft beer-lovin' fans of Brooklyn Brewery came Tuesday night in droves for the Main Engine Start launch party.

Brooklyn Brewery is expanding. And in a big way. Once fully completed, and with the estimated price tag of $6.5 million, the expansion will add 15 full-time, salaried employees to the mix. 

I was astounded by the size of the new space. Entering through the normal front door on North 11 street, we were led to the right where the previous brewery ended. But now a short hallway exists, and when one passes through, the new space appears, gleaming and spacious. I wondered if they would be fueling 747s in here with Black Chocolate Stout instead of jet fuel. 

 

In fact, this is only Phase 1. Phase 2 will involve taking over the adjacent space to this one, thereby creating an UBER-brewery. Phase 3 -- still in the planning stages -- will involve turning the entire borough of Brooklyn into one giant keg of Brooklyn Pennant Ale.

Once the entire project is complete, Brooklyn Brewery will have increased its capacity from 8,000 to 50,000 barrels per year, ensuring that their thirsty fans have beer to fill their bottomless steins. This will massively up the availability of their hugely popular (and quickly depleted) Brewmaster's Reserve Series, which they make on-sight and sell in keg and large-format bottle (their beers in twelve-ounce bottles will still be contract-brewed upstate in Utica at FX Matt Brewing).  

 

In celebration of the new rumpus room, they've released their latest Brewmaster's Reserve, Main Engine Start, to celebrate the occasion. It is the first beer brewed on their shiny new equipment. Technically a Belgian "Abbey Singel"--a lighter style traditionally brewed by the monks for their own consumption -- it clocks in at a very drinkable, and very sessionable, 6.5% abv. In the bitter cold of February, I think many people were expecting a hearty, fuller rich beer to gird themselves from the weather. What we got was a tasty, light/medium-bodied beer with a slight hop zip and notes of fall cooking spices like clove and cinnamon. 

 

Being the party it was, they opened up all their taps for attendees and poured the following (among others):  Brown, Weiss, Lager, Black Chocolate Stout and Winter. Their were also some "secret" large-format bottles being cracked on the sly, as I talked to numerous people who were sipping on Local 1, Local 2 and Black Ops.  All while being serenaded by the jazz and swing tunes of The Blue Vipers of Brooklyn. 

I, myself, took to the Black Chocolate Stout like a baby does to the bottle. The only difference? This bottle packed a whopping 10% abv. 

Boy, that alarm clock this morning was a demon incarnate.   I think they should rename the beer "Velvet Hammer."

WBW #70: Bodegas Dios Baco Oloroso Jerez 30 Years Old Baco Imperial

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

When it came time for me to pick a wine for Wine Blogging Wednesday #70: Spain! hosted by my friends over at Catavino, it was a difficult choice. I don't have a ton of Spanish wine in my cellar, but what I do have is pretty interesting.

First, I reached for some older Riojas from Lopez de Heredia, an old-school producer who makes some of the most interesting wines I've encountered. But, I tend to prefer trying new things when WBW comes along. But what? My local shops don't have extensive Spanish offerings beyond the cheap, mostly mass-produced stuff.

Then I remembered that I had some sherry in the crawlspace area in my cellar, including this Bodegas Dios Baco Oloroso Jerez 30 Years Old Baco Imperial.

I have a couple other bottles of sherry too, but after consulting with Ryan and Richard -- my sherry gurus -- I settled on tasting this one last night.

Just lightly chilled, the nose offered chocolaty oak, dried fig, grilled hazelnuts and blackstrap molasses aromas. I typically eschew wine with chocolate, but based on the nose, would this work?

Maybe. My sherry experience is limited and for whatever reason, I expected this one to be sweet, but was pleasantly surprised to find that it was dry and even refreshing in its complexity and intensity.

The palate -- even at 19.5% abv -- is balanced and lively. The flavors stay in the dried fig and caramel arena with salty roasted nuttiness peeking in at the end of a very long finish. The saline quality here is delicious.

Closer to room temperature the chocolate from the nose made an appearance -- sort of like a chocolate Necco wafer.

I didn't try it with chocolate last night, but might tonight. I'd be curious to hear from sherry aficionados what they'd suggest I drink this with.

Thanks to Ryan and Gab for hosting WBW's comeback event. I hope we can keep it going for another 70 editions.

What We Drank (February 15, 2011)

This is what our editors and contributors were drinking last week...

Evan Dawson: Barboursville Vineyards 2002 Cabernet Franc Reserve (Virginia)

On a blind wine evening that included Barolo, white Rioja, Chablis, Cahors and Bordeaux, this wine snuck in and left a significant impression.

Still youthful and structured at 8+ years old, it was a very pleasant surprise.

Tasted blind, we hung on this one for a while. I settled timidly on cabernet franc and, pressed to identify a region, I said Long Island. That's a compliment.

I expect that 2011 will be the year when I learn much more about Virginia wines. I don't know anything about this producer; I don't whether it's considered among the finer wineries. But there's no doubt that Virginia can make good cab franc.

It's time to discover more of it.

 

Julia Burke: Umeno Yado Junmai Daiginjyo Sake

My coworker is a sake aficionado, and on Sunday he decided it was time for my own sake initiation at Buffalo's best sushi bar, Kuni's.

As we pored over the list, a couple of guys next to us announced they were treating the bar to one of the higher-end sakes on the list. We tried two other sakes as well that evening and I enjoyed them all, but this one was particularly smooth and an appealing introduction to this fascinating libation.

It tasted like cantaloupe and Rice Krispies. My coworker informed me that these two descriptors were textbook sake flavors; cantaloupe in particular, he explained, is "to sake what 'sour cherry' is to Tuscan wine."

The smoothness of the fruit, however, was really enjoyable, and I found myself digging it immediately. There was nothing stale or cardboardy about the rice aspect, either, just a very elegant sipper and great with octopus pieces.

I'm always up for cool new drinking experiences and this one was serendipitous.

 

Bryan Calandrelli: Shinn Estate Vineyards 2007 Wild Boar Doe (North Fork of Long Island)

I knew exactly what I was getting to when I uncorked this 2007 Shinn Wild Boar Doe. My palate was thirsty for a big New York red and this bottle didn't let me down.

Full and fleshy, this wine has new world ripeness with old world complexity. Rich tannins compliment its flavors of dark cherry, chocolate, earth and spice and the glass coating 14.6% alcohol is in complete balance.

Tasted blind, my sommelier friend thought it was Bordeaux. Great stuff from one of my favorite New York wineries.

Barboursville 2002 Cabernet Franc Reserve, Virginia

On a blind wine evening that included Barolo, white Rioja, Chablis, Cahors, and Bordeaux, this wine snuck in and left a significant impression. Still youthful and structured at 8+ years old, it was a very pleasant surprise.

Tasted blind, we hung on this one for a while. I settled timidly on Cabernet Franc and, pressed to identify a region, I said Long Island. That's a compliment. 

I expect that 2011 will be the year when I learn much more about Virginia wines. I don't know anything about this producer; I don't whether it's considered among the finer wineries. But there's no doubt that Virginia can make good cab franc. It's time to discover more of it.

Wine Blogging Wednesday #70 is Tomorrow

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

Just a quick reminder that Wine Blogging Wednesday, the monthly tasting I created back in 2004 (after being inspired by a similarly styled food blog event) makes its triumphant return to the blogosphere tomorrow with WBW #70: Spain! hosted by Ryan and Gabriella Opaz of Catavino.

For this 70th edition of WBW, the Iberian super-blogger duo is asking us to:

• Choose a Spanish wine or wines to taste on Wednesday the 16th of February. 
• Seek out Spanish wines that you’ve never had before! Get creative! Hunt for unique styles such as a Sherry, Cava, Fondillon or Mistella; an unheard of region like Arribes, Txakoli de Alava or Extremadura; or a unique native grape like Prieto Picudo or Treixadura.
• Write a post about the wine, flushing it out with life and subtle detail, then publish it on Wednesday, February 16th.
• Tweet about it with the tag: #WBW70 thus creating a live tasting by time zone as we go around the globe!
• Finally, send an email to them with a link to your article and include the subject line: “WBW #70 Submission

I'm heading down to the cellar here in a few minutes to pull some Spanish wine for my own post -- I hope you're planning to do the same.

Turning Back the Clock: A Full Day on the North Fork

The tasting room at Clovis Point on Saturday

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

If this post were a baseball game, it'd be "Turn Back the Clock Day" here on the New York Cork Report. I haven't written a post like this in a long time.

There was a time -- before our four year-old son was born -- that my wife and I would spend at least one day every weekend out in wine country, visiting wineries, meeting friends, making new ones and of course tasting great wines.

With the arrival of our little man four years ago, these casual, "see where the day takes us" days have been  but fond memories, however.

These days, we mostly rely on strategic, near-surgical winery visits. We stick with wineries where we know our "energetic" toddler is welcome, arrive just as the winery opens so the tasting room is less crowded, taste some wines, chat with the owners or winemaker if they are around, maybe grab a quick lunch at one of the family friendlies on the North Fork -- and then get home just in time for the little guy's nap.

Saturday, we threw that blueprint out the window, got into the car without any such plan and drove east -- with amazing result: Four wineries, a picnic lunch with friends, live music and a well-behaved kid who napped on the way home.

We actually only stopped at the fourth winery because he wanted to stop. We would have been thrilled with just the first three.

The day started with a quick visit to Roanoke Vineyards for a special vertical tasting of their Blend One, which included wines from 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2007. I'll be writing a short post later this week just about this tasting, but here's a hint -- the 2003 was my favorite of the lineup. I can't say for sure what its future holds, but it very well may be peaking now.

After a quick stop at Village Cheese Shop in Mattituck for picnic provisions, we met up with some also-with-toddler friends at Peconic Bay Winery for lunch and music by Matt Marshak, an incredibly talented young man. We sipped riesling and red blends as we watched our kids dance and have a great time.

This is where we got "wild" (you know, in that parental way) -- stopping in at Clovis Point, a tasting room that we'd never been too... with or without our son.

Managing partner Hal Ginsburg sat down with us, poured several current releases as well as some 2007s that he was previewing for the holiday weekend. The 2008 Chardonnay and 2007 reds (unsurprisingly) were the standouts. Keep an eye on these wines and this winery in 2011.

We wound down our day at Paumanok Vineyards where we listened to a flute player and enjoyed yet another taste of their 2010 Chenin Blanc (review coming soon), before heading back west.

Every day in wine country is a great one, but this one was particularly so because it was enjoyed as a family.

Saranac Irish Red Ale

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor

A style that often disappoints due to lack of depth, Irish Red is a rust belt staple and a must-have for the upcoming fish fry season. This one is an addition to Saranac's massive lineup of seasonals.

Its puffy two-and-a-half finger head, bronze-redhead orange color and decent lacing definitely invite sippage. 

On the nose, malty caramel, honey, toasted marshmallow and freshly mowed straw aromas show an appetizing and balanced flavor profile with a little more chutzpah than I'd expect from this style.

There's a big, sweet palate too, with a crisp hop finish and length that maintains its touch of sweetness deftly.

This red gets better and better as it warms up, too -- a feat I don't take lightly after getting sick of many a mainstream Irish Red within 10 minutes.

A very good effort from Saranac and a terrific partner to fish fry, potato pancakes, and other March Euro-fare.

Producer: Saranac (with Matt Brewing Company)
ABV: 4.5%
Sample Size: 12 oz. bottle
Stemware: Saranac tall pint glass
Price: $8.99/sixpack
Score: B

The New York Cork Report 2010 Long Island Merlot of the Year: Paumanok Vineyards 2007 Tuthills Lane Vineyard Merlot

  By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

At Paumanok Vineyards, there are two primary "labels," the standard line, known at the winery as the "white label" (which you can see here) and the Grand Vintage line of wines, only used during better years.

Charles Massoud, who founded the winery in 1982 with his wife Ursula, compares the grand vintage designation with "declaring a vintage" but I prefer to think of it as a meaningful version of "reserve" -- they only do it when it's warranted. It means something at Paumanok.

On extremely rare occasions a stellar growing season will combine with the right grapes planted in the right place to result in a wine special enough to be bottled as a single-vineyard wine.

This has happened precisely five wines in Paumanok's history and only once before 2005 -- 1995 Tuthills Lane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

Ten years later in 2005, the cabernet from that same vineyard was again deemed worthy, as was a some petit verdot from Paumanok's Apollo Drive Vineyard.

The Apollo Vineyard petit verdot was made again in 2007.

So was this wine, Paumanok Vineyards 2007 Tuthills Lane Vineyard Merlot ($60), the winery's first-ever single-vineyard merlot.

The NYCR team has written before about single-vineyard wine programs and how important it is that they reveal and identify unique place-grape combinations that display consistently. (Read a great piece by my colleague Evan Dawson). As far as I'm concerned, the Massouds have done that with their extremely judicious and thoughtful use of vineyard labeling.

There is a misconception in some circles that there is little variation on Long Island from vineyard site to vineyard site. I'm working on a larger, multi-post series about Long Island terroir that will address this topic in depth, but I asked Kareem Massoud, who has taken over the winemaking duties from his father, what makes the Tuthills Lane Vineyard site in particular special.

"The Tuthills Lane Vineyard site has proven over the years to be very favorable and reliable for ripening the Bordeaux red varities that we have planted there: merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc.  These red varieties thrive in this site due to incredible drainage owing to the sandy sub-soils and the relatively heavier sandy-loam, with thin layers of clay in the top soils. These thin layers of clay provide good water-holding capacity in dry conditions," he said adding that the "Aquebogue-Jamesport mesoclimate provides sufficient heat accumulation to achieve full physiological ripeness in these varieties."

Briefly and incredibly simplified, the prevailing winds in this vineyard blow over land -- rather than Great Peconic Bay -- so they are warmer during the spring and summer months than those further out on the North Fork. This aids heat accumulation and ripening, but does result in less moderation of cold temperatures in the winter.

Merlot grapes, grown in the Tuthills Lane Vineyard, using Paumanok's time-consuming vineyard practices -- especially leaf remove and 'green harvesting' to reduce yields -- resulted in a special wine in 2007. Massoud puts it simply "It is all about the vintage."

And this wine is a standout even amongst most 2007 reds. It stood out for me when I first tasted it at an event almost a year ago. It stood out again when I tasted it at home to review and rate it. And it stood out yet again during our Wines of the Year tasting last month.

It didn't get the votes required to be named New York Red Wine of the Year, but it was close. I voted for it, in fact.

Intense aromas of blueberry, black cherry and black plum fruit are accented by vanilla bean, sassafrass spice, violets and speck.

Bold, but well balanced on the palate, there are gobs of dark fruit here -- blueberry, plum, cherry and even a little fig -- with layers of cola and spice and vanilla and violets and cured/smoked meat. The spiciness leans toward the exotic, with sassafras coriander seed and sumac.

The real star here is this wine's structure. The tannins are substantial, but also incredibly ripe, providing some serious grip without being hard or harsh.

The finish is long and marked by a certain freshness as well as spicy-floral flavors.

Available sealed with natural cork as well as screwcap, this is a wine that will not only survive for many years in your cellar, but is likely to improve for 5-10 years and beyond.

Producer: Paumanok Vineyards
AVA: North Fork of Long Island
 ABV: 13.5%
Case Production: 250
Price: $60
Rating: 92

(*Ratings Guide)

Video: Red New Cellars Rieslings from MyWineWords.com

From time to time, we stumble upon some really outstanding New York wine-focused videos, and the latest from Peter and Allie over at MyWineWords.com certainly qualifies.

In this episode, they taste a selection of rieslings from Red Newt Cellars. Check it out above and I encourage you to check out their blog, which is extremely well done.

Finger Lakes Riesling, Sparkling, and Gewurztraminer of the Year: The Reality TV Lesson

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor
Photo by Morgan Dawson Photography

Imagine for a moment that you're a contestant on one of the myriad reality TV cooking shows. Chopped, Hell's Kitchen, whatever you like. In this episode, you're going to be given a mystery item around which you must center your dish. When the mystery item is revealed, you will have 20 minutes to create something delicious, no matter how challenging this item is. If they can create an edible dessert out of durian, you can pull something off. Are you ready?

Glass shards. You'll have to cook with glass shards. 

You are probably laughing. Finger Lakes winemakers are nodding. In 2009, they were the reality TV contestant, and mother nature gave them glass shards.

We're talking about acid here, and before anyone gets the wrong idea, it should be noted that acid is essential. This is not some rationalization or excuse. Fat wines don't even have good personalities. They're just fat.

The Finger Lakes provides a consistent and natural source of acid. That's why its sparkling wines sparkle and aromatic white wines shine. But in 2009, the cool growing season resulted in some serious electricity for most varieties. Winemakers, presented with a potentially unpalatable set of glass shards, got busy doing the things they found necessary to create quality wines.

Some de-acidified. Who can blame them? The absolutists might scream, but working with nature means occasionally apologizing for her gaffes. She is not perfect. 

But other winemakers chose a different path, and the Finger Lakes Riesling of the Year is a fine example. 

Damiani Wine Cellars winemaker Lou Damiani had never made a riesling with 40 grams of residual sugar. He probably never conceived it was possible. But instead of adhering to some dogma, he tried to listen to the vintage. And it told him that if he wanted balance, he had to tame the acid. 

In other words, he was handed glass shards, and it was time to coat the glass with a rich and pleasing sweetness. 

To say Lou's efforts paid off is an understatement. The Damiani 2009 Riesling is a stunner, crackling with natural acidity and still rich and juicy. You can read all about Lou's decisions in this piece we recently published.

"That's five pounds of riesling in a four-pound bag," was one of the comments during the tasting. In a sense, it's true; there's so much going on that it's not a cinch to hold together in the long term. But the editors are betting that it will. We expect this wine will take on a fascinating aging track, staying fresh and vibrant for quite some time before eventually settling into an extended mature phase that the best off-dry rieslings enjoy.

Riesling lovers should delight in pouring this for friends, who will be hard-pressed to guess this wine has more than 20 grams of residual sugar. And there's still a good amount to be found. Damiani has 100 cases remaining, selling for $16 per bottle.

Our Finger Lakes Sparkling Wine of the Year comes from another recent vintage that featured lots of acidity. The Lamoreaux Landing 2006 Blanc de Blanc is precise and crisp. Utterly clean and beautifully made, it's available for $25 a bottle.

The Finger Lakes non-Riesling White Wine of the Year is the Hermann J. Wiemer 2009 Gewurztraminer, another marvelous white from this vintage. Unlike so many gewurztraminers from around the world, this wine shows not even a whisper of obtrusive heat. Nor does it fall into the trap that makes so many gewurztraminers polarizing; this is a variety that is prone to over-doing one particular feature of the grape. It can be all spice or all women's perfume or all lychee. This wine is balanced on a beam that spreads out and coats the mouth on impact with flowers and spices and tropical fruit. It's available now for $23 a bottle.

"Classic, impressive, and the measure of what gewurztraminer can be," I said when I tasted it blind in our tasting. I didn't know it was a 2009 until it was unbagged.

And that might be the most important result when it comes to the wines of 2009. Finger Lakes pinots from the top producers are already impressing, and the rieslings are showing potential to be truly special. Turns out those glass shards had the potential to smooth out and become something beautiful. Even many dry riesling bottlings are balanced, energetic, vivacious.

And to say that some wines will not only age gracefully, but improve with time in the bottle... Well, you don't need a slickly produced reality TV show to explain what that means.

Lamoreaux Landing 2009 Dry Riesling

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars has gotten strong returns -- and plenty of well-earned attention -- for its single-vineyard riesling program in recent years. I enjoy many of those bottlings myself.

But don't overlook the 'regular' rieslings in their lineup, particularly this Lamoreaux Landing 2009 Dry Riesling ($13).

There's a lot of classic Finger Lakes character in this $13 wine.

Straightforward peach and lime blossom aromas dominate the nose. There's a little slate quality too, hiding in the background.

Light bodied, the palate brings peach flavors with extremely lively, juicy acidity and subtle lime and grapefruit nuance. It's dry, but not harshly so, and the finish is longer than you might expect at this price point.

This is one of the best values in 2009 Finger Lakes riesling that I've tasted.

Producer: Lamoreaux Landing
AVA: Finger Lakes
ABV: 12.2%
pH: 2.93
TA: 8.03 g/L
Price: $13*
Rating: 88

 

 

Announcing the Times Union New York Wine Club

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

As of today, the New York Cork Club is no longer... and yet I'm happy and excited. Why?

Because the New York Cork Report and Bacchus Wine and Spirits have added a third partner in the program, the Albany Times Union, to form Times Union New York Wine Club.

It's more than just a name change, however. It's really a revamp of the club and expansion of it -- for a good cause.

The current club has one option, but the new club will feature two distinct levels -- a "Basic" membership that includes two bottles for a set price of $30 plus shipping and the "New York Cork Report Premium" membership that operates much like the current club, maxing out at $60 per month plus shipping.

I'm still the club's curator, meaning that I pick each of the four wines every month, which is doubly fun for me really.

Best of all proceeds from the club will benefit the Times Union’s Classroom Enrichment Program. Through this program, nearly 500 teachers from 274 Capital Region schools receive newspapers and other learning tools at no charge.

Note that all existing members will be automatically enrolled at the Premium membership level.

This is going to be big for the club, I think, and will likely result in a huge upswing in membership -- which means getting more great New York wines into the hands of people who may not get them otherwise.

Learn more about the club and by all means, sign up. You can just do a month or three if you want to try it out. And as always, if you have any questions, please just ask me!

 

What We Drank (February 8, 2011)

This is what our editors and contributors have been drinking...

Lenn Thompson: Blind Bat Brewery Hellsmoke Porter

Super Bowl Sunday is always big in our house, but when the Steelers are playing, it's becomes nothing short of a sacred holiday. After waking up and pacing most of the morning, I decided to keep myself busy by staying in the kitchen preparing some Pittsburgh favorites both new and old -- Roethlisburgers and from-scratch pierogies.

Of course the game didn't work out the way the Thompson household would have preferred, but at least the food was good.

During the game, I always drink Pennsylvania-brewed beers, but I sipped on this Long Island nano-brewed porter in the early afternoon as I rolled out pierogie dough and mixed ground beef and hot Italian sausage for the burgers.

And it was a damn fine first beer of the day before getting into some hop-bombs later.

Brewed 93 gallons at a time -- yes, this is a true nano-brew -- this is a well balanced, moderate-alcohol porter made with malted barley that brewer-owner Paul Dlugokencky smokes over alder and applewood, which brings distinct, but not overwhelming, campfire and sweet smoke notes layered with dark chocolate and French roast coffee.

Medium bodied with moderate carbonation, it's also mostly dry -- my preferred style of porter.

 

Evan Dawson: Mixing NY with wines from around the world

My wife and I hosted a small dinner party this past weekend, and we followed a plan that has come to work well with guests: We open a selection of quality New York wines along with some wines from other regions. It's a good way to spark conversation about New York winemaking without forcing the issue.

Here was the lineup: Lamoreaux Landing 2008 Dry Riesling (ideal with marinated shrimp and a few lighter cheeses); Fox Run 2001 Dry Riesling (starting to oxidize, it was rich and nutty and perfectly paired with sauteed mushrooms on toast points); a surprisingly rich and toasty Puligny-Montrachet; Lenz 2002 Merlot (in peak form and lovely with slow-cooked brisket); and Caprili 1997 Brunello di Montalcino (an unabashed old-world-style Brunello that is aging gracefully).

 

Each wine had its own personality, and the conversation flowed freely as we moved from bottle to bottle. It was rare to see so many wines show so well. The Lamoreaux and Lenz were wines of the night for me, with the Brunello also wonderful and the white Burgundly not quite as lithe as I had anticipated (only a minor quibble). The Fox Run Riesling is a mature dame, still capable of performing the waltz with a mellifluous tune to guide her. That's where the chopped and sauteed mushrooms came in.

We look forward to many more evenings like this.

 

David Flaherty: M. Sorrel 2007 Crozes-Hermitage

High up in the northern Rhone valley, far from the sunny climes and beaches of Provence, lies Crozes Hermitage. You will not find Leonardo DiCaprio sunning himself here. But you will find syrah. And lots of it.

Syrah is king in the northern Rhone where its vines are often staked to the earth to withstand the vicious whipping of the Mistral winds. It is here that M. Sorrel makes his wines.

Giving off classic aromas of white pepper on the nose, I also found a transfixing complexity of secondary notes like bitter chocolate, coffee grounds and violets.

On the palate, flavors of blueberries and dark fruit opened up from the earthier spice tones. A wash of cleansing acidity was followed by a subtle bite of tannin. Perhaps I've underestimated fair Leo. Maybe instead of gallivanting through the streets of Nice, he is at this very moment, climbing the rustic hillsides of Crozes Hermitage with a glass of syrah in hand.

 

Julia Burke: Spoetzl Brewery Shiner Bock

As always the Super Bowl was an all-beer event for me, and amidst the hoppier brews I enjoyed over the evening came this refreshingly light bock from Texas.

My coworker's wife had been singing its praises, and since she'd brought some from a recent trip to Ohio (it's not available in New York) I had to try it while whipping up some guacamole. 

Appropriately malty and sweet for the bock style, but with a crisp, light palate, this was a delightful pre-game beer. From its lovely dark amber color to its snappy finish, it was exactly what I want in a session beer and a dynamite match for the spicy chips and guac I was snacking on.

Shiner, Texas, "Cleanest Little City in Texas," population 2000, you've produced a fine beer which I intend to buy by the case next time I'm in the midwest. I salute you.

Or, you can visit the Online Casino

Three Heads Brewing Java Sutra

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor

A visually striking beer, this Three Heads Brewing Java Sutra porter impresses immediately with a gorgeous four-finger head, puff-of-train-smoke black color, and lacing so perfect and so beautifully stratified that I had to take its picture for my beer porn collection. (I have needs.)

On the nose, light notes of dark-roast coffee, cinnamon and baker's chocolate are on offer without any cloying sweetness or alcohol.

It smells like a porter, not a Frappuccino. 

In agreement with the nose, the palate is light and lager-bodied; malt steps up to the plate, but again as roasty coffee-chocolateness, not sweetness. A smooth finish whispers its hops rather than shouting them, with final fresh-ground coffee beans completing the flavor profile. 

A solid porter first and foremost with a pleasingly understated coffee accent, this is the first coffee-flavored beer I would ever describe as a session quaffer -- a tasty and low-maintenance accompaniment to pulled pork or teriyaki. 

Producer: Three Heads Brewing (via Custom Brewcrafters)
ABV: 6.5%
Sample Size: 16 oz. bottle
Stemware: 16 oz. V-glass
Price: $6.99
Score: B+

Macari Vineyards 2007 Bergen Road

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

Over the next week or so, we'll be posting some reviews for wines that were finalists in our Wines of the Year tasting. Though I tasted and scored them a while ago, I didn't want my fellow tasters to see my notes before we tasted.

But now that the tasting has come and gone, it's time to finally publish them.

Macari Vineyards 2007 Bergen Road ($46) is a Bordeaux-style blend that shows off the ripeness of the 2007 vintage without going over the top with extraction or new oak.

Intense aromas of black plum, blueberry and blueberry compote burst from glass with lavendar-rosemary herbal notes, sweet red cherry, bittersweet chocolate and espresso.

On the palate, it's medium-to-full bodied, but again not overly extracted with ripe, fine-grained tannins providing a nice foundation for more ripe dark fruit and sweet herbal flavors. With a bit of air, the mid-palate displays a distinct earthiness that leads into a long cherry skin finish touched with coffee and chocolate.

Drink now -- but decant -- or nestle it into your cellar for a few years.

Producer: Macari Vineyards
AVA: North Fork of Long Island
Grapes: 42% merlot, 30% cabernet sauvignon, 21% cabernet franc, 7% petit verdot
ABV: 13.7%
Price: $46*
Rating: 91

(*Ratings Guide)