LENNDEVOURS

The New York Cork Club

It's been some time since I've written anything about the New York Cork Club here on LENNDEVOURS. I used to mention it once a month as we were sending out the wines, but I stopped because I wasn't sure if non-members cared. Actually, I doubt they did.

But you know what? I love this club and it's something I'm really enjoying working on. And, it's something that I'd like to see succeed, because there really isn't another club like it.

There are some other lesser New York wine clubs out there, but they seem to sell their members end-of-vintage wines and wines that are available at least somewhat widely. The NYCC is different. I'm scouring the state for the best, most interesting and most unique wines available. Many of these wines aren't available anywhere but at the wineries themselves...or through the New York Cork Club.

I know that several of you have thought about joining but weren't sure about it. If you're not sure, give it a shot for a month or two and see what you think. If you don't like it, you can cancel at any time. If you do like it, I hope you stick around for a long while. And, we're offering these wines at lower prices than buying them direct from the winery now, so that's a bonus.

I can't tell you what wines we're sending in April yet (though I can tell you that one is from a new Finger Lakes winery and one is from a tiny little Long Island producer), but I highlight some of the most interesting ones from recent shipments:

• Osprey's Dominion 2005 Pinot Noir: Quite Possibly the best NY pinot I've ever tasted...and only available in the tasting room until now.
• Raphael 2002 First Label Merlot: I don't think I've tasted a better Long Island merlot at the price.
• Paumanok 2004 Grand Vintage Assemblage: Though still young, a great blend that will age well
• Medolla 2002 Merlot: They only make 500 cases of this (their only wine) and it's a steal. Classic Long Island merlot.
• Rooster Hill 2006 Semi-Dry Riesling: This was a new winery for me and even though I usually prefer dry rieslings from the Finger Lakes, this one was awesome with Thai.

Now, I'm working with some of New York's best known producers to dig deep into their libraries and pull out some older vintage wines that aren't even available at the wineries anymore. Stay tuned for those.

Sign up today. I think you'll dig it.

WTN: Hudson-Chatham Winery 2006 Seyval Blanc (New York)

Today I'd like to introduce you to a winery that you probably aren't familiar with, Hudson-Chatham Winery in town of Ghent New York's Hudson River Valley. It's one of the region's newest producers and one that I know that I find personally inspiring .

Why? Well, Nena and I talk all the time about moving to upstate New York, buying and old farm house, renovating it and making a home for our family there.

Carlo and Dominique DeVito, owners of Hudson-Chatham Winery have just that...and they've planted a small vineyard to boot. The grapes aren't quite ready for winemaking, but in another year or two, they will be.

I've known Carlo for several years now, predating the vineyard or winery, through his blog East Coast Wineries. Carlo, a writer/author/editor, is a bit of a kindred spirit because of his undying interest in and support for East Coast wine.

This Hudson-Chatham Winery 2006 Seyval Blanc ($11), is labeled under the New York AVA, but it's made from grapes grown in the Hudson Valley.  Very pale yellow in the glass, the nose isn't overly expressive, but offers some sauvignon blanc-like aromas, including grapefruit, lemon and minerals. Seyval blanc often leads to lean wines, but I'd consider this one medium-light bodied. Tart bordering on sour, it's citrusy like the nose with an appealing wet-stone minerality. The finish is medium-long with a sour apple note that I didn't love. The nice acid backbone makes it taste very fresh and lively. It's very close to being really tasty, but that little bit of tartness that crosses over to sour keeps it in the category of summer sipper. Still, it's one of the better seyval blancs I've tasted.

Grape(s): Seyval Blanc
Producer: Hudson-Chatham Winery
AVA: New York
Price: $11
Rating:  (2 out of 5 | Average)

(About LENNDEVOURS Ratings)  

Rivendell Winery Location for Sale in the Hudson Valley

I just heard this morning that the vineyards and buildings once associated with Rivendell Winery are for sale and on the market. The winery itself is moving to a new location.

For $1.6 million, you can get 45 acres, a 3,000 square foot pavilion (currently the tasting room) and three single-family residences and several outbuildings on the property.

The property, located in Gardiner, NY on the Shawangunk Wine Trail in the Hudson Valley region, is a little off the beaten path, but the tasting room/building is absolutely beautiful. Nena and I were there a few years ago and really saw a lot of potential. The grounds weren't as manicured as we're used to here on Long Island, but again, the potential is there.

Anyone want to loan me $1.599 milion?

There is not a winery proper on the grounds (I don't think), and many of RIvendell's best wines are made with fruit from Long Island and the Finger Lakes, but compared to Long Island vineyard/winery prices, this is a bargain in a location easily accessible for Manhattanites. A virtual tour is available online.

The current owners are the same people who own the two Vintage New York shops in Manhattan.

Cornell University Workbook Helps New York and Northeastern Growers Go Green

We all know, green/sustainable/biodynamic/organic vineyard management is one of the hottest topics in the wine world these days. But how can the uninitiated get on the road to greenness?

Cornell University and the Cornell Cooperative Extension have just released a new workbook to help grape growers in New York and the Northeast.

The 125-page self-teaching workbook, "New York Guide to Sustainable Viticulture Practices," offers guidance in evaluating and adopting the best management practices for minimizing environmental impacts, reducing economic risks and protecting worker health and safety.

Topics include: soil management to reduce erosion, runoff and leaching; use of integrated pest management practices for insect, disease and weed management; nutrient management, with a particular focus on nitrogen use; pesticide management and spray technology; and cultural practices used in viticulture.

It is available in both print ($30) and a free online versions.

New York Cork Club: July Selections

It's the first day of July and as we head into the holiday week (if only we had the whole week off of work, right?) it's time once again to let you know what coming next for members of the New York Cork Club.

This month, I've chosen two unique wines that you've probably never heard about, let alone tasted.

First is the Macari Vineayrds 2005 Malbec ($22). Merlot gets most of the attention in these parts, but over the past couple of years a couple varietally bottled malbecs have really impressed me -- both for their quality and their uniqueness. It's a bold, flavorful wine and the ripeness of the 2005 vintage is obvious. It's loaded with intense black plum and black pepper aromas. The palate is rich and slightly meaty with more plum, pepper and a slightly juicy note on the mid-palate. The finish lingers nicely with a hint of spice. Sounds like a good pairing for a grilled porterhouse to me, and we were lucky to get this one. They didn't make much and it's only available in the tasting room.

Until this month, there haven't been any wines from the Hudson Valley region that I thought made the grade for the NYCC. But, the second I tasted Millbrook Vineyards' 2006 Tocai Friulano ($16) I knew that I'd finally found one. Tocai Friulano is a grape native to the Friuli region in north eastern Italy. This vintage offers floral, melony aromas and hints of minerals and kiwi fruit. Clean, medium bodied and well balanced, it's a lovely white that shows just-ripe honeydew melon and kiwi flavors with subtle acidity. Serve it with antipasto or as an aperitif.

I hope you enjoy the July selections, which should arrive at your door during the third week of the month. Cheers!

WTN: Brotherhood Winery 2004 Chardonnay (New York)

I've written a few times about Brotherhood Winery in Washingtonville, NY up in the Hudson River Valley. It is one of the region's larger producers and makes a wide array of wines--from honey wine to spiced holiday wine to riesling to a ruby 'port'.

They don't have any vineyard holdings of their own, so they source grapes from throughout New York State--primarily the Finger Lakes and Long Island.

The grapes that went into this 2004 chardonnay were grown on Long Island's East End, but no further details are available. There's a lot of chardonnay grown here, so it certainly isn't a surprise that some of it is leaving the island.

Of winemaker Baeza's current releases, this $13 chardonnay is the best. It's nicely balanced with vanilla, honey, pineapple and butter-roasted apple on the nose. Unfortunately, those many layers don’t carry over to the palate, which is fairly one dimensional.

The balance is nice though and this is be a serviceable, gulpable chardonnay if you like oak-derived flavors but don't like flabby.

More Thoughts on the Wine Advocate and New York Wines

I've gotten a few emails about my post a couple of weeks ago about the Wine Advocate's recent coverage of New York wines, charging that I was overly negative and (shockingly) dismissed David Schildknecht's credentials.

Re-reading my post, I still think I was pretty even handed, but I wanted to offer a few more thoughts to make sure that my feelings are clear.

Now hear this -- this is a milestone for NY and Long Island wines. There is no disputing that, regardless of what you think of the 100-point scoring system, Parker or his influence on consumers. This is the most complete, single publication, review of Long Island wine. It is sure to bring further attention to the region and its wines. That's a good thing.

It also brings legitimacy (where there may not have been) to the region in the eyes of that subset of wine consumers who either had bad experiences with Long Island wine in its infancy or who follow Parker scores blindly. Legitimacy, again, is a good thing.

But, too often wineries hang their hats on scores and awards. How many wineries don't say "award-winning wines" in their brochures or on their website? I do a lot of my research online, and almost to a winery, that phrase appears somewhere. So, I think the enthusiasm over the WA coverage, while deserved, shouldn't run wild without a realistic view.

For instance, of almost 40 Long Island wineries, only 15 had at least one wine score an 85 or higher. Further, only 7 scored a 90 or better. And the highest score was a 92.

Do I think that 92 is the ceiling for local wines? Absolutely not and that is not my point. I fully expect that when some of the 2005s I've tasted in barrel are release and reviewed, they will score significantly higher than that. I think some of them will crack the 95 barrier.

Ultimately, it is the consumer who will decide if Long Island (and New York) wines are a good as I think they are. The fact is, while Schildknecht's commentary talks about the potential of the region going forward, most consumers aren't going to see that. They are going to see wines on store shelves with little cards that max out at 92 and $50...right next to $10 wines from other regions with a similar score.

Yes, Schildknecht's review of the region is a milestone, but it's an early milestone in the overall timeline of Long Island wine. That's all I'm saying.

Oh, and to the reader who accused me of bashing Schildknecht or discrediting him, please re-read my original post. I did nothing of the sort. In fact, without meeting him, I'm impressed with his ability to taste wines and write terrific tasting notes. And, every winemaker I spoke to came away saying he was a focused, meticulous taster with an impressive palate. I hope to meet him one day, hopefully when he visits again.

New York Wines in the Wine Spectator

Hey guess what? I'm not the only one talking up New York wine.

I finally got my latest Wine Spectator in the mail (a hearty thank you to all the local winemakers, fellow bloggers and readers who apparently get theirs before me and alerted me to the New York-heavy content this month) and I think the New York coverage, spearheaded by Mitch Frank (who I happen to know reads LENNDEVOURS and who I've met in person recently) is nicely done. Mitch is a great guy and writer, and I for one am glad to have him covering the NY wine scene for WS.

Now on to the scores given to NY wines.

First, let me say that I think they did a good job of pulling many of Long Island's best wines out and highlighting them, including the small-production 2003 cabernet sauvignon from Roanoke Vineyards. For that young a wine to score so well with all of the 2001s just shows its potential. I expect the 2004 grand vintage chadonnay from Paumanok to improve dramatically in coming years as well.

But the fact that not one wine (not one) from New York state garnered at least a 90 score seems to supports the locally held belief that there is a ceiling for scores from the WS. That's why so few wineries are represented -- I'm guessing that several wineries didn't bother submitting samples because of the percieved ceiling.

I know that WS does all of its tastings blind, but if I'm not mistaken, they are aware of the region they are tasting. To me, that isn't truly blind and makes it easy for a publication to artificially lower the ratings of a particular region. I'm not saying that there is or isn't a pre-determined score that local wines can attain from WS, but I've tasted some of the wines that they give 90-92 and they can't hold a candle to the best Long Island wines. Period.

WTN: Cascade Mountain Winery NV Summertide (Hudson Valley)

Many wine "experts" turn there nose up at any wine made with hybrid grapes, deeming them "simplistic" or "without character."

Wine geeks like myself, however, can recognize that such wines have their place. I've had several wines made from seyval blanc that have been clean, refreshing and delicious on a hot summer day.

Vidal blanc is another hybrid that leads to some excellent ice wines in Canada and the Finger Lakes Region of New York.

Well, this non-vintage white blend from Cascade Mountain Winery, located in Amenia, New York (Hudson Valley), is made using both seyval blanc and vindal blanc.

WTN: Two Hudson Valley Strawberry Wines

Strawberry wine. It's not something I drink regularly and probably not anything I'd drink with non-dessert food. But, over the weekend I tasted and compared two different versions from two well-known Hudson Valley wineries, Baldwin Vineyards and Alison Wines & Vineyards.

I'm not going to go into full tasting note mode here...they both look, smell and taste like strawberries, there's not a whole lot of nuance here. But there are differences certainly.

Both were very sweet and edging on the cloying side of things but not quite. The one from Alison, named Fraise ($18 for 375ml), is the more refined of the two, less raw and more subtle. I think it would shine best with dark chocolate or chocolate cake.

The Baldwin version ($13 for 750ml), on the other hand, is almost rustic in its intense strawberry character with a bit more sweetness. I'd consider drizzling this one over vanilla bean ice cream or pound cake.

They both had a somewhat musty finish that was a little off putting. Because they both had it, I can only assume that is something that happens any time you make wine from strawberries. If anyone else has any experience with Strawberry wines, let me know if you've noticed the same.