LENNDEVOURS

New York Cork Club: October Selections

October's shipment from the New York Cork Club will be sent out soon, and it's time to let members know what's coming (and let non-members know what they are missing).

First, as you can see, is the Ravines Wine Cellars 2006 Dry Riesling ($16). Yes, I know I'm sending another riesling and I swear I wasn't planning to, but this one is just too tasty. Filled with lime, mineral and faintlyl floral qualities and awesome acidity, this really shows off everything that is so great about Finger Lakes riesling. And at $16 it's a great buy too.

Our second selection this month, Channing Daughters Winery's 2006 Rosati di Merlot ($17), is another one that I hadn't planned on. I tasted it a while back and enjoyed it, but it wasn't until I had it at two great local restaurants, with food, that it hooked me. The somewhat standard strawberry and watermelon flavors are here, but it's the intriguing earthy quality that jumps out at you. I had it with fresh pasta tossed with sage and pistachios and it was as perfect as perfect gets. This wine is sold out, but we were able to get enough for the club. And, this is the last year it will be made with merlot from the McCall Vineyard in Cutchogue, so I'm glad we got it.

Serve them both at Thanksgiving if you want, they'll be perfect with the variety one usually finds on the Thanksgiving table.

That's it for this month, but I'm hot on the trail of some great, hard-to-get and just-plain-stellar wines for next month.

New York Cork Club: August Selections

As you know, I'm a little behind on several LENNDEVOURS-related projects (I have about half of the WBW #36 roundup done). But I wanted to quickly post about the wines I picked for the August shipment of the New York Cork Club, which is like a mini-trip to Alsace without leaving your house.

Because I love Finger Lakes riesling so much, I find it difficult to not pick one every month. I could do so easily...there are that many great ones available. Instead, I've been looking for a New York-born Gewürztraminer that  you'll love. I've tasted a lot of them, but so many are over-the-top in their floral character, tasting more like perfume than anything else.

When I tasted Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars 2006 Gewürztraminer ($18), I knew I had found what I was looking for. The nose has faint rose petal and lychee notes, but it's the honeydew melon, ginger, and blood oranges that really stand out. Medium-to-full bodied and dry, the flavors are similar with loads of melon and ginger with just subtle rose petals in the background. At 13.9% ABV, this is a hefty wine for the region, but it's not heavy or disjointed. Thai food is the cliche pairing for gewurzt, but I actually think it works perfectly with this one.

Lieb Family Cellars 2005 Pinot Blanc ($19) is just the most recent release of a wine I've loved for several years now. And, I think this 2005 is their best yet, and I'm glad we were able to get some before they sell out. This wine artfully reflects the intense ripeness of the vintage. Pale yellow with a green tinge, this wine is much more aromatic than previous vintages with clean, focused citrus and wet stone. Mouth-filling and "big" this could be easily mistaken for an Alsatian wine. Pears, citrus and hints of tropical fruit mingle on the palate with minerals and chalk. The long, elegant finish offers a salty tingle of acidity.

I've said it before, but I'll say it again: this is a new benchmark in North Fork pinot blanc, and I'd put it up against any Alsatian pinot blanc in the same price range.

So that's that for August. I just hand-selected the September wines yesterday, and I think you're going to love them as well...and there isn't a riesling or cabernet franc involved. Instead, we've got a big, age-worthy red and a fun, drink-it-now white.

Interesting in joining the New York Cork Club, the only place you can get the best and most unique wines from New York delivered to you door? Get more information.

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!

New York Cork Club: June Selections

This month's New York Cork Club selections bring together one wine you'd expect with something you might not.

Treleaven 2006 Dry Riesling ($14.50) is the one you'd expect -- a riesling from the Finger Lakes (Cayuga Lake to be more specific). I swear that I'm trying not to send you guys riesling after riesling. I could do so easily. But, when I tasted this one, I thought it was a fine example at a very good price. Apple, pear and that lime zing I find in so many Finger Lakes wines are all here, along with great acidity and a faint mineral note on a surprisingly long finish.

Wolffer Estate, in the Hamptons AVA on Long Island is best know for chardonnay, merlot and it's always-popular rose. But over the past few vintages, winemaker Roman Roth has hand selected some pinot gris grapes from the North Fork to make Wolffer Estate's 2006 Pinot Gris ($24) this medium-bodied, elegant wine. Blended with 12% chardonnay, this wine is anything but your average pinot grigio. Peaches, pears and faint citrus greet the nose with similar flavors on the palate that are joined by blanched almonds, honeydew and gentle acidity, Roth only made 230 case of this wine, so it's really only available to their Winemaker's Circle. But, I was able to convince them to sell us some for the club. Enjoy.

Working on the New York Cork Club has proven to be even more fun than I could have imagined. I'm tasting all sorts of interesting and unique wines from all over the Empire State.

Learn more about the New York Cork Club and join today.

May Selections: The New York Cork Club

It's May...spring has finally come to Long Island and that means warmer weather, the beginnings of local produce and--for me anyway--a turn to crisp, fresh white wines.

This month's selections for the New York Cork Club fit the bill nicely.

I've written about Dr. Konstantin Frank's 2006 Rkatsiteli already, but I chose it for this month for a variety of reasons. One, it's very unique--you just don't see many rkats out there. Two, it's versatile--think of it as a blend of riesling, gewurztraminer and sauvignon blanc--and will pair with a wide range of food, including Thai and Indian cuisine. And three...it's just plain well balanced and delicious.

The other wine this month, Channing Daughters Winery 2006 Mudd Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc is a perennial favorite in our house. Made with fruit from some of the oldest sauvignon vines on the North Fork, it really shows off how well the white grape of Bordeaux does here. This wine sold out within weeks to CDW's wine club, but we were able to procure a couple cases before that happened. I think you're gonna like this one a lot.

I'm also happy to report that the New York Cork Club will be represented at Brooklyn Uncorked next week as well. I'll be on hand too, so hopefully we'll see the club grow.

If you haven't signed up for the best wine club to ever hit New York, sign up today. I've got some interesting and delicious wines coming up over the summer that I think you'll enjoy.

New York Cork Club: March Selections

In the wake of some great coverage of the New York Cork Club, I'm happy to announce our March Selections...a steel-fermented favorite and a enchantingly flavorful cabernet franc.

First is the 2005 Steel Fermented Chardonnay ($16) from Peconic Bay Winery. When I first moved to long Island less than a decade ago, I was still a wine newbie and had only experience oaky, heavy chards from Australia and California. This was was amazing...it actually allowed me to taste the chardonnay grape for the first time. Fresh on the nose with almost sauvignon-blanc like grapefruit and other citrus, there is also a faint mineral note that I've always enjoyed. The palate is just as fresh, with a light, lithe body with loads of citrus and terrific acidity. A mouth-watering wine for sure.

Our second selection this month comes from Corey Creek Vineyards and I knew I wanted to share this 2005 Cabernet Franc ($30) with you the second I got my first sniff. Cherry and other red berries mingle on the nose with a wisp of smoke, subtle green herbs and earthy dried leaves. I love the flavorful, rich mid-palate on this wine, with flavors in line with the nose. Well balanced with well-integrated, fine tannins, this is a fine example of this style cabernet franc.

If you haven't signed up for the club yet, I can't recommend it enough. Everyone who has signed up has given me great feedback so far and as the club gets more established, I hope to bring you even better and more interesting wines.

Of course, I'm enjoying the research aspect of the club too. I just tasted a Finger Lakes chardonnay that is aged partially in New York oak...truly a NY wine...and one you just might see in a future shipment.

Join the New York Cork Club today.

Wine Library TV Meets the New York Cork Club

New York Wines are Taking Over The World!

Overstated, sure. But the wines I am so passionate about are working their way around the Internet pretty nicely.

On today's episode of Wine Library TV everyone's favorite Chad Pennington wannabe tastes wines from the New York Cork Club's February shipment.

When I found that that Gary, who surely has a better arm that Pennington, was going to taste the wines, I was excited. I don't think he's featured any NY wines on his uber-popular vlog. But would he like them? Would he think these wines like Joe Namath...or would they be complete busts like Blair Thomas?

Watch it right now and find out.

Tomorrow I'll be announcing March's selections for the NYCC. What are you waiting for? Sign up today!

Oh and you can ignore Gary's derogatory remarks about your favorite New York wine blogger. Jealousy will do that to a man. After all, when did the New York Jets last win a championship?

Yeah, that's what I thought.

New York Cork Club: February Selections

I'm very excited to tell you about the wines I've selected for this month's New York Cork Club shipment.

First, I'm happy to announce the first club exclusive release -- Roanoke Vineyards 2004 Blend 2. The 2003 bottling was named New York's top red blend but sold out long ago. This vintage -- which has the potential to be even better -- hasn't even been released yet but if you join the club (or are already a member) you'll get a bottle later this month. It's a cabernet franc-dominated blend that is showing well in its youth, but also has cellar potential for the next several years.

The other wine this month is one you should drink soon, even the day you get it!

It's Macari Vineyards 2006 Early Wine Chardonnay. The grapes for this wine were picked on September 17, the wine was bottled October 16 and the final product released on October 23.

Previous vintages -- especially the 2005 bottling -- had definite sweetness, but the 2006 is bone dry, crisp and delicious. A super-pale yellow in the glass, tiny bubbles cling to the inside of the glass. The nose is clean, bright and fresh with crisp apple, pear and lime aromas that are accented by faint mineral notes. A burst of lively pear, green apple and lime flavor greets the palate with terrific acidity and a surprisingly long finish.

So what are you waiting for? Join the New York Cork Club today. I've several more tricks up my sleeve in coming months. There are going to be some fun wines included.

New York Cork Club: January Selections

Have you signed up for the New York Cork Club yet?

If not, you should think about it -- either for yourself or for a friend or family member. It's a unique opportunity to taste the best wines of New York State (not just Long Island folks!) as selected by your favorite NY wine guru. That's right...me!

I don't know about you, but I've been a member of a couple wine clubs in my day and there are two things that you just don't see in wine clubs very often -- sparkling wine and dessert wine.

Well this month's New York Cork Club selection includes a bottle of each, both from the Finger Lakes region of New York.

For bubbly, we've got Chateau Frank 2000 Brut. Made with the classic grapes of the Champagne region -- pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot meunier -- this wine is a classic in its own right. The nose is toasty and minerally with lemons and a little honey. Dry, lively and citrusy on the palate there is also some nuttiness and white cherry in the background. It tastes extremely fresh and flavorful while being refined with a fine bead. This is the best bubbly I've ever had from the Finger Lakes and is proof positive that world-class sparkling wine can be made on the East Coast.

Along with riesling, ice-style dessert wines are some of the brightest stars in the Finger Lakes. This one, Standing Stone Vineyards 2004 Vidal Ice, is made with the hybrid grape vidal blanc, which is used a lot in Canada for ice wine production.  Honeyed and rich, it is nicely balanced with fresh acidity. The flavors are layered and complex with peach, pear, apricot, rose petal and lychee mingling on a succulent, long-lasting palate. This one is just plain delicious.

Sign up for the New York Cork Club today and get these wines shipped to you later this month. Going forward, we're planning to send out the monthly selections around the 15th of each month.

It's Here: The New York Cork Club

Have you ever found yourself reading about a magnificent Long Island merlot or a racy Finger Lakes riesling and thought to yourself "Man, I wish I could get my hands on that wine, but I can't get New York wines here in (insert your home town/city/state here)."?

The New York Cork Club, a joint venture between this blog and Greene Grape Wine Company is setting out to change all that.

Every month, I'll hand select two bottles of New York wine and Greene Grape will send them to you if you're members of the New York Cork Club. Monthly wine costs will be around $40-$60 plus shipping. There is also a quarterly shipping option.

This is truly unlike any other New York wine club. Instead of a wine shop picking the wines that they make the most money one, Greene Grape has given me full control over the wines every month. You'll also get to taste wines from all over New York State, not just a single winery or region. And, I plan to work directly with some of New York State's top wineries to offer club members exclusive wines before they are even released.

And, because I'm not making any money on the sale of the wines, you can trust that I'm picking wines that I think you'll enjoy -- because I enjoy them myself.

Join today and get our first shipment -- Hermann J. Wiemer 2005 Dry Riesling and Shinn Estate Vineyards NV "Red" two awesome, food-friendly wines, for just $35 (plus shipping).

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My Tasting Notes:

Hermann J. Wiemer 2005 Dry Riesling one the Governor's Cup for Best New York State Wine at the 2006 New York Food and wine Classic and is sold out at the winery. Luckily Greene Grape has some left. It has a citrusy, lime-driven nose and crisp apple, pear and citrus flavors. Balanced with fresh acidity, the finish is longer than you might expect.

Shinn Estate Vineyards NV Red.  This is a blend of 75% merlot and 25% cabernet sauvignon, and it was clearly made for your dining room table. Light-to-medium bodied, this wine has some pinot noir-like qualities with a nose is mainly raspberry and strawberries, with just the most subtle hints of spice. The palate is juicy red berries with hints of oak character. The first 20 customers to sign up for the New York Cork Club get a bottle signed by David Page and Barbara Shinn, the couple behind Shinn Estate and Home Restaurant.

Unfortunately, Greene Grape cannot ship wine to IN, KT, MD, NH, PA, TN and UT at this time. Every other state is fair game, however.