New York Cork Report

Snug Harbor Restaurant & Inn (Hammondsport, NY)

As soon as we booked our trip to Keuka Lake, I started asking around for restaurant recommendations. They came from far and wide, but one of the first ones came from Lisa Hallgren, co-owner of Ravines Wine Cellars.  She recommended Snug Harbor Restaurant & Inn, so I made a reservation for our first night there.

What a great find in the region's off season. If they had been open on Monday, we would have gone back.

From the location, to the service, to the food, it was one of the best experiences we've had in a long time. We felt more than comfortable with Jackson (this is by far the nicest restaurant he's been to) and the heavily local wine list was impressive. Jackson's macaroni and cheese was so good that we ate some of it too.

The only thing that wasn't spot on was Nena's tilapia, which was just okay compared to the rest of her entree. But our salads were fresh, well balanced and flavorful. My Thai curry noodles were great (though they could have been spicier) and the banana creme de caramel was terrific.

Soon, I'll tell you about our worst meal in the Finger Lakes (and maybe ever), but let's stick with the positives today. I'd recommend Snug Harbor to anyone.

Diploma Dispatches: Loire

By Sasha Smith, New York City Correspondent

I used to get annoyed at wine writers who seemed to have a knee-jerk reaction against big, high-alcohol, ripe wines. I saw it as nothing more than a kind of elitist (to invoke the word of the week) pose against wines that were simply made to appeal to a broader audience.

And then I started taking this course. It’s not so much that my wine evaluation skills have improved (although I like to think that they have) as a question of volume. The more wine I taste/drink, the more I crave refreshment – or, at the very least, wine that doesn’t stain my lips and teeth dark purple after one sip.

This week’s class, then, was just what the doctor ordered. There are few regions that offer as much food-friendly refreshment as the Loire, and it’s always been one of my favorites. To my mind, acidity is the most underappreciated component of wine, especially for the casual drinker, and no place does acidity quite like the Loire. Sancerre, Savennières, Saumur-Champigny…the names alone are mouth-watering. Granted, in some vintages the acidity can be a little overbearing, and I have yet to fall in love with Pinot Noir-based wines from here, but overall, I’m a pretty big fan.

Tuesday’s tasting was one of the best we’ve had. The Domaine de la Pepière ‘Granite de Clisson’ Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie had some of that pretty creaminess that comes from lees contact but without any of the aggressive yeastiness. The Domaine François Chidaine ‘Les Argiles’ Vouvray was a great Chenin Blanc combo of apricot, honey, and wet wool. (Or, as our instructor Mollie Battenhouse – my favorite so far – charmingly put it, “did you notice any sheep leaping out at you?”) The Domaine du Closel ‘Clos du Papillon’ Savennières was young, but with a very promising future. My favorite though was the Charles Joguet ‘Cuvée de la Cure’ Chinon, which hit all the right Chinon notes: firm tannins, good acidity, wild strawberries, pencil lead, ash, earth, dried herbs, great balance…all for a whopping $22.

In fact, all of the wines we tasted were under $30, definitely a first. For all of my talk about acidity and refreshment, I am not ruling out the possibility that I love the Loire simply because I’m cheap.

The Edible East End Spring 2008 Issue is Out

Edible East End is probably my favorite local print publication. Each of its five issues each year are packed with great stories and information for lovers of all things local on Long Island.

Unfortunately, my column "East End Oenophile" is no more, but fear not, I'll be writing feature stories for them instead, which is much more interesting anyway.

For this month's issue, my lone contribution is some tasting notes from a visit to Bluepoint Brewery's tap room, which run along side a nice piece by James Held.

This issue also welcomes Channing Daughters Winery's winemaker Chris Tracy as a regular contributor with his "Winemaker Wonderings" column.

Other wine-related pieces include a one-pager on Corey Creek Vineyards' 2007 Gewürztraminer (always a LENNDEVOURS favorite) and an interesting feature article on Pindar Vineyards/Duck Walk Vineyards. It really speaks to some of the history behind Long Island's largest producer.

I also think that it might allude to some of the coverage I've given the winery in recent years, but that could just be my ego talking.

You can pick up a copy of EEE most anywhere out east, or visit their still-improving website.

Christopher Watkins' Book Now Available

I know that I should get cranking on all of the Finger Lakes-related posts that I have to write, but I wanted to take a moment to congratulate a friend on the release of his new book.

You might know him as the director of operations at Roanoke Vineyards. But, in addition to his duties as LENNDEVOURS' poet laureate, Christopher Watkins is a poet, musician and all around good guy.

So today, I'm happy and proud to announce that his book of poetry "Short Houses With Wide Porches" is now available for purchase.

Rumor has it that it's quite good and that he is also conspiring with a certain New York wine blogger on a project that will include some of his wine poetry.

The Family at Heron Hill Winery

I promise this will be the last picture I post without an actually post wrapped arond it. Just loved this one of the three of us at Heron Hill Winery with still-dormant vines and Keuka Lake visible.

More on Heron Hill next week when we're at home and I can catch up on all the writing I need to do.

Ravines Wine Cellars and My Riesling of the Moment

As you probably know, this week we spent four beautifully relaxing days at a lakefront cottage just south of Penn Yan, New York -- smack dab in the middle of the Finger Lakes wine region. It's the off season up here, so Keuka Lake is quiet, almost eerily so when compared with the chaos that is often Long Island, but the riesling is providing plenty of excitement for us

Much like merlot dominates Long Island, Riesling rules the wine landscape up here. And, during our first afternoon tasting along the east side of the lake, I found what is my Riesling of the moment: Ravines Wine Cellars 2006 Riesling ($17).

No, it probably isn't be the best Riesling in the world, but it might just be the best in the region. And, in this moment (when I wrote this) -- sitting out on the dock, my toes near numb as they dangle in the frigid water, sipping a lightly chilled glass as I type away on my laptop -- there isn't another Riesling I'd rather have in my glass.

Deliciously minerally, with lime, orange blossom and crisp apple notes it's the dryness (many Finger Lakes Rieslings are made in an off-dry style) and a focused electric jolt of acidity that bring structure and lift this wine to new heights. Medium bodied and lingers on the finish, inviting another sip or bite of your meal. This is Finger Lakes Riesling at its most elegant and food friendly. Best of all, it's a great value.

Winemaker Morten Hallgren is doing exciting things with other grapes as well.

Morten, raised in Provence on his family's vineyard, has a diverse winemaking background that took him from France to Texas, to North Carolina, and finally to the Finger Lakes, where he is best known for his six years as head winemaker at Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars.

In 2000, Morten and his wife Lisa bought 17 acres of land on a glacier-carved hillside on the eastern slopes of Keuka Lake. This land is located at the widest part of the lake, which allows grapevines to receive maximum benefit from its temperature-moderating effects. It has well-drained soils and is situated between two deep ravines, which drain cold air from the land during the winter. These ravines are the namesake of the winery. When I visited, they had just plowed 6 acres behind the tasting room for planting later this spring with Riesling, chardonnay, pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon and petit manseng.

When I was there, I got to taste some of Morten's first vintages at Ravines-a Riesling, a chardonnay, a pinot noir and a cabernet franc. All impressed, particularly the pinot noir, which is really just coming into its own.

Of the current releases, the 2007 Sauvignon Blanc ($18) stood out-even if it was only bottled two days ago. And, for anyone who thinks that great wine can only be made with the classic grapes of Europe, think again. Ravines Wine Cellars 2006 Keuka Village White ($12), a blend of 80% Cayuga White and 20% Vignoles, was an affordable surprise that reminds me of the everyday blended wines from Alsace. The nose is fruity and fresh with loads of melon and peach with just a little floral character and minerality. Medium-to-light bodied, those same fruits dominate the palate with slightly tropical hints as well. There is a light sweetness to the wine, but more than enough acidity to bring balance.

I've said many less-than-nice things about Finger Lakes reds in the past, but Morten's 2005 Meritage ($25) deserves mention as well. I liked it enough to make it the only Bordeaux-style red that I bought the whole trip.

There are Finger Lakes wineries that are bigger and better known, but Ravines Wine Cellars is clearly one of the most exciting, with a great future ahead.

Loving The Finger Lakes

I'm heading back out onto the dock with a glass of local riesling, but I just wanted to announce to the world how much we're loving our time in the Finger Lakes.

The cottage we're renting is just steps (maybe 3) from the water, offering great views and the perfect setting for our mini-vacation. We've had two good meals (more on them later) and have enjoyed touring the vineyards. It's quite a different world than the Long Island wine scene, that's for sure. Different in both good and bad ways I think.

This picture, snapped today on our final tasting stop at Keuka Springs Winery, offers just a glimpse of the stunning views most tasting rooms offer. No matter how much money Long Island winery owners pump into their tasting rooms, they aren't going to replicate these views. No chance.

More tasting tomorrow and a waterside barbecue is in the plans. The sunny skies and weather in the 70s demands it.

Know Valvin Muscat? Hunt Country Vineyards Does.

By Jason Feuler, Finger Lakes Correspondent

Last weekend I attended a reception at Hunt Country Vineyards on the northwestern tip of Keuka's left branch to celebrate the first available vintage of Valvin Muscat. This hybrid is, like the name implies, a genetic relative of the ancient and prolific muscat grape which is grown the world over, but usually in warmer climates.

The few muscats I've had in the past were aromatic, food-friendly whites with good balance. How does its cousin compare? Actually, quite well. The Valvin Muscat I tried at Hunt Country left me with most of the good impressions of a muscat and the mid-palate did not suffer from the same flatness that plagues many hybrids. Overall, it was very good white by any standard.

Chris Wirth, the winemaker, is pleased with his creation. "We had some experimental rows planted for the last few years, and they were turning out very nicely. It didn't take long for us to decide to release a vintage of this grape."

Valvin Muscat is known genetically as 62-122.01 and was first developed in 1962 by the Cornell Experimental Station in Geneva. "When the Cornell folks test the drinkability of wines they don't filter and prepare them for general consumption," explains winery owner Art Hunt, "so sometimes good grapes can seem a little rough. When I first tasted the Valvin it was great, and I knew that this would be a good grape to experiment with and produce."

Art's wife and co-owner Joyce Hunt took the opportunity of the Valvin Muscat's release to ask local restaurant Snug Harbor in Hammondsport to prepare some dishes to pair with the new wine. The result was a pleasing buffet of spicy shrimp, smoked lake trout salad, and white truffle macaroni and cheese. All the dishes were fantastic on their own and each paired with the Valvin Muscat very well, showing both the skill of Snug Harbor's chef and the flexibility of muscat in general.

Hunt County has been a winery since 1981, but it is in fact a six-generation family farm that stretches back well into the 19th-Century. The tasting room has one of the best patron-friendly setups of any Finger Lakes winery and the hospitality extends to the warm personalities of Art and Joyce who graciously introduced me to as many guests as possible. The premier of Valvin Muscat was a fun and informative event.

Hunt Country is not the only Finger Lakes winery to have bottled Valvin Muscat, but they are one of only a few and their efforts have produced a food-friendly, drinkable white that should appeal to both lovers of vinifera and those who seek out wines for casual summer sipping.  Hunt Country's Valvin Muscat will retail for $14.99.  I am curious to see how the public responds to this varietal and whether or not other Finger Lakes wineries will begin to produce it as well.

 

WTN: Shinn Estate Vineyards 2007 First Fruit (North Fork of Long Island)

Sometimes I really (seriously) get sick of all the local chardonnay I drink in covering the region so closely. It's the second most planted variety on Long Island and, by far, the most planted white variety, so it only makes sense that there's a lot of it made, but man, with a lot of these wines, any Long Island terroir is beaten out of these wines by new oak.

That is why I'm still so excited about the local sauvignon blanc that some wineries have put out in recent year, including Shinn Estate Vineyard's First Fruit, which is 96% sauvignon blanc and 4% semillon, their nod to the white wines of Bordeaux.

The nose is expressive with fresh pear, lemon, grapefruit and herbal-grassy notes mingling.

The palate brings similar flavors-with the addition of a squirt of lime and a sprinkling of salty minerality. Medium bodied and impeccably balanced with snappy acidity, this is a wine born beside the sea and one that goes with anything from the sea.

Grape(s): 96% sauvignon blanc, 4% semillon
Producer: Shinn Estate Vineyards
AVA: North Fork of Long Island
Price: $22
Rating:  (4 out of 5 | Delicious, Distinctive ) 

Firkin Friday at DEKS and Sixpoint in Bellport

By Donavan Hall, Beer Columnist

The next Firkin Friday at DEKS is coming up soon; it's this Friday, the 18th. A firkin of Green Flash Hop Head Red is on its way from Vista, California for our cask conditioned drinking pleasure. Hop Head Red is "a deliciously full-bodied and appropriately hoppy ale," according to Celebrator Beer News. It earned the silver medal in the American-Style Amber/Red Ale category in the 2007 Great American Beer Festival, the USA's oldest and most prestigious craft beer competition.

As far as I can tell, this may be Hop Head Red's Long Island premier (in a firkin, at least). The Hop Head Red was spotted on tap at Big Z Beverage on Jericho Turnpike in Huntington (if you want a preview). Green Flash is a popular brewer in southern California and they've had a presence on the East Coast for at least a couple of years. Their IPA has been readily available in multiple venues on the Island (notably at Bobbique in Patchogue).  Currently, a Green Flash Imperial IPA is pouring at Once & For All in Patchogue.

The next day (Saturday the 19th), you should head on down to Dave's Bellport Beer & Soda where a representative from Sixpoint Craft Ales (Brooklyn) will be present with 7 or 8 different kegs for our sampling and purchasing pleasure.  Bring a glass and a growler.  The event starts at 1 pm and the good folks of the Long Island Beer & Malt Enthusiasts will be grilling hot dogs and burgers for the hungry masses.  If you come out, you'll find ample parking at the Bellport train station at the corner of Station Rd. and Montauk Hwy.  If you come out, be sure to meet the new manager at Bellport Beer, Rich Thatcher.  He's a friendly and beer-knowledgeable guy.

These are Long Island Beer & Malt Enthusiast-sanctioned events. Come on out and meet a bunch of fellow beer lovers. If you are new to the scene, make sure you introduce yourself. I'll be wearing my RadioBeerHall.com button, but you can always ask for me at the bar or at the grill. Everyone at DEKS and Bellport Beer knows Donavan. One more thing, all these beer events (and more!) are listed on the Long Island Beer Calendar.

Brooklyn Uncorked 2008: May 14 @ BAMCafe

Do you live in the greater New York City area and want to get your mouth around a wide array of local wines (and beers) without loading up the car and driving out to the North Fork of Long Island?

If the answer is yes, Brooklyn Uncorked 2008 is for you.

On Wednesday May 14, the Long Island Wine Council, Edible Brooklyn and Edible East End will welcome 30 Long Island wineries, and several local breweries, food purveyors and restaurants to BAMCafe (30 Lafayette Avenue, Fort Greene, Brooklyn) for this year's edition of Brooklyn Uncorked.

The event runs from 4-8 p.m. and tickets are $50.

Last year's event was a lot of fun, and based on the huge success (it sold out and was packed) they've decided to expand the event into BAM's lobby so that more wineries can participate along with local breweries like Blue Point Brewery, Brooklyn Brewery, Heartland Brewery, Sixpoint Craft Ales and Southampton Publick House.

The wineries pouring at the event include Bedell Cellars, Bridge Vineyards, Castello di Borghese, Channing Daughters, Clovis Point Wines, Corey Creek Vineyards, Duckwalk Vineyards, Jamesport Vineyards, Jason’s Vineyard, Lieb Family Cellars, Lenz Winery, Long Island Meadery, Macari Vineyards, Martha Clara Winery, Old Field Vineyards, Osprey’s Dominion, Palmer Vineyards, Paumanok Vineyards, Peconic Bay Winery, Pelligrini, Pindar, Raphael, Roanoke Vineyards, Shinn Estate Vineyards, Vineyard 48, Waters Crest Winery, and Wölffer Estate Vineyards,

There will also be cheeses from Stinky Bklyn and Whole Foods Market, Long Island potato chips, tasty sorbet from Wine Cellar Sorbets, freshly pressed coffees from Bodum, and natural sodas from Grown-up Soda (GuS).

Last year there was a dire need for more food, so it's great that restaurants from the neighborhood will be serving samples as well, including Bonita, Flatbush Farm, iCi (where I had a pre-event lunch last year), La Maison du Couscous, Little D Eatery, Palo Santo, Smoke Joint (where I had a post-event dinner last year), and Stonehome Wine Bar, as well as Great Performances caterers. Music will be provided by WLIU radio. Glasses are courtesy of Reidel.

I'm definitely going to be at this event, so if you're going to go, please make sure you let me know.

I also may have a couple tickets to give away here on LENNDEVOURS. I just need to work out those details.

You can get more information and order tickets via Edible Brooklyn's site.

WTN: Shinn Estate Vineyards 2007 Rose (North Fork of Long Island)

I've mentioned it before, but I always find the diverse styles of local rose interesting. Last week, I reviewed Wolffer's latest effort, and in many ways, it's a pink-colored white wine (it's 40% chardonnay after all).

If that's one of end of the spectrum -- a white wine with color -- then Shinn Estate Vineyards' 2007 Rose ($15) is the opposite end. It's truly a pale red wine. It's a unique both for how it's made and the way that it shows actual varietal character.

Many roses are either the result of blending or of bleeding juice off juice to intensify red wines, but Shinn grows a specific clone of merlot specifically for the production of this wine each year.

A medium pink, it’s medium bodied and offers briar, strawberry, watermelon and a faintly buttery note on both the nose and the palate. Dry, but fruity, and with a little noticeable skin tannin this is a rose to enjoy with a wide range of foods. Think barbeque chicken, think grilled salmon, think burgers.

Heck, I tasted it with a barely rare steak over the weekend and it worked surprisingly well. Make sure that you don't over-chill this one. It's better just barely chilled I think.

Grape(s): 100% merlot
Producer: Shinn Estate Vineyards
AVA: North Fork of Long Island
Price: $15
Rating:  (3 out of 5 | Recommended)

Finger Lakes Wine Country...Here We Come

Work is going to be crazy next week. We're re-launching large chunks of the website that I'm responsible for, so posting will be sparse at times as we make the final push to production.

But, this project isn't getting me down like it might. Why? Well, the morning after the site is launched, Nena, Jackson, Ben Roethlisbeagle and I are packing up the car and heading to Finger Lakes wine country -- specifically to a lake-front cottage just outside Hammondsport on beautiful Keuka Lake.

This will be our first time in the region, but you all know that I love the riesling in those parts and some of my favorite producers are on Keuka, including Ravines Wine Cellars and Dr. Konstantin Frank. I'm hoping to taste at those places as well as some producers less know by the LENNDEVOURS staff.

I'm trying to keep this trip a family one, so I won't be setting up many tastings or meetings ahead of time, but some wineries do seem excited that I'm coming.

If you have any winery or restaurant recommendations, leave them in the comments please.

Savor Syracuse: An Accidental Riesling Tasting

By Jason Feulner, Finger Lakes Correspondent

Last night, my parents-in-law graciously invited my wife and me to a Syracuse charity event that raises money for the Food Bank of Central New York. Savor Syracuse, as it is called, was held last night at the Hotel Syracuse, an early 20th-Century gem that is no longer functioning as a hotel but serves as a tremendous event venue with a fantastic decor.

The event is simple: local restaurants and other institutions prepared and served food at various stations, and you go around and taste.

We went to this event two years ago and at that point it was heavy on the food and had maybe one or two wineries pouring wines. The rest of the drinks at that event were beer or from wine sales reps who were pushing their client's wines from California, Australia, etc. Basically, there wasn't much going on in the local drink department.

Much to my surprise, when I walked in this year,  I saw more wine than food and it was all Finger Lakes wine! 

Here before me were wineries like Standing Stone, Lamoreaux Landing, Fulkerson, Heron Hill, Dr. Frank's, Prejean, and several more. It was something akin to a tasting event that was not even labeled as such and so I quickly took advantage of the circumstances and started the rounds.

I was not equipped to take detailed notes, but I'll leave you with some of my overall impressions. 

New York Wine and Culinary Center Set to Offer WSET Courses

The New York Wine and Culinary Center in Canandaigua, has announced its 2008 schedule for Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) programs.

WSET is one of, if not the single, most well-known wine certification programs in the world and it's great that these courses are becoming increasingly more available to people outside of major cities.

The Center became a WSET Approved Program Provider in February 2007 offers Foundation-, Intermediate- and Advanced-Level programs in their Education Theater.

The 2008 schedule is below the click.

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.

Will the LENNDEVOURS Party Actually Happen?

I've been knocking around the idea of having a LENNDEVOURS party/get together/meet-up for a few years now, but it never seems to happen. Every time I think about it, life gets busy, venues back out, or something else happens to keep the stars from aligning properly.

But 2008 is the year that it's going to happen. Seriously.

I'm still working out some details with the venue, so I'm not going to announce the 'where' just yet, but it's a great spot on the North Fork, right in the middle of wine country. 

Most likely, we'll hold it in June sometime, hopefully a Saturday. It looks like I'll have room for 25 or so people at this venue, which should be more than enough given that there's only about 10 of you reading this right now, right?

Anyway, if you'd be interested in joining me for some wine and probably light snacks or food, let me know. I won't know about the cost until we're much closer to the event. Maybe we'll do a pot luck event or something. Once I work out some of the final where/when details, we'll figure that all out.

WTN: Wolffer Estate Vineyards 2007 Rose (The Hamptons, Long Island)

It must be spring. The weather is getting just a little warmer. The East End sod farms are blanketed in that golf course green. And Wolffer Estate has released it's new rose vintage.

Both locally and around the world, rose comes in as many styles as there are ways to make it. Some winemakers use the saignee method, where they bleed off juice to concentrate their reds — with rose being the byproduct. Some, like Shinn Estate Vineyards, make rose for rose sake, even growing particular clones of merlot in a particular portion of their vineyard specifically for rose.

Others prefer to blend juice from red grapes with that from white grapes. Wolffer Estate's Roman Roth falls into this category, making his 2007 with 40% chardonnay, 35% merlot, 17% cabernet sauvignon and 8% cabernet franc.

Roth, like most everyone in the Long Island wine world, considers 2007 "an ideal growing season" because there were many warm, sunny days and only moderate rain. The fruit for this wine was harvested between September 26 and October 13. After crush, the juice gently pressed off and settled at 50° Fahrenheit followed by a cool fermentation temperature of 66° Fahrenheit to total dryness. Aged in stainless steel after blending, Malolactic fermentation was strictly avoided. Wolffer made a lot of it this year — over 4000 cases — but with another Hamptons summer ahead, they'll need it.

A beautiful pale (extremely pale) copper-salmon color, the nose is very reminiscent of sauvignon blanc with fresh squeezed citrus aromas –- grapefuit, lemon and lime –- with subtle hints of herbs and briary strawberry. On the palate, it continues its impersonation of a dry white wine with grapefruit and lemon staying in the forefront. Only as it warms do some strawberry and raspberry notes emerge. Medium-light bodied, it has great acidity and is no doubt extremely versatile.

Drink it with shellfish, non-shellfish, salads, or on its own on a hot summer day at the beach. Looking for the quintessential Hamptons wine? This might be it. I like just a little more heft and red wine character in my rose, but this one is plenty delicious.

Grape(s): 40% chardonnay, 35% merlot, 17% cabernet sauvignon and 8% cabernet franc.
Producer: Wolffer Estate Vineyards
AVA: The Hamptons, Long Island
Price: $15
Rating:  (3 out of 5 | Recommended)

(About LENNDEVOURS Ratings)  

Diploma Dispatches: European Grab Bag

By Sasha Smith, New York City Correspondent

You know how it is when you go to the wedding of a not-very-close friend and you’re seated at the table with all the other not-very-close friends, like the guy who worked at the groom’s ill-fated online start up for 6 months circa 1999, and the bride’s friend from her semester abroad in Buenos Aires?

 

Well, that was kind of like this week’s class, a motley crew of wines from a random assortment of countries that most US wine drinkers know little about. Technically it was “wines of Central and Southern Europe,” basically Switzerland, Cyprus, and everything in between. My hopes were not high. But just like diminished expectations make sitting at the marginal table so much fun (no one is asking you to make a toast, and the consequences for getting hammered are pretty mild when no one knows who you are), these wines offered some great, unanticipated surprises.

 

First was a 2006 Craftsman Hárslevelu from Hungary. Hárslevelu is one of the grapes that goes into Tokaji Aszú, Hungary’s noted dessert wine. Somewhere between off-dry and medium-dry, this has all kinds of soft, ripe fruit nicely balanced by fresh acidity and a pleasantly bitter note on the finish. For nine bucks, you could do a lot worse.

A 100% Robola (yeah, I’ve never heard of that grape either) from Cepholonia tasted like alcoholic iced chamomile tea, but in a good way. I could have done without the overly tannic Croatian Plavac Mali, but the Berger Blauer Zweigelt, at $12 for a liter, would be lovely fruity/peppery accompaniment to barbecue. (Unfortunately, you get no points for suggesting food pairings on the exam.)

The show stopper though was a Dobogó Tokaji Aszú 6 Pottonyos. I’m a huge fan of botrytized sweet wines in general, and Tokaji is one of my faves. I tried to run through the whole WSET systematic approach on this one but quickly gave up and switched from spitting to drinking. This stuff is like nectar – can you blame me?

 

On a more serious note, I can feel the pressure starting to mount. I came across this paragraph on Cyprus in the Oxford Companion to Wine (aka our textbook) the other day:

 

“Commercial wine-growing is confined to the southern foothills and slopes of the Troodos mountain range at altitudes varying from 250 m to 1,500 m (800–4,900 ft) above sea level. The vineyard area is divided into six regions: Pitsilia (the highest), Marathasa, Commandaria, Troodhos South, Troodhos East, and Troodhos North. Three of the regions contain designated subregions: Madhari in the region of Pitsilia; Afames and Laona in Troodhos South; and Ambelitis, Vouni tis Panayias, and Laona Kathikas all within Troodhos East. Pitsilia and the northern (higher altitude) half of Commanderia have igneous soil and subsoil. Elsewhere soils are of sedimentary limestone with a particularly high free lime content.”

 

No offense to Lenn’s Cypriot fans, but these are some crazy names. There’s no way in hell I’m going to remember them. If there’s a diploma candidate in Cyprus right now who’s reading the Oxford New York entry and wondering how she’s going to memorize Cutchogue and Canandaigua, I feel your pain.

WBW #44: French Cabernet Franc: Domaine Gasnier 2006 Chinon Cuvee Les Graves

This month's edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday, hosted by none other than Gary Vaynerchuk of Wine Library TV, is one I've been looking forward to for sometime for a few reasons.

First, as the founder of this here virtual wine tasting club, it's great to have Gary on board this month. Like him or hate him, he's big time in the online wine world. He's been on Ellen, Conan, Nightline and now he's hosting WBW. You'll notice that we wouldn't let him host WBW until after the other gigs. We had to make sure he was for real and not just a flash in the pan.

Second, I love cabernet franc, as you all know.

Third, this theme gave me an excuse to put down the New York wines for a moment and uncork a bottle of Chinon, one of my favorite French wine regions.

But, I broke one rule that I always have for myself when it comes to WBW -- this is a wine I've had before. In fact, this is a wine that I had once a while back, and I liked it so much that I bought a lot more of it. It's our house red when we want a break from local reds.

I'm drinking this bottle right now as I type this...and it's just as good as I remember. There's plenty of black and red plum up front and a little blackberry too, but there's all of the other things I love about cab franc as well. There's earthy notes, some asparagus (a good thing!), black pepper and a stony, mineral quality on a medium-long finish that is really nice.

It's medium bodied with medium tannins, it's versatile with food too. I've had it with Thai food. I've had it on it's own. And I've had it with pizza.

If you like your cab franc without (or with barely any) oak, you should definitely check this one out.

I bought this wine from Greene Grape Wine in Brooklyn.

Paumanok Vineyards and Wollfer Estate Announce Mediterranean Cruise in Summer 2009

Most wineries put on a plethora of events every summer. You have your live music in the vineyard. You have the wine dinner at a local restaurant.

Now, thanks to Wolffer Estate and Paumanok Vineyards, you have a 10-Night Mediterranean Cruise on Oceania Cruises' Insignia with stops in Greece, Malta, Italy, France, Morocco and Spain.

The cruise will take place June 24 - July 4, 2009 and cabin prices begin at $3,349 per person, which may seem a little steep, but it includes round-trip air to Europe and all of your meals on the boat, which means that by 2009 this could be quite a deal, And, if you book by August 1, 2008 you get receive free prepaid gratuities,  a $250-$330

Space is extremely limited, so the cruise is only open to members of the two wineries' wine clubs.

Learn more about the cruise and if you want to join the wine clubs to get in on this trip, visit Wolffer's website and/or Paumanok's.

 

WBW Logo Contest Deadline Extended

We've decided to extend the deadline for the WBW Logo contest to April 30, 2008.

You can read the initial announcement here. Everything holds true except, of course, the new deadline.

At any point before April 31, you can submit your logo idea via email to [email protected].

WTN: Bedell Cellars 2005 Musee (North Fork of Long Island)

Bedell Cellars' 2005 Musee ($65) is a wine that I've gotten more emails about than any other in my three-plus years covering New York wines in earnest. I've had readers, friends, winemakers and wine salespeople all reach out to me wanting to know my opinion of Bedell's new flagship red wine, which has replaced (I think and assume) the Cupola blend in the portfolio.

Made with 78% merlot, 17% cabernet sauvignon and 5% petit verdot, it is a fine effort that does a nice job balancing the power and intensity of the dry, hot 2005 growing season with a bit of elegance and emerging nuance.

Right out of the bottle, the wine’s youth is strongly evident, making it a bit "California" in character with primary aromas and flavors of blackberry, oak and vanilla dominating.

But with some time in the glass, secondary and tertiary flavors emerge, morphing what could have been just another over-oaked red into a wine with complexity and nuance.

Dark berry and plum fruit character are joined by subtle cocoa bean, espresso, spice and herb notes. The tannins are well integrated and softer than you might expect. The finish is long and invites another sip.

At $65, it's not a cheap wine by any means. I'd recommend tasting it first to see if it's to your liking. I like it, but I think there are better local values. Still, it's a well-made wine that is seamless and delicious.

Producer: Bedell Cellars
AVA: North Fork of Long Island
Price: $65
Rating:    (3.5 out of 5 | Very good-to-Delicious) 

(About LENNDEVOURS Ratings)