Announcing TasteNY: A Virtual Exploration of New York Wine, Beer and Spirits

By Lenn Thompson, Publisher and Editor

Hot on the heels of the hugely successful TasteCamp project, I'm happy to announce yet another way for me to share the wines I write about with the greater blogging community -- TasteNY.

The concept, again, is simple. Quarterly (that's the plan anyway) I'll hand-pick a set of New York-made wines, beers or spirits and get them into the hands of a small group (10-12) bloggers. Participating bloggers needn't promise to write about them, and there certainly isn't a ticking clock -- the bloggers can taste the wines whenever they'd like.

The only thing that I've asked them to do is taste the wines, preferably with a group of friends. And, even better, over a meal together. As if any blogger (or wine lover for that matter) needs an excuse to get together with friends to drink wine and eat.

For this, the first edition, the focus is on Finger Lakes riesling. Nearly 20 wineries submitted nearly four cases of wine for possible inclusion in the project and I was able to pare that group down to 12 wines from 12 wineries, from 4 different vintages:

• Heron Hill Winery 2005 Old Vines Riesling
• Ravines Wine Cellars 2006 Riesling
• Red Newt Wine Cellars 2006 Reserve Riesling
• Sheldrake Point 2006 Reserve Riesling
• Atwater Vineyards 2007 Dry Riesling
• Wiemer Vineyards 2007 Dry Riesling
• Dr. Konstantin Frank 2007 Dry Riesling 
• Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards  2008 Homestead Reserve Riesling
• Anthony Road Wine Company  2008 Semi-Dry Riesling
• Billsboro Winery 2008 Dry Riesling   
• Fox Run Vineyards 2008 Riesling 
• Lamoreaux Landing 2008 Red Oak Vineyard Riesling

I'm really excited about this kick-off edition and I think it's going to be a lot of fun for everyone included, including Joe Roberts, John Witherspoon, Megan Witherspoon, Richard Auffrey, Becky and Steve Borichevsky, Tim Elliott, Hardy Wallace, Dale Cruse, Brian Simpson, Erika Strum, Rob Bralow, David Honig, Jeff Lefevere, Matt Horbund, Tom Mansell, Thea Dwelle and our own Evan Dawson.

Now that the program has been announced, the wheels are in motion to get the wines out. I'd like to thank Morgen McLaughlin from Finger Lakes Wine Country for helping with the coordination and logistics of this edition of TasteNY.

The calendar is wide open for the next edition. Maybe we'll do Long Island cabernet franc. Or maybe we'll do some beer. Stay tuned to find out.

Comments

[1WineDude]

I'm excited about this - it's going to be fantastic to get re-acquainted with many of these producers (and of course get introduced to a few that are new to me). Cheers!

[Dale Cruse]

The only thing that's better than wine is free wine. Thanks for setting this up, Lenn!

[matt.mmwine]

I am very excited about this. It's been eons since I've had the opportunity to taste NY wines. I'm going to love this event. Thanks to you Lenn and the folks of Finger Lakes Wine Country for putting this together.

[Morgen McLaughlin]

Excited for everyone to taste these wines!

Thanks Lenn for kicking off the program with Finger Lakes Rieslings and thanks to all the bloggers for participating.

[Bryan]

Where's Lyle Fass on this list? He knows a thing or two about Riesling.

[Lenn Thompson]

For the NYC crew, Brian will be hosting at the restaurant...including Erika and Rob. Perhaps he'll invite Lyle. I'm leaving that to the "hosts" so as to not get too involved.

[Don Giovanni]

More free wine...now lets see if you all can be good bloggers, as your generous wineries gave you FREE WINE...

this is where you bloggers have to shine...look for the good...remember the glass is half full comes across much better...

I wish you all the very best on this...for the wineries GL you have played your cards...one chance...can't go back, so when or if you get dogged out don't go a running back to Ma Ma...

Cheers !!!

I always get the run off of PR so my sales will go up, just as they did this past week or two due to all the publicity , good or bad...they come to find out for themselves...so I win either way riding on the trail of good and bad wine reviews...

again Cheers !!!

[Jeff]

Totally cool thing your doing Lenn! I look forward to participating!

Jeff

[Peter Becraft/Anthony Road Wine Co.]

Lenn and Morgen, You two really think outside of the box, keep it up. Peter

[Thomas Pellechia]

Hello Peter,

Great to have met you at IEWC.

[The Wine Brat]

Well! We have ourselves a TASTING!
The West Coast Winos will include myself, Patrick of Iridesse Wines, Liza of the BrixChicks, and hopefully a few more assorted bandits.

Looking forward to it!

[Peter Becraft/Anthony Road Wine Co.]

Thomas, I had a great time at the competition and it was a pleasure meeting you as well. Hope to run into you soon. You are only 6 degrees of CaryMo Chocolate. Who would of guessed?

[Thomas Pellechia]

Peter,

Chocolate and wine--makes sense to me!

[Philip James]

Lenn - I think you're doing something really great here, much more so than just 'free wine'. Its very forward thinking of the Finger Lakes region to stand behind this.

[brooklynguy]

nicely done - you continue to serve as the model wine emissary.

but why not include bloggers who have been critical of the wines, like Alice Feiring or Lyle Fass, who participated in your previous event? it almost looks like you want to avoid the possibility that someone might write negative things about the wines.

alternately, just call it what it is - you arrange to have free wine sent to people who have shown in the past that they enjoy drinking these wines. there's nothing wrong with that, if you are honest about it.

[Lenn Thompson]

Neil,

Actually, it's neither one of those :)

Brian Simpson has agreed to be the "host" blogger for NYC for this event. I have no control over who he does or doesn't invite to the tasting, as it would be inappropriate for me to do so.

And look at the list again my friend...several of people who have been critical in the past.

I would love to have Lyle attend the NYC tasting for this. With his vast knowledge of German riesling, he'd bring a lot to the table.

Alice, well, she doesn't write back to me. And as these aren't "natural" wines (the only ones she seems to give a chance), she'd probably bring less to the table.

Is this YOUR way of asking to be invited, bro? I'd love to have you included as well (and thought of asking you to host) but I figured with the still-infant at home, probably not easy for you to do.

No conspiracy theory. Ridiculous for you to assume so, honestly. Lighten up, my friend. This is supposed to be fun. It's WINE.

[brooklynguy]

whatever you say. your post makes it seem as though you chose the participants: "I'll hand-pick a set of New York-made wines, beers or spirits and get them into the hands of a small group (10-12) bloggers." and it doesn't say anything about a host, or who might be hosting.

and no, if i wanted ny wines, i would buy them, this is not about me participating. i got my case and a half of samples of NY wine already this winter.

i don't think there is a conspiracy, i just think that you're cheer leading now instead of being an independent and critical voice. and since you weren't always that way, and since i respect and like you, i'll say something about it.

you are the only person writing about ny wine. do you want to be a cheerleader or a critic? you act like a critic by rating wine and posting tasting notes. but you also act like a cheerleader, which makes it difficult to take the criticism seriously. i think you should pick one direction and follow it.

as a wine lover and interested reader, i'm telling you that i feel the need for a refresher, some sort of Lenndevours statement of purpose.

[Lenn Thompson]

Neil: I've been called a cheerleader before. It used to annoy me, but now I pretty much laugh it off.

Why? Because I know what I'm about and what this blog is about. This blog is designed to be everything on NY wine: commentary, criticism, kudos when worthy and of course reviews. Anyone who reads my blog regularly over any period of time has seen all of this. Anyone who thinks that I'm blindly positive either doesn't read this blog very often, or is illiterate.

Anyone who thinks that I'm on any sort of NY wine payroll is just stupid. If I were, I'd be making a lot more money from this blog ;)

What is getting lost here is that I don't run this blog in a vacuum.

This blog (and my Twitter/FB activity) are part of the larger wine social media world. Things like TasteCamp and TasteNY are about the social aspect of social media. The community side of things.

TasteCamp was a huge success, and if I remember correctly, you and I have already talked about you and I doing a mini version in the fall, yes?

TasteNY is just another "experiment" (your word). I like the idea of getting NY wines in front of other people. Just like I wish I had more access to Virginia wines, or Michigan and a million other regions.

I'm a NY wine critic and a consumer advocate, but I'm also an enthusiast. Aren't all bloggers, at their core, enthusiastic about wine?

[dr. clifford b. fisch]

how do i get in on this. i am a cellartracker member and my wine tasting notes are posted there and are sent to twitter.

nyc

[Mark]

You'll have to keep all of us west coast winos updated on the progress by the New York wineries....having another growing region is always a great thing!

[Dissertation Ideas]

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[pruning grape vines]

I like that new york is starting to get into ice wines to compete with Canada. It is certainly cold enough here in winter.