The New York Cork Club's June 2010 Selections

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor
Ravines photo courtesy of Mark Moskal

This month's New York Cork Club selections can be considered a brief exploration of dry rose in New York State.

Before I say a bit about the two wines, first let me point you at more information about the New York Cork Club (NYCC). The quick and dirty of it is that we've partnered with BacchusWineOnline.com to build a wine club that features only wines made in New York -- making more accessible to people around the country. We can't ship to every state, shipping laws being what they are today, but we can ship to a lot of them.

In selecting Ravines Wine Cellars 2008 Pinot Rose and Wolffer Estate 2009 Rose, we have two wines -- both dry -- from two different regions made in two very different ways.

The Ravines is 100% pinot noir and offers nice floral character to go with orange-grapefruit, watermelon and cherry fruit flavors. Showing a subtle silkiness to go with fresh acidity, it stays true to pinot noir. It only has .3% residual suggar and Ravines winemaker Morten Hallgren was one of the first (if not the first) to make dry rose in the Finger Lakes.

The Wolffer, on the other hand, is a blend of red and white grapes -- 46% merlot, 33% chardonnay, 12% cabernet sauvignon and 9% cabernet franc -- and is made in winemaker Roman Roth's preferred crisp, snappy style.

Strawberries, peach and a grapefruit mingle on a fruity, fresh nose and the medium-bodied palate brings the same fruitiness with intense strawberry flavors with more subdued peach, citrus and kiwi character. Bright, thirst-quenching acidity plays nicely off of the slightly creamy mid-palate.

Interesting in signing up? You can do so on the Bacchus website.

Comments

[JongS]

nice details on both wines. people of NY must go and try both to see each variety's distinctions for themselves.

[Paul Z]

Excellent choices! We've already gone through almost 2 cases of the Wolffer, and the Ravines is my second-favorite NYS rose. (Although it's funny that the Wolffer will have to go through NYC to travel from the South Fork to Bacchus, and then will ship back to us here in NYC.)