New York Cork Report

Empire State Cellars to Open Tomorrow

Empire State Cellars will open tomorrow, November 4, morning at the Tanger Outlet Center in Riverhead, New York

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

The wait is over. Empire State Cellars, a new wine shop and tasting room dedicated solely to New York State-made wine and spirits, will open tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. at the Tanger Outlet Center in Riverhead.

"It has been pretty labor intensive to say the least, and mentally draining, but the end result is worth all of the late nights and long hours. This is good for everyone," said Jim Silver, General Manager of Peconic Bay Winery, who is opening Empire State Cellars as second of it s five permissible tasting rooms under its Farm Winery license.

Upon opening tomorrow, the store will have 400 different wines and spirits in stock, with the goal of expanding that to 600 in the very near future. "There are still dozens of wineries we want in the store but that haven't gotten back to us yet. Some have been too busy with their harvest to sell us their wines. Some are sold out of certain things we really wan to carry. But that said, we've got an absolutely astonishing selection from all over the state," said Silver.

Empire State Cellars will be open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week, and will offer tastings of several wines every day.

I've joined Jim and the Empire State team -- specifically manager Polly Brown and assistant manager Evan Ducz -- as they taste several wines they were considering for the store, and I can tell you that their enthusiasm for finding delicious wines from every corner of the state is obvious, even inspiring. Representing every region and as many wineries as possible is a priority.

"We really see this as a way to bring all of the state's wine regions together, to showcase their wines and, of course, sell them. The response has been amazing. Just about every winery we got in touch with is working with us."

When I asked Silver what wines he was most excited about stocking, his answer was so long that I almost had to cut him off: "There are some items that just blew me away with their quality and three of them were from Arrowhead Spring Vineyards in Niagara. I'm also happy to have gotten the Bloomer Creek Vineyards wines, some items from Mazza Vineyards in Lake Erie, neat sparkling wines from Swedish Hill Winery, new vintages from Waters Crest Winery and Palmer Vineyards, and single-vineyard wines from Keuka Lake Vineyards, Red Newt Cellars and Lamoreaux Landing. There are way too many wines to list that are very cool."

Personally, I'm nearly as excited about the selection of New York spirits, which includes items from Tuthilltown Spirits, Finger Lakes Distilling and Breukelen Distilling.

A grand opening celebration is in the works, but has not been scheduled.

I'm also excited to report that my wine club, formerly known as the New York Cork Club, will be re-born on January 1 as the Empire State Cellars Wine Club. With the shop's devotion to New York wines, and willingness to allow me to continue picking the wines independently, it was an easy decision to make. I'll tell you more about the new club tomorrow!

BREAKING NEWS: Anthony Road Winemaker Johannes Reinhardt's Green Card Application Accepted by U.S. Government

By Evan Dawson, Managing Editor

The American government has accepted Johannes Reinhardt's application for permanent worker status, the New York Cork Report confirmed Tuesday.

This decision essentially guarantees that Reinhardt will finally receive a green card. He is now permitted to apply for a change in status, and legal experts say that part of the process is a mere formality. By law, Reinhardt can apply for the change in status along with his wife, Imelda, who is also seeking a green card.

Reinhardt has spent seven years applying for permanent worker status, often referred to as a green card, only to find consistent rejection. It's a process that can cost thousands of dollars, and without permanent status, Reinhardt has been unable to start his own business.

"I have been keeping both joy and disappointment in my heart throughout this time," Reinhardt said Tuesday. "I have never tried to allow myself too much emotion in either direction. But this is quite something."

That's an understatement, particularly given the fact that Johannes and his wife had been forced to consider other countries that might allow them permanent status. But his colleagues and friends urged him to make another application, and the stack of supporting letters had grown dozens of pages deep.

"I don't know how to thank everyone involved in supporting me," Johannes said. "This has been a dream, but you never know which way it will end up. So many people have been so passionate in their support, and I will always remember that."

Chief among Reinhardt's supporters were the Martini family, owners of the Anthony Road Wine Company. John and Ann Martini have proudly worked on Reinhardt's behalf, even though it's possible the German will move on to his own wine company once the green card arrives.

But there won't be changes at Anthony Road for a while, even with this development. Reinhardt says he's looking forward to the 2011 harvest.

Editor's note: The NYCR staff has received dozens of inquiries about Johannes Reinhardt's immigration status in recent weeks. We invite you to leave your thoughts in the comments section.

Martha Clara Vineyards Wins Governor's Cup for 2010 Riesling

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

I've just learned that Martha Clara Vineyards on the North Fork of Long Island has won this year's Governor’s Cup for best New York state wine, for their 2010 Riesling.

There has been many words written about the New York Wine & Food Classic over the years, but this is still great for the great team at Martha Clara -- and it virtually guarantees that this wine will sell out.

It was chosen from 741 wines submitted by 105 wineries by a group of judges from across the country and the world.

Juan Micieli-Martinez, general manager and head winemaker at Martha Clara, just told me in an email that the fruit for this wine was actually grown by Bill Dalrymple on the West Side of Seneca Lake.  

He started buying fruit from Darrymple in 2009 and "In 2010, we purchased more Finger Lakes and produced two rieslings. Our 2010 Estate Reserve is 100% North Fork and the New York State-labeled wine is 100% Finger Lakes riesling from the Dalrymple Farm.  A comparison of the two Martha Clara Rieslings shows you the terroir of the two regions. Both wines are made identically -- same yeast, ferment temps, etc." 

The Governor's Cup-winning riesling was intended for wholesale only, but that has changed with this news. "We will release (it) with a three-bottle per person limit and six-bottles per person limit for Wine Club Members at the tasting room," Micieli-Martinez said.

It is $17.99 per bottle.

The other big award handed out at the Classic every year -- Winery of the Year -- went to Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars on Seneca Lake. That honor is based on the number and level of medals its wines receive.

Memorial to Honor Charles Flatt Tomorrow Night at Martha Clara Vineyards

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

I apologize for reporting this over a month after it happened -- and only one day before the memorial -- but I thought it important to publish.

From the Suffolk Times:

"Charles H. Flatt of Mattituck died June 26 at the age of 65.

He was born April 8, 1946, in Montclair, N.J., to Raymond and Lillian (Ruvo) Flatt and was a graduate of Lehigh University. He married Melissa Cannady on May 5, 2004, in Mattituck.

Prior to his retirement, he had been a winemaker at McCall Vineyards in Cutchogue.

Mr. Flatt is survived by his wife; his children, Jennifer Fleischer and Adam, both of Pennsylvania; his brother, Raymond; and three grandchildren."

I never met Mr. Flatt, but I heard his name often and know that he was a highly respected veteran in the local wine community and that he worked for many vineyards and wineries over the years, including Pellegrini Vineyards, Gristina Vineyards, Peconic Bay Winery, Osprey's Dominion and most recently, McCall Vineyards among others

There is a memorial being held tomorrow night from 7-9 p.m. at Martha Clara Vineyards to celebrate his life. You can get the details on the event's Facebook page.

Anthony Nappa Leaves Shinn Estate Vineyards; Replaced by Patrick Caserta

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

Anthony Nappa, who served as winemaker at Shinn Estate Vineyards for four years, resigned on Monday. He will continue to make wine under his own label, Anthony Nappa Wines, and hope to open The Winemaker Studio with his fiancee Sara Evans over the next week or two.

Nappa also told me in an email this morning that he is looking for another winemaking job on the East End.

Nappa will be replaced by Patrick Caserta, who was announced as the winery's new production winemaker in co-owner David Page's weekly email newsletter today.

Caserta will be North Fork winery's third full-time winemaker since its first harvest in 2002. Juan Micieli-Martinez currently of Martha Clara Vineyards preceded Nappa as winemaker. Before that, Eric Fry of Lenz Winery and Roman Roth from Wolffer Estate made Shinn Estate's wines as consultants.

"We wish Anthony much success in his future endeavors. He gave us four outstanding years," Page said in the email.

Caserta (pictured left, from Facebook) is a native of Connecticut who began his studies in food and wine at The  Culinary Institute of America where he received a Culinary Arts degree. After working for celebrity chefs Rocco DeSpirito and Todd English he attended California State University at Fresno and obtained degrees in Enolgy and Viticulture.

He has over 10 years of experience working in New Zealand, France and California -- including Vieux Chateau Certan/Le Pin in Bordeaux, Rudd, Verite, Cade and Plumpjack in California, and Te Mata in New Zealand.

Most recently, Caserta spent eight months working for winemaker Kareem Massoud at Paumanok Vineyards during the 2010 vintage.

"Patrick will work directly with Barbara and myself to craft wines that best express the beauty of this place where they are grown," said Page.

Martha Clara Vineyards Promotes Epperson-McCarthy to Winemaker

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

Robin Epperson-McCarthy has been promoted to winemaker for Martha Clara Vineyards less than a year after being hired as assistant winemaker.

The previous winemaker, Juan Micieli-Martinez will continue to focus and expand his role as the winery's general manager while still acting as managing winemaker.

Epperson-McCarthy grew up on the North Fork, graduating from Mattituck high school in 1999, and though her wine journey took her far away from it, it seems as though she was always meant to return home -- and to Martha Clara Vineyards.

"As long as I have been working in the wine industry I have been involved with Martha Clara," Epperson-McCarthy said in a recent email.  "Becoming a winemaker here seems inexorable to me. During my time as Laboratory Director at Premium Wine Group I spent a lot of time working with the Martha Clara Wines. As Juan and I set out on our own paths we became and stayed good friends."

When Micieli-Martinez left Shinn Estate Vineyards to become winemaker at Martha Clara, Epperson was still at Premium spending the majority of her time working with Martha Clara wines.

"I don't feel like there was ever a time when I did not know what was going on with the wines from Martha Clara Vineyards," she said.

Any new winemaker brings his or her own ideas, and changes, but Epperson isn't looking to make many. "I became assistant winemaker at Martha Clara because I like Juan's winemaking style and the wines that have been produced from this vineyard. Juan knows this vineyard while I have some new approaches to fermentation and aging that I learned while working overseas," she said.

I've had the pleasure of tasting and talking wine with Robin on a few occasions -- and we've also had several Twitter and email exchanges -- and I think she's going to be good for the wines at Martha Clara. She has all the technical prowess in the world, but I think what sets her part is her passionate curiosity. I look forward to watching how the wines change over time with her at the helm.

The Tasting Room Closing Today -- for Good?

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

Theresa Dilworth, owner of Comtesse Therese winery and bistro will close The Tasting Room, Long Island's lone co-op tasting room for wineries, at the end of business today.

Dilworth purchased and re-opened The Tasting Room in 2006 after the previous owners sold their interests in the local wine industry and shut it down.

She hopes to re-open again sometime in 2011 at a different location.

"I am planning to spend a lot of time at my bistro this spring, summer and fall season," she said in a recent email "My vineyard is also in Aquebogue. I am also working on a new bed and breakfast project in Riverhead. My interests are in the western part of the North Fork, and my time is limited on the weekends."

The closing goes beyond a simple lack of time, however. Dilworth thinks it needs a better, more-trafficked location too. "I have basically lost interest in the Peconic Lane location and have been wanting to move it to a Main Road location since last summer," she told me.

Dilworth is exploring two new Main Road locations -- both much closer to her bistro and vineyard -- but neither will be available for at least several months, which could lead to a challenging season for the wineries that have poured there, which include Bouke, Brooklyn Oenology, Medolla Vineyards, Onabay Vineyards and Schneider Vineyards.

The Tasting Room has served an important role for these small producers without storefronts of their own. And the multi-winery concept is clearly a good one, and I think one that can work.

Lisa Donneson, proprietor of Bouke agrees, telling me "It’s an excellent concept and can work on Long Island. It offers the consumer a chance to sample a range of styles under one roof and join an interesting wine club. It offers boutique producers a place to showcase their wines."

And clearly the pouring wineries thought The Tasting Room was working for them. Alie Shaper, owner and winemaker for Brooklyn Oenology said "I gained quite a bit of new business by having my wines available for tasting and purchase out on the wine trail. It has been a significant outlet for myself and my fellow wineries, and I'm saddened by its closure."

Shaper recently opened a tasting room of her own -- though in Brooklyn rather than on the North Fork -- but the other wineries are without tasting rooms starting tomorrow morning, leaving some wondering what their next step is.

"The Tasting Room closing is going to be a challenge for a small, high-end label like us," said Chiara Edmands of Onabay Vineyards, adding "It's a shame it didn't work out."

Even if Dilworth re-opens The Tasting Room in a new location sometime in the summer or fall, there's no guarantee that it will be a multi-producer location. 

While Dilworth thinks the multi-vineyard concept can work on Long Island, she adds "However, frankly at the moment I am more interested in selling my own wines than selling other people's wines. At the new location on the Main Road, assuming it comes to fruition, I have not decided whether it will be a single vineyard or multi-vineyard location."

I have heard that one or more wineries/brands are considering opening something similar at the current location, but I have yet to confirm that.

I hope that The Tasting Room isn't gone for good, but it will be interesting to see what happens next.

 

Amber Waves of Grain 2011 Homebrewing Competition

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor

This weekend hundreds of beer drinkers gathered on Grand Island to celebrate a single passion: homebrewing.

The "Amber Waves of Grain Homebrewing Competition," hosted by the Niagara Association of Homebrewers, celebrates the ultimate in "drinking local" over two days of tasting and judging over 420 entries, from double IPAs to meads to barleywines.

The quality of the homebrews I tasted was unequivocally impressive. Of the beers I tasted in the American Stout/Imperial Stout/Foreign Export Stout category, almost all were pleasures to drink, and one was so good I would have chosen it over many classic commercial examples.

Judge Tim Collins, who has been judging AWOG for 15 years, noted, "the quality has risen thanks to the availability of good information. Beginning homebrewers can get a recipe online, get advice from friends or a homebrewing club, and make a great beer."

Many of the judges I spoke with were longtime homebrewers who were enthusiastic about the competition not only because of the sensory challenge and sense of camaraderie, but the chance to learn and improve their own brewing. Other judges were professional brewers, BJCP-certified experts in beer evaluation, and leaders of local beer clubs. The diversity in background and the open, friendly, discussion-based atmosphere made for a tremendous beer tasting experience.

As more and more homebrewers team up to form brewing clubs and even nanobreweries and microbreweries of their own, it's exciting to experience the amazing talent and great beer emerging from the basements, kitchens and garages of western New York.

You can view the results of the Amber Waves of Grain 2011 competition online.

Red Tail Ridge Winery Awarded LEED Certification

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor

Red Tail Ridge Winery on Seneca Lake has achieved LEED Green Building Certification after a long and rigorous process. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

In a news release, Red Tail Ridge laid out the many steps that have been made in this process:

• All heating and cooling requirements for wine processing is provided by geothermal energy
• Alternative energy use creates 50% energy savings
• Building is constructed from recycled materials
• All winery processing waste (including water, lees, pomace) is recycled
• Natural lighting inside the winery eliminates need for day-time aritifical lighting
• Winery uses low-energy light fixtures
• 70% of the total wood-based building materials were harvested from FSC-certified forests

"Not only are we putting our best foot forward environmentally, we are also saving over 50% in our energy consumption," owner-winemaker Nancy Irelan said in the release.

Tracie Hall, the Executive Director of the U.S. Green Building Council's upstate New York chapter, praised Red Tail Ridge for getting certified. Hall cited the innovative winemaking processes employed by the winery, saying that Red Tail Ridge has effectively cut costs, saved energy and reduced "environmental impact, all while producing amazing wines."

The New York Cork Report has covered Red Tail Ridge's green efforts; the above photo comes from our November 2009 story.

Owners Nancy Irelan and Mike Schnelle explained years ago that they were willing to invest in this process with the expectation that they would be rewarded with lower costs and a smaller environmental footprint. It appears they were right. Irelan and Schnelle have proven willing to help others learn about this process, and they're planning a party to celebrate the LEED certification in May.

Peconic Bay Winery Names Hargrave Assistant Winemaker

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

Peconic Bay Winery has namd Zander Hargrave assistant winemaker, adding him to long-time head winemaker Greg Gove's team.

The Hargrave name isn't new to Long Island wine lovers. Zander's parents, Louisa and Alex Hargrave, founded Hargrave Vineyard, Long Island's first commercial winery, in 1973, and Zander's uncle, Charlie Hargrave, has served as vineyard manager at Peconic Bay for over a decade.

Born "shortly before the excellent harvest of 1977," Zander told me that "As a child, growing up on a vineyard was much less about the wine than the people who were around. There was always some action to be found."

Despite growing up in the vineyard, it was a high school trip to France that really got Zander hooked on wine. "Coming home from that trip in 1994 I began to take a much more active roll in the work on the farm and in the tasting room. I began to really learn about the many varietals we grew. So I worked in every facet of the operation at Hargrave Vineyard, from running tours and tastings, driving the tractor, suckering in the vineyard, picking, pruning, mowing, bottling, and many other jobs in the cellar and lab. I have always loved harvest the most, there is so much energy to be drawn from harvest," he said.

He spent the summer of 1996 in the cellar at Chateau Fuisse in Pouilly Fuisse where he learned "a lot about making amazing chardonnay."

When his parents sold the vineyard to Marco and Ann Marie Borghese in 1999, Zander stayed on with his sister Anne and worked with them for a around a year to ease the transition. "Then I left the vineyard but it never left me," he says looking back.

From there, Zander worked in a variety of non-winery fields -- sales representative for a local newspaper, manager of a horse farm, production manager at Satur Farms, landscaping, and volleyball and tennis coach for Southold High School. He even opened and ran a crepe stand at Harbes Farm and worked at a country club to pay the bills while getting his Masters degree in education at Stony Brook University.

Zander student taught at Longwood Junior High School and Center Moriches High School and subbed throughout the Longwood school district for two years until his uncle called looking for help in the vineyard.

Since then, he's filled a variety of rolls -- mainly in the vineyard and cellar -- at Peconic Bay Winery. He's even earned the unofficial title of "Cider Czar" taking on the winery's new hard cider program.

"I am thrilled to be a part of the Peconic Bay Winery family, working alongside my mentor Greg Gove and uncle Charlie. Paul and Ursula Lowerre are terrific, supportive owners and Jim Silver is a creative genius. I am truly fortunate to be working in a job that I love surrounded by people I trust."

Speaking of Jim Silver, let let me know that he's revamped the winery's distribution channels, turning to Empire Merchants (Metro New York), Empire North (Upstate New York), CDI (Connecticut), and R & R Marketing (New Jersey).  Distribution can be a challenge for New York wineries, but Silver said "we're about to light the afterburners on our wholesale distribution in the tri-state area, I couldn't be happier."

Veteran Winemaker Rich Olsen-Harbich Leaves Raphael to Join Bedell Cellars

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

Rich Olsen-Harbich, long-time winemaker at Raphael in Peconic has resigned that post and will take over the head winemaking duties at Bedell Cellars starting next week, joining a winemaking team that includes Bedell's founder and now founding winemaker Kip Bedell and consultant Pascal Marty. The news was first reported on Twitter by Howard Goldberg.

Olsen-Harbich succeeds Kelly Urbanik, whose contract has run out told me in an email "I don't have any current plans -- just going to take a few days to think about things. I'm keeping all of my options open."

Bedell's owner Michael Lynne described his new winemaking team as "a dream situation for us" when I spoke with him earlier today, pointing to Olsen-Harbich's "experience, accomplishment and knowledge" as three key reasons for the hiring.

"Our founding winemaker, Kip Bedell founded this winery 30 years ago. Rich has been working out here for 25," Lynne said in describing and discussing Olsen-Harbich's understanding of local viticulture and winemaking.

Olsen-Harbich describes his departure from Raphael, where he's served as head winemaker for more than a decade, as amicable, adding that he "Still has some wines to finish there; to get bottled. I'll help with the transition there."

"I was winemaker at Raphael for 14 years and did a lot," he said in a quick phone interview, "I was ready to pursue new challenges. I look forward to working with people at Bedell that I've known and respected for a long time -- Dave Thompson (vineyard manager) and Donna Rudolph (assistant vineyard manager), Trent (Preszler, CEO) and of course Kip, who I've known and been friends with for many years."

"I'm excited. I haven't been excited like this in a few years. This is a great opportunity for me."

This is an dramatic -- and potentially important -- winemaking change on North Fork -- one that brings two seemingly divergent styles together -- Olsen-Harbich's natural winemaking philosophy, spontaneous fermentations and terroir-expressing style and Bedell Cellars' polished, perhaps more-international style, one that focuses largely on blending.

Lynne said that they just don't know how Olsen-Harbich will change Bedell's wines but said that it's always "very exciting when there is a new creative force" behind a project.

Will Olsen-Harbich get to employ the spontaneous fermentations he's become so fond of in recent year? "That's why they hired me!" he said before adding that the overall wine program will remain the same -- the focus on blends, the expression of the fruit coming in from the vineyard.

With the addition of an experienced, talented winemaker like Olsen-Harbich, Bedell Cellars, already one of the top producers in the East Coast, seems poised to take things to the next level. It can take years for a change like this to really be felt, but it bears watching.

News and Notes (April 8, 2010)

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief

A few news items from New York wine country this week.

Hudson River Valley

Hudson Valley Wine Country Announces Passport Program
The “Hudson Valley Wine Country Summer Passport Ticket." offers holders free complimentary wine tasting at 14 Hudson Valley Wineries between June 1 and August 31, 2010.

The cost is $30 per ticket.

According to Debbie Gioquindo, director of the Hudson Valley Wine Country promotional organization “Since Hudson Valley Wine Country extends from just south of Albany to 60 miles north of New York City, having the summer to explore the wineries and vineyards will give you to opportunity to visit at your leisure and you won’t feel rushed to do it in one day.”

The wineries participating are: Adair Vineyards, Applewood Winery, Baldwin Vineyards, Benmarl Winery, Brimstone Hill Vineyards, Brotherhood Winery, Clinton Vineyards, Glorie Farm Winery, Hudson-Chatham Winery, Millbrook Winery, Palaia Vineyards, Stoutridge Vineyard, Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery and Whitecliff Vineyard & Winery.  

Tickets can be purchased from the Hudson Valley Wine Country website until May 31. 

Long Island

Local Robin Epperson Hired as New Assistant Winemaker at Martha Clara
Martha Clara Vineyards has a new assistant winemaker -- Robin Epperson. Epperson grew up on the North Fork, graduating from Mattituck high school in 1999. She moved to Virginia for college, receiving a bachelors degree in biology, with an eye towards medical school. She returned home to study for her MCATs, getting a temporary job at Premium Wine Group during harvest that turned into six years there, most recently as the lab director.

She starts at Martha Clara on Monday and will be helping winemaker Juan Micieli-Martinez in the cellar because he's taken on the role as director of operations for the winery in addition to his winemaking duties. "I will be overseeing the overall direction of the vineyard in conjunction with the Entenmanns and the general manager. Robin will oversee the day-to-day stuff at Premium that I have been pulled away from," said Micieli-Martinez.

Shinn Estate Going for 'Ganic
As you may have read in Newsday this week, Shinn Estate Vineyards, well known for their sustainable vineyard practices,  has begun the three-year process to become certified organic.

No small feat in a cool, humid region, the certification would be the first on the East End. If successul, Shinn will be able to add "Made with Organic Grapes" to their wine labels.

The wines themselves won't labeled organic because of the addition of sulfites at bottling.

News and Notes (March 23, 2010)

Some announcements and happenings from around New York wine country. If you have news that you'd like to be considered for this almost-weekly column, please let us know via email.
 

Finger Lakes

Vineyard Training Series at Damiani Wine Cellars
Damiani Wine Cellars is offering a five-part vineyard training designed to allow participants to "follow a vineyard from dormant vine pruning to harvest." Grower Phil Davis will lead the sessions, which are slated to run 90 minutes each. The first is April 3 and will provide a vineyard tour and lessons on pruning. Later sessions will focus on trellis work, shoot thinning, and harvest preparation.

Participants will have the chance to work with native grapes as well as noble European varieties like Pinot Noir. Sessions costs $25 each or $110 for all five courses. Damiani, located on southeast Seneca Lake, will limit the group to 15 people.

Long Island

Martha Clara Vineyard to Offer Viticulture/Winemaking Course
Martha Clara vineyard manager Jim Thompson and winemaker Juan Micieli-Martinez have announced a program they are calling "Vines to Wines." During this five-session seminar, participants will learn about what it takes to grow grapes on Long Island and will maintain their own block of merlot that will be harvested in the fall and made into wine.

It kicks off on April 24 and costs $1,200 and includes three cases of merlot from the block participants maintain throughout the season and a wine dinner at the the end of the last session. Visit the MCV site for more details.

Sherwood House Vineyards to Open Second, Year-Round Tasting Room
If you've visited Sherwood House and tasted their wines in the tiny, un-heated shack smack dab in the middle of their vines and wished they had a tasting room that was open year round, wish no more. Owners  Barb and Charles Smithen have just approval for  the opening of their second tasting room at 1291 Main Road in Jamesport.

The grand opening is this Saturday (March 27) from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The original "tasting cottage" will open for the season in May.

New York Wine News & Notes (February 8, 2010)

 By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief

It's been a while since we've compiled a "News & Notes" post, but as the busy season approaches in New York's wine regions, we'll probably be doing them more and more.

 Jazz Returns to the Vines on Long Island
The extremely popular Long Island Winterfest Jazz On The Vine is coming back this week and this year it's even bigger and runs longer than last year's successful program. This, the 3rd annual Long Island Winterfest, runs from February 13 to March 21 across the East End and features renowned jazz musicians performing free-admission concerts at winery tasting rooms and other venues every weekend afternoon over those six weeks. Wine country can be quiet and dreary this time of year -- both for visitors and for the wineries themselves -- so this is a great reason to visit. Enjoy some music. Taste some great local wines. And get in from out of the cold winter weather.

For a full concert schedule and access to all festival promotions, visit www.liwinterfest.com.

Long Island Region to Protect Wine Place-Names
Last week, the Long Island wine region has joined the Joint Declaration to Protect Wine Place & Origins, a now 15-region group whose goal is to promote labeling that reflects the importance of wine place names and origins. Other signatories of the Declaration include: Champagne, Chianti Classico, Jerez, Napa Valley, Oregon, Paso Robles, Rioja, Porto, Sonoma County, Victoria, Tokaj, Walla Walla Valley, Washington state, and Western Australia.

Just being invited to join the group speaks highly of Long Island's place in the greater wine world, but according to the press release, members believe that "geographic names are fundamental tools for consumers to identify the special wines associated with specific winegrowing regions." Does that mean that the names like "Port" and "Champagne" that adorn some Long Island wine labels will come off? Let's hope so.

Peconic Bay Winery to Fight Breast Cancer with New Rose
Peconic Bay Winery, in collaboration with the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. (NBCF), is contributing to the fight against breast cancer. On March 1, 2009, Peconic Bay will release a special bottling of its second label “Nautique Esprit de Rosé” decorated with a hand-tied pink ribbon, and packed into pink boxes of twelve bottles each. A portion of the proceeds, about a dollar a bottle, will be donated to NBCF. The rose is still being finished, but is made up of mostly estate-grown cabernet sauvignon from with some North Fork cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. I also hear that winemaker Greg Gove will probably add a bit of estate chardonnay and riesling to round it out.

Bedell Hires New Vice President of Marketing
Bedell Cellars has hired Molly Deegan as its new Vice President of Marketing and Private Client Relations.

Before joining the Bedell team, Deegan served as the executive events marketing director for AOL since 2003 and has also worked in client relations and media events for House & Garden Magazine, O (the Oprah Magazine), and Robert Mondavi Winery.

At Bedell, her primary role will be to manage the wine club.

Is something noteworthy happening at your winery or in your wine region? Make sure you let us know.

Osprey Dominion Vineyards to Install the First Wind Power Turbine at a Long Island Winery

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief

I wrote back in May about Shinn Estate Vineyards and its desires to erect a wind turbine in its vineyard to harness East End winds for power.

That saga is on-going and filled with follow-up meetings and hearings. Owners David Page and Barbara Shinn remain hopeful that their turbine project will be underway soon -- but they won't be the first North Fork winery using wind power.

Osprey’s Dominion Vineyard today celebrated the ground breaking of their own Wind Power turbine. The producer commissioned Eastern Energy Systems, Inc. to install a 20k wind turbine at their North Fork winery in the Town of Southold. This will be the Long Island Power Authority's (LIPA) first Farm Service turbine, undertaken through the Backyard Wind Initiative created this year.

The turbine is expected to produce an estimated 42,802 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity per year for an annual energy savings of $7,918. The projected total cost of the project is $144,000. A LIPA rebate of $69,401 is anticipated, significantly off-setting the expense for the system. Osprey Dominion Vineyard may further reduce the cost of the system via a Federal tax incentive and by selling the excess electric energy produced back to LIPA.

ODV doesn't get a lot of publicity for it's "green" endeavors, but Osprey’s Dominion was the first winery on Long Island to power their maintenance equipment with biodiesel fuels, starting in 1999.

Osprey’s Dominion will host a ribbon-cutting event in the spring where they plan to release their first bottle of a limited edition “FLIGHT” wine, their first wine made with wind power.

Fred Frank: We're Open For Business Despite Fire

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Correspondent

Frederick Frank, the president of Dr. Konstantin Frank Wine Cellars, said this morning that the loss of a spill-over tasting room to fire does not change day-to-day business.

"We're open today for tastings. We're bottling wine today. Nothing has changed. We'll be taking part as planned in the wine trail event this weekend," Frank explained.

He does not know the cause of the massive fire that destroyed the new tasting room building, but he praised the firefighters from Hammondsport and other departments who responded quickly last night. "They did outstanding work, and we can't say enough how much we appreciate it. They made sure the fire was contained. It only affected one building, and there was no other damage."

Frank said he was frustrated by what he called "numerous erroneous reports" in regional media "that said the entire winery had burned down. It hasn't. It's important to make sure the truth is reported, and the truth is that we're going to be fine. We're excited to see visitors to our tasting rooms today, just as we always are."

Fire at Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars

Fire damage at Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars (Photo by Mike Linehan)

By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher

I just got an email telling me that there was a fire at Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars today that severely damaged the winery and/or the tasting room.

I don't know any details yet, but hopefully some of the people who read this blog and offer some. Hopefully no one was hurt.

UPDATE: David Spengler, tasting room manager at Ravines Wine Cellars just sent me a message on Facebook telling me:

"About 8:45pm this evening Dr Frank's new tasting room was engulfed in flames. Three fire companies and and couple on standby, but it was totally lost and they (Hammondsport FD) kept it contained to the one building. I was in the parking lot for about a hour watching before getting back down town to let Morgan know about it. Tomorrow in the daylight we'll see what it's left and I'll let ya know about the investigation of what started it. I live right on the village square, so I'm right smack dab in the center of phone calls and listen to the scanner."

From the sounds of it, only the new tasting pavilion was damaged. The tasting room will remain open as they investigate this fire.

UPDATE 2: Mike Linehan from the Yates County Chamber of Commerce (KeukaNY.com) sent the picture you can see above. He also appeared on 13 WHAM news this morning with Evan. Watch the video.

New York Wine News and Notes (4/8/09)

There's a lot going on in New York wine country these days, so I thought I'd put together a post with some of the highlights:

• First, I'd like to offer congratulations to Greene Grape Wine Company, my partners in the New York Cork Club, for being named “Wine and Spirits Retailer of the Year” by the New York State Wine and Grape Foundation. I'd like to think that the NYCC had a lot to with them winning.
• In case you missed it, Appellation America posted an interview that I did with Thomas Laszlo of Heron Hill Winery on Keuka Lake: The Mysteries of Finger Lakes Terroir. Thomas is known for speaking his mind and I think he did that in our interview.
• I also think that if you enjoy LENNDEVOURS, you should check out a still-new wine blog out if Ithaca, NY called (cleverly) Ithacork. I check it every day for updates.
• Applewood Winery in Warwick, NY is hosting the New York Riesling Experience May 2 and 3. It will include food and Wine pairings, chef demonstrations, winemaker talks, comparative riesling tastings and live entertainment. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door.
• For the month of April, members of Long Island Wine Council will be taking part in Barrel Tasting Month, a great opportunity for tasting room visitors to sample reds from the much ballyhooed 2007 vintage.

New York Sparkling, Dessert and Table Wines Receive Accolades

Several New York wines have received impressive accolades in recent weeks. So, just in case you missed it:

• Sparkling Pointe's 2000 Brut Seduction ($55/review coming soon) was named Best Sparkling Wine at the San Francisco Chronicle's 2009 Wine Competition. Winemaker Gilles Martin is well known for his bubbly and this is an impressive win given the CA-dominated category. Martin's 2004 Brut and two bubblies from Chateau Frank in the Finger Lakes also did well.
• Casa Larga's 2006 Fiori Vidal Ice Wine ($35/review coming soon) was recently chosen as the "World's Best Dessert Wine" at the 2008 International Wine & Spirits Competition in London. I hate any competition that names anything the "World's Best" but this is a great win for Casa Larga. I just received a bottle and will be trying it soon.
• I, and many in the Finger Lakes wine community, complain about a perceived 90-point ceiling for the region's wines. Well, that ceiling has been met, but not exceeded, by three Finger Lakes wines as tasted by James Molesworth. The three 90-point wines are Dr. Konstantin Frank 2007 Reserve Gewurztraminer ($25 ), Red Newt Cellars 2007 Sawmill Creek Vineyards Gewurztraminer ($36) and Standing Stone Vineyards 2007 Vidal Ice Wine ($25). I've long been a promponent of Finger Lakes gewurzt, so I'm not surprised that these wines scored so high. But, it is a bit surprising that the highest-rated currently available Finger Lakes wines aren't riesling.