New York Cork Report

Announcing TasteCamp 2012 Northern Virginia (May 4-6)

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

The organizers of TasteCamp are proud to announce that after exploring the regions of Long Island, the Finger Lakes and Niagara (U.S. and Canada), the event will hold its fourth edition in Northern Virginia wine country on May 4-6, 2012. Several important partners and sponsors have confirmed their participation and are working together to create an exceptional opportunity to discover the very best that Virginia wine has to offer.

The 2012 program will feature the combination of vineyard visits, grand tastings, conversations with winemakers and camaraderie that has made the event so successful over the last three years. Participants will also take part in what has become a TasteCamp tradition, a BYO dinner where wine lovers share special bottles in a freestyle evening of discovery and one-upmanship.

TasteCamp founder and New York Cork Report executive editor Lenn Thompson said that there was much reason for the event to head for the vineyards of Virginia: “The 2011 Wine Bloggers Conference was a great opportunity for both Virginia and bloggers, but I wanted to bring TasteCamp to Northern Virginia to offer a truly immersive experience. We want attendees to eat, drink, sleep and breathe Virginia wine for three days. It's of course impossible to fully explore a region in just a weekend, but that doesn't stop us from trying.”

Over its three first years, TasteCamp has generated significant attention for the wine regions where it has taken place, generating dozens of stories and articles every year. It also offers emerging wine regions an exceptional opportunity to have their wines tasted by a passionate outside audience that brings a different light to local wine production and creates new conversations with local winemakers.

Essential Virginia partners
Three of the region’s top wineries will be hosting TasteCamp participants for lunches, dinners and grand tastings of Virginia wines, where many other wineries will provide a portrait of what this increasingly important wine producing state can offer. The three confirmed host wineries are:

• Breaux Vineyards, in Purcellville overlooking the valley between the Blue Ridge and Short Hill Mountains, is one of Virginia’s most popular estates, with over 100 acres under vines.
• Boxwood Winery, founded by former Washington Redskins’ owner John Kent Cooke, is located in the historic village of Middleburg, and produces Bordeaux blends from 100% estate-grown fruit, in collaboration with renowned consulting winemaker Stéphane Derenoncourt.
• Tarara Winery is located in the foothills of the Catoctin Mountains on 475 acres along the Potomac River in Leesburg. One of Loudoun County's oldest wineries, Tarara focuses on single-vineyard wines.

TasteCamp 2012 organizers are also excited to be counting on partnerships with two key Virginia organizations. The Virginia Wine Board Marketing Office (Virginia Wine) and the Loudoun Convention & Visitors Association (Visit Loudoun) will both be partners of the event, offering logistical, financial and/or transportation support.

Accommodations
Rooms have been set aside at the National Conference Center, in Leesburg, Virginia, only 12 miles from Dulles International Airport and a short drive from most of the vineyards visited over the weekend. A special room rate is offered to TasteCamp guests at this large-scale facility located on a quiet 110-acre campus.

TasteCamp 2012 organizers will have more announcements as the wine weekend approaches.

About TasteCamp
The concept for TasteCamp, created in 2009 by Lenn Thompson, executive editor of the New York Cork Report, is a simple one: getting enthusiastic journalists and bloggers together in a region that is new to them, to taste as much wine as possible and speak to as many winemakers as possible over the course of a weekend.

Most smaller, lesser-known wine regions in the world would love to get their wines in front of new audiences, but it can be a challenge. With TasteCamp, the new audience comes to them.

This is not a junket — attendees pay their own travel expenses, including their hotel rooms and meals. Through generous sponsors, some meals may be deeply discounted.

Follow the Latest updates on TasteCamp 2011:

• On Twitter: #TasteCamp

To participate as an attendee, contact Lenn Thompson at lenn (at) newyorkcorkreport.com

To participate as a sponsor, contact Frank Morgan at frank.j.morgan (at) gmail.com.

For more information, contact co-organizers Remy Charest (remycharest (at) mac.com) and John Witherspoon (vcuspoon1 (at) comcast.net)

Media and interview requests:

• Lenn Thompson at lenn (at) newyorkcorkreport.com or
• Frank Morgan at frank.j.morgan (at) gmail.com.

“The Hardest Things to Do Are the Ones That Matter Most”: Winemaking Lessons from TasteCamp

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor

Like every TasteCamp attendee, I’m a wine lover, but I’m also a beginning home winemaker with a personal interest in discovering what it takes to make world-class wine in my home region of Niagara. This means that in addition to tasting as much wine as I can, I take every opportunity to pick the brains of the winemakers — and occasionally harass them with samples of my own wine after battering them with questions.

I figure, when else will I get the chance to speak one-on-one with brilliant and talented people who have built their reputations on making amazing wines in the region where I hope to spend my life?

With that perspective, although the entire TasteCamp weekend was an amazing learning experience for me, a few particular interactions over the weekend had a special impact.

Lesson 1: Just Do It

One was meeting Andrea Glass, winemaker at Good Earth Food and Wine Co. (Photo credit: Suresh Doss), at the grand tasting at Vineland Estates on Saturday. I had to wonder if I was on Candid Camera when I sipped her delicious cab franc rosé, loved it, found out she was the winemaker, and couldn’t resist asking her age. “I’m 24,” she replied. She's exactly my age and already a professional winemaker in Niagara.

I couldn’t contain my excitement. Fortunately, Glass was a good sport and allowed me to barrage her with questions about her winemaking background.

A fifth-generation farmer, Glass studied viticulture and winemaking at Niagara College, and loaded up on harvest experience with vintages in Argentina and California as well as Niagara. The back-to-back continent-hopping vintage experience is something I’ve always wanted to do, especially after my two harvest stints in South Africa, and Glass couldn’t say enough about the practice. “I was able to cram eight years of experience into four years that way,” she explained. She advocated the combination of winemaking and viticulture courses, which have the key advantage of teaching students how to respond to unforeseen winemaking challenges instead of just addressing them as they occur, with real-world experience in varied conditions and climates.

I was humbled by Glass’s accomplishments at such a young age, impressed by her wines, and inspired to live in a region where a winemaker can make a name for herself so early in her career (without being the owner’s kid). I will be sure to follow developments at Good Earth from now on and hope to make a visit on my next trip across the border. 

Lesson 2: Support Is Out There

After a day of tasting some of the most renowned Niagara-on-the-Lake producers to kick off TasteCamp, we headed to Ravine Vineyard for a cozy family-style dinner setup and presentation from consulting winemaker Peter Gamble and Southbrook winemaker Ann Sperling (Photo credit: Southbrook Vineyards). One of the great “power couples” of the wine world, Sperling and Gamble have between them an amazing background of experience in Niagara and internationally, and it was a treat to get their insights on the Niagara region in an informal, wine-focused event.

To me one of the most interesting and unique aspects of the couple’s role in Niagara is their affinity for helping start-ups and existing growers and wineries work toward achieving organic and biodynamic certification. The process may seem an insurmountable challenge in a climate where frost, moisture, and cold weather are constant threats, but Gamble and Sperling explained that the rewards of organic and biodynamic practices are too obvious — and practical — to ignore. Not content to reap these rewards themselves, the team is passionate about spreading the love and acting as resources for others.

While introducing her Southbrook wines, Sperling explained that she has been guiding her partner growers through the bureaucracy and challenge of certification. “We hope to nurture and bring along other vineyards into [organic growing] and in 2010 we did help a grower get certified. We have another grower who has been growing organically but hasn’t done the paperwork, so we’ll help him get underway with that so we can add more acreage to the area that’s being organically farmed,” she said.

For Sperling, biodynamics is partly a question of promoting a healthy working and living environment. “We chose to farm biodynamically partly because it’s where we spend our life, and where we employ people and they spend most of their life and working hours, and so we wanted to create an environment that was as healthy as possible.” But it’s not just about health. Sperling is firm in her conviction that a biodynamically grown wine is a better wine. “We also do it for the high quality wines that we feel that we can make,” she said. “For us quality is an expression of site and terroir, and a vine that is raised biodynamically is very in tune with its locale and we feel that it presents the most truthful or best expression of the terroir and I think we’re seeing that in the wines that we’re producing,” she added.

Lesson 3: Trust the Vineyard

Gamble brought up the issue of vintage variation, which seems to be near and dear to the hearts of many in the soul wine (yes, I’m putting it out there; I’m sick of the arguments about the term “natural wine” so I’m hoping “soul wine” will catch on) movement.

The idea that a wine should express not just its soil, climate and other geographical characteristics but also the season in which its grapes were grown is an important conviction in this era of mass-produced big-brand wines, and it’s a point of pride for many cool-climate growers. Gamble told a story from the notoriously challenging 2009 vintage to illustrate the importance of seasonal voice — and of trusting the vines to express it.

“We always harvest on taste,” he said. “We pay attention to pH, TA, the relationship between tartaric and other things, but the bottom line is you go by taste. In 2009, a really difficult, very cool, challenging year, we didn’t harvest till somewhere in the first week of December—we didn’t like the flavors on the Bordeaux varieties until then. I had to explain it: Why are we suddenly 14-14.5 percent alcohol on the cab, whereas in big years we’re doing it at 13 percent? It’s totally based on flavors and it’s really amazing that when you’re up in the vineyard when you look at numbers—what pH do you harvest at, etc.—but taste is one of the things that tends to bring the unanimity among winemakers. Taste comes first and foremost,” she said.

Brian Schmidt of Vineland told a similar story on Saturday, in a discussion of vineyard yields. He decided to drop his crop to around 2 tons per acre, after the vineyard had been comfortably producing about 4 tons per acre from one year to the next. “The berries were bloated, fat, waterlogged, and I checked and it came in at 3.8 tons per acre,” he chuckled. “I tried, but the vineyard said, ‘no, actually, we’ve got this. We know what we’re doing.’” It was a great lesson in trusting a healthy vineyard rather than arbitrary numbers. A bit of a control freak myself, I took this message to heart.

Lesson 4: The Hardest Things To Do Are the Ones That Matter Most

My question for Gamble after the event was this: What is the most powerful argument or evidence that ultimately pushes growers and winemakers to take the plunge into organic/biodynamic viticulture despite the challenges?

As I suspected, the answer was that the proof was in the pudding — or rather, the pinot. “Quite awhile ago, maybe fifteen years, people in Dijon started with a particular section of a premier cru in Burgundy,” Gamble explained. The two side-by-side sections of pinot noir were tended by the same grower with the same methods—but in one section they used conventional leaf spray. “Rather than study the effects on the grapevine, they studied the final wine,” says Gamble, “and they were unanimous confirming the flavors. It’s one of the things that rarely gets discussed, the issue of flavors, but they did a blind tasting and word sort of got around that the flavors of the wine were better.” This ruffled some feathers, for obvious reasons. “One of the major spray producers decided to commission another university to retest with ‘more scientific conditions’… the word was that they got the exact same results,” Gamble says, “so the paper was never released.”

For Gamble that story sums up the ultimate motivation for going organic. “That’s it for me,” he says. “I always make a point of telling prospective proprietors that the hardest things to do are the ones that matter most.”

Wise words whether the topic is winemaking or life. Thanks to these and other fascinating conversations over the course of the weekend, I came away from TasteCamp more inspired than ever to keep making wine in Niagara. Tasting the world-class, terroir-driven wines (especially the cabernet francs, which I found the most exciting of anything I tasted) and getting a glimpse inside the heads and hearts of these industry movers and shakers was the best motivation I could imagine.

TasteCamp North: Canadian Soil, with Echoes of New York

By Evan Dawson, Managing Editor

In Niagara, winemakers use the word "terroir" often. We heard it just about everywhere we went. It's a word spoken far less often in New York state, where winemakers speak of sense of place or perhaps "somewhereness," while occasionally dropping "terroir" into conversation as well. 

Why does this matter? It's not simply relevant because Canadians speak a lot of French. It's relevant because in Niagara, where I spent several days for TasteCamp North, "terroir" is not about marketing. It's about an honest exploration of the soil and what it can provide.

This is no small detail. In Niagara, there is money. I mean, serious, serious cash. Some of the estates (Chateau des Charmes, Hillebrand, Tawse) look like they were pulled out of Napa, polished new, and dropped in Canada. And it's comforting to know that all of that money (often coming from the Toronto business community) isn't just purchasing attractive buildings and new barrels (though there are piles of new barrels -- a little too many for my taste). The owners of these estates have very obviously invested in high-quality winemakers and well educated vineyard staffs. 

And that means that Niagara is populated with soil geeks.

I found similarities between the best wines of New York state and the best wines of Niagara, Canada. But more interestingly, I found that the soils and climates of New York state, which show great variation from the top of the state down to Long Island, are mirrored in a much tighter Canadian space. For tourists, that sets up some fascinating possibilities.

First stop: Niagara-on-the-Lake

Like Long Island, Niagara-on-the-Lake is showing some success with Bordeaux varieties. And like Long Island, the best Bordeaux variety wines are outstanding in any setting, and compared to wines from any region.

Niagara-on-the-Lake can pull this off thanks to a warmer climate than the rest of the region. It's farther away from the lake, which means an earlier spring and a longer growing season. In years like 2007 and 2010, red grapes can enjoy all the ripening they want, and then some.

At the stunningly beautiful Chateau des Charmes (part of their vineyard pictured right), we enjoyed an informative chat with proprietor Paul Bosc, Jr. Paul couldn't help but point out that despite any presumptions we might have about Canadian wine regions, his vines didn't lag Bordeaux by all that much and actually benefit from more ripening in the peak of summer than most French vines. Paul took the Bordeaux comparison indoors during lunch, where we had the opportunity to see how high the quality could go.

We were presented three barrel samples from the prodigious 2010 vintage. All were bound for the Equuieus bottling, a top-flight cuvee that is only produced in strong vintages. The three samples showed varying levels of new oak. The sample with neutral oak was easily the most complex, allowing pure fruit to show muscle and grace. I figured it to be an easy winner, the main component for a coming blend that could be dazzling.

Then Paul took a show of hands. Fewer than 20 percent favored the this sample. And if writers prefer the sweet, oaky flavors in the other samples, is there any doubt that customers would, too?

Paul spoke about the assumptions and bias that his region must face. He is clearly proud of the Equuieus bottlings, and understandably so. But these wines are, to me, impeded by the oak and lack the elegance present in great wines. And here was a touch of irony: Paul speaks about terroir, but he masks some of the nuance of his soil with that expensive wood.

Here's the good news: Chateau des Charmes is setting the pace for big Canadian wines, and Paul's staff has the luxury of winemaking options. My guess is that eventually they'll dial down the heavy oak and put their impressively structured wines out front. But anyone who doubts that red wine can thrive in Canada should stop at this estate.

Now, in New York state, the transition from a region that succeeds with Bordeaux varieties to a region that champions cooler climate varieties is only about a five-hour drive. From the North Fork to the Finger Lakes, the New York wine landscape changes with the soils, the slopes, and the slightly cooler climate. Niagara-on-the-Lake is very much flat, evoking Long Island. But in Canada, you don't need five hours to reach the next wine region. It's a half-hour's drive west, to the Beamsville Bench. The terrain begins to rise and fall, and out here, closer to the lake, the spring starts more sluggishly. But when it does, it's riesling and pinot country.

Next stop: Beamsville Bench

We had tasted a few rieslings from Niagara-on-the-Lake that I'd like to forget about, and thankfully the wines of Beamsville Bench helped me do just that. I was simply enthralled with the rieslings from 30 Bench Winery, a smaller producer that focuses heavily on riesling and cabernet franc.

We visited a larger producer that also focuses strongly on riesling and cabernet franc, with results no less captivating. Vineland Estates is another fairytale setting. We arrived to find a wedding on the property.

But it's not all cartoons and fireworks here. Winemaker Brian Schmidt (pictured right addressing our group) could talk about his vineyards all day long, and he's so compelling that you might find yourself listening for as long as he wants to pontificate.

Interestingly, Brian says that he and the vineyard staff tried to cut down on the cropload several years ago. "We heard so much talk about low yields and higher quality, so we wanted to see what would happen if we made some changes," he explained. "But take an experienced vineyard, and you'll find that it knows what it wants. IT knows what it needs. We thought we had dropped fruit and made the changes to achieve around two tons to the acre, and wouldn't you know it? It produced almost exactly the same tonnage that it was producing the previous year."

So instead of trying to manipulate his vines and soil, Schmidt says he lets it decide what it wants to produce. The wines indicate it's the right approach.

This is one of the rare producers that not only lays down a large amount of wine; it allows customers to taste and purchase library wines in the tasting room, every day. We saw wines from the early-to-late 1990s available for only $25 per bottle. That's practically stealing, and it's stealing a piece of history.

  Now, it's only interesting if the wines have longevity. At Vineland Estates, the rieslings certainly do. I found a 1998 riesling to be tired, but a 1989 riesling -- opened by Brian in a spur-of-the-moment, what-the-hell-why-not decision -- was a marvel.

The 2010 lineup, still developing, promises to be special. A richer, balanced bottling will be set aside for five years before the public can taste it. For me, it was the wine of the weekend. And the Vineland Estates 2002 Cabernet Franc was stunningly fresh and vibrant, and saw no oak at all. Brian explained it went through micro-ox, and I was surprised to find it had plenty of verve and complexity.

 The soil exploration was at its most intense at Tawse Winery, a biodynamic estate that produces perhaps the best pinot noir in Niagara.

For all of the heated debate about biodynamics, winemaker Paul Pender (right) brings an utterly refreshing lack of militancy to the discussion. He happily showed off the winery's dynamizer, and spoke of burying cow horns filled with excrement, but it's clear that for Pender, biodynamics is not about religion. It's about a practical approach to cultivating the healthiest vineyards and producing the best possible wines.

While the Tawse pinots are excellent, the chardonnays were attention-getting. Pender's unoaked chardonnay is a precise, crackling version of this grape that is so often punished with wood. In fact, the only misstep in the Tawse portfolio is the Meritage blend, but then, this isn't Niagara-on-the-Lake.

The conversation about soils continued all weekend long. Wine lovers might be surprised at the sophistication on display in this region. With more than 100 wineries, tourists can enjoy a glitzy, glamour wine tour, or they can make appointments and get down in the dirt with some world-class winemakers. Unlike many emerging regions, Niagara is not banking on a single variety. There's too much diversity in soil, landscape and climate. It's like having the Finger Lakes wedged up against Long Island -- why narrow the search when a broad exploration makes sense?

A word about Niagara Chardonnay

The region is clearly excited about its chardonnay. I favor a Chablis-like profile in chardonnay, unoaked and edgy. We didn't taste much unoaked chardonnay during TasteCamp, but I'm told many wineries make both an oaked and unoaked version. My advice: Ask for the unoaked.

 

What We Drank (May 20, 2011)

For this week's WWD, our contributors and editors all picked a wine from TasteCamp 2011 -- and not surprisingly we each focused on something different:

Lenn Thompson: Ravine Vineyard 2007 Reserve Merlot

The first day of TasteCamp 2011 was spent in and tasting wines from Niagara-on-the-Lake, an area with a distinct focus on Bordeaux varieties.

Coming from another Bordeaux-heavy region, it was interesting to note the differences and the similarities.

I found quite a bit of oak in the NOTL merlots, cab francs and cab sauvs, but also a lot of intense, ripe fruit and some heat on the finish on a few. Some were absolute Parker Pleasers, which doesn't necessarily align with my own palate. (I was much more interested in the "Bench" wineries we tasted on Saturday, but more on that soon.)

We tasted my favorite of the lot Friday evening at Ravine Vineyard. The Ravine Vineyard 2007 Reserve Merlot showed plenty of ripeness in the form of sweet red cherry and faint currant and spicy cocoa notes, but far less and better-integrated oak.

More medium-bodied and food-friendly than most of the merlot we tasted, the tannins here are grippy but without rough edges and subtle acidity brings a freshness.

Another interesting point that this wine illustrated for me -- Long Island isn't the only emergent region that is unapologetic about wine pricing. This wine sells for $55 in the tasting room, making it more expensive than all but a handful of Long Island merlots.

Evan Dawson: Tawse 2008 Quarry Road Chardonnay

The biggest disappointment at TasteCamp North for me was the chardonnay. Niagara is pumped about its chardonnay, which seems silly, given that most of it is hidden in oak. The vast majority was buttery, smelled of popcorn, and offered nothing particularly new or interesting.

The exception -- and what an exception it was -- came in the wines at Tawse Winery. Winemaker Paul Pender allowed us to taste several chardonnays side-by-side; he lets the individual vineyards stand alone, which is a good idea given their differences. While I preferred Pender's unoaked chardonnay, I couldn't help but appreciate and enjoy his oaked versions, too. They're taut, textured, expressive and -- here it is! -- integrated.

Pender's chardonnays set a high standard that the rest of the region is not currently matching, it seems.

The challenge is finding Tawse wines in the states. But if you visit, this is a must-see. Quality across the board.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Pinhey.

Julia Burke: Mike Weir 2009 and Peninsula Ridge 2010 Wismer Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc

When I say your wine tastes South African, it's one of the highest compliments I can pay. Not everyone is familiar enough with great South African wine (or with me) to get that, but the representatives of both Mike Weir and Peninsula Ridge seemed to dig the comparison.

We tasted some amazing wines that express many facets of Niagara terroir, and I'll be writing more about them. But WWD is for cool stuff, and the similarity of these two wineries' sauvignon blancs to my favorite SA examples was too cool to ignore. 

Mike Weir is not a winery I had visited before TasteCamp, but the 2009 sauvignon blanc rocked me with a nose of fresh, crisp poblano and jalapeno straight from the garden, flecked with fierce minerality -- a dead ringer for Buitenverwachting Hussey's Vlei, one of the top sauvignon blancs in South Africa (yes, the name's unpronounceable and funny. But the wine will stop you in your tracks). That a wine from Niagara could taste so much like a wine from the Constantia region of SA, which is one of the country's coolest regions and certainly the closest to Niagara in terroir, was amazing to me.

Peninsula Ridge was already on my radar before our Saturday bench wineries tasting, but not for sauvignon blanc. That has changed. Their clean, flinty, gooseberry-tastic 2010 Wismer Vineyard sauv was simply awesome and crazily similar to a Stellenbosch version of the grape. Once again the clean, razor-sharp flavor profile and absence of resin or funk made me feel like I was on a picnic blanket in SA.

Sauvignon blanc wasn't necessarily the variety I was most pumped about in Niagara before TasteCamp, but it's officially on my must-try list now for future visits across the border. We have one grower on the USA side finding success with the grape and it will be interesting to see how sauv develops here. For now, it's great to know that I can get this level of sauvignon blanc from Niagara Peninsula producers.

 

Bryan Calandrelli:Peninsula Ridge 2009 McNally Vineyards Pinot Noir

What's amazing about an event like Tastecamp is that we all bring our collective preconceived ideas into the weekend, which ultimately sets us up for surprise or disappointment.

My expectations of Niagara pinot noir have been established by producers like Le Clos Jordanne, Tawse, Coyotes Run, Laily and a few others so when I sampled the first attempt from Peninsula Ridge I was excited enough to start rounding up people to taste it before they left.

I'd previously associated Peninsula Ridge with spectacular single vineyard Sauvignon Blancs, tasty Viognier and a handful of solid reds, but this McNally Vineyard Proprietors Reserve Pinot Noir 2009 was news to me and it sets the bar even higher for the winery.

Aromas of crushed red fruits and spice revealed the ready to drink attitude that I didn't pick up in many of the other 2009 pinot noirs I tasted over the weekend.  It still showed a bit of that Niagara pinot funk that I dig but it wasn't front and center as this was clearly fruit driven. A fleshy palate with soft tannins and a graceful balance of acid really made this one stand out.

Not to mention it's listed at $25 at the winery. Next time I cross the border I'm heading straight to this winery and making my way back east with some Niagara pinot noir.

Photo Credit to Zoltan Szabo.

TasteCamp 2011: We're Going to Niagara Wine Country -- Both Sides of the Border

 
By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

It is with great excitement that we announce that TasteCamp EAST is becoming TasteCamp NORTH in 2011.

We're heading to Niagara wine country, both the Canadian and U.S. sides, May 13-15, 2011.

We are still finalizing many of the details, but here's what we know so far, from the press release we issued a few minutes ago:

TasteCamp 2011 will be an exploration of Canada's most established and prominent wine region, and one of America’s newest and most dynamic, including everything from the famous wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake to the terroir-driven wines on the Niagara Escarpment, as well as organic/biodynamic wineries, vineyard walks, grand tastings and wonderful food including the popular BYOW dinner at Treadwell Farm to Table Cuisine, one of Niagara's best local-produce restaurants. Attendees will stay at White Oaks Conference Resort and Spa.

What differentiates TasteCamp from other events and conferences geared toward wine writers and bloggers is that it’s largely self-funded. Attendees pay their own way and participate in TasteCamp out of a genuine interest to learn more about the region, its wine, its terroir and its people.

“The concept for TasteCamp from the start was to take writers who know little or nothing about a region and completely immerse them in it for three days. They taste a lot of wines, visit estates and meet dozens of winemakers. It’s not about just showing them the ‘best’. It’s about showing them the complete picture,” said event creator Lenn Thompson, who also founded the New York Cork Report.

Quebec-based TasteCamp organizer and wine blogger at The Wine Case, Remy Charest said, “From the moment I attended the first TasteCamp in Long Island wine country in New York in 2009, I was hoping that we could get the event to Canada. Even though I'm from Quebec, it was obvious to me that Niagara should be the first Canadian stop for TasteCamp."

Fellow organizer Rick Van Sickle of Wines In Niagara attended last year’s TasteCamp in the Finger Lakes wine region and added, "I was shocked as a participant at TasteCampEast in the Finger Lakes last May. The energy of the independent bloggers and writers, the Tweets, media, blogs and buzz during, after and continuing to this day was something I had never seen before. An honest assessment of entire region that was simply a coming a age for the Finger Lakes. Imagine what we can do in Niagara."

TasteCamp is an opportunity for the host regions to show off all that they have to offer — to a group of keenly interested writers. Morgen McLaughlin, President of the Finger Lakes Wine Country Tourism Marketing Association, one of last year’s sponsors, said “TasteCamp 2010 was a tremendous success for the Finger Lakes. Having bloggers and journalists visit the region, many of them for the first time, generated significant media coverage and excitement among the wineries. We hope that TasteCamp makes a quick return to the Finger Lakes in the coming years.”

Suresh Doss, publisher of Spotlight Toronto and co-organizer for TasteCamp 2011 event concurred, saying “This is a unique opportunity to show Niagara’s terroir and the potential of farming in this region.”

Want to particpate in TasteCamp 2011?

To participate as an attendee, please email Lenn Thompson ([email protected])

To participate as a sponsor, please email Suresh Doss or Rick VanSickle ([email protected])

In the meantime, visit tastecampnorth.tumblr.com to stay up to date with the goings on.

TasteCamp EAST 2010 Interview: Sue Guerra | New Jersey Monthly

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

When Sue Guerra, who writes On the Vine for New Jersey Monthly, expressed interest in attending TasteCamp, I had absolutely no idea who she was. None.

Now, after spending a couple days with her, tasting (and drinking) wine with her, I'm glad she reached out and pushed her way into the TasteCamp experience -- it was a better event because we had her with us. Beyond her impressive palate, she has a great sense of humor and lives an interesting life as a dual citizen of the United States and Italy. 

And now, our TasteCamp questions:

Was this your first visit to Finger Lakes wine country? Yes.

Had you ever had any Finger Lakes wines before? And if so, what was your impression of them? I have had the Hermann Wiemer Dry Riesling and always recommended it to customers when I worked retail because it was closer to a German style riesling at half the cost.

After tasting a larger sampling of the wines being produced in the Finger Lakes, what is your impression now? I was really psyched that the region, which is already known for great rieslings has so much potential for other varieties (i.e. pinot noir, sparkling wines, some of the cabernet francs) in that cold-climate, food-friendly style I enjoy most (read: not jammy, over-oaked fruit bombs)--and best of all is that I can drive there. Now trying to talk 17 year old son into applying to Ithaca College!

What, in general, impressed you the most? I found it really interesting that each winemaker has their own approach and that approach runs the gamut from highly interventionist (chaptalization, filtration, Brett eradication etc.) to more natural (although probably not by the most strict definition) yet by and large the wines are highly drinkable and in a style that is so food friendly. Some obviously stood out above the pack but all of the winemakers and growers were so dedicated -- which I guess they have to be when they are freezing their asses off harvesting grapes in the cold and snow.

Also, perhaps it's the spoiled "proximity to NYC" brat in me but I was pleasantly surprised with the food scene up there.

What, in general, underwhelmed you the most? The Meritage bends. Maybe I am just bored with cabernet blends in general but does the world really need more of those? Some of the straight cab francs were interesting and there was a pretty interesting blend with cab franc (and Blaufrankisch?) at dinner the first night. I don't have my notes in front of me so I have to look that one up.

What tasting or vineyard walk was and will be the most memorable for you? Loved the Damiani Vineyard walk but the Heart & Hands Wine Company visit was the most memorable even though I had to run out early.

I can't wait to see what they do when they start harvesting their own pinot noir from atop that limestone outcrop.

After so much online interaction with the attendees, which person surprised you the most in person? Not one person but the collective whole. It was a brain trust of wine geeks of the highest order!!!

If you had to pick one, what would your wine of the weekend be? Tough question. Can I pick three? Jeez. The pressure is unbearable. OK...my three picks would be the Ravines Cabernet Franc 2007, the Heart and hands 2007 Reserve Pinot Noir and the Weimer 2007 Magdalena Vineyard Riesling.

Guest Post: A Drier Style of Riesling at Ravines Wine Cellars (Rick Van Sickle, Wines In Niagara)

By Rick Van Sickle, Wines In Niagara
Photos by Morgan Dawson

Reflecting back on what truly was a startling discovery of New York’s Finger Lakes wine region during TasteCamp EAST 2010, one aspect of the vino-soaked weekend that I will never forget was our visit to Ravines Wine Cellars.

If I had to pick an experience that changed my mind about how I perceived Finger Lakes from what little exposure I’ve had it would be the very instant that Morten Hallgren (pictured at right) began talking to our group in his no-surrender tone in defense of his wines — not that they needed defending, but he wanted to be clear on his defining style that just might not appeal to the masses.

I thought about all the great winemakers I have listened to and tasted with. The very best have exactly the same convictions, that honest and steadfast resolve to do things their way because they believe it’s the right way and criticism be damned.

Hallgren, along with his wife Lisa, are true believers in the terroir of Finger Lakes and have concentrated their efforts on what does well in the vineyards that are so dear to their hearts.

Morten has staked his claim on the correct varieties for a cool-climate region that is not unlike Ontario’s Niagara region, or other great regions in the world such the Mosel, Champagne, Alsace, the Loire Valley, Burgundy, Bordeaux and Piemonte. Hallgren has decided on riesling and cabernet franc with a bit of chardonnay and pinot noir as the main wines being made at Ravines.

But what was of particular interest to me was Ravines’ portfolio of rieslings. This is where Hallgren draws a line in the sand, a line he won’t yield even one inch. It’s a stylistic battle line where his rieslings are defined by their sharp edges, that steely, citrusy and mineral-laden quality that runs deep through each of his wines.

It’s a risky, but brave, portfolio. Dry, austere white wines need the benefit of time to soften up the hard edges, to tame the racy acidity that props up the raging citrus and slate. This is serious riesling, built for the dinner table, and not for the faint of heart. An unwitting wine lover looking for a fun little glass of wine along the wine route might wonder at the style, not understanding the concept of watching this glorious wine as it comes into maturity. And maybe they won’t be back.

But that is the risk the Hallgrens are willing to take. The payoff, for them and, luckily for us, is authentic, thrilling, terroir-driven wines that go far beyond a cookie-cutter style of wine so prevalent in the world of wine today.

In the Ravines rieslings you can taste the gravelly loam and limestone and you have to believe Hallgren when he says that is best expressed through an austere style that shows balance, elegance, and a purity of aromas and flavors.

“Fine wine is about delicate balance and nuances,” he told us as we sipped through the vast majority of his portfolio.

A Focus on Quality and Expression

Morten was raised in the Provence region in the South of France where his family owned and operated Domaine de Castel Roubine, a 270-acre estate with 170 acres under vine.

He worked as chief winemaker for Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Cellars, another fabulous Finger Lakes producer, before he and Lisa purchased a 17-acre parcel of land in 2000 on a glacier-carved hillside on the eastern slopes of Keuka Lake. It’s a piece of land laden in mineral-rich, well-drained soils and situated between two deep ravines (hence the name of the winery), which drain cold air from the land during the winter.

They operate a charming tasting room, with views to the lake, opened in the spring of 2003. It has been elegantly decorated by Lisa in a Provencal style, including a sculpted head of Bacchus, the Roman god of wine, from the Castel Roubine tasting room. Since opening, the winery is adorned with medals and praise from the wine press.

Ravines’ wine program, which is limited to just 10 or 11 different wines per vintage, is built on an extraordinary riesling portfolio as well as European-styled cabernet franc, meritage, pinot noir and rose.

“We have everything here to make world-class rieslings,” he says. The Ravines style is built around tight, mouth-watering, bone-dry rieslings that are balanced between fresh fruit and acid. They are made for the long haul in the cellar even though they are released to the public with some bottle age.

Morten admits that Ravines doesn’t “try to be everything to everyone” which, to be honest, is a refreshing change from so many of the Finger Lakes wineries that tend to do just that and end up with a whole mess of wine that perhaps is fine for the masses but misses the mark for serious wine lovers. Ravines wines are more likely to appeal to people with wider wine experience and those who seek out the finer wines in life.

A Unique Winemaker-Grower Relationship

The inspiration and fruit for Ravines’ greatest expression of riesling comes from a coddled vineyard overlooking Senaca Lake called Argetsinger, named after Sam Argetsinger (right), the colorful man who owns it and spends most of waking hours nurturing it.

Hallgren crafts his single-vineyard Argetsinger Vineyard Riesling from Sam Argetsinger’s vines, a riesling that shows its teeth with pronounced mineral-slate, floral and citrus notes.

On a walk-through the Argetsinger vineyard with Sam, it’s easy to see why these two men have come together in perfect harmony to make such a thrilling wine. Hallgren, an idealistic winemaker with precise ideas on what he wants out his wines, and Argetsinger, a free-wheeling spirit who covets his vines with the passion of a star-struck lover.

Argetsinger should have been born into the Iroquois nation as he recites stories about Mother Earth and her relationship with his vineyards.

When he gathers us around him to tell the story about Thundering Voices, appropriate after a hellish storm the night before, we listen and believe him when he says the Creator had it out with Mr. Thunder one day and finally decided (after some divine persuasion) they could work together for the good of the people who would one day all live together in harmony (or something like that).

Fact is, as we walked through his spectacular vines, that look straight down into Seneca Lake, we could feel Mother Earth all around us. You got the feeling that Argetsinger is just a caretaker of the land, here to nurture vines so that others (like Hallgren) have some great grapes to turn into spectacular wines.

Following our brisk morning vineyard walk, Hallgren, who buys all five acres of riesling grown on the property and bottles it as a single-vineyard wine, showed up with some nice morning frittata and a bottle of Ravines Argetsinger Riesling 2007. Never has a frittata gone so beautifully with a riesling as the sun beat down in the quiet stillness of that amazing vineyard.

A Different Style of Riesling

As a wine writer primarily covering the Niagara region in Ontario, where I work and live with my family, it is hard for me to understand the lack of residual sugar (or late picking of riesling grapes) in the quality Finger Lakes wines.

I drink a steady diet of amazing Niagara rieslings that, for the most part, are made with some RS — more or less depending on the vintage. In Niagara, that little touch of sweetness lifts the flavors to another dimension. From citrus, lime and mineral to peach, apricot and tropical notes, in some cases.

It is a style that now dominates in the Niagara wine region, though many wineries still make bone-dry rieslings.

So it begs the question. Do I wonder what Hallgren’s wines would taste like if he made them in a sweeter style?

I’ve thought about that a lot since visiting the Finger Lakes. I have concluded that I have no desire to see Hallgren do anything other than what he’s doing — making some of the most interesting and thrilling wines in the Finger Lakes. And I can’t wait to get back there.

Ravines Dry Riesling 2006 — A fragrant and floral nose of green apple, citrus, mineral-stone and grapefruit. It’s perfectly dry and austere with a firm acidic spine but balanced off by ripe and zesty citrus-lime fruits.

Ravines Dry Riesling Argetsinger Vineyard 2008 — Definitely one the finest rieslings enjoyed on the trip came from this single vineyard belonging to the quirky and likeable Sam Argetsinger. This is one of the oldest riesling vineyards in the Finger Lakes and shows a pronounced mineral-slate, floral, citrus nose. It’s very focused and firm on the palate with racy acidity and tart-juicy fruits. This is built for food and shouldn’t be touched for a couple of years at least, but, wow, what a beauty.

Ravines Pinot Noir 2007 — Morten is fond of saying that he came to the Finger Lakes for the riesling but was surprised by the pinot. And he’s right. There is a great deal of potential for pinot noir in the Finger Lakes and winemakers are just starting to realize that. I love the earthy cherry fruit, sweet mocha spice, saddle leather and vanilla on the nose. It’s juicy on the palate with fresh red berries, vibrancy, spice and subtle oak/cedar notes on the finish. It’s done in an elegant and classy style.

TasteCamp EAST 2010 Interview: Neil Miller | Stressing the Vine

  By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief

Neil Miller's blog Stressing the Vine is one that I've been a fan of for some time, so when he expressed interest in attending TasteCamp, I was excited.

It's always fun to meet fellow bloggers -- especially ones so focused on local wines and food -- and Neil did not disappoint. I found him to have a very well-tuned palate and to be both entusiastic but pragmatic about local wines. 

And now, our TasteCamp 2010 Q&A with Neil:

Was this your first visit to Finger Lakes wine country? No.

Had you ever had any Finger Lakes wines before? And if so, what was your impression of them? Yes. Very favorable.

After tasting a larger sampling of the wines being produced in the Finger Lakes, what is your impression now? I was glad to see that many of the 2009 rieslings were showing well, as this was the first opportunity I've had to taste examples of this difficult vintage. 

I also was very pleased by the quality of several Finger Lakes red wines, especially the 2005 Shaw Cabernet Franc, the 2007 Tierce, the 2005 Fox Run Reserve Cabernet Franc and the 2007 Ravines Pinot Noir. 

That having been said, however,  I also still found many of the reds, especially the cabernet sauvignons, merlots, meritages and syrahs, overly lean and tannic. I entirely get the unique characteristics of cool-climate red wines, which I particularly enjoy in comparison to Mediterranean-climate reds, but I am not persuaded, and I don't expect the general wine drinking public to be persuaded, by the often-heard refrain that these wines are made to pair with food, or require extended cellaring.

High acidity and lower alcohol levels are great, but I can't overlook the fact that many of the red wines I tasted lacked concentration and depth of fruit, were over oaked, displayed overly harsh tannins, and/or were generally unbalanced and unfriendly.

Food might mask or mitigate some these issues, but in general I find this claim about food friendliness to be a self-serving rationalization that benefits no one, especially not the winemaker. 

And I am equally skeptical that aging is going to significantly improve many of these red wines.

What, in general, impressed you the most? The remarkable generosity and willingness of the winemakers to share their best/rarest/most recent wines with the attendees, along with their candid views about winemaking.

I was truly overwhelmed by David and Debra Whiting's extraordinary generosity at Friday night's dinner at Red Newt Cellars and Bistro. Not only did David pour a lot of his library wines, along with Anthony Road and Fox Run, so that we could taste the entire history of the Tierce bottlings alongside the wines that went into them, while Debra served up an absolutely delicious dinner that paired beautifully with the 2007 Tierce, but they sent home each of the attendees with a surprise gift package of three Red Newt wines.  It was an extraordinary, singular display of generosity, and was for me the high point of the weekend.

What, in general, underwhelmed you the most? The dinner served at the Stone Cat Cafe (not the BYOB wine tasting or the enthusiasm and camaraderie of the attendees). The Stone Cat should be ashamed of themselves for charging $60.00 for that uninspired, mediocre meal, especially since we brought and uncorked our own wines.

What tasting or vineyard walk was and will be the most memorable for you? I'd have to say the Wiemer tasting, because it revealed how distinctive the wines were from the three designated vineyards. 

After listening to Peter Bell of Fox Run and Morten Hallgren of Ravines discuss their very hands-on approaches to winemaking, which gave me the impression that they viewed winemaking as taking place at least as much in the winery as in the vineyard, I was glad to hear Fred Merwarth describe the less-manipulative methods he employs at Wiemer.

After so much online interaction with the attendees, which person surprised you the most in person? Of the attendees, I was very impressed with the New York Cork Report's own Julia Burke, for someone so relatively young her depth of knowledge of wine and winemaking was impressive.

If you had to pick one, what would your wine of the weekend be? The Anthony Road 2008 TBA was the most memorable wine of the weekend, followed closely by the 2007 Tierce, the 2008 Weimer HJW Vineyard Riesling, 2005 Shaw Cabernet Franc, the 2006 Fox Run Riesling, the 2007 Fox Run Port, and the 2008 Ravines Argetsinger Vineyard Riesling, not necessarily in that order. 

Then again, I selectively sampled the Keuka Lake and Seneca Lake wines on Friday and Saturday, in part because I was already familiar with many of the wine/wineries, and because I had to drive back to Syracuse in the evening, and I wasn't able to attend Sunday's Cayuga Lake tastings, so I did not taste everything.

Guest Post: Heart & Hands Wine Company: A Passion for Pinot at Cayuga Lake (Richard Auffrey, The Passionate Foodie)

By Richard Auffrey, The Passionate Foodie

It was Sunday afternoon, the final event of TasteCamp 2010, and palate fatigue ran rampant among the attendees. There had already been 200-300 wines available for tasting over the weekend and I was not sure I could handle any more. Snow flurries whipped through the air and I faced a six-plus hour drive home.

Plus, my GPS couldn't seem to locate the Heart & Hands Wine Company.

After a phone call, I was able to find the winery and join the rest of the TasteCamp crew. And soon, all of the troubles of the day seemed to diminish in insignificance. The passion of owners Tom and Susan Higgins (pictured at right) and their excellent pinot noirs thoroughly impressed me and it were a fine conclusion to the weekend.

Heart & Hands Wine Company, located on the eastern side of Cayuga Lake, is a relative newcomer to the Finger Lakes region, having been established in 2008. Tom and Susan are down-to-earth, personable and passionate people. Their enthusiasm for winemaking is infectious and it seemed to spread throughout our group.

The winery is small, planning to produce about 1,600 cases of wine this year, and eventually topping out at 2000 cases. They only make wines from pinot noir (about 80% of their production) and riesling.

Pinot noir in New York? Though it might seem unusual at first, the Higginses prove that this grape can succeed in this cool climate. Riesling might be the signature grape of this region, but some excellent red wines are also being produced in this area as well.

Tom presided over the tasting, giving us some background on the winery and their methods of winemaking.  He gave us a very rational explanation for why small producers usually can make significantly superior pinot noir than the larger producers. It centers on the time and labor required to bring out the best in the wine. 

For example, it requires hand picking and sorting, to select only the best grapes rather than just lumping everything together, good and bad, into one large vat. The large producers cannot devote sufficient time to hand pick and sort -- not with the amounts of grapes they harvest. There are other procedures as well that a small producer can do more easily and efficiently, though they are time and labor-intensive.

For our tasting, we got to try both finished wines as well as some barrel samples. You really felt as if you were getting an inside view of the winery. We had a chance to taste in their barrel room, buried underground and benefiting from natural cooling.  

 

We began with a couple sparkling wines, the 2008 Blanc de Noir (which has not yet been released) and the 2008 Brut Rosé ($24.99). The Blanc de Noir was good, with a nice creaminess and pleasant fruit flavors, and should turn out well when it is eventually released. The Brut Rosé, made from 100% pinot noir, was delicious with bright strawberry and cherry flavors. It was clean and refreshing, and I could enjoy it on its own or with food. It was probably my favorite sparkling wine of the weekend.

 

We then tasted a few 2009 Pinot Noir barrel samples, from the Sawmill Creek and Hobbit Hollow Vineyards.  Tom likes to experiment a bit with his wines, for example seeing what happens with a 50% whole cluster as opposed to a 100% whole cluster. He is also crafting pinots more in a Burgundian style, which is my preferred style. Of the two vineyards, I preferred the Sawmill Creek wines, as they had more of that earthiness which I enjoy in my pinot. The Hobbit Hollow had more bold fruit and also did not seem as complex as the Sawmill Creek.

 

Of the two finished pinots, we began with the 2008 Pinot Noir ($19.99), a blend of 59% Hobbit Hollow and 41% Sawmill Creek. This lush wine had bright cherry and raspberry flavors with hints of darker fruits and spice deeper within. I could understand how the melding of these two vineyards produced such a wine. I should also note that the grapes from each vineyard are vinified separately. This was a pleasant and easy-drinking wine, resembling far more France than California. At under $20, this is a very good value.

The 2007 Barrel Reserve Pinot Noir ($39.99) simply stunned me.

This was an exceptional wine in the Burgundian mode, and showed the vast potential for pinot noir in the Finger Lakes.  All of the grapes came from Sawmill Creek and it resembled what I had tasted in the barrel samples. The nose seduced me with its melange of black cherry, plum, spice, floral notes and touch of earth.  The taste followed through on the promise of the aroma, delivering a lush and complex blend of flavors.  Each sip seemed to deliver a mouthful of pure bliss. 

Well balanced, the finish was long and satisfying, making me crave more of this wine. 

I consider this a world-class pinot noir and well worth its price. If the Finger Lakes region is capable of such wines, they should plant more pinot noir. It would be a great niche for dedicated, small producers who take the time and effort needed to craft such a superb wine.

I had to buy a couple bottles of this wine, and probably should have bought even more. I recently took one of the bottles to a dinner party and it was greatly preferred over a $50 French Burgundy.

Though we also got to taste their rieslings, I could not stop thinking about their pinot. It had broken through my palate fatigue, and excited my senses. I had tasted several other pinots from this region, but none came even close to the quality of the Heart & Hands Barrel Reserve. TasteCamp ended on a very high note for me.

Pumped Up With Petrol: TDN and Riesling

By Tom Mansell, Science Editor

At TasteCamp, bloggers were generously treated to many library selections of riesling. 

Peter Bell guided us through two vertical tastings of Fox Run Vineyards rieslings (one pictured at right), of the dry and semi-dry persuasion. Bob Madill poured a library flight at Sheldrake Point Vineyard, and the Tierce brothers poured three years of Fox Run, Anthony Road, and Red Newt rieslings (and their collaborative effort, Tierce Riesling).  The oldest variations poured for the masses dated back to 2001.  

One character in particular that stands out in many aged rieslings from around the world is the so-called "petrol" note. This aroma can be somewhat polarizing. It's "goût de petrol" if you like it and it's "kerosene" if you don't. 

Many of the older Finger Lakes Rieslings we tasted along the way had a healthy dose of petrol, which is not surprising if you're at all familiar for riesling with a little age on it. What may seem surprising, though, is that a number of 2007 Rieslings we tried (and that I have tried in the past, even just after release) also had a bunch of petrol on them.

 The aroma compound we're talking about is known as 1,1,6-trimethyl-1,2-dihydronaphthalene, which is often thankfully shortened to TDN. 

Where's this aroma coming from, and why is it appearing in newer rieslings?

TDN itself is not often found in grape juice or in young wines. It originates from the gradual breakdown of protective plant molecules generally known as carotenoids.

Carotenoids are pigments that absorb light. They are important in leaves to support photosynthesis (and once the chlorophyll is gone from leaves in the fall, they give the leaves their oranges, yellows, and reds). In the berries themselves, these compounds absorb UV rays that would be harmful to the DNA and other cellular components.

Think of carotenoids as grape sunscreen. When UV light is high (i.e., in a year with lots of sunlight) carotenoids will build up during berry development to shield the cells from the harsh rays. Near the end of the growing season, the molecules break down into smaller components, some of which are precursors to very powerful aroma compounds, some of which are detectable in the parts-per-billion (micrograms/L) range.

These aroma compounds are often bound to sugar groups and known as glycosides when found in the must.  Glycosides are not aroma-active, so they won't be observable by smelling or tasting the must per se.  However, during fermentation, yeast enzymes liberate glycoside-bound aroma compounds, helping to create the complex bouquet that we love about wine.

So carotenoids can break down to form potent aroma compounds (1) during a hot harvest season or (2) by slow degradation of the compounds in the bottle over time. In a few years, a 2006 (from a cooler, wetter year) riesling may start to develop some TDN due to the bottle age, but some 2007s have already got some now due to the hot, sunny coditions. TDN formation can also correlate with water stress (and in some cases, atypical aging) but right now it's not clear whether the two are related or distinct phenomena. (aside: Yes, even in a relatively wet grapegrowing climate like the Finger Lakes, vines do occasionally suffer from water stress, which has led some growers to install drip irrigation systems.)

Not all carotenoid breakdown products are bad news, though. Beta-damascenone (cooked fruit, canned apple), Beta-ionone (raspberry, violet), and a fruity-smelling molecule known as riesling acetal are all carotenoid breakdown products, and are part of the essence of what makes wine "winey."

While it may seem like shading the grapes is a good way to reduce TDN (it is), there are many other reasons why it is desirable to have clusters exposed to sunlight and have an open canopy (see my post on leaf removal). A very recent paper in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, authored by a team of viticulture researchers at Cornell, addressed this issue.

Current evidence indicates that leaf removal immediately pre-veraison (33 days post-berry set) leads to increased TDN in the juice and finished wine. According to the authors,"growers could implement leaf removal at berry set or postveraison for disease control, etc., without a resulting increase in TDN. Conversely, preveraison leaf removal could be employed if higher TDN concentrations were desired in wine."

So, exposure sunlight can increase TDN precursors and hasten their conversion to sugar-bound TDN in the grapes, which is then released by fermentation. Alternatively, carotenoids can break down in the bottle, leading to increased petrol with age. This could explain why years like 2007, which was hot and dry, and great for red wine production, may not be the best years for Riesling, compared to years like 2006 and 2008. 

I can't wait to see what the 2009 Rieslings have in store, but given the wackiness of that summer, I doubt there will be much petrol on them in their youth.

Guest Post: Hermann J. Wiemer Stands Out at TasteCamp 2010 (Remy Charest, The Wine Case)

Hermann J. Wiemer winemaker Fred Merwarth discussing his winemaking philosophy

By Remy Charest, The Wine Case

This may not come as that much of a surprise to those familiar with the Finger Lakes, but the region does make really great riesling. For participants in the second edition of Tastecamp EAST, however, this three-day, three-lake stint in the region was a great opportunity to confirm that the region indeed lives up to its reputation in that respect: just like merlot in Long Island – Tastecamp’s first destination, last year – the Finger Lakes' flagship grape consistently delivers.

Throughout the weekend, we had the opportunity to taste a great range of rieslings, made in a great variety of styles, and from vintages ranging from 2001 to 2009. I don’t believe I tasted one I didn’t at least reasonably like, and many were delicious and worth cellaring.

Rieslings from Red Newt, Ravines, Damiani, Lamoreaux Landing, Fox Run, Anthony Road, Heron Hill and others were distinctive, well-crafted and balanced, each in their own distinctive style.

A 2002 riesling from Heron Hill was beautifully aged, with a lot of typical petrol notes and still nice fruit – and the 2007 looked even more promising. Lamoreaux Landing’s three single-vineyard bottlings showed truly distinctive character from site to site, in a crisp, refreshing style with good weight and length. Fox Run rieslings were exotic and fruit-driven, with a capacity to age very well, as demonstrated by a vertical tasting where the 2001s and 2003s still shone. Ravines’ Argetsinger vineyard riesling, bone-dry and mineral, yet aromatic and complex, showed a completely different take on the grape – and was also great with breakfast at its vineyard of origin. I could go on with many other examples: Hunt Country, Sheldrake Point and Three Brothers also had good wines to show.

However, the highlight of the weekend, as far as riesling is concerned (there was also some great pinot from Damiani, Ravines and especially, Hearts and Hands), was a visit to Herman J. Wiemer Vineyard, a winery that has been at the heart of winegrowing in the Finger Lakes since the late 1970s.

Hermann J. Wiemer, who moved from Germany to the Finger Lakes, determined to show the region’s potential for riesling, clearly knew his way around a vineyard and a cellar, and built a solid reputation in the region, even becoming an important source of vines for local growers, in his own nursery.

A few years ago, Mr. Wiemer handed over the reins to a group of young investors, including his winemaker Fred Merwarth. Merwarth's approach shows a willingness to pay careful attention to the specificities of individual vineyards and of the grapes provided by each vintage, and a rare willingness, in the Finger Lakes, to let nature work its way into the fermentations.

Merwarth’s approach offers the closest thing to natural winemaking that I saw all weekend, in a region where the approach tends to be very technical and control-oriented. I almost choked on my wine, one time, when a winemaker seriously stated that to let the local terroir express itself, you had to exert control on every step of the process – including using cultured yeasts to ensure predictable fermentations. Merwarth, thankfully, though he remains careful in his technique, is willing to give his wine more leeway.

When he presses the juice at harvest, he does not add sulfur and lets it aerate substantially, something which likely helps the yeasts present on the grapes to start their work spontaneously. Still, in the first ferment of the season, he uses a cultured yeast, and then takes a bucket from that first tank and pours it into the next to help the fermentation start. His argument is that, by the time you get further down the line, the composition of yeasts has likely changed considerably, giving room to the yeasts present in the vineyard and cellar.

Why not go all the way and let fermentations start spontaneously, I asked him when we were tasting his wines, right by the stainless steel tanks where the wines, in many cases, were still slowly finishing their fermentations at their own – I daresay natural – pace? Giving the juice a little kick-start at the beginning of the process provides him with a “comfort level”, a greater confidence that everything will head in the right direction. A bit of a safety blanket, in other words: it feels like he is just this close to letting natural yeast fermentations start on their own, and I personally would encourage him to do so on a couple of tanks, at least. In fact, there was at least one spontaneous fermentation in his cellar: a barrel of 2009 trockenbeerenauslese, fermented in a barrel that, he says, always starts quickly and reliably and gives great results. Keep it up, I say…

Indeed, the Wiemer rieslings were very distinctive, with a particularly vibrant, expressive character and layers of aromas and flavors that I only found, otherwise, in the Tierce rieslings, a joint cuvée mixing wines from three wineries (Anthony Road, Red Newt and Fox Run) in a particularly successful blending exercise. With the exception of the Frost cuvée, a blend of wines that did not make it to single vineyard or reserve cuvée, and that I personally found a bit too sweet, everything was pretty much impeccable.

The 2008 Dry Riesling had lots of fruit up front, with a mineral layer rising towards a stoney, crisp finish. The 2008 Reserve Dry Riesling was indeed a cut above, with apples and pears blending in over the nice mineral touches: a wine of impeccable balance, created from the best tanks from the various vineyards operated by the winery. The 2003 Reserve, actually all from the HJW Vineyard, located immediately next to the winery (Hermann J. Wiemer had a different approach to his reserve wines), showed apricots and honey and great length: it could still evolve beautifully.

Single vineyard bottlings also showed a distinct personality, with the 2008 Magdalena Vineyard Riesling showing floral notes above the apple, pear and citrus that were at the core of the 2008 HJW Vineyard riesling’s expression. The Magdalena site, ten miles north of the winery, is actually warmer than the Wiemer vineyard, which may explain its slightly more expansive nature. A 2009 tank sample from Magdalena was luscious, with beautiful honeycrisp apple notes, while the HJW seemed a little tighter, even though it still had some residual sugar, as the fermentation was still under way.

On another grape front, good points also go to the 2008 Gewurztraminer, which showed beautiful rose and white peppercorn, with a more open nose and complex expression than anything else I tasted that weekend. Many of the gewurzes I had during TasteCamp reminded me of Thrills “soap” gum, and simply didn’t give the full measure of the grape. This was a welcome exception. Merwarth pointed that he picks those grapes over several weeks, with earlier pickings providing an acidity that otherwise drops quickly, while later-harvested grapes provide a wide range of aromatics. A very successful approach.

With what I tasted, in what was a very friendly, instructive tasting, I would be very happy to keep following what’s going on at Wiemer. Merwarth has a sure hand and a good capacity to listen to what the grapes are telling him. I hope he keeps going further down that path.

TasteCamp Takeaway: To Continue Climb, Finger Lakes Must Close the Gap

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor
Photos by Morgan Dawson Photography

It took no more than seven minutes for me to see one of the defining stories emerging from TasteCamp East 2010. There in the Heron Hill Winery tasting room, with several dozen writers from around the country, a gap came into view. It was so wide, so severe, that it could not be ignored.

And if the Finger Lakes is going to continue its climb to wine world prominence, the gap will have to close.

Specifically, I'm talking about the gap in quality from the top producers to the bottom tier. I am not sure there is a wine region in the world with a gap so obvious. I don't know if there is, of course, but I have not experienced anything close to what we see in the Finger Lakes. Even Long Island doesn't suffer from nearly this massive a disparity.

In some sense, it feels hectoring or even wrong to write such a post. After all, I don't work in the wine industry. Who am I to offer advice or ideas on how wineries can improve their business? But then, I knew in those opening TasteCamp minutes that everyone was seeing the same gap.

Standing at the bar at Heron Hill, enduring the worst flight of wines I've ever had (I'll choose not to mention the producer), I walked away, only to have another writer whisper, "You can't leave me here." When we stopped over to taste the wines of Keuka Spring Vineyards and McGregor Vineyard, for example, confidence was restored. But how can the difference be so vast?

Still, you might wonder: So what? There are disappointments, but there are also producers like Ravines Wine Cellars and Hermann J. Wiemer and Heart & Hands Wine Company and Anthony Road Wine Company and Fox Run Vineyards and Red Newt Cellars and more. When the top producers are revealing the potential of this region, that's the story, right?

Not necessarily. First of all, the top producers are, on average, slightly more expensive and smaller in total production. The result is a wine-buying public that has to work harder to find the world-class bottlings, and when they instead find the dreck, they might not give the Finger Lakes another chance.

So what to do? Here are some ideas intended only to begin a conversation. 

Drink wines from around the world

I'm constantly surprised to hear industry professionals declare that they "mostly drink Finger Lakes wines." When I ask what their benchmark for riesling is, often I'm told, "There are some good ones locally, but I don't really taste European riesling. I'm too busy for that."

I'm not sure how any wine professional can seek to make world-class wine without knowing what the rest of the world is doing. I would hope that the curiosity is inherent, burning constantly, leading winemakers to explore the endless possibilities. But too often there is a regional palate, a big ole house palate if you prefer, and that's dangerous.

"We're not looking to mimic a wine from another region," explained Ravines' Morten Hallgren to the TasteCamp crowd. "But we have to have reference points. We can't isolate ourselves."

Several TasteCamp writers said something to me about the lack of worldly curiosity in the winemakers they interviewed at the various grand tastings. That is a troubling sign for the region, but it's easy to change.

Tell your story -- and the story starts with making wine in a cool climate

If you want to make cabernet sauvignon or sauvignon blanc, you'd better have a good explanation for thoughtful customers. At one of the grand tastings, a winemaker poured a cabernet sauvignon, explaining, "Our cab is a big, full-bodied red with nice structure." The writer standing next to me later said, "Why are they borrowing the language of Napa?"

I didn't have a good answer.

In general, the region would do well to continue to narrow the focus to grapes that perform well in cool climates. The TasteCamp crowd left the weekend convinced that riesling is a powerhouse performer here, but pinot, gewurztraminer, cab franc, and even interesting grapes like blaufrankisch have tremendous upside. 

That doesn't mean everyone should rip up their cabernet sauvignon and merlot. But growing those varieties begs for a careful approach and a well-honed explanation, consistent with the benefits of food-friendly wine and cool-climate performance. How often do you show up in a tasting room in the Finger Lakes, discover that the staff is pouring cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay... and have them explain that a cool-climate approach delivers a different version of these familiar wines? I'd say almost never. Instead, it's typically something like, "Our chardonnay is big and luscious and buttery," or "Our cabernet sauvignon is rich and demands a slab of beef." 

(Of course, if the people making those pronouncements aren't drinking cab or chardonnay from around the world, perhaps they think this is an effective way to present these wines.)

Every group tasting is not a wine festival

Lenn and I were dismayed to see some of the choices made by Finger Lakes producers when it came to what to pour at the grand tastings. Some of the lists looked like the exact same list that winery would take to a drunk-fest in the middle of summer, designed to move hard-to-sell product rather than present the region's best face.

The challenge rests in the fact that so many wineries can hardly afford a marketing director, let alone a staff that can help with such decisions. But every winery can help its own cause by showing each tasting group a thoughtful selection of wines and an interesting story about why they were chosen. Each tasting is an opportunity.

At TasteCamp, some producers brought detailed technical notes along with individualized packages for each attendee. That's not the cheapest route, but it's one way to leave an impression. 

Sweet doesn't mean not serious

As strong as Finger Lakes rieslings are in general, I'd have liked to see more of the semi-dry variety (or even sweeter) at TasteCamp. One winery owner told us that they assume writers want dry wines only. I'm not sure where that myth developed, but it should be detonated. Local riesling shows world-class potential all the way up the sweetnes scale, and that should not be ignored.

One of the reasons that Lenn and I felt TasteCamp was such a success was the opportunity to show everything about the region. We selected some of the strongest producers for individual visits, but we wanted to make sure the writers saw both sides of a gap that remains too wide.

That kind of examination should only help the region's winemaking improve.

TasteCamp EAST 2010 Interview: Joe Roberts | 1WineDude.com

Joe Roberts tasting Lamoreaux Landing rieslings, while John Witherspoon (r) stares blankly

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief
Photo by Neil Sjoblom

Joe Roberts, also known as 1WineDude in the wine blogging world, was one of the first people to sign up for TasteCamp -- this year and last. He's enthusiastic about tasting wines from around the world and even talks up some of his local Pennsylvania wineries if you corner him (I have).

He's also a fellow Pittsburgh Steelers fan, so he'll continue to be invited to events.

So, without further ado, here is his TasteCamp 2010 Q&A:

Was this your first visit to Finger Lakes wine country? No. I've been to the Finger Lakes a few times over the past several years, mostly as a wine buff!

Had you ever had any Finger Lakes wines before? And if so, what was your impression of them? Yes, certainly those I've purchased for myself as well as a steady stream of samples over the past year or so. Generally, in the past I'd found the rieslings to be really, really, good, the sparklers and dessert wines to be good, and the reds to primarily be not-so-good.

After tasting a larger sampling of the wines being produced in the Finger Lakes, what is your impression now? I was amazed at the quality improvement in the red wines from the area, versus even just a few years ago. The improvement is staggering, really. The rieslings continue to impress, especially those from Wiemer which seem to have handled well the transition to new ownership.

What, in general, impressed you the most? The people, of course -- passionate winemakers and (in some cases woodchuck-eating) grape growers for the most part, and the level of passion and wine knowledge from the bloggers/writers who participated is beyond impressive.

What, in general, underwhelmed you the most? The variable range of quality in the wines not just between producers but also within portfolios made by the same producers. I'm all for experimentation in emerging wine regions, but not all of those experiments should be put on the market because when they're not very good they undermine the perception not only of the individual brand for that producer, but also of the grape growers and the region in general. I was unpleasantly surprised at that quality level variation.

What tasting or vineyard walk was and will be the most memorable for you? Well, I don't see how anyone could EVER forget meeting someone like grape grower Sam Argetsinger!

After so much online interaction with the attendees, which person surprised you the most in person? Wow. Impossible question to answer, so many of the attendees impressed me! I will always keep fond memories of sharing sake on the boat with Richard Auffrey and Richard Schnitzlein during the after-party -- great people, very knowledgeable and engaging; and that sake was out of this world!

If you had to pick one, what would your wine of the weekend be? Another VERY tough question. It's a tie: the 2008 Hermann Wiemer Magdalena Vineyard Riesling for its pure fruit expression, and the 2008 Red Tail Ridge Pinot Noir for its "surprise!" factor.

Heart & Hands Wine Company TasteCamp Finale: Finger Lakes Pinot Noir In Its Purest Form

Owner Tom Higgins addressing TasteCamp attendees before the tasting.

by Bryan Calandrelli, Niagara Region Editor

Last Sunday TasteCamp 2010 came to a close with a memorable visit to Heart &Hands Wine Company on the east side of Seneca Lake. We’d all heard about this boutique winery that specializes in pinot noir but most of us had never had the opportunity to experience unfinished wines in the barrel room with owners Tom and Susan Higgins leading the way.

As a home winemaker, I was once again using this opportunity to ask some of the questions that build up over a season of playing with grapes and yeast. In the last few years I’ve become especially intrigued with pinot noir and last Sunday’s visit to Heart and Hands was, for me, one of the highlights of the weekend.

I have to admit that I am confident that the soils of the Niagara region will ultimately be where the best pinot noir on the East Coast will be made. I can’t deny the raw potential in what comes out of the vineyards. I’ve had some extremely well made Finger Lakes wines that I know are the work of passionate winemakers getting the best from their crop but I’ve struggled to describe them as anything but simple, light-bodied fruity reds.

When they’ve been bad they’ve been over-oaked or under-ripe. The good ones have remained true to their cool climate roots, revealing light cherry and strawberry fruit with restrained oak influence, but I haven’t gotten much funk or earthy qualities in Finger Lakes pinots. I’ve also noticed a lack of mid-palate depth that I assumed was partially influenced by lighter soils, but I admit I’m no expert and up until this weekend, I hadn’t had as many examples back to back.

With his flight of pinot noir, Tom Higgins showed what he does best: meticulously controlling each aspect of vinification. From his sorting of grapes to his complete separation of vineyard fruit until bottling, his method seems more like a controlled experiment then wine as art. Need an example? He uses only the best cooperage from Burgundy without exception.

Heart and Hands currently sources its pinot noir fruit from two main vineyards: the popular Sawmill Creek Vineyard on the eastern side of Seneca Lake and Hobbit Hollow Vineyard on the western side of Skaneateles Lake.

The 2009 Sawmill Creek barrels are further divided into two primary fermentation styles: one 50% whole cluster and one 100% whole cluster. Having never done whole cluster fermentation I was eager to taste the difference.

The 2009 50% whole cluster Sawmill Creek sample had a fierce red cherry aroma, reminiscent of the white-fleshed Queen Anne cherries that I love picking in my neck of the woods, and a hint of deeper raspberry fruit. The midpalate was spicy and the finish was chalky. The 100% whole cluster sample showed spicier aromas without such overt cherry notes. The mouthfeel of this one was reminiscent of merino wool: it had just enough grip to let you know its wool, but it was soft enough to make you all cozy and comfortable. It too had a chalky finish.

The Hobbit Hollow barrel sample was also 100% whole cluster fermented had a darker color. There was less spice on the nose then both the previous wines and the fruit profile was more concentrated dark cherry. On the palate this wine was less impressive as it wasn’t as seamless, lacking the mid-palate weight of the first two wines.

With the way these samples were showing last weekend, it’s hard to believe that these are still only works in progress. I was amazed at how well the 2009s are drinking already because I’d hang out with a glass of any three of these barrel samples today.

Next up we tasted the bottled pinots, starting with the 2008. Made up of 60% Hobbitt Hollow with 30% whole cluster, this wine showed pure fruit from end to end. It was filled out nicely in the mid-palate and had just enough oak to frame the fruit.

The heavy-hitting 2007 Barrel Reserve Pinot Noir was next and to no one’s surprise stole the show thanks to its bright fruit, cocoa and vanilla aromas. The perfectly ripened grapes of that vintage in combination with the 100% whole cluster process gave this wine a wonderfully fleshy texture with big fruit and stylish oak.

It seems that Higgins’s deliberate techniques and careful selection of grapes has clearly shot him to the top of the “who’s who” in East Coast pinot noir. His wines are showing such purity of fruit while they also demonstrate a poise on the palate that is not being replicated by anyone else in the region. Unfortunately, I’m still not finding that funky quality or the autumn leaves aroma I get in some pinot and I am looking forward to tasting wines made from his estate vines he is planting this spring on the limestone-rich slope.

In the meantime though I’d really love to see what he would do with Niagara Escarpment pinot noir. From what I can tell, he might be the best person to express what those grapes have to say just like he’s already doing in the Finger Lakes. But if that never happens, I hope winemakers from my area make the trip out to see what he’s doing because they’re bound to learn something about how to get the most from their pinot noir.

I know next fall I’ll be experimenting with whole cluster fermentations myself.

TasteCamp 2010: A Very Wiemer Saturday

By Julia Burke, Niagara Correspondent

When a winemaker asks if you need to be anywhere, the answer should probably be “no.” When that winemaker is Fred Merwarth (pictured above left) of Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard, the answer is always “no.”

Of the many surprises I encountered at my very first TasteCamp, this was perhaps the best – the fact that the head winemaking staff at one of the most famous and respected wineries in the Finger Lakes took time out of his day to personally take us through a flight of young and aged Wiemer wines was exciting enough for me, and Fred’s willingness to answer winemaking questions candidly and thoroughly made the experience all the better.

But after the tasting, when many TasteCampers had trickled outside and only a small group of die hard wine geeks lingered, Fred asked that magic question. “Hey, do you guys have to be anywhere?” I asked what he had in mind. “I was just going to show you some more stuff – maybe something from our library,” he offered.

And with that, like a less-grumpy and slightly palate-fatigued Ebenezer Scrooge on Christmas morning, I discovered the true meaning of TasteCamp.

As amazing as it is to meet and socialize with the many fine writers of the east coast wine scene, getting to share with them this intimate wine tasting experience, geeking out together over stuff the winemaker himself is most excited to pour – that’s what it’s all about.

Fred whipped out some exciting treats including two reds, a barrel sample of 2009 trockenbeerenauslese, and my personal favorite: a 2001 gewurztraminer.

I have to confess that I've never been floored by gewurztraminer. I've had some nice examples from the Finger Lakes and Alsace, sure, but it seems like it's often too boozy, too flabby, too oily – the used car salesman of wine, if you will. But I learned two more things at TasteCamp: that I should forget everything I know about Finger Lakes wines, and that Wiemer whites are in a class by themselves.

I've never tasted this grape aged, and I was shocked to find the nose focused and intensely petrolly with just a hint of tangerine - more like a fine ten-year-old riesling than the perfumey, rosey noses typical of young examples of this style. A firm, full palate with remarkable balance and structure confirmed my suspicions: this was no $8 Hogue. Despite its intensity, it had an elegance that I've come to recognize as typical Wiemer. My absolute favorite thing about this wine was the sense of power: the incredible concentration and simplicity of the diesel and fruit flavors on the nose, and the gorgeously layered palate simply commanded my attention and my respect.

Warming up to the reds – 2008 cabernet franc and pinot noir – was a bit more challenging for me, which is a part of a greater issue that I have with many Finger Lakes reds which I won’t get into at the moment. They were clean, light, fruity, and oaky, and at first I wondered, why make such seemingly-pedestrian reds when you can make such superstar whites? But it was pointed out to me, rightfully, that this was a German-owned winery, and these are the sort of reds that people drink in Germany. Having never been to Germany but understanding that personal taste is part of what makes wine interesting, I realized I was projecting an unfair expectation onto the wines, and I saw them for what they are: supremely clean, drinkable, friendly, and uncomplicated.

While tasting these wines we enjoyed an opportunity to ask Fred about everything from his oak treatment to vineyard soil differences to what he looks for in a wine. Friendly, open, honest, and clearly passionate, he truly made the afternoon the highlight of my TasteCamp wine tasting experience.

A little TBA right from the barrel provided a nice finishing touch to this wonderful tasting. Thick and dusty, with concentrated apricot and caramelized peach flavors, it was a nice contrast to the petrolly rieslings and oaky reds and a lovely finish to the afternoon.

I might’ve arrived at Stone Cat in a rush, without a change of clothes or a reapplication of makeup (or chapstick in my case, but you get the idea). But telling Fred I had nowhere to be was the best decision I made all weekend.

TasteCamp EAST 2010 Interview: Rick Van Sickle | WinesofNiagara.com

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief

Just like last year, we're going to publish short Q&As with TasteCamp attendees to find out about their individual experiences at the event, starting with Rick Van Sickle.

Rick, who will be launching WinesofNiagara.com this week, was one of of the people I was most looking forward to meeting last weekend at TasteCamp. 

Prior to last Friday, my only interaction with Rick had been via Twitter (he's @rickwine) where he enthusiastically Tweets about the wines of Ontario. Local wine geek? Absolutely. He's one of us.

He brought some local wine to our BYOB dinner on Saturday night -- a cab franc and a riesling -- and both impressed. Enough that I'm going to seek out more Ontario wines.

And now...the questions:

Was this your first visit to Finger Lakes wine country? Yes, strictly for wine tasting. Have been there to vacation.

Had you ever had any Finger Lakes wines before? And if so, what was your impression of them? Many years ago. My impression is not printable here. Very poor quality, sickly sweet hybrid grape wines.

After tasting a larger sampling of the wines being produced in the Finger Lakes, what is your impression now? Very impressed. The quality wineries are finding a stride and making what the microclimate delivers: Crisp rieslings, finesse cab franc, potentially great pinot noirs and sparkling wines and a sprinkling of other interesting varietals.

What, in general, impressed you the most? The rieslings and cab francs. The rieslings, in particular, were outstanding world-class wines with a style that is consistent with the top wineries.

What, in general, underwhelmed you the most? The number of wineries producing crap wines and crap hybrid horrible wines. There should be a move toward a quality assurance that wineries have to adhere to.

What tasting or vineyard walk was and will be the most memorable for you? The Ravines Wine Cellars tasting and Argetsinger Vineyard walk where his top wine grapes are grown. Fascinating owners and winemaker who is steadfast in his beliefs. And perfectly matched to his grower.

After so much online (Twitter, blogs, etc.) interaction with the attendees, which person surprised you the most in person? Would definitely say @lenndevours ... he's a lot nicer in person and not as mean looking as his avatar (this is just between us, right?)

If you had to pick one, what would your wine of the weekend be? Hermann J. Wiemer Magdalena single vineyard riesling. The older the better, preferably the 2003.

TasteCamp East 2010 Visuals: Vertical Tastings at Fox Run Vineyards

Fox Run Vineyards' winemaker Peter Bell leads TasteCamp 2010 attendees through three verticals

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief

As the NYCR staff sorts out all of the stories we want to write about TasteCamp (and we're going to have some guest columnists as well) we'll continue to share brief snapshots of different events during the weekend.

Fox Run Vineyards hosted the group not only for a grand tasting of Seneca Lake wineries (16 all told) but also for lunch, which included three vertical tastings -- two riesling and one (get this) Tawny Port.

I found it to be one of the more educational tastings of the weekend, and I'd like to thank owner Scott Osborn, winemaker Peter Bell and assistant winemaker Tricia Renshaw for hosting us. It was a lot of fun.

TasteCamp EAST 2010 Video: Sam Argetsinger Shares the Iroquois Tale of the Thundering Voices

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief

As part of TasteCamp, one group of attendees visited Argetsinger Vineyard with long-time grower Sam Argetsinger.

During the course of an hour-plus walking the vineyard with Sam, he shared many insights into how he manages his vineyard as well as several Iroquois tales, including this one about the Thundering Voices -- which was absolutely appropriate given the thunderstorm that had rolled through the night before.

TasteCamp 2010 Visuals: I'm On a Boat

With the passage of time we'll be able to give it a fuller evaluation, but for now, I'd vote for this photograph as the Best Picture Ever Taken.

The man in the tuxedo, proudly displaying a magnum (what, no methuselah?) of Red Cat, is our Science Editor, Tom Mansell. 

See, if you missed TasteCamp 2010, you might not have had the opportunity to join us for the Saturday night after-party on The Boat. Perhaps more will be said of this. Perhaps it should pass quietly into legend. But the bottom line is: We were on a boat, climbing buoys, in our flippy floppies. You were likely at Kinko's, straight flippin' copies.

TasteCamp East 2010 Visuals: Argetsinger Vineyard Walk

I haven't been to every lake-view vineyard in the Finger Lakes...but it's hard to imagine there is any vineyard in the region that is more beautiful to stand in on a sunny Saturday morning than Argetsinger Vineyard on eastern Seneca Lake.

It's just a special place. One worthy of it's ever-growing legend. It doesn't hurt that Sammy Argetsinger is one of the more charming, interesting people I've ever met.

TasteCamp EAST 2010... The Morning After

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief

The post-TasteCamp hangover has set in -- a Meritage-style blend of relief, happiness and sadness, because it was such a great weekend with great people tasting great wines.

I (along with Nena and Jackson) head back to Long Island later today after an evening here outside of Albany celebrating Mother's Day with my in-laws. Everyone drank Finger Lakes wine, of course, though I did focus a bit more on some beer.

As my teeth enamel recovers from all that wine and I reflect just a bit on the weekend, I think the event was a tremendous success. Everyone involved -- from the attendees to the members of the Finger Lakes wine community to the event organizers -- seemed to truly enjoy themselves. Better still, the weekend went off just about without a hitch. For that, I have to thank all of our hosts throughout the weekend -- and our attendees for (mostly) being on time for things and keeping us on schedule.

This isn't the official "thank you" post though -- that'll come later today or tomorrow.

Instead, I just wanted to let everyone know that the event went incredibly well and that we're already talking about next year's event -- and even that will very likely take place outside of New York.

That's right...we're taking TasteCamp national...or maybe even international.

In the meantime, Evan, Tom, Bryan, Julia and I will be discussing who wants to write about what from the weekend and we'll be posting links to various stories written by other attendees.

Recovering From a TasteCamp Weekend

 By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor

This week, we'll have plenty to say about a fascinating and successful weekend here in the Finger Lakes. While our palates un-nuke and our brains re-solidify, we'll be posting occasional photos to illustrate the events and memorable locations.

This shot shows Damiani Wine Cellars grower Phil Davis, leading a vineyard walk on Saturday morning. The photo fails to capture how steep this particular vineyard site is. It was an educational and physical workout. 

Cheers, stay tuned, and rest well, fellow TasteCamp folks. 

TasteCamp EAST 2010 Continues Through the Weekend

TasteCamp attendees tasting Tierce riesling (and components of) at Red Newt Cellars yesterday evening.

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief

Why am I up at 6 a.m. on a Saturday when I'm technically on vacation? Easy -- I'm up early getting ready for what I'm sure will be an incredible day two of TasteCamp EAST 2010.

Yesterday was a stunningly wonderful day in the Finger Lakes -- one filled with the kind of passion and top-flight wines that makes the Finger Lakes a wine destination.

I'm sure that we'll see a lot of blog posts come out of the weekend's events, but I have to tip my virtual cap to Julien Marchand of Empty Glasses, for being the first to publish one.

Thank you to all of the winery hosts and sponsors yesterday: Anthony Road Wine Company, Fox Run Vineyards, Heron Hill Winery, Ravines Wine Cellars, Finger Lakes Wine Country and the Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance. 

And as I mentioned yesterday, you can follow the action and get updates from attendees on Twitter by searching for the #TasteCamp hashtag.

TasteCamp EAST 2010 Begins Today

 By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief

If the Twitter chatter is to believed, many of this year's TasteCamp attendees are either in the Finger Lakes already or are on their way. It's an exciting morning for me, Evan and all the Finger Lakes wineries who are taking part in this weekend's festivities.

John Witherspoon (Anything Wine) and I kicked off the fun yesterday with a visit to Village Tavern in Hammondsport, not to eat, but to drink some older Finger Lakes riesling.

After perusing the list for a long time (it's a long list) only to learn that our first choice (a Lamoreaux Landing 1995 Cabernet Franc) wasn't available anymore, we settled on a bottle of Dr. Konstantin Frank 1991 Rkatsiteli.

It was a slightly oxidized-but-still bright wine with nice menthol-herb, caramelly-nut and dried orange peel notes. John thought it may have had a bit of cork taint, but I think it was just that oxidative note. A good-natured argument ensued that could only be appreciated by wine geeks. To others, we probably sounded like lunatics.

It's fun to taste older wines from the Finger Lakes, and there may not be a better place to do so than Village Tavern. The best part? This impeccably stored bottle of 1991 wine was only $36.

TasteCamp East 2010 Finger Lakes Kicks Off on Friday

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief

TasteCamp, the roving regional wine event that fully immerses wine writers and bloggers in a wine region is back for its second edition this weekend in the Finger Lakes region of New York.

As you might remember, the innaugural TasteCamp was held here on Long Island last year (read all the posts) and it went so well that we decided to do it again in a different New York region.

Most smaller and/or lesser-known wine regions in the world would love to get their wines in front new audiences, but it can be a challenge. 

With TasteCamp, a new audience comes to them.

This is not a junket. Attendees pay their own travel expenses — including for their hotel rooms — and meals.  Through generous sponsors, some meals have been paid for this year and others will be cheaper than the otherwise would have been.

The idea is really catching on. I'm already talking with people from no fewer than four different regions about doing TasteCamp in their backyards (some in the east, some not). But before we get to TasteCamp 2011 and beyond, let's talk a bit about TasteCamp East 2010: Finger Lakes.

I've built a TasteCamp website this year that will house anything and everything related to the event. As you can see, we've got a jam-packed weekend itinerary filled with the best Finger Lakes wineries, wines and people. It's excited that we're going to be able to hit all three of the major lakes -- Keuka, Seneca and Cayuga -- during the weekend and enjoying some terrific meals to boot.

The Finger Lakes wine community has really embraced the endeavor, so I'd like to thank them for their enthusiasm. Their contributions to the weekend, along with the generous support of Finger Lakes Wine Country and the Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance are sure to result in a great weekend for everyone involved.

If you'd like to follow along with the action, keep an eye on the event site, follow the attendees' blogs and if you're on Twitter, use #TasteCamp.