Viognier is a difficult grape to grow.  It is mostly seen in the Rhone valley in France where it is the only white variety allowed.  In the United States it is grown and bottled in many states with California leading the way as far as production.  Virginia is a little lesser known state that grows and produces some excellent Viognier.  You will also find Viognier blended with Syrah (maybe 5%),  traditionally done in Côte-Rôtie in northern Rhone.

Pindar Vineyards  has produced small quantities of Viognier for years now, usually under 100 cases.  With the 2010 vintage, assistant winemaker Edward Lovaas was able to squeeze out just a few north of 100 cases.

Edward also changed things up a bit when he decided to age it in neutral french oak barrels for a few months.  He wanted to add some complexity to the wine and make it more rounded.

The result on Pindar Vineyards 2010 Viognier ($25) is a bigger wine than in years past.

On the nose I was picking up pear, peach and some melon notes with hints of apple blossom and minerality.  THere is a nutty almost blanched almond note that really jumped out of the glass.

The palate brought more of the pear and apple flavors with some tropical notes.  It was more floral on the palate then the nose with definite hints of spice and minerality.

Bright clean acidity cleanses the palate with a lush round mouth feel that made the wine very rich and creamy.

The finish, which was long,  brought, what I will describe as a fresh sliced apple with a dusting of nutmeg.

The wine is not beaten to death with oak, there is just a sublet hint of it.  The wine is defiantly aromatic and fruit forward with a slight hint of tannins on the tip of your tongue.

The important thing I found with this Viognier and most Viognier is that they should not be served too cold, just a bit above room temp is preferred,  otherwise you will lose the depth  of this wine.

Sláinte!

Related articles

• Long Island Vines: Pindar Vineyards in Peconic Use Size to Keep Prices Low (nytimes.com)
• Bedell Cellars 2010 Viognier (lenndevours.com)

I had originally thought that this edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday topic, “Spark” was supposed to be what sparked us into blogging.  I had a whole concept and draft written.  Then I re-read the original post and realized it was about a wine, not an event.  If it were an “event” it would have been an event such as this.  Wine Blogging Wednesday was made me want to get into wine blogging.  And for that post, you will have to wait.  Lets talk about what wine “sparked” my interest.

This time for Wine Blogging Wednesday, hosted by The Corkdork, we were given the task of going back to the start and find that spark that started it all for us.  This one was easy for me, because not only did it get my juices flowing and totally sparked my interest in wine; but to this day it still is my favorite white varietal.

Gewürztraminer

I was captivated the first time I tried this variety.  I can remember my very first bottle —  Fetzer’s Gewürztraminer.  The nose, that spicy, floral aromatic nose.  The zippy acidity, the lush mouth filling tropical fruit palate with hints of roses.  You either love it or hate it, there is almost no in between.

Gewürztraminer grows best in cool climates and it is a very temperamental grape.  It hates chalky soils.  Loves cool nights and warm days.  It buds early and is susceptible to frost.  Loves dry weather, and can rot with too much rain.  Too much heat will increase the sugar levels bringing you high alcohol along with great aroma and flavors, but then has no acidty to balance it out.  If you pick early to hold the acidity, you lose all of those wonderful aromatics.   When it is time to harvest, and i saw this first hand, it could be flat and have no flavor, when the next day it is ready for picking, it is a very erratic grape.  It has a pink to red colored skin which when pressed exhibits golden white juice.  It can be dry, to off dry to sweet in flavor thanks to its high amount of natural sugar.  Rose water, lychee and passion/tropical fruit flavors are very typical of Gewürztraminer.

So why do I love thee.  I don’t know.  I can’t put my finger on it.  Sure I love asian and spicy dishes and they say that it goes great with it.  Gewürztraminer is worldly known as and Alsatian wine and I love Alsatian/German food.  I love goulash and noodles with Gewürztraminer.  I have always wanted to try cochinita pibil with Gewürztraminer, I think they would go great together.  I love it as a late harvest wine, since it can develop alot of sugars it is perfect for a desert wine or a late harvest wine.  In the winter months, it is my favorite white varietal to drink.  There is just so many reasons I like it it’s to hard to pick one.  I also like to say Gewürztraminer

The one Gewürztraminer that received alot of attention around my house lately is Anthony Nappa Wines Spezia ($18).  Gewürztraminer translated means Spice Traminer. This wine is named Spezia because Specia is spice in Italian.  The origin of the  grape Traminer is from a  town in northern Italy called Tramin where German is the spoken as well as Italian.

Anthony Nappa, winemaker and co-owner of Anthony Nappa Wines, along with his new bride Sarah Nappa,  almost never got to make this wine.  Joe Riley, a grower in Cutchogue had some Gewürztraminer that was contracted out to some one else.  The grapes had developed some botrytis and the person walked away.  Long afer most had picked their reds in the grand 2010 vintage, Joe Riley still had the Gewürztraminer hanging.  Anthony went down to see it and decided to take it.  It was almost a late harvest Gewürztraminer and over 80 % of the grapes were affected with botrytis.  But thanks to it being a hot dry season, it had all dried out and it was full of noble rot.  When it came time to make the wine, Anthony had to decide what to do with it, go late harvest desert wine and make it sweet or go make a bone dry wine.  What Anthony came up with is like no other Gewürztraminer I have ever had before, and one I may never have again.

On the nose you pick up a ton of aromatics, rose petal, peach apricot, lychee, tropical fruit and spice.  THere is some mango, dried pineapple and dried ginger tucked in there as well.  If you love aromatic whites, you would want to go swimming in the glass.

The palate brings more of the nose aromas but with a more intense dried tropical fruit and spice note.  Here is where I picked up the botrytis.  It’s noticeable and enjoyable.  Dried pineapple, dried apple, lychee, mango, dried coconut, ginger, citrus and floral notes all appear on the palate.

The palate is lush and oily, thanks mainly to the botrytis.  You can pick up the heat of the wine, there is 14.6% abv.  But it is well-balanced and well-integrated.  Great acidity makes this viscus wine most enjoyable.

The finish brings more rose petal, herbs and a candied ginger lemon zesty end that lingers for a while.

But were I found this to be absolutely delicious is with food.  Spezia needs food and goes great with it.  To have it alone with out food is an injustice.  I had this with a goulash and noodles and it sang.  The wine cut the richness of the gravy.

I have tasted this wine in multiple stages, at the bottle line, at release, a while after release, at Thanksgiving and just recently as this weekend.  I think that it is hitting its stride and is really starting to open up and become the wine it was intended to be.

Anthony hopes to make Spezia again, but it may not be anything like the 2010 Spezia.  Everything was just right for this wine and it is only starting to come together now.

Well, my spark has been revealed, while some of you may have known it, others may not have.  The wine that started it all for me is one that still captures my attention.  So what sparks you in the wine world.  I would love to know.

Related articles

• Wine Blogging Wednesday 73 “Spark” (corkdork.typepad.com)
• Anthony Nappa Wines 2010 “Spezia” Gewurztraminer (lenndevours.com)
• Corey Creek Vineyards 2010 Gewurztraminer (lenndevours.com)

The 2009 vintage changed things up a bit for Roanoke Vineyards.  With the extended fall that carried some summer like sun, Roanoke Vineyards hooked up with Sam McCullough and his vineyard in Aquebogue to pull in fruit at 23.5 brix in November 2009.  Once again the put it in the hands of Roman Roth.

Roanoke Vineyards 2009 “Rhyme and Meter” Chardonnay ($30) is the vineyards first barrel fermented chardonnay.  And my response to that is — what took you so long

The nose brought elements of peach apple, spice, pineapple, subtle citrus and nice minerality.  Floral notes appear as the wine warms along with tea leaf notes, pear and fresh-cut cedar and some butter scotch candies.

The palate brings notes of Apple, vanilla, brioche and peach.  Tropical notes and dried pineapple round out the palate with hints of hazelnuts, flint and cedar box.

Rhyme and Meter — poetry in a bottle?  For a first release oaked chardonnay, it does give poetic justice to chardonnay.

Sláinte!

Related articles

• Roanoke Vineyards 2009 ‘Rhyme and Meter’ Chardonnay (lenndevours.com)
• Long Island Vines: Setting Up Tasting Rooms Far Away From Wineries (nytimes.com)
• NYCR Q&A: George Romero, Roanoke Vineyards (lenndevours.com)

Martha Clara Vineyards in Riverhead never produced a 2008 Cabernet Franc.  It went into other blends.  It just was not good enough to stand out on its own.

Martha Clara Vineyards 2009 Cabernet Franc ($22) brings a well mixed bag of fruit, spice and earthy herbs, with dried herbs taking the lead.

The nose brings your traditional Cabernet Franc aroma’s raspberry, cherry, and earthy spice.  The cherry stands out bit more at first.  Then a dried mix of herbs stands out with some smoke and a hint of brown sugar to round out the nose.

The palate brings more earthy, spice notes with more dried herbal notes.  Cherry and raspberry take a back seat on the palate.  Bright acidity with smooth tannins that are well-integrated into the wine.  It was balanced with a finish of coca powder, mint and subtle cherry.

Sláinte!

In my opinion the one white wine grape that has done very well in 2010 was chardonnay.

Shinn Estate Vineyards 2010 Chardonnay ($19) is a 100% steel fermented chardonnay.  It did see extended contact with the lees following fermentation, which always brings an added depth and dimension to steel fermented chardonnay.

On the nose I picked up classic chardonnay notes, apple, pear and spice.  Floral with a bread like or even croissant like nose with a hint of baking spice , fresh hazelnut and stoney minerality.

The palate brought more apple and pear and spice followed by a ripe tropical fruit note like mango and papaya.  Some dried pineapples make  an appearance.  A lush and creamy mouth feel is brought to you in part to the 8 months it sat on the lees.  There is a bit of heat on the palate, something you can expect from a vintage like 2010.

Bright clean acidity made me keep coming back for another sip.  The finish was moderate with some baked apple notes.

When I was done tasting this bottle, I went back to look at my notes when I tasted this at Shinn Estate Vineyards “Shinn-Dig” — their annual wine futures dinner event.  Here is what I thought of this same chardonnay in February 2011:

2010 Chardonnay:  Stainless steel fermented, this is the wine that captured all of our attention.  It was my favorite of the night.  A cloudy glass was poured for us — this happens to be the only “unfinished wine” as the lees are still be stirred — it did not distract from aroma and flavors.  Apple, pear, white almonds and hazelnuts with hints of mango, peach and spice filled the glass.  There was a richness that I was picking up on the nose, buttery and creamy like, but I could just not pinpoint it.  When tasted, there was bright acidity, with apple and spice showing through.  Then came elements of fresh tropical fruit, pineapple, mango, star fruit and warm spice notes.  There was a bit of heat I was picking up on the finish, but remember, it is still not finished.  I think our group bought a case or two of this, and we never buy a case of Chardonnay.  This is one to watch.

Sláinte!

In 2009, Erik, a Buffalo, NY native took the opportunity to make wine under his own label and put his name on the bottle.  So Influence Wines was born.  I really liked Erik’s 2009 release and I was looking forward to the 2010 release.

In 2010 Erik continued to make wine, this time he purchased grapes from Dalrymple farms in the Finger Lakes on Seneca Lake.  His Influence was found for sure in the winemaking.  No added sugar, no added acid, it shows true essence of the Riesling grape and the region it was planted in, the Finger Lakes.

Here you can read from Influence Wines website what happened to the grapes at harvest and how they arrived on Long Island:

Once harvested, Influence Riesling is delivered to White Springs Winery in Geneva, NY on Seneca Lake, where the experienced staff led by Derek Wilber crush, press, and cold settle the juice, which is then shipped to Premium Wine Group on the North Fork of Long Island. Upon arrival, winemaker Erik P. Bilka begins the winemaking process. The juice is fermented in stainless steel tanks. Before completion fermentation is halted in order to maintain the natural residual sugars found in this semi-dry vintage. The refining process which involves separating natural occurring sediment from the final product is done delicately in order to preserve the fruits integrity.

On the nose aroma’s of fresh sliced peach, tropical pineapple and stoney minerality jump out at you.  Lime, more tropical fruit and some dried fruits rise up as the wine warms to room temperature.

On the palate lime, citrus, melon, pear and peach mix beautifully with bright acidity and just a hint of residual sugar.

On day two there were some tea leaf elements and some tropical notes with a hint of wet slate.

Related articles

• Influence Wines 2010 Riesling (lenndevours.com)

Rich Olsen Harbich, winemaker at Bedell Cellars did not make this wine, Kelly Urbanik started it, Rich finished it.

The Bedell Cellars 2009 Cabernet Franc ($30) is a beautiful wine that shows why Cabernet Franc when in the right hands, is perfect for the Long Island Region no matter the vintage.

On the nose, loads of cherry, raspberry, dried strawberry and cedar lead the way with notes of dried herbs like sage and thyme are in the back ground.  Earthy spice notes emerge with a hint of vanilla bean.

The palate brings more cherry and raspberry with a hint of bay leaf and more earthy aroma’s.  Some smoky, sweet tobacco/cedar box flavors also develop with time in the glass.

Unfortunately, this wine is sold out at the winery, however, I have noticed it at a few local wine shops.

Sláinte!

Related articles

• A Visit to Bedell Cellars (undertakingwine.com)
• Long Island Vines: Cabernet Francs of the East End – Review (nytimes.com)
• A Quick Visit with Rich at Bedell and a Glimpse into 2010 (eastcoastwineries.blogspot.com)

We have had great times in their tasting room and have always found very nice wines when we visited.  Our visits and experiences at Clovis Point were always memorable, however, there was something that just did not make it a destination for us and I really have no answer as to why.

That all changed with a bottle of Merlot.

Clovis Point Winery 2005 Merlot ($25) was a memorable wine from a memorable vintage.  John Leo, the wine maker at Clovis Point as well as production wine maker at Premium Wine Group, made a fantastic Merlot in 2005 at Clovis Point.  A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, it reminds us how great the 2005 vintage was.

On the nose aroma‘s of cherry, black cherry, raspberry and juicy plum lead the way with hints of Tobacco, earthy spice like cardamom and clove.  Smoky cedar notes are around on this almost sweet-smelling wine, without a hint of sugar.  It’s hard to explain, but you just have to trust me (or try it yourself).

The juicy ripe fruit that I found on the palate is there, but what leads the way on the palate are some great smoky, earthy flavors with a hint of sweet vanilla, chocolate and cigar box notes.  Great vibrant acidity with biting tannins round out this wine.

This Merlot was a beautiful wine that had an old world feel to it.  If there is any left, make sure to get some, if not, you missed out on a fantastic local wine.

Sláinte!

What’s”Drink Regional Wine Week” you ask?  Well this sums it up best.  It was started 4 years ago by the site, drinklocalwine.com in an effort to get wine writers, bloggers and enthusiast to talk about something other than California, Oregon and Washington.

You won’t find that problem here on undertakingwine.com, but around the country people forget about the other 47 states that grow and produce wine.

This is your week Long Island.  Let it shine.  If you are tasting, drinking and enjoying a Long Island Wine, let me know.  Post it here.  And if you can come up with an essay in 47 words or less, send it to drinklocalwine.com and they will enter you into a contest.

To get better acquainted with why local wine is important and why Regional Wine Matters.

Related articles

• 7 Things You Need to Know About Regional Wine (Jeff Siegel, Wine Curmudgeon) (lenndevours.com)
• What You Should Know About Regional #Wine (dmwineline.wordpress.com)
• DrinkLocalWine.com Celebrates Regional Wine Week with “47 Words” Contest (vintagetexas.com)
• Calling All Bloggers: Regional #Wine Week Begins October 9 (dmwineline.wordpress.com)
• Regional Wine Week 2011 (whywineblog.com)
• Regional Wine Week – Drink Local First Hudson Valley (hvwinegoddess.blogspot.com)
• 4th annual Regional Wine Week (winecompass.blogspot.com)

Port wine is a style of wine.  To be more specific it is a fortified wine that is produced in Portugal, hence the term Port wine. It is typically a sweet, red wine, often served as a dessert wine, and comes in dry, semi-dry, and white varieties.  Long Island makes plenty of fortified wines, but to use the word Port, is technically a no-no.  The word port does not appear anywhere on the label of this bottle.

This Martha Clara Vineyards 2007 Clusters ($29) is an perfectly balanced blend of Estate Grown grapes; 34% Merlot, 33%Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Cabernet Franc.  The grapes were hand harvested in November 2007, fermented in stainless steel and aged for 3 years in neutral oak barrels.

On the nose I was picking up notes of dried strawberry, blueberry and cherry.  Jamy for sure with hints of alcohol.  Chocolate cover cherry drops, tobacco , cedar and vanilla round out the nose with some hints of spice Cassis and liquor as the wine is open for a while.

When first tasted there are notes of baked fruit compote, strawberry, raspberry, blackberry and blueberry.  Clover honey, brown sugar and baking spices also appear at the back-end of the taste.  Stewed plum, chocolate and vanilla caramel and roasted nuts also emerge with time open and in the glass.

The wine showed some heat, thanks in part the hot 2007 vintage and the high alcohol (19%).  I enjoyed this wine, the acidity was just right that it kept me coming back for another sip.

The wine did change over the course of 5 days time and I found it more enjoyable on days two, three and four.  The flavors developed more and the wine developed a complexity.

Sláinte!

You will hear, or read for that matter, me say that the 2008 vintage was a tough one for grape growing, but here, Shinn Estate Vineyards 2008 Wild Boar Doe ($30) shows how hard work in the vineyard will bring in great fruit for a winemaker to blend together and make a delicious wine.

On the nose I was picking up notes of blackberry, raspberry, plum, cherry and hints of blueberry.  Earthy and spicy — you pick up notes of clove, nutmeg, dried herb and fresh cracked peppercorns.  There are some floral notes, like dried lavender and violets.  It was hard for me to take my nose from the glass.

On the palate a mélange of berries leads the way, some dried and some baked.  There is an element of cassis, earth and spice with a hint of cedar and tobacco.

The wine is packed with chewy tannins and delicious, mouth-watering acidity.  A food friendly wine that works perfectly with grilled meats and grilled veggies.

The finish brings a bit more spice than fruit and the fruit element is along the lines of cassis.

Back in March of last year when I went to the Annual Shinn-Dig Futures dinner, I had declared this to be the best Wild Boar Doe to date.  I think my notes from then still stand up.  You can read more about it and the event here.

Sláinte!

Well, I got a little backlogged and since we are in a bit of an Indian Summer, I still felt this was perfect for this time of year.  To be honest, I love Sauvignon Blanc any time of the year, but the summer is the perfect time to drink this.

Martha Clara Vineyards got alot of Press for their 2 Riesling offerings from 2010 and some of their wines may have fallen under the radar.  This might have and it should not be overlooked in my opinion.

In the past, Martha Clara Vineyards, in Riverhead, has made Sauvignon Blanc’s with a nod to New Zealand, a bit more grassy.  This one is no different, but with a bigger bolder nose and palate than I recall.

The Martha Clara Vineyards 2010 Sauvignon Blanc ($19) has 10% Semillion in it, which I think enhances and really makes this wine sing.

On the nose the wine gives off some musky notes with notes of fresh grass, some salinity and peperoncini notes.  Then as you swirl the glass some more, more tropical aroma’s like kiwi, pineapple, papaya mix with lemon and grapefruit.

The palate brings more tropical notes with kiwi, lime grapefruit, sweet herbs and grass.  There is a bit of a floral element as the wine comes closer to room temperature.

The wine has a great balance with a lightning bolt of acidity that is palate cleansing and keep the glass coming back to your mouth.

A fruit forward finish of grapefruit and lemon with a hint of grass lingers for a while.

Sláinte!

The very first time I visited Waters Crest Winery in Cutchogue, I walked away with a bottle of Jim Waters late harvest Desert wine.  When I recently attended a wine dinner at The Melting Pot and Jim’s wines were paired perfectly with 4 courses, the only thing missing was his Late Harvest.  However, Jim knew better and brought some for all to taste.

Year in and year out, this is one of our favorite dessert wines.  Here’s why Waters Crest Winery 2009 Late Harvest Night Watch ($45) is one to seek out and why it was a finalist on the NY Cork Report’s Wine of the Year for Long Island Desert Wines.

On the nose this golden-colored wine was bursting with apple, apricot, melon, peach and clover honey.  Notes of baking spice, candied ginger, orange blossom and orange peel rounded out the nose.  As the wine warmed the notes of fresh peeled oranges dominated.

On the palate, this viscous, honey like wine brought notes of dried apricot and peach with hints of spice, clove, almonds and more clover honey.

The wine showed great balance between the acidity and sugar.  There is a lot of sugar here and the key is to bring enough acidity to make it balance, this wine delivers.

The finish is delicious with notes of honey, apricot and baking spice.

Make sure you stop in and have a taste, you won’t be sorry and you will probably walk out with a bottle.  There is not much left, this was a very limited production wine, so don’t miss out.

Sláinte!

*I received this bottle as a sample from the vineyard

This Rosé from Raphael Winery fits none of the above scenarios.  Made in the dry style that most of us from Long Island or who drink alot of Long Island wine have grown to enjoy and have gained a good deal of accolades.

This Raphael 2010 Rosé of Merlot ($24) is not your grandmothers Rosé.  Packed with loads of strawberry and bramble on the nose it lees to some grapefruit, blueberry and a hint of plum.  There is an herbal note that mixes nicely with an earthy note.  On day two a note of grapeskin emerges.

The palate is where it gets you.  Bright acidity with a hint of tannins this wine shows much darker than it appears.  Strawberry, herb, earthy spice and a hit of fresh herb.  THere is no mistaking that this Rosé was made with the Merlot grape.

The finish has a nice length to it with mix of floral and herbal hints and some earthy spice.

Sláinte!

Sure, it is great to toast with. It is perfect to christen a boat with. The sound of champagne flutes chiming as we toast.  Nothing says Happy New Year more than a bottle of bubbly.  It really does make one feel all warm on the inside.

This bottle from Bedell Cellars in Cutchogue recently won the “Best Sparkling Wine” Category at the annual New York Wine & Food Classic.

Now,  I am not saying that this bottle of Bedell Cellars 2006 Blanc de Blanc ($48) is the wine you would have everyday. The price tag is a bit steep. But for that special occasion, this might be the one to reach for.

In the nose hints of apple — golden delicious and granny smith dominate with hints of baking spice like cinnamon. Notes of yeasty bread round out the nose with a hint of salinity.

The palate brings more of the apple notes with some pear and melon. More baking spices appear as well with a deep oceanic breeze note. Crisp bright acidity is balanced beautifully beautifully on the palate.

The finish is lengthy with hints of pear and more salinity.

I really liked this sparkling wine made in the traditional méthode champenoise. My wife and I toasted each other for our 3rd Anniversary with this as we munched on chocolate covered strawberries.  While that may not have been the best pairing, it worked for us.

Sláinte!

Les could not wait to get into things and make sure the almost perfect 2010 vintage was going to go smoothly.

Les was going to make some changes.  He was going to do things a little differently than Rich Olsen-Harbich, Raphael’s former winemaker.  This was expected.  One thing that was changing was the labeling of Raphael’s Sauvignon Blanc.  This Sauvignon Blanc used to fall under the “Grand Cru” label.  These were newer plantings than the other “First Label” Sauvignon Blanc.  Some customers would get confused by the labeling, this just makes it easier.  Nothing will be lost by losing a label.

Les’s first offering as winemaker at Raphael that I had a chance to taste is Raphael 2010 Sauvignon Blanc ($20).  This Estate version is a bit more edgy than the one from older vines, the First Label Sauvignon Blanc (I will be reviewing it next week).

On the nose I was picking up hints of lemon, lime grapefruit and tropical fruit notes.  There was an essence of salinity with hints of fresh-cut grass and basil.  A hint of pineapple peeked through as the wine warmed.

When tasted the notes of lemon and lime jumped right out.  Hints of Grapefruit and pineapple rounded out the palate.

Packed with bright acidity, this was palate cleansing.  I it was calling for shellfish, but went perfectly with our summer pasta salad.

The wine finished with a hint of sweet herb and lemon.

Sláinte!

Martha Clara Vineyards recently received some huge press thanks to their Estate Reserve Riesling that won top prize at the Annual Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association Competition last month in Haymarket, VA.  The wine was the highest rated out of 560+ wines tasted at the competition.  The estate Reserve Riesling that won that award is made from the Riesling grapes that are from the Martha Clara Vineyard estate.  A review of that wine will appear here next week.

They also received a great deal of press about their regular offering of Riesling.  It won the Governor’s Cup at the recent NY Wine and Food Classic, which is the best wine out of all the wines tasted that day.  It was the best wine out of 740+ wines submitted from over 100 wineries across the state.  This wine that won top prize as the best wine in New York was made with Finger Lakes fruit from Dalrymple Farms on Seneca Lake.

With that being said, Martha Clara vineyards winemaking team of  Juan Micieli-Martinez and Robin Epperson-McCarthy wanted to offer a friendly wine competition at their 2011 Summer Concert Series at the Pavilion.

In honor of Riesling and Summer, Martha Clara Vineyards and Influence Wines will both offer their Riesling to taste side by side.  These Riesling are from the Dalrymple Farm on the Western Side of Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes Region.  Erik Bilka, winemaker and owner of Influence Wines and Martha Clara Vineyards  wine making team of Juan Micieli-Martinez and Robin Epperson-McCarthy sourced their Riesling from Dalrymple Farm.

This is a unique opportunity to taste the wines, harvested the same day, pressed together but fermented and bottle in each winemakers style.  According to Juan, “This will highlight the influence that winemakers can have on a wine during production.”

All guests that attend the concert on August 26 will have the opportunity to taste these wine side by side and buy each of the Riesling as well.

Martha Clara Vineyards and Influence Wines have been doing this at all of their Summer Concert Series, I just have not been able to make any of the earlier ones.  With all the press surrounding the recent award-winning wine, this should be interesting.

Erik, Juan and Robin will be on hand to answer any questions you have that night.

I hope to see you all on August 26th

Related articles

• Martha Clara Vineyards Wins Governor’s Cup for 2010 Riesling; Lamoreaux Landing Named Winery of the Year (lenndevours.com)
• 2011 New York Wine & Food Classic Results (eastcoastwineries.blogspot.com)
• LI Riesling tops NY Wine Classic competition (timesunion.com)
• Martha Clara Riesling Wins Top Wine Award in Statewide Competition (riverhead.patch.com)

The Audience Team: Alan J. Wax, myself and Jared Skolnick. Photo credit to Lenn Thompson

In the above photo, this is kinda what we were talking about when the first wine was poured at the Roanoke Vineyards 4th Smackdown:

“…Ok.  There is no question this is a Riesling…”

“…It’s young for sure…”

“…I am leaning Finger Lakes; it has that stoney minerality and a lighting bolt of acidity…”

“…Can we name the winery for the Extra Credit…”

” …I say Ravines…”

“…Or it could be Red Newt…”

“…Remember, it has to be 90 or better…they all have been in the past…”

“…Red Newt just got a 90…”

“…we all agree, Riesling, from the Finger Lakes, 2009 Vintage, from Red Newt Winery…”

“…Wait, this tastes of something I have had before.  That acidity…it just reminds me of Ravines…”

“…Sorry guys, I am going with my gut on this one.  It is from Ravines…”

 

It may not be word for word, there may be some paraphrasing but this is how I remember it.  My fellow audience panel members were Jared Skolnick, COO of Grand Cru Classes, Alan J. Wax of the Patch and myself.  As we walked in to Roanoke Vineyards on Saturday night for the Smackdown,  Scott Sandell, creative director of Roanoke Vineyards pulled us aside and said in so many words said, “can you do us a favor…we need you”.  And so, we were there to represent the 100+ audience members there that night.

The European Team. Photo from Alan Wax at Patch.com

The audience watched two panels, one representing the USA; Christopher Tracy, winemaker and partner of Channing Daughters Winery, and writer and former vintner Louisa Hargrave and Michael Cinque, owner of Amagansett Wines & Spirits and a partner in Red Hook Winery,  the other panel an International Team consisting of Spaniard Miguel Martin, winemaker at Palmer Vineyards, German Roman Roth, winemaker for Wolffer Estate Vineyards, Roanoke Vineyards andGrapes of Roth, and Frenchman Pascal Zugmeyer, a certified sommelier.  We all tasted seven wines that night from around the world blind.

The audience team nailed the first wine with 100 points,  2009 Ravines Cellars Dry Riesling from the Finger Lakes.  It was a great feeling, but that feeling lasted for such a short time.

The next five wines we did not fare so well.  The second wine, we thought was a California Chardonnay, it was in fact a California wine, but no chardonnay was in this Bordeaux style white blend, it was a 2008 Arietta, On the White Keyes, a blend of Sauvignon blanc and semillion from California.

Next up was a red, we knew that for sure.  We thought it was a Pinot Noir from Oregon, Willamette valley to be exact from the great 2008 vintage.  Boy were we wrong.  We all felt ashamed and hung our heads low after it was revealed that this wine was from our home town. 100% Merlot, Long Island, Blend from the members of the Long Island Merliance, the 2008 Merliance.  It was not released, but I can assure you the audience sure wish it was.  It showed very well and I think it stole the show.  This wine will be released at the Second Annual Harvest Festival.

The American Team. Photo taken by Alan Wax at Patch.com

The next two wines were defiantly not our style and sure did stump us they were from the same producer but from two different vineyards.  The fourth wine was from a Smackdown wine alumni Orin Swift, maker of the Prisoner.  This one was a 2008 Orin Swift Papillion Napa Valley Red, a Bordeaux-style blend.  We thought it was a GSM (Grenache, Shiraz, Mourvèdre) from Australia.

The fifth wine was also from Orin Swift, but instead of from California, he went to France to make this, 2009 Orin Swift D66, a Vin de Pay des Cotes Catalanes in southern France.  This really stumped Pascal, the Frenchman.  He was not the only one.  We thought for sure this was an Amarone, dooped once again.

The sixth wine was one that I enjoyed the most.  It was a 2004 Scholium Project Babylon, a Petit Sirah.  This wine, made by winemaker, Abe Schoener, who also happens to make wines for Red Hook.  At this point we thought that the Smackdown was going to take a turn back to the 90+ scores.  We felt this was a local wine made in a hot year like 2007.  Weguess, Bedell 2007 Musse.  Boy were we off the mark.

Could there be redemption for the audience.  We hope so.  Some members of the audience came up to us and cheered us on and let us support before the last wine was poured.  This tasting was more of a mind game.  We had to do more analyzing and clue work.  We needed to think outside the bottle and outside the glass.  Some audience members offered suggestions and some insight about what the last wine could be.  We had to stop and think.

The last wine was also a Abe Schoener wine, from Red Hook, which Michael Cinque is a partner in.  Red Hook makes wines from grapes grown on Long Island.  This next one was made with grapes from Macari vineyards and made in Brooklyn and named after one of the owners, Joe Macari.  The last wine, 2008 Red Hook Winery Joe’s Tears, a Bordeaux-style.  This stumped everyone, but us.  Granted, we were the audience team and some members of the audience suggested different wines, but when Joe’s Tears was mentioned, we gave it a strong consideration.  Sure, we tossed around the idea that it was a Cabernet Sauvignon based wine from California.  But when we wrote Joe’s Tears down, we felt we had nothing to lose.

When the moderator for the event,  George Taber announced the wine, the audience Team erupted with cheers.  We guessed two out of seven wines.  We did better than the experts.  We were winners.  I could not call us winners with out our “official” coach and Winemaker Smackdown alumni Kelly Urbanik, the winemaker at Macari Vineyards.  As an audience member her insight into some of the wines was extremely helpful.

Those in attendance enjoying the BBQ prepared by Chef Keith Luce.

The night concluded with a delicious BBQ dinner prepared by chef Keith Luce of Luce & Hawkins in Jamesport.  The BBQ chicken and brisket were highlights for me.

After George Taber, the only reporter to witness the 1976 Judgement of Paris,  signed some more of his books the audience went home winners in more way’s than one.  Roanoke has found a wonderful way to bring people together, to taste wines that we may not all get a chance to, in a relaxing environment.  Kudos to the Roanoke Team, Richard Pisacano and his wife Soraya, Scott Sandell, the entire tasting room staff, the pourers that evening, the Wine Ambassadors who helped out, Chef Keith Luce and his team that prepared the BBQ, all of the winemakers, the USA team and the International team, Lenn Thompson of the NY Cork Report who was the official taster for the night, Tracy Ellen Kamens, Smackdown Alumni and official scorer for the night, George Taber and everyone in between who I may have missed.  You all made the audience enjoy that night and because of you we all won.

Related articles

• Photos From 2011 Roanoke Vineyards Winemakers’ Smackdown (lenndevours.com)
• The People of Wine Country: Getting to Know….Scott Sandell (undertakingwine.com)
• Wines Stump Professional Tasters at “Smackdown” (northfork.patch.com)
• Summer Winemakers’ Smackdown  (roanokevineyards.com)

This Rosé from Paumanok Vineyards sold out rather quickly.  Mid August and there is not a bottle to be had in the tasting room.  However, you might be able to find some in your local wine shop, just as I did.

I tasted this bottle of Paumanok Vineyards 2010 Dry Rosé ($18) twice, once right after it being bottled and then a few months after over a summer BBQ.  Both times this was delicious.

On the nose, strawberry dominates with hints of cantaloupe, watermelon and raspberry.  There is a herbaceousness with a cut of rocky minerality.

The taste brought more strawberry with hits of red apple and more melon flavors with a delicious grapefruit citrus squirt at the back-end of the palate.  There was a hint of spice and a touch of tannins.

The wine showed delicious bright acidity that was mouth-watering.  The finish brought some dried strawberry and fresh herbs.  There was a touch of heat, but that was due to the hot 2010 vintage.

If you find this in your wine shop make sure to pick up a bottle or two to carry you through Labor Day.

Sláinte!

To taste wine blind is yet another treat, but it is also a humbling experience.  I did well at the first Smackdown, but tanked at each and everyone since.  In fact, I have gotten worse.

Sure, I can spot a Chardonnay blind and a Sauvignon Blanc too.  I can nail a Cabernet Franc and I can spot a Riesling too, but after that, it is all down hill from there.  And that is how it has been going for me.  I am hoping that things change tomorrow night.

Roanoke Vineyards will be holding it’s 4th Winemakers’ Smackdown tomorrow night, Saturday, August 13th at 6 PM, sponsored by Luce and Hawkins restaurant. Noted wine writer, and the only journalist to cover the 1976 Judgment of Paris, George Taber, will be serving as moderator for the event.

For those of you not in the know; the Winemakers’ Smackdowns are blind tastings featuring seven wines from around the world. A panel of wine industry professionals will attempt to determine what the wines are, where they came from, and the vintages.

What makes the Smackdown a treat to attend is what we taste.  At previous Smackdowns, the wines include have been rated at 90 points or higher by the Wine Spectator or The Wine Advocate (except for a few ringers at early Smackdowns).  This is a great opportunity to taste rare wines that some of, including myself may never have tasted or never will. For tomorrow’s Smackdown, according to Scott Sandell, Roanoke Vineyards Creative Director, “The wine list for this Smackdown will illustrate important contrasts in philosophy, style, and climate, proving to be the most controversial selection to date.” The lineup of winemakers who will be there participating tomorrow night is impressive; they include Roman Roth (Wölffer Estate, Grapes of Roth, and Roanoke Vineyards), Miguel Martin (Palmer Vineyards), Christopher Tracy (Channing Daughters), Louisa Hargrave (writer, and co-founder of Hargrave Vineyards, the first vineyard on Long Island), and Michael Cinque (owner of Amagansett Wines and Spirits, and partner in Brooklyn’s Red Hook Winery). Tracy Ellen Kamens from Grand Cru Classes will be officiating the event and acting as referee. All of the tasters will enjoy a selection of Keith Luce designed tapas items specially paired with each of the wines, and everyone in attendance will receive a copy of a George Taber book. Taber will be signing books before and after the Smackdown.

This event is almost sold out, in fact it might be by the time this is on my blog.  Call Roanoke Vineyards at 631.727.4161 and see if there is a seat left for you.  See you tomorrow night.

Related articles

• The People of Wine Country: Getting to Know….Scott Sandell (undertakingwine.com)