The Amish Shed

When we bought our house, there was a c. 1950's aluminum shed in the back yard that, to say it had seen better days would make it sound like the Taj Mahal.  Remember those old sheds with the little sliding doors and the corrugated aluminum sides?  That's what we had, painted a lovely shade of beige that we thought would fade into the landscape if we painted it hunter green.  Yeah...not so much.

So, we decided to shop for a new Amish Shed which somehow evolved into a long strange drive home through part of the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail.  We fired up Penelope, our British GPS lady fondly referred to as Penny, and set out for a few wineries.  Stop number three?  Stargazers!

We drove winding roads through beautiful wooded areas for what seemed forever but as we approached our destination....Penny lost her satelites!  We found ourselves in a very residential area, questioning Penny's sanity.  Lo and behold, we turned into what appeared to be a small development only to see a home at the top of the hill with a really big garage.

Let me preface the rest of this by reminding you that it was the third stop - and it was a year ago - but we were so impressed by their commitment to sustainability that we really wanted to love the wines.  They are basically organic in the vineyard, using only a low impact chemical fungicide.  They capture rain water in cisterns for vineyard and winery use, and have a passive solar home and winery.  They have a subterranean cellar and fermentation temperatures are controlled by the water from their cisterns.  Their philosophy is less is more - minimal manipulation and filtration yields maximum flavors.

That was a really long build up to the bottle we opened last night - the Stargazers 2007 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.  Oh, how we wanted to love this but I'm sorry to say that it wasn't quite there or perhaps we opened it too soon.  Our intital impression was a lot of oakiness on the nose and an acidity that came across as metalic on the front of the palate.  Ripe fruit exploded on the back of the palate with sweet vanilla but the finish was kind of odd.  We shoved the cork back in and put it in the refrigerator.

Day two - the oakiness of the night before is gone and the nose is kind of pretty - fruity with a hint of cedar.  It is medium bodied and the acidity is gone but, the fruit is a little muted on the palate.  The finish is dusty and oaky, but not in a chewing sticks kind of way. 

Tomorrow is another day and I would stay tuned to see what this wine does in a day or so.  Considering the climate and the opportunities for full ripening, I'd say that this wine is not quite there, but for a Pennsylvania Cab Sauv...it's close...very close.

Sunday's Cellar Selection

Located on the east side of Keuka Lake, Ravines' tasting room sits up on the hill with stunning lake views and I'm sorry to say that we didn't do a tasting there on our last trip to the Finger Lakes.  It wasn't because we don't enjoy their wines, it was more because we have over two cases of Ravines' wines in the cellar! 

A rainy day and a bountiful harvest of peppers inspired me to make a pot of sausage and peppers and my PIC's job was to find an appropriate wine.  Tonight's cellar selection.....Ravines 2007 Merlot Glen Eldridge Vineyard - and he picked a winner!

The nose is black pepper and raspberry with maybe a touch of strawberry.  I only detected a hint of the minerality on the nose that I had in my tasting notes from March of this year.  Medium bodied, it's soft and round, with plum and black cherry.  It finishes with black cherry and underlying smoke.  

Unfortunately, it was gone before the sausage and peppers ever made it to the table so it's on to cheap Chianti.  That is just so wrong....

Tarara: Not Your Run-of-the-Mill Rose

To Rose or not to Rose, that is the question.  It seems that Rose got a bad rap with the White Zin movement but we have started to really enjoy them the past two summers.  We think it's time for a Rose rebound and have taken it upon ourselves to test as many as possible, but if you're still a skeptic, here's a Rose that will knock your socks off - Tarara Winery 2010 Rose!

This is no simple summer sipper; it's a huge Rose, in every way...a Rose for red wine drinkers!! 

A blend of Cab Franc, Merlot, Cab Sauv, Petit Verdot, and Tannat, it is complex and fruit-driven with sweet strawberry and hints of pear on the nose; a round, luscious, velvety mouth-feel with a little spice toward the finish.  It is fairly high in alcohol (14.5% ) but goes down oh, so easily.

In this case, that which we call a Rose by any other name would not smell as sweet!  I want summer to last forever...

Magnolia Place: Southern Hospitality in the Finger Lakes

I've never been much for B&B's but, as we approached this pale pink house on a beautiful summer day, something felt different.  The snow white rocking chairs on the wrap-around porch reminded me of a southern plantation.  The window boxes overflowed with blossoming pink geraniums and the finches tended to their nests in the eaves of the porch roof.  We pulled into the driveway, past the manicured lawn, and were immediately welcomed by a big black Lab named Irish! 

We received just as warm a welcome from innkeepers Terri and Ted.  After comfortable conversation and some suggestions for dinner, we were shown through the guest areas of the fully air conditioned house and to our suite.  We made our way from the country kitchen, into the dining room where off to the side is a pantry with a small refrigerator stocked with bottled water, all types of glassware, and a great assortment of movies/DVD's and games.  From there into the beautiful cozy living room with a wood-burning stove - I can just imagine curling up on one of the overstuffed sofas with a book on a cold winter's night.

Our perfectly appointed room had lake views, an en-suite bath with whirlpool tub and shower, a gas fireplace, queen size bed with tons of pillows, a TV and a private entrance from the porch.  We found robes in the closet and locally made soap in the bathroom.  Oh, this was looking good! 

After we settled in, we joined other guests on the porch to watch the sun set over Seneca Lake.  A wonderfully relaxing way to end our day's journey. 

We rose from our comfortable bed to explore the rest of the property.  We were told there was a pond and fire pit so we started up the hill and were quickly led by Irish, stick in mouth, to his private swimming hole!  The lake and vineyard views from there were stunning on this clear morning!  We made our way up a little further through a vineyard, which we were later told were Riesling grapes planted by Dr. Frank, a winery on Keuka Lake.

As we made our way back to the house, we heard the triangle sounding the start of breakfast.  A huge country breakfast is served daily in the sunny kitchen or on the wrap-around porch.  On this morning, breakfast was buffet-style and tables were set on the porch to enjoy the view and cool breeze.  Stufffed to the gills, we were ready to face the day of wine tasting!

This gem is an historic 1830's farmhouse nestled in the heart of the Finger Lakes, just 11 miles north of Watkins Glen. It sits on the east side of Seneca - in the middle of the Seneca Lake Wine Trail - right on the main drag, if you will.  It is convenient to amazing local dining and shopping, spectacular waterfalls, and the Finger Lakes National Forrest.  

Whether you're looking for a romantic getaway, to explore the wine scene, or just enjoy relaxing on the porch by day and stargazing at night, you'll find it all here.   We give it a 5/5 wine glass rating!!

Zin in a Box? Seriously??

That was our reaction too, but after reading a couple of reviews, we decided to give the Bota Box a try.  Besides, who doesn't love a good inexpensive zin?

The wine comes in a 3L bag packed in an environmentally friendly cardboard box, dispensed through a tap, thus preventing exposure to light or air.  This technology promises that the wine will stay fresh for up to 45 days after opening.

We approached the first glass with a mix of anticipation and a little skepticism.  When first poured, I detected a yeasty aroma that dissipated quickly.  It is garnet in color with hints of fruit and spice on the nose.  Medium bodied, it's reasonably fruity on the palate with some spice and cherry notes, with just a hint of vanilla and cedar on a medium finish. 

Let's just say that this "Old Vine" Zinfandel is no Brazin!  It is not a big fruit-in-your-face Zin for sure.  In fact, it struck me as kind of flat - and the longer it sat in the glass, the more the fruit was muted - but it was pleasant enough and pretty easy drinking.  It makes a great second bottle wine.