The Long and Winding Road

As strange as it may sound,  planning Thanksgiving dinner makes me think of Chaddsford Winery.  Every November, Chaddsford holds what they call "Turkey Tastings" on Saturdays leading up to Thanksgiving. 

The idea is cool - sample Thanksgiving food items with different wines and see what works for you.  Now, according to my PIC, anyone in their right mind knows that Zinfandel goes with turkey - and Pinot, if you run out of Zin - but one year, we found ourselves with a free weekend and we signed up for one of these sit-down tastings.

Six wines were poured along side of a sampling platter of traditional holiday fare - among them the Proprieter's Reserve White, Dry Riesling, Dry Rose, Pinot Noir, and two other reds that escape me at the moment but I think one of them was the Due Rossi. We began the exercise with anything but an open mind; we knew exactly which wine we would prefer and that would be, perhaps our favorite Chaddsford wine, the 2007 Pinot Noir. 

That was a long story to get here but all of this came back to me, not so much because of Thanksgiving dinner, but because we opened a bottle of the 2007 Due Rossi.  I have to admit that I was a little hesitant as we had a bottle of the 2007 Pinot a few weeks ago and it's currently sitting in the cooking wine section of the refrigerator.  That's not necessarily a knock to Chaddsford but more that we may have held it too long.

Anyway, back to the Due - 80% Barbera, 20% Sangiovese and ten months in French and Hungarian oak.  Somewhat light in color and medium bodied, it was soft and round with cherry, licorice and violets with beautifully refined tannins.  It was wonderful, just as I remembered!

By the way, we chose the Riesling and the Rose to go with our turkey dinner.  Go figure......

Plant a Seed and it Will Grow

Our Saturday trip to Va La was postponed due to, as Thefarmer Va La would say, "stupid poopy weather".  Fortunately for us, Sunday was a beautiful blue sky day, the perfect kind for a drive, and...my PIC can't think of a better place to drive than Va La!

Not that we need one, but the reason for this particular trip was to check out the just released Seed.  We were intrigued after hearing about it on our last visit and there was no way we were going to miss out! 

Sunday's line-up was 2009 LPD; 2008 Silk, paired with Honey'd Goat Cheese; 2008 Siranetta, paired with Focaccia and Goat Cheese; 2008 Seed, paired with Bouchde; and 2007 Mahogany, paired with Pennsylvania Noble.

We did our requisite tasting before settling into the comfy purple leather chairs with a glass of Seed to enjoy the fine Autumn sunshine streaming in through the French doors.  In French oak for 24 months, only two barrels of this experimental cross of Carmine and Cab Franc were produced.  I kept trying to come up with a succinct description of a very complex wine.  My PIC called it a toned-down Carmine - in a good way.  For him, it tamed something in Carmine that he sometimes finds objectionable.

During our lazing in the sun, I jotted down four words - mint, blueberry, nuts, and mocha.  There's a hint of mintiness on the nose with a huge burst of blueberry at the back of the palate that evolved into this lovely nuttiness that moved on to a mocha finish.

Plant a seed and it will grow - into something awesome!  I remain intrigued and I think we may need to try it again this weekend, maybe with some pizza!

The Owl and the One-Eyed Cat

You may think you know where this one is going but unless you're thinking about something that includes a tetanus shot and a week of antibiotics, you're way off base.  We're talking cat bite on the day before our planned trip to the FLX.  Aside from the fact that it makes a really cool title, it did not affect our trip - the bite was on my non-wine glass-holding hand so not a problem!

We started out on Cayuga Lake and on a whim, stopped at a winery that we have not visited for several years.  Our last experience included a pleasant man who rhymed all of his wine descriptions.  He did our tasting and was so enthusiastic that I felt kind of guilty that I didn't really enjoy the wines.  He did everything he could to persuade me, including opening new bottles and making up new rhymes but alas, it was to no avail - they were just not to our liking.

But here we were, at Thirsty Owl Wine Company, bellied up to the bar and about to start a tasting.  Little Rhyming Man was gone but apparently replaced by Younger Singing Man.  More about that later, perhaps.

There were seventeen wines on the tasting menu and we were asked to choose five.  It wasn't that difficult, because of the nine whites, seven were listed as semi-sweet or sweet.  I passed on the Chardonnay and started with the 2010 Dry Rielsing.  A pleasant surprise, it had nice acidity with tropical fruit and a crisp, clean finish. 

The reds started with the 2008 Pinot Noir.  It didn't show a lot of fruit, it had firm tannins and a spicy finish.  The toasted oak of the 2008 Syrah jumped out of the glass.  The caramel nose of this medium bodied wine led to a fairly smooth palate, firm tannins and a black pepper finish.

Ok, at this point I expected that I would be ready to jump off a bridge but not yet.....what's next?  The 2008 Meritage.  Velvety mouth-feel with slight black pepper and fruit with soft oak on the finish - nice!  The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon was drinking really young.  The fruit was trying to emerge but for the most part, it was over powered by oak and spice.  It needs time, for sure.  Finally in this line-up was the 2009 Cab Sauv, Syrah,  Malbec.  (18, 60, 22% respectively)  We have tried this before and have been less than excited - it should be freakin' awesome!  The 2009 blend showed grapefruit and black pepper but had some spit-sucking tannins.

To finish, we were serenaded through a tasting of the 2007 VINTE, a port-style wine from Cab Franc and Chancellor.  We're not huge Chancellor fans but we tasted with an open mind.  At 8% RS, it was soft and silky and not overly fortified.  It retained its wine characteristics and had that dessert-replacement  sweetness.

All in all, we found the wines a bit more approachable than in the past and the absence of the Little Rhyming Man was a relief.  There was, however the issue of Singing Man.  Nonetheless, we grooved our way through the racks, grabbed a Meritage and a VINTE and boogied for the door before our ears started to bleed.  It's not that his singing was bad, it just got old....fast.

We All Remember Our First Love...

I don't know about you, but I still remember my first love.  I'd say it was a summer love kind of thing but it was more than that.  It was my first FLX Riesling love...it may be the one responsible for sucking me into the whole Rielsing thing.

We read a few things online about the new kids on block so when we found ourselves at the northern end of the east side of Seneca Lake, we couldn't pass up a chance to visit Zugibe.  We had a great tasting with Brendan and we have made it a point to stop in any time we're in the area - but that's fodder for another day.  This one is about the rock star - Zugibe 2008 Dry Rielsing!  It had everything I love - acidity, minerality and lime...lots of lime.

We opened our last bottle the other night and the gripping acidity has mellowed over the past year.  I got a wet slate kind of minerality on the nose with no petrol at all.  It was light and refreshing with citrus and lime; it was beautifully balanced with lovely acidity leading to a crisp finish...and it was awesome with slow roasted shrimp!  I keep telling you I'm fickle!

Easy and Affordable, But NOT a One Night Stand

After years of proclaiming that we are not white wine drinkers, I keep finding more and more empties in the recycling bin.  I guess it should come as no surprise that this lovely, warm Fall day, and some beautiful, incredibly fresh wild caught shrimp, and humongous sea scallops had us reaching for a white. 

The white-of-the-night was Shaw Vineyard 2008 Sauvignon Blanc.  We're not huge fans of Sauv Blanc; in many we find a grassiness that makes it somewhat unpleasant to our taste.  We were very open to tasting this one while visiting the winery but I have to admit that I felt a split second of hesitancy when my PIC brought this one out of the cellar.  We love all of the Shaw reds, so I ask myself, what's not to like?

As it turns out, nothing!  It is light, crisp, and refreshing with a minerally, wet slate nose.  It's beautifuly balanced with green apple, melon and a hint of pineapple on the palate.  It is easy drinking but not just a simple summer sipper.  I can see a lot of this in the Fall lineup!

You can say meri-TAHJ, but you would be wrong!

Meritage.  French, right?  Not so much.  Merit + Heritage = Meritage - rhymes with heritage.  Now that we have the wine-speak down, what does it mean to us as consumers?  Not much.  The term Meritage refers to New World wines blended in the tradition of Bordeaux and...hold on to your hat...they can be red or white. 

It really means more to the producers.  In order to use the term Meritage on their label, a winery must join The Meritage Association, which was was formed by a group of American vintners in 1988.  Their goal - to "identify handcrafted wines blended from the traditional "noble" Bordeaux varieties".  Producers pay something like $1/case produced to a maximum of $500 per year for the privilege of using the name.

Strictly speaking, a Red Meritage is a blend of two or more of the red “noble” Bordeaux varieties - Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot and the rarer St. Macaire, Gros Verdot and Carmenère.  A White Meritage must be a blend of at least two of three specific white “noble” varieties  - Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon or Muscadelle du Bordelais.   Neither can include any other grape variety and no single grape variety can make up more than 90% of the blend.

What brought this on, you ask?  I'm not really sure except that we opened a bottle of Ravines 2005 Meritage and the wheels started turning.  The growing conditions in 2005 were almost perfect and this blend of 45% Cabernet Franc, 32 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 23 % Merlot is a fine example of that.  It is deep ruby in color, with tons of fruit and spice and a hint of cocoa.

MERI-tidge, meri-TAHJ....."if we ever part, that would break my heart"!

Rendezvous with Clark and Judy

Every now and then, we get a yearning for some Virginia wine country.  That's not to say that we don't get the same feeling for the FLX, but with cousins in Northern Virginia, it's an easier, and less expensive, getaway.  They enjoy the occasional glass of wine but are not as into it as we are.  Mobility issues limit them to one, maybe two wineries and Pearmund Cellars has been one of our usuals. 

It's been a great place to stop by with them on a Sunday morning before heading home and we have always had a great experience there.  Not only have we enjoyed the wine but they have always been so considerate to my cousins who don't do a tasting but love to sit at the tables in the tasting room and just enjoy each other's company.  From time to time, they will taste one of the white wines that are on the tasting menu, but mostly, they cherish their time together...they are so in love and so I want to be them when I grow up.

Our last visit found us there on a Saturday afternoon.  We've been so spoiled going on Sunday that we forgot how crazy these wines trails can be on the weekends!  I say trails because this phenomenon is not unique to Virginia, we find the same thing everywhere.  The first bad sign was a bus in the parking lot and you can pretty much bet that it's filled with ridiculously dressed, soon to be married, drunk people and their drunk best friends and drunk relatives.  Sadly, that was the case this time but fortunately, they were at the end of their tasting so normalcy was quickly restored upon their departure. 

I thought about all of this when we opened the Pearmund Cellars 2008 2 Principals Vineyard Petit Verdot .  It is deep garnet, almost inky in color with a nose that is earthy and mushroomy with some foral notes.  It's got great structure with some dark berries - blackberry, blueberry? -  and a dusty, cocoa finish.

I sure hope that bus load of party people took some PV home with them because they should be very, very happy right about now!

Crossing Vineyards - Part III: Please Exit Through the Gift Shop

The Premium wines started with the 2008 Chambourcin Reserve, described by the winemaker as a "complex Zinfandel-style wine" which piqued our interest.  Unfortunately, I'm not really sure how to describe it except to say that it was not Chambourcin as we know it.  The nose was a little oaky and I couldn't really pick out any flavor profile.  Having said that, I didn't dislike it but it wasn't really up my alley.  The 2008 Pinot Noir Reserve had the same brownish color in the glass as the first Pinot but the nose was more earthy.  The tannins were firm with some fruitness in the back of the palate and it finished with hints of black tea. 

The tasting ended with two dessert wines.  The first, the 2009 Late Harvest Vidal Blanc, was lovely!  Nicely balanced  - sweet but not cloying - it had a hint of petrol and dried apricot on the nose with a long honey-apricot finish.  The second was the port-style Chocolate Cherry Truffle.  A fun, light-bodied after-dinner drink reminiscent of chocolate-covered cherries, I can see sipping this one by the fire on a cool fall night.

In a nutshell, I would say that Crossing Vineyards was a mixed bag for us.  My PIC was more disappointed than I was but perhaps our bars were set differently.  I thought that the whites were pretty solid but most of the reds were just not my style.  We did, however, exit through the gift shop, and did not leave empty-handed.

Crossing Vineyards - Part II: Please Remain Seated Until the Ride Comes to a Complete Stop

The reds began with the 2010 Le Noveau, a play on Beaujolais.  With not a Gamay grape in sight, this one is Chambourcin and I'm just not a fan of Chambourcin.  Let's leave it at that.  Now, on to serious wine, the 2008 Pinot Noir.  It was a bit brown in color and a little oaky for my taste.  I got oak and allspice on the nose and a spicy, chile pepper finish. 

Next was the 2008 Merlot which was light bodied with firm tannins but again, more oak than I enjoy.  The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon was softer than the Merlot and had some really pretty fruit on the nose but I detected a hint of dill, that my PIC did not, that for me, detracted from the fruitness. 

The 2008 Cabernet Franc was light bodied and well balanced with lovely fruit, nicely integrated tannins, and a long toasty oak finish.  The ruby red 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot blend - 55% Cab Sauv, 45% Merlot - had a soft, round texture with firm tannins but I got that hint of dill from the Cab Sauv.  The final pour in this group was the Vintner's Select Red, a NV Meritage-style blend of 40% Cab Sauv, 40% Cab Franc, and 20% Merlot.  I found it to be a bit acidic but there was nice fruit and toasty oak on the nose with a chile spice finish.

On to the Premium wines....

Crossing Vineyards - Part I: Please Keep Your Arms and Legs Inside the Boat

After a week of heavy rain and flooding we were feeling the need for adventure.  My Partner in Crime has been intrigued by Crossing Vineyards in the Washington Crossing/Newtown area in Pennsylvania so, with some trepidation and two sets of fully inflated water wings, we plugged the address into Penny and went to check it out.

Penny did a pretty good job of getting us there in a reasonable amount of time but she took us to the vineyard - always good the check the grapes first.  The entrance from the road is unassuming and in stark contrast to the elegant building that houses the tasting room.

The tasting fees are a bit steep - $8 for Regular, $15 for Premium - but that is for 8 to 10 and 12 to 14 wines, respectively and they were very willing to let us try anything that was open.  Because the Premium tasting included the Reserve Pinot and Late Harvest Vidal Blanc, we went for it, grabbed our glasses and headed into the barrel room to get the party started.

The first wine up was the 2009 Chardonnay which spent only three months in oak.  It was quite nice - round and soft with hints of pear and butterscotch.  Next was the 2008 Viognier done in stainless steel.  It was very pleasant with loads of tropical fruit but it came across as as much sweeter than the 0.5 to 0.8 RS we were told it had - in fact, we found it almost cloying. 

The Viognier was followed by the Vintner's Select White, a blend of 60% Chardonnay, 20% Viognier, and 20% Riesling.  The nose was all Chard but it was soft with peach and tropical fruit and a little more acidity than the Viognier.  The next pour was the off-dry 2010 Vidal Blanc.  With 1% RS, I was not expecting to like this but it had some apple notes and a nice crisp finish.

I was pleasantly surprised by the next pour, the 2009 semi-dry Riesling.   I normally wouldn't even try a Riesling with an RS of 2.5% but curiosity got the better of me.  The nose was tropical fruit and sweet vanilla that carried through on the palate with a nice acidity that dried out the finish.  The last of the group was the  2009 dry Rose.  Made from Cab Franc, it was almost ruby in color with strawberry and some floral notes but it had a bit more oak than I like in my Roses.

Next up, the reds......stay tuned!

Calling All Wine Geeks: Riddle Me This!

Everyone has a neighborhood watering hole.  You know, the kind of place where everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came  Ok, cheesy reference but if you don't have one, you should get one but please get one close to home.

Our favorite hangout is a thousand miles away and when we're in town, we show up almost every night for a nightcap.  We made our way through the throngs of people gathered near the bar for that manna of the bartenders.....The Prisoner.  Yes, I know I said that Saldo was my favorite but, if you recall, I also said I was fickle!

After our usual banter, we asked for a glass of Prisoner only to learn it was temporarily off of the wine list.  What to do, what to do?  Our favorite bartender came up with Plan B - The Riddler - from Stratton Lummis, one of three labels produced by Row Eleven Wine Company.

It was rather nice - juicy and full of ripe berries and plum with a long lingering finish....but what's in the blend?  Therein lies the riddle.  I encourage all wine geeks to grab a bottle (around $20) and tell me what you think.

Uh-Oh...I'm in love......again

Have I mentioned how much I've come to love Riesling?  And have I mentioned just how fickle I can be? 

Just in case you missed it, I have become a huge believer in Riesling.  It's incredibly food friendly, or so we hear, but let's be honest; the bottle rarely lasts long enough for me to get dinner on the table.  But I don't love every Riesling; I love them dry, with minerality and acidity.  I love the lime and even a hint of petrol.  People talk of terrior all the time, but if there's any wine in which it is so obvious to me, it's in Riesling.  On a really good day, I can tell you on which side of the lake the grapes were grown.  On others.....well, we won't go there.  But...as with everything in life, there needs to be balance to make it all work.

We love Shaw's reds but what about this?  Let me tell you; everything I could ever ask for just came out of this bottle - the Shaw 2007 Dry Riesling.  It has a lovely minerally nose with fresh lemon and peach, followed by honey and peach on the palate and shows mineral and slate on the lingering finish.  It has bright acidity that is beautifully balanced with just a hint of RS.  Even PIC is on board on this one!

I'm sorry previous Riesling love; I'm breaking up with you.

Makes You Go Huh....

My PIC never works on his birthday, it's apparently a life-long tradition. It's not one that I can explain, but it does give us an extra day together. So, you will not be surprised when I tell you that we made a winery visit. We trekked out to Elverson, PA to check out J. Maki. It's a lovely drive to get there from Ludwig's Corner, it actually reminded me of the Virginia wine country.

We bellied up to the bar as I worked hard to suppress the overwhelming feeling that we were intruding on them - interrupting their daily routine. It was an interesting tasting; we had the "pleasure" of the winemaker's company and a private tasting - by virtue of the fact that we were the only ones there. He's a man of few words, offering no insight on the individual wines with the exception of one or two, and that was only one sentence. There were seven offerings but he did pour us a few wines not on the tasting menu. 

There is a $20 tasting fee which is waived if you make a purchase. I understand tasting fees - I hate them - but I understand them. But here's my real issue with this one - at least pour enough in the glass that I can smell and taste it! The pour was so minimal, it wasn't enough to even swirl in the glass, let alone in my mouth. Tasting fee or not, if you want to create a possibility, no matter now remote, that I'm going to buy, please don't tell me about how many awards you've won; how popular your wine is; where you sell it; how many people from New York buy it; how much you ship to the west coast of Florida...just pour enough in my glass so that I can actually taste it.

I honestly think they sell their wine by creating an awkward and uncomfortable tasting room situation.  Having said all of that,  to recoup our tasting fee, we gambled and brought some home but, I gotta tell ya... that's no excuse for being sucked in! 

The VSP is a Bordeaux blend that we thought we liked when we tasted the tablespoon-full at the winery. We opened one the other night and we weren't exactly doing cartwheels over it. It was pretty tight at first, no fruit on the nose, only oak, lots of oak.  We recorked it and put it in the refrigerator thinking it would be cooking wine.  I couldn't help but try it again and tonight's encounter was not much better.  Instead of cooking wine it became drain cleaner.

Fortunately, the whole birthday wasn't a bust.  We did get a couple of dessert wines that that were really nice!

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. 

Desperate Times

As I may have mentioned, we are not big white wine drinkers but, in the grip of a heat wave, we longed for something cool and refreshing.  Let's face it, desperate times call for desperate measures! 

That's not to imply that we had to be desperate to open this wine - afterall, we did try it in the tasting room and brought a bottle home.  What is the non-red, you ask, that my partner-in-crime was willing to drink?  Drum roll, please..........Glen Manor 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, from the lovely state of Virginia! 

I've never been a fan, but my PIC contends that he used to enjoy Sauv. Blanc years ago but began to object to that thing that makes Sauv. Blanc, well...objectionable - to us anyway - it can be grassy.  Not so with this one!  It had beautifully balanced acidity with that minerality that I so love, and loads of tropical fruit on the nose and palate. 

It was like a tropical island breeze in the heat wave from Hell....ok, maybe not quite but it sure was nice!

From Here and There

"How much do you like yourself?", my partner in crime asked.  I love that question because if I answer correctly, it means that something special is coming out of the cellar.  "I like myself a lot", I replied and out came Saldo!

We are huge fans of Orin Swift Cellars The Prisoner - a Zinfandel blend - so when we saw Saldo for the first time, there was no hesitation to try it.  OSC Saldo is predominantly Zin  - more so than The Prisoner - sourced from some of the best vineyards in California, with a dash of Syrah and Petite Syrah thrown in for good measure.  It is a fruit-in-your-face blend; deep and dark in color with loads of dark fruit, strawberry and subtle vanilla on the palate.  The soft mouth-feel leads to a long, lingering finish of cherry and a hint of oak.

The word saldo has several meanings but in Spanish; it mainly refers to "balance on hand" or sometimes "from here and there".  And we have to agree.  It is a beautifully balanced wine from grapes from here and there.  I think we just started cheating on The Prisoner!

No More Begging!

Ok peeps, it's here; once and for all - the slow cooker pulled pork you've been asking for - the pulled pork of your dreams!!

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Ingredients:

1/2 c. Ketchup
2 oz worcestershire Sauce
1 oz Soy Sauce
1/3 c. Apple Cider Vinegar
1 T Ground Mustard
1 T Garlic Powder
1/2 t Smoked Paprika
1/2 t Ancho Powder
1/4 c. Packed Brown Sugar
1/2 t Liquid Smoke
1/4 t Red Chili Pepper Flakes

1 med Sweet Onion
3-4# Bone-in Pork Shoulder, trimmed of fat

Method:

1. Combine first 11 ingredients in slow cooker; whisk until well blended.
2. Place pork and onions into mixture; turn to coat both all sides of meat.
3. Cook for 8 to 10 hours on "low" setting.
4. After meat is cooked, transfer from slow cooker to a plate; remove bone and shred meat.
5. Return to slow cooker, combine with warm sauce.
6. If sauce is too thin, transfer to a sauce pan and reduce, then return to slow cooker.
7. Can remain on "warm" setting for 4 hours.

Serving suggestions:

It's great on a potato roll with cole slaw or serve over warm polenta! 

Va La 2008 La Prima Donna

We're not really white wine enthusiasts with the exception of my new found appreciation for some Finger Lakes Rieslings, but sometimes the weather demands something a bit lighter and more refreshing than what we would normally open.  We happened to have a chilled LPD and she was just begging to come out and play!

This is no wimpy white!  From the southwest area of the home vineyard, LPD is a blend of Malvasia Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Viognier, Petit Manseng, and Tocal.  The grapes are picked separately and fermented on the skins for 2 to 3 weeks.  Aged sur lie for a year, it gets another year of bottle age before release.

This rich and complex wine is pale yellow in color with loads of interesting aromas.  It has beautifully balanced acidity and is exotic and spicy on the palate.  Crisp, dry, and refreshing, this lovely lady is said to peak at 4 to 8 years which begs the question, do we have another one?

A Beautiful Summer Afternoon Calls For...

A lovely warm, summy summer afternoon calls for a special wine and lucky for us, we had one.  Our last Finger Lakes trip included a tasting at Dr. Konstantin Frank on beautiful Keuka Lake.  One of the tasting room offerings was the 2009 Grüner Veltliner. 


Grüner Veltliner is the most widely planted grape variety in Austria and we tasted this with interest, having no reference point for comparison.  We took horrible tasting notes but we did bring a bottle home.


On this lazy afternoon, Grüner was a winner - crisp, dry, and refreshing.  It had some floral notes on the nose, perfectly balanced acidity and pear and apple on the palate.  The finish was long and lingering with hints of pink grapefruit and white pepper.


It has a reputation for being particularly food-friendly.  Maybe next time there will be some left to have with dinner.

Salute the Newt!

It's been just a week since learning of the tragic death of Deb Whiting and, in honor of her, we opened a bottle of Red Newt Cellars 2008 Viridescens - a blend of 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Cabernet Franc, and 4%Merlot.  We tasted this wine several times in the tasting room and loved it but it was after having it as part of a flight at dinner at the RN Bistro that we decided to spring for a couple of bottles.

When we tasted it last fall, it was a real spit-sucker.  That's not to say it was unpleasant, it is to say that it was drinking very young and the tannins were very firm.  Having said that, an additional eight months in bottle has done wonderful things for this wine! 

The initial oakiness on the nose blew off quickly and a fruity, almost jammy nose emerged.  Dark and brooding, we got plum, casis, and a hint of tobacco on the palate and a leather, cigar boxy finish.  Kind of like men's club in a bottle but without the smoke.  It was a lovely pairing with our eggplant-zucchini ragout...what was left of it, anyway.  Here's to you, Deb...and the entire Red Newt family.  Cheers!

A Holiday Weekend + Wood Fired Pizza = VA LA!!

PIC - that would be my Partner In Crime - had been longing to make another trek to Va La, not only for their outstanding wines, but they had wood fired pizza and jazz in the little vineyard!  Believe me when I tell you that we need no reason beyond the wine to make the 50 mile trip to Avondale, PA; however, the Glenn E. Williams Jazz Trio and pizza did make it a festive holiday weekend destination.

The pizza, by Chef Matthew Hans http://www.woodfiredpizzatruck.com/, turned out to be awesome!  We tried three of the day's offerings - El Blanco a white pizza; 'Wilbur', a wild boar sausage, spinach, and red onion pie; and The Spicy Italian, a hot italian sausage, pepperoni, jalapenos, and parmesan pie.  The pizzas are about 10" and serve one to two people, depending on how hungry you are...we were obviously pretty hungry! 

We started with perfectly chilled glasses of Silk to accompany our half white, half Wilbur pizza.  A rosato, Silk is a blend of barbera, carmine, petit verdot, nebbiolo, corvina veronese, and whatever else is hanging around the cellar.  It is what PIC calls a red wine drinkers rose.  Complex and deep in color, it drinks beautifully at room temperature or slightly chilled. 

When we moved on to The Spicy Italian - I said we were hungry - I stayed with Silk but PIC switched to Cinderbox, an earthy, rustico styled red made from Carmine.  Both were perfect pairings for the pizza. 

With our bellies stuffed, we relaxed in the little vineyard on a beautiful summer afternoon enjoying the jazz and wishing we lived closer..or not, that could be very dangerous!

Why Can't Us?

To say that our lives revolve around wine and food might be a bit of an over-statement but suffice it to say that we tend to indulge, we like to think responsibly, in both on a daily basis.  Having said that, we started thinking about a way to share some of our more memorable wine tastings, food and wine pairings, winery visits, restaurant meals, and home culinary creations with like-minded friends. 

So, this is our new playground where you'll find us spewing all kinds of opinions on wine and food - we might even throw in an adventure or two - and that's where the fun begins!