Wines of New York

New York, New York!
Wines produced in New York State most of the time do not get the recognition they deserve. New York ranks as the third largest wine producing area in the US after California and Washington State. New York is home to the first bonded winery in the US, the Pleasant Valley Wine Company, and America's oldest continuously operating winery, Brotherhood Winery in the Hudson Valley, who has been making wine for almost 175 years.


The state has four major wine-growing regions: Lake Erie AVA (American Viticulture Area) on the western end of the state, the Finger Lakes AVA in the west-central part of the state, the Hudson River Region AVA in eastern New York, and Long Island AVA. An AVA is a designated wine grape-growing region in the US distinguishable by geographic features, with boundaries defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB).


The Concord grape variety is the most widely planted in New York. The grape can be made into wine, but it’s really the basis for the grape juice industry. New York State’s most important wine region is the Finger Lakes area in upstate New York, where four large lakes moderate the cold climate. This AVA produces about seventy five percent of New York’s wines. This region specializes in Sparkling Wines, Riesling, Pinot Noir and Ice Wine, and is also known for its Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc. The Long Island area seems particularly suited to Merlot, but Chardonnay and Riesling are also planted. A high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon is planted in Long Island AVA as well. The Atlantic Ocean climate has an influence on this area, which leads to lighter bodied reds. The Lake Erie AVA is mostly planted with the local Concord variety. In the Hudson River Region AVA, the most planted varieties are Cabernet Franc and Merlot.


The yearly Governor’s Cup is held to reveal the "Best of – Category” for the most coveted New York wines. Here are some of the recent winners:


Best Sparkling Wine: Sparkling Pointe 2008 Blanc de Noirs


Best White Wine: Keuka Spring Vineyards 2012 Riesling



Best Red Wine: Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards 2010 Cabernet Franc


Best Dessert Wine: 21 Brix 2011 Vidal Ice Wine


Best Overall Chardonnay: Harbes Family Farm & Vineyard 2012 Steel Fermented Chardonnay


Best Cabernet Sauvignon: Wölffer Estate Vineyard 2010 Cassango Cabernet Sauvignon


Give the wines from New York a try next time you are out shopping for wine!


Until next time cheers!

But It Tastes Like Wine!

But It Tastes Like Wine! Often times when you taste wine and you are thinking about how to describe the aromas and the flavors, the wine descriptors escape you. So you think “It smells like wine and tastes like wine!” The words used to notate aromas and flavors of wine are the keys to understanding more about the wine itself. Flavor "See, swirl, smell, and sip" is the phrase used in the smell and taste stages of wine evaluation. It is the combination of these nasal and tongue reactions that define flavor. The back of your tongue is sensitive to bitterness. The sides of your tongue are areas that pick up sourness and saltiness. The front of your tongue is where sweetness is perceived. The weight or the body of the wine is detected in the middle of the tongue. Wines also have "feel" in the mouth, which we often describe as "body." A light-bodied wine actually feels light on your tongue. A heavy-bodied red wine, like a Cabernet Sauvignon, will feel fuller. If the wine feels like skim milk, it is light-bodied; whole milk, medium bodied; cream, full-bodied. These are tactile sensations, rather than sensory, but they are still part of the overall wine evaluation process. The bitter taste in wines is due to tannin. Tannin is a natural flavor component of wine, found in the skins, stems, and seeds. It is common in red wines, particularly young red wines, that the tannin content is high enough (due to extraction from the skins) to be noticeable to the taste. Since white wines have very low tannin content (because of little skin contact during fermentation), they are generally free of a bitter taste. White wines tend to lead to acidity for description. Think of Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling. Aroma The next time you taste wine, think of these common aromas for red and white wine: White Grape Variety Common Sensory Descriptors Chardonnay Apple, butter, creamy, lemon, vanilla if aged in new oak. Steely, mineral, flinty Riesling Citrus fruits, peach, honey, petrol, spicy Sauvignon Blanc Lime, cut grass, bell pepper, grapefruit, cat pee, crisp, tart, tropical fruit, pineapple Viognier Peach, pear, nutmeg, apricot Gewurztraminer Rose petals, lychee, spice Pinot Gris (Pinot Grigio) White peach, pear, apricot slate, orange zest, crisp, tart Chenin Blanc Beeswax, honey, apple, apple, almond Red Grape Variety Common Sensory Descriptors Cabernet Sauvignon Black cherry, black currant, cedar, green pepper, mocha, cherry, vanilla, tabacco Merlot Jammy (fruity), cherry, strawberry, fresh red fruit Malbec plums, black cherry and blackberry, smoky, earth, leather Pinot Noir Cherries, plums, mushrooms, earthy, raspberry, strawberry, prunes Sangiovese Earthy, strawberry, raspberry, astringent, candied apple Syrah (Shiraz) Black pepper spice, black berries, plums, smoky Zinfandel Black and white pepper, nutmeg, red and black berry flavors, hot (alcoholic) Think about some of these descriptors as you enjoy your next glass of wine, and until then, cheers!

Wines of Greece

Greece has been making wine for thousands of years, and their wine industry has been making an exciting transformation over the last few years. Greece, in addition to being the birthplace of Dionysus, god of wine and the symbol of wine, it is also considered the birthplace of winemaking. Wines had many uses for the Greeks. It was often safer than water to drink. When wine was consumed it was one of Greeks important social forums. Beside the social aspect, wine was very important to them in religion. Wine was often used to douse the burn alter offerings, and was poured on the ground as an offering to the dead. Greek wine does appear to have it all—ancient history, climate and uniqueness. It has one more thing: pronunciation issues. Grape varieties such as Assyrtiko and Agiorgitiko tend to give us consumers speech paralysis. Most of us would rather order something familiar than dive off the wine pronunciation cliff. Agiorgitiko (ah-zheor-GEE-tee-koh) (red wine) is the second most-planted varietal in Greece. aka "the blood of Hercules”. Legend has it that the Agiorgitiko grape sprouted from the spilled blood of Hercules. These wines are low in acid, spicy, juicy red fruit, displaying raspberry, red plum and black licorice flavors. They tend to be medium to full body wines displaying notes of cedar. You might also find a Rose wine made from these grapes. This wine pairs well with medium bodied meats and vegetable dishes. Assyrtiko (A-SEER-tee-ko) (white wine) originated on the island of Santorini in northern Greece, and it’s the perfect wine to enjoy with seafood. These wines will have apple and pear flavors with a touch of spice. Theses wine are lovely with freshly grilled fish and are a complement to Mediterranean cuisine. The only Greek wine I would stay away from is called Retsina. This is usually a white wine, in which pine resin is added during the fermentation process. Today, you can find many excellent Greek wines with a lot of them still unknown to wine lovers worldwide. You should be able to find a good selection of these wines in the 10-15 dollar range to try. One of my favorites is Sigalas Assyrtiko from Santorini. The Sigalas Assyrtiko is no stranger to receiving excellent press from the Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator. This is an awesome wine; look to pay around 20-25 dollars for it. If you are a white wine fan it’s worth the money. Until next time, cheers!

Rose Wines

Rose Wines

Rose wines have had an image problem to overcome, thanks in part to the consumer’s concept of "White Zinfandel," as many consumers mistake Rose wines to be overly sweet and cheap. Actually, the sales of Rose are on an upward swing. Once tragically uncool, Rose wine is now officially hip; even Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are in on the action with their recent purchase of a vineyard in France. Brad and Angelina’s release of their Miraval Rose, all 6,000 bottles, initially sold out within six hours.

You may not know that Rose wines are made from dark skinned grapes or red grape varietals like Grenache, Malbec, Merlot, Sangiovese, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and even Zinfandel. Winemakers typically use a technique to produce Rose by preventing the red grape skins having extended contact time with the freshly pressed juice. These results attribute to the wine’s light pink to salmon hues which come from the short contact time. Rose wines are made practically everywhere wines are produced, including the US, France, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, South Africa, and California where they make quite a bit of Rose.

Dry Rose wines are perfect for spring and summer, but more and more, people are turning to Rose for year round wine.  Its style, traditionally dry, light and refreshing, appeals both to white and red wine drinkers seeking something cool and refreshing to help beat the heat. These wines can be light to medium in body. The flavors of Rose wines tend to lean towards strawberry, cherry and raspberry with some even leaning towards watermelon. One of my wife’s favorites is Francis Ford Coppola Sophia Rose, Monterey County, California, which is a tribute to his only daughter. The bottle is uniquely shaped too!

Rose should be served chilled, and can be a refreshing accompaniment to a variety of warm weather fare as they are versatile and food friendly. The food pairing possibilities for Rose are almost endless: chicken, cold vegetables, salads, seafood, BBQ and pork. Rose can also be a perfect aperitif.

Give Rose a try. The vast majority offer a very good wine value at a reasonable price (under $20 dollars).

Don’t be afraid of Rose! Until next time, cheers!

Sauternes

Sauternes

Sauternes is a French sweet wine from the Sauterne appellation in Bordeaux. Sauternes is made from Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle grapes that have been affected by Botrytis Cinerea or Noble Rot. This causes the grapes to become partially raisned, resulting in concentrated and distinctively flavored wine. More about this below! The above grapes are the only grapes permitted in Sauternes. Semillon is the dominate grape as it is thin skinned and its susceptibility to the Noble Rot. Sauvignon Blanc supplies the refreshing acidity and fruity aromas, while Muscadelle adds that exotic grapey aroma.

The Sauterne appellation is located 25 miles southeast of the city of Bordeaux along the Garonne River. The different temperatures from the Garonne River and its tributary the Ciron meet to produce a mist that descends upon the vineyards. These waterways provide the ideal microclimate in Sauterne that encourages the growth of Botrytis Cinerea.  This fungus generally forms on grapes in the fall when cool, humid mornings are followed up by warm, dry afternoons and the grapes are allowed extended time on the vine to over ripen. Botrytis changes the grape's composition by decreasing acidity levels and increasing the grape's sugar levels, resulting in shriveled, concentrated, raisin-like clusters. The production of this wine is very labor intensive as the grapes have to be handpicked by individual bunches of grapes that have been noticeability raisned or shriveled by the Noble Rot. An interesting note; a typical grape vine produces about a bottle of wine, while an average botrytis-infected vine will only yield a single glass of wine.

Sauternes are some of longest-lived wines, with premium examples from exceptional vintages properly kept having the potential to age well, even beyond 100 years. Sauternes typically starts out with a golden, yellow color that becomes progressively darker as it ages.  Sauterne wines have had a long standing reputation. In fact, Thomas Jefferson was an avid connoisseur of Chateau D’Yquem.

Sauternes are typically sold in half bottles, 375ml. Serve the wine chilled to around 50-55 degrees.  Sauternes pair with a variety of foods such as Foie Gras, which is a classic match, as well as Roquefort cheese. If those are not for you, try this with almond, apple and pear deserts. Sauternes are characterized by the balance of sweetness with the zest of acidity. Some common flavor notes include apricots, honey and peaches but with a with a unique orange marmalade aroma, which is a typically characteristic of Noble Rot.

You may be asking yourself WHY would you want to try a bottle of wine in which the grapes used to produce it where covered by this Noble Rot fungus? The wines are just outstanding! Here are two Sauternes that I would recommend: Chateau Doisy-Vedrines and Chateau Guiraud. They are under $30 depending on the vintage, compare to a bottle of Chateau D’Yquem which will cost you $250 plus depending on the vintage.

Until next time, cheers!

Wine Lingo

Have you ever been in a wine conversation, or overheard one with someone describing the wine as “this wine is complex”, “it’s full bodied”, “and high in acidity”, “tannic and it has long legs in the glass”. What the heck do all those things mean? Let’s explorer and demystify some wine lingo.
Or, you’re shopping at your favorite wine shop trying to pick out a good bottle of wine for dinner. As you cruise down the aisles, you pause to read a review taped to the shelf, and you suddenly realize you don’t understand half of what you’re reading. Well, take comfort: you’re not alone. Here are a few terms, and easy to understand definitions.

Acidity: refers to the tartness of a wine. A wine can be described as crisp or soft, depending on the amount of acidity. Usually high-acidity wines will be described as crisp, while those with low acidity are called soft. Acidity is a key element in successful food-and-wine pairing. Generally, the most food-friendly wines have moderate alcohol with a crisp acidity.

Body: wines that feel heavy and rich in your mouth are full-bodied, you may also hear the term “big” to describe these types of wines. Light wines with little to no mouth feel are light bodied. Medium-bodied wines fall in between. The amount of alcohol can also determine a wine’s richness and body, and also the intensity of flavor. Wines with low alcohol will feel light-bodied.

Complexity: refers to the aromas and flavors in a wine and how they interact with each other. The more layers of flavor and aroma, the more complex the wine and usually the higher its quality.

Finish: describes a wine’s aftertaste, be it a fruit, its acidity, or the oak, or tannins. Generally, the longer the flavor lasts after you swallow the better quality the wine.

Tannins: these come from the skins, seeds, and stems of the grapes and also from the barrels, and are usually found in red wine. Tannins can make your tongue feel fuzzy, or have that puckering effect. If so, then there is a good deal of tannins in the wine. Wines high in tannins are often described as firm or chewy, and those without a lot of tannins are called soft or supple.

Fruit-forward: wines are dominated by the flavors of fresh fruit—berries, apples, cherries, and so forth.

Jammy: wines taste of very ripe, almost overripe berries. Zinfandels are often described as “jammy”.

When you get ready to taste your wine look for the legs (or tears) as they trickle and run down the inside of a glass after you swirl it. The legs are clues to how much alcohol or residual sugar the wine contains; legs that are slow to run down the inside of the glass indicate a wine with more alcohol or residual sugar.

Those are the most common terms. I hope this demystified some of them!

Until next time, cheers!

Wine Trends 2013

Sweet wines:
Lightly sweet red wines have been gaining popularity among wine consumers. They're not labeled “sweet,” but they're basically red blends from California that have a little extra residual sugar so they appeals to Millennials who've been drinking soda and are now starting to think about wine. Most new wine drinkers have preferred the sweeter styles of wines and spritzers to the big bold reds. Sparkling pink wines and Moscato are showing up on more menus. Perhaps the song from the hip hop performers Waka Flocka Flame started singing about Moscato in their lyrics had the same influence on Moscato that Sideways had on Pinot Noir. Moscato seems destined to replace sagging white zinfandel as the wine of choice for people new to wine. Rosé is on the rise too, not White Zinfandel, but wines of fruit and acid balance from the U.S.

Digital Wine Lists:

Digital wine lists are my favorite trend of the year. Essentially it is an iPad application to be used at restaurants and provided by the restaurants.  This is my favorite new trend, not just because I am a techy, but because it’s a greener way to do business, rather than the paper wine list and reprinting cost.

The wine critics:

The Millennials are different from their elders in how they get wine recommendations – they rely on friends (both online and offline) blogs and tweets for updates on wine. America today boasts one of the most knowledgeable wine-buying populations in the world. While point-spewing critics may have helped create this knowledge base, increasingly savvy consumers are looking elsewhere for recommendations.  While Baby Boomers may reach for familiar selections, the youngest wine consumers – the Millennials – show a strong interest in wines and a curiosity to try them from many different regions or grapes. Social media continues to be an important part of the marketing mix for wine selections.

Bull market for consumption:

It may not be a bull market for much in the United States these days, but it’s a bull market for wine consumption. The year just finished may well mark the 19th consecutive 12-month period of growth in per capita consumption of wine, resulting in the U.S. becoming the largest wine market in the world. Consumers should brace themselves for rising wine prices in 2013, with wine production falling to a five-year low and producers starting to raise their prices. Consolidation is also set to be a major trend of 2013.