Rose Wine Review!

What is a summer without trying some new Rose wines?  To close out the summer season, I tried several Rose wines from different European countries, and recorded my notes below.

Vinaluz Rosado 2011 - Vino de la Tierra de Castilla, made 100% of syrah grapes in Spain.  The color was a dark pink to light red wine, and tasted strongly of red fruits.  It had a bit more sweetness than I am comfortable with in a wine.  The winemaker describes the wine as good with pasta, fish, rice, and light meals.  I would go further, and pair it will salty or spicey foods.  The vintner also describes the wine as well-balanced, but it was not dry enough for my preferences.

Domaine Fazi Ile de Beaute, 2011 Corsica, France - A beautiful salmon-colored wine that smelled of strawberry, red cherry, and honey.  While fruity, the wine was dry and lightly acidic, and so smooth.  I liked this wine a lot.  Nice light summer foods such as salmon and other fishes would go really well with this wine.  Call me crazy, but part of why I bought the wine was because of the Corsican flag's symbol that I saw on the bottle. (See left above image)



Vinya D'Irto 2011, Spain - I drank this wine on three separate days, trying to find the food, temperature, and circumstance to make it appetizing.  It mostly tasted like sugar-free cough syrup served cold, and was very tart when it warmed up a little.  The color was a light cough syrup color, and very clear.  I was disappointed in this wine. 

Alto Adige Lagrein Rosato 2011, Italy - This wine returned me to the Rose I have come to love.  It smelled of light red fruits like strawberry, and tasted the same, but was dry.  It is a wine I had to put away before drinking too much, I liked it so much!  It had a light ruby type of pink color to it.  I had this wine with spicy food, fish, and dessert.  I liked it with any summer food!

The last of my Roses, which I decided to save for next year because I can, is a Rose from Sancerre.  With the humidity gone and cool breezes accompanying our 70-something weather, my eye is on lighter reds, to explore them more than I did last winter.  Stay tuned!

Local Wine, Local Cheese

If you have ever been in Western Europe like Chianti country, then you know that a popular cuisine concept is to pair local food with local wine.  With the Hudson Valley, Finger Lakes, and Long Island wineries in New York state, Astor wines presented the first attempt at pairing local / regional wines with local /regional cheeses.  Below is what was paired, and my palate's reaction.

Eve's Cider, Van Etten, NY & Old Chatham Sheephearding Co. Camembert from Old Chatham, NY - The cider was bittersweet, made from apples that came from England, France, and the USA.  The cider was nicely dry, and the bubbles were not too big because the cider was made by the "champagne method" (curious what that is?  leave a comment).  On the nose, there was apple, pear, and tropical fruits.  I did taste apple in the cider, and noticed a fair level of acidity.  The cheese was very creamy, very good, and very rich.  In my opinion, the cider's flavor was much too subtle for the cheese.  It wasn't a bad pairing, but not spectacular either.

Dr. Konstantin Frank Dry Riesling, Finger Lakes 2011 & Nettle Meadow Kunik from Warrensburg, NY - The wine had a very light straw color with a tinge of green.  The flavor was crisp with a citrus and green apple flavor.  The Finger Lakes are a cooler climate, which  produces more acidity in the wine, and I also tasted a smooth tangy flavor.  The cheese was made from goat milk and cow cheese, and was tangy and creamy.  The joint tanginess of the pair, and the possibility of the wine's acidity cutting the creaminess of the cheese is probably what brought about this pairing.  I was not crazy about this pairing either, though.  They were okay together, but the flavors of the wine and cheese didn't pop as a result of the pairing. 

Channing Daughters "Scuttlehole" Chardonay 2010, South Fork Long Island, NY & Consider Bardwell Manchester from West Pawlet, VT - The vineyard does things the old fashioned way, hand-picking the grapes and pressing them by stomping with their feet.  The wine was a golden yellow and had a big water line, and tasted very crisp.  I tasted Pineapple, bitterness, and smelled nuttiness.  It was fruity without being sweet.  The cheese was a hard, aged goat cheese and tasted nutty.  The smell of the wine and taste of the cheese both being nutty is probably what caused the pairing, but I thought the cheese was too strong for the wine. 

Millbrook, Tocai Friuliano 2011 from Hudson River Valley, NY & Twin Maple Farms Hudson Valley Red from Ghent, NY - The wine was golden yellow with a big water line.  The grape and region gave the wine a color that is dark for how young the wine is.  On the nose it was earthy with a hint of bitterness, and a little fruity.  The wine tasted savory with a bit of peach and floral flavors.  The cheese is nutty and "beefy", and had a washed rind.  Once again I thought that the cheese was stronger than the wine, but I liked the wine, and would drink it happily with something else.

McCall Pinot Noir 2009 from North Fork, Long Island, NY & Spring Brook Tarentaise from Reading, VT - The wine was oaked in French oak, and was dark red.  It smelled of black cherry, smoky spice, and musty.  I tasted fruit, smoothness, and a hint of tannin.  The cheese was hard, using the alpine style of making cheese.  This was my favorite pairing, and 40 % of the tasters there agreed with me.  The wine alone was very popular, but what made the pairing was that the tannin in the wine was softened by the fat in the cheese.  Similarly, the cheese was easier to like because of the tannins in the wine.

Atwater Estate Vineyards Meritage 2009 from the Finger Lakes, NY & Cabot Clothbound Cheddar from Greensboro, VT - A Bordeaux style wine that is a blend and not permitted to use "Bordeaux" to describe the varietal.  When American wines decided to find a name for this varietal, there was a competition for the new name.  Someone came up with "Meritage" by combining "merit" and "heritage".  The wine is dark red but not inky or purple.  On the nose was smoke, dried fruits, spice, green pepper, and tannin.  I could also taste the tannins and dark red fruits.  If you know Cabot cheddar, then imagine how much better it is if clothbound.  It was another nice pairing.  The wine would also go with grilled and braised meats.  40 % of the tasters also liked this pairing -- again, the tannin from the wine and fat from the cheese cancelled each other out.

Next, I am preparing a Rose wine review!

Long Island Wines!

Everyone knows about the Finger Lake wines, but not so many people know that the North Fork part of Long Island has a number of wineries.  One Saturday I took a wine bus tour that took me to three wineries.  Below are some tasting notes from the wineries.

Pugilese Vineyards

2007 Sparkling Merlot - I thought this wine was okay.  It wasn't juicy and had a lot of tannin, which isn't what I normally expect from a sparkling red wine.  When I want a sparkling red, I'd be much more inclined to buy an Australian sparkling Shiraz!

2011 Pinot Grigio - I haven't tasted much Pinot Grigio this summer, and this wine reminded me of that.  The vintner describes the wine as flavored with honey, apricot, and vanilla.  If this sounds sweet and fruity, it is.  It was not cloying, though, and I bought a bottle to take home.

2007 Cabernet Franc - The vintner describes this wine as softer than Cabernet Sauvignon, with flavors of black cherry.  I tasted deep, dark juices and tannin.  Because of the tannin, this wine would taste best with a a meat or stew dish -- the fats of the meat and tannins of the wine would cancel each other out.  A good pairing!

2009 Late Harvest Gewurtzraminer - Listed as a dessert wine, it was very sweet.  As a person who doesn't like too much of one flavor, I would not drink a wine this sweet while eating dessert.  I would much rather drink this wine with something spicy, but I wouldn't buy this wine anyway.  I really don't like sweet wines.

Duck Walk Vineyards

2011 Sauvignon Blanc - This wine got a gold medal, and with so many to choose from, I wanted to taste a winner!  This wine had an earthy smell and light grapefruits notes.  Of all the whites I've tasted, Sauvignon Blanc seems to be a chameleon ... tasting different every time.  This wine was okay, but I didn't buy it.

Windmill Blush NV - Obviously a Rose wine, this wine didn't have much of a scent, except perhaps a hint of honey.  It is an incredibly fruity wine, not cloying, but still not dry enough for me.

2009 Pinot Meunier - I really enjoyed this wine, and bought a bottle to take home.  The grape is originally from the Champagne region and no one else on the east coast makes this varietal.  I smelled strawberry from this wine, and tasted light spice and tannin. 

2009 Pinot Noir - I am not normally a Pinot Noir fan, but this wine was in their reserve collection, so I was hoping to be pleased.  I smelled spice and earth with red fruits and tasted tannin and pepper in the wine.  The tannin in the wine would pair well with the fats of duck breast or aged hard cheese.  I did not like this Pinot Noir enough to buy it, but I didn't blame the vintner.  I only like one in ten Pinot Noir wines that I taste!

Baiting Hollow Farm

We didn't receive sheets that describe the wines.  Instead, we were told to try the White Satin and Red Velvet blends.  White Satin was made primarily from Merlot but the grapes were pressed without the skins so the wine is white.  Red Velvet is a red wine varietal.  Because these were the "house specialties", and unique to the vineyard, I tasted both.  I liked them and took them home, but was unable to take tasting notes.

Iberian Wines - Spain Beyond Rioja!

Plenty of people know the Tempranillo-based red wines from Rioja, but how many people gave other Spanish wines a chance?  I'm here to tell you about 4 wines from Iberia.

Trabanco "Poma Aura" Sidra 2007 from Asturias - this is not really a wine, but a cider.  Made in northern Spain, the bubbles were created using the traditional (Champagne) style.  [Wondering what that style is? Leave me a comment!]  This cider is low in alcohol, and a blend of apples is used, including crab apple.  The cider was cloudy and had a straw color, and the bubbles were small.  It smelled of honey suckle and apple.  It is a dry cider, with only a touch of honey sweetness and a lilac-tasting finish, with yeasty and mineral tastes in the background.  As you might guess, this cider pairs well with pork loin and apple sauce or pork with sauteed onions.

 Xarmant Arabako Txakolina 2011 from Basque Country - I know, it looks hard to pronounce, doesn't it?  The first word is like the French "charmant" and the last word is pronounced like "tchokolina."  It is a white wine made of different grapes, fermented in steel  and bottled with a tiny bit of carbonation.  The color of this white was a cloudy very light straw, and it had a funky, earthy smell followed by stone fruit and citrus.  Stone fruit means light summer fruits with a big pit like peach and apricot.  The taste was tart, mineral, and salty.  It is another low-alcohol beverage and does not have strong notes (flavors).  It would pair best with oysters or clams, something fresh and light-flavored enough to match the wine.


Vinya D'irto Terra Alta Rosado 2011 from Catalunya - Catalunya is in the Northeast part of Spain, near the French border.  It is made of Grenache grapes that are known as "hairy Grenache" because the grapes' leaves grow with fuzz on them.  The wine smells of strawberry, cherry, and yeast, and tastes like it smells, but is dry.  It has medium body and is acidic.  Some people tasted a bitter finish, but I really liked this rose.  It pairs well with brie, BBQ, and other rich and fatty foods.


Bodegas Ponce "Buena Pinta" Sidra 2009 from Castile-La Manca - from mid-Eastern Spain, this wine comes from one of the only vintners in the region using local grapes.  It is a very dark red to purple wine, and smells of petroleum, acid, and currant.  The wine has a lot of tannin, and is spicy with deep juices, smoke, and anise.  Definitely a wine to drink with food, it would pair well with steak au poivre.  It probably is also better consumed on the second to fourth days after opening, to allow air time to calm down the wine.  Note: this vintner also still uses his feet to press the wine!  A real traditionalist, and only in his 20s. ;-)

Next up: Long Island wines!

White Wine Surprise: A Rare Italian

You might have figured out by now that I experiment with wines.  It is the only way for me to find new wines so that I really know what's out there.  In one of those ways that I surprise myself, I am pleased to inform you about is Bruno Pasquero Roero Arneis 2009 from Alba, Italy.  Alba is in Italy's northern region, and the wine is made from an usual grape known as the Arneis.  So the secret of this wine is that if you know the village name (Roero), the language (Italian), and all the grapes from obscure parts of Europe (Arneis) then you know what to expect.
But maybe you don't right?  That's why I'm here!
This wine is a real treat.  On the nose, you smell how it tastes.  For me, it balances pink grapefruit with peach and is rounded out with a light floral background.  It is wonderful!
Alas, there is none of the 2009 vintage left anywhere except for maybe 5th Avenue of Park Slope.  You can look around for any year after that though.

More articles to come soon!

Unusual White Wines from Around the World

Roncho di Cialli Colli Orientali Del Friuli  2010, Italy - Made from an unusual grape, Ribolla Gialla, the wine is dry, but not as citrusy as the Chardonnays that we get most of the time these days.  Did you know?  When Americans first liked white wines, we imported Chardonnays, sparkling whites, some Sauvignon Blanc wines, and then sweet white wines like Riesling ... and never explored beyond that.  Well I am quickly getting tired of the same old citrus Chardonnay, and I don't like sweet wines.  So this Italian white is a nice, different break from all those wines.  It has the same citrus smell, but the flavor is more floral with a hint of fruit and some citrus.  It has the right complex combination of flavors to suit my palate.  Unlike some simpler white wines, this white wine could be eaten with some heaver fish like salmon, but also with turkey.

Famega Vinho Verde NV, Portugal - Seeking an escape from the citrus of Chardonnay (the oaking trend is over, if you hadn't noticed), I tried this blend of white varietals that the Portugese call simply "white".  On the nose, there are hints of pear and citrus.  On the tongue, it is a very light wine, I tasted citrus but also a floral flavor to balance the citrus.  It was missing the complexity I get from other floral white wines, but I didn't mind so much.  For those thinking about pairing, I'd recommend simple pasta or white fish dishes, but nothing extremely flavorful.  It might be a nice wine to have also with a lemon popsicle or sorbet.  Note: if you think the word "verde" in the name means green, you are correct -- it is referring to picking the grapes when they're not very ripe ... not the wine color!

Les Gras Moutons 2010 -  a  Muscadet made of Melon de Bourgogne grapes from the Loire Valley, I was continuing my exploration of white wines that are not Chardonnay.  Intrigued by the notation that the wine was bottled by the wine maker, the new varietal, and that the wine fermented on the lees (yeast from the wine making process), I tried this wine hoping for flavor.  There was nothing wrong with this wine, but it didn't compare with a Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre that I really love.  Note: Interested in my favorite Sauvignon Blanc?  Leave a comment to this blog to ask for its name!

Le Poisson 2009, Tunisia -  Tasting this wine started as a little bit of a joke for me, because wines don't normally put the food pairing on the label like this.  It is a blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, and the label has a big fish head on it.  In small print, it says "eat fish".  Once I tasted this wine, however, I thought it less of a joke.  In the summer, I probably wouldn't eat it with most fish, because this wine was both tart and fruity, I tasted melon and mild citrus flavor in it.  A lot of fish prepared in the summer have a milder flavor than this wine.  Salmon might survive this wine.  For those of you who have tasted whites and feel somewhat particular, I would say that this wine is not heavy on the oak flavor, nor is it heavy on citrus.  It has more flavor than many Sauvignon Blanc, but does not taste like any Chardonnay I've had either.  If you're not too particular, you might like it.

Special Edition: Pennsylvania Wines!

This month, I was in Pennsylvania for a while, and visited some Lake Erie area wineries.  If you thought that the Finger Lakes and California were the only national wine regions, you have another thing coming!
In New York City, we have Long Island wines, and Virginia produces its own wines.  Lakes provide a great terroire for growing grapes, so it should not surprise you that the Lake Erie region of Pennsylvania produces wine as well.  In that region, I tasted varietals that were new, or something familiar with a new style, which was a great change.
Some of the highlights are below!

Lakeview Wine Cellars Seyval Blanc 2012 - this white had a grassy smell and an earthy taste.  I was not crazy about it, but my friends liked it and we drank it with cheese and fruit, and it paired well with those foods.  The vintners recommended making white sangria with this wine.

Lakeview Wine Cellars Dry Riesling 2012 - not sweet, this white wine is crisp, clean and dry with light citrus on the nose and notes.  I bought this wine to take home.

Presque Isle Viognier NV - this white wine had a light fruit scent and the flavor was balanced between floral and sweet with a touch of tart, which was nice.

Presque Isle Falling Waters 2010 - this white wine was a sparkling white that smelled of apples and was sweet and tart to taste.  I generally preferdrier sparkling wines, but one of my friends liked this wine.


Arrowhead Reflections of Lake Erie 2012 - a blend of Vidal and Chardonnay, this white wine was fruity and floral on the nose, and tasted spicy and citrusy at the same time.  Assuming the Chardonnay provided the citrus, the Vidal intrigues me ... I'd like to taste more of that grape.

Arrowhead Buffalo Blush 2012 - I was a little put-off by the words "white Zinfandel style", but found this wine intriguing.  I smelled flowers and funk in the wine, but tasted rosewater!  Perhaps explaining the novelty, this wine was made of grapes I never tasted before - Buffalo and Steuben.

The wines were perhaps not as complex as a California wine, but there are times when we don't want that -- particularly in the summer!  We all had a good time sampling the wines of Lake Erie, Pennsylvania, and we all bought some wines from these wineries; and for less money than a California wine, too!