The landscape along the Lake Ontario shoreline-hugging roadway that stretches eastward to Orleans County – Route 18 – pretty much becomes desolate once you pass Olcott. And it only seems more desolate at four in the morning on the coldest day of the winter. Lyndonville’s distance from the center of the Niagara Wine Trail keeps me from making this journey as often as I’d like to, but on this morning there was no hesitation – it was Leonard Oakes Estate Winery’s annual ice wine harvest.

As I made my way through an apple orchard to the first few rows of grapevines in the dark of night, there wasn’t much that would indicate that this was one of the most important days of the year for winemaker Jonathan Oakes, who had been waiting for this day since bud break.

“I don’t feel relaxed until these grapes are off and we’re in with a long enough window to press it out and work with it,” said Oakes.

It was only after hearing the low rumbling tractor noise and following the faint glimmer of headlights at the opposite end of the pitch-black vineyard that I found the winemaker surrounded by a few winery staff and an army of volunteers.

“Can you see the look of relief in my face?” asked Oakes.

While many wineries have already celebrated the end of harvest with toasts and parties, a few Niagara region wineries don’t consider the season to be over until their vats are full of ultra-sweet vidal blanc juice.

With this winter’s unusually mild temperatures, the thought of a normal ice wine harvest seemed like wishful thinking. Yet Oakes reassured me that the weather window we were in was perfect, even going as far as to state that this was the easiest winter harvest for the winery since they started. The lack of snow accumulation in the vineyard made getting the tractors, equipment and people in easier and the huge amount of support they received from volunteers enabled them to get the grapes off the vine in record time.

“During the last couple of harvests, the idea of ice wine was new to our area and it was difficult to recruit people that would be willing to get out there and help,” said Oakes. This year things were different. “All the recent accolades and buzz about our ice wine has really helped to secure people that want to come out and participate,” he said.

It’s this excitement and interest, combined with the fact that the Niagara region has already proven it can consistently produce some of the world’s best ice wine, that leads Oakes to believe that the industry has a strong future in his backyard. 

“I look at the amount of plantable acres we have left, with a grape variety like vidal that can grow in a little more severe conditions, and I think there’s just unlimited potential in our area,” said Oakes.

Even in mild winters like this one. Mother Nature ends up delivering what local winemakers need. And while Niagara is certainly not the only region to produce this style of wine, it does benefit from the success of Ontario’s ice wine industry. Niagara USA needs only to look at their example across the river on how to distinguish itself from the rest.

“It’s going to rely heavily on who jumps out and makes a distinct claim as to what is what our region can be known for,” said Oakes.

Regional branding aside, it’s in the post-harvest moment where I’m standing around with the rest of the crew warming up appropriately enough with a glass of Canadian whisky celebrating an end to a frigid end of the season harvest where I get a feeling of how special ice wine is to have gotten so many people to brave the elements just to take part in its production.

As daylight broke leaving Lyndonville, my journey back home was not as isolated as the trip there. I noticed a few carloads of vineyard workers following me back to Burt, NY where Schulze Vineyards & Winery had just begun their own harvest.

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

Because of my interest in New York and other northeast wines, I've tasted a great many red hybrids over the years, but never Leon Millot.

In fact, I had never even heard of Leon Millot learning that Keuka Lake Vineyards on Keuka Lake in the Finger Lakes has a bit of a cult following for its rendition. I have yet to taste that wine, but was able to get my hands on a bottle from Altamont Vineyards & Winery in Altamont, NY -- which happens to just be 15 miles or so from my where my wife's family lives. I hope to visit in the spring sometime.

Not knowing much about the grape, I did a little online research and found this on Wikipedia:

"Léon Millot is a red variety of hybrid grape used for wine.^[1] It was created in 1911 in the Oberlin Institute in Colmar, Alsace, by the French viticulturist Eugène Kuhlmann (1858–1932) by crossing the hybrid grape Millardet et Grasset 101-14 O.P. (which is Vitis riparia × Vitis rupestris^[2]) with Goldriesling, which is Vitis vinifera. The variety was named after the winemaker and tree nusery owner Léon Millot.

Léon Millot ripens early, and has high resistance against fungal diseases. It is therefore suited for cultivation in colder climates. It gives powerful wine with some foxy aromas."

If you're a fan of of Leon Millot and are expecting "powerful" and "foxy" you may be let down by Altamont Vineyard & Winery 2008 Leon Millot Reserve ($17). I didn't find it to be either.

The nose isn't particularly effusive, but features black cherry and currant fruit with hints of woodsy spice, camphor, and coffee.

Fresh, bouncy acidity provides structure on a low-tanning palate that delivers a serious dose of oak -- coming through mostly as chocolate and chicory coffee -- over top of black cherry flavors. The mid-palate is a little dilute and the finish is a bit short with a mothball quality that I didn't love.

Producer: Altamont Vineyard &Winery
AVA: New York
ABV: 11.5%  
Price: $17

(2 out of 5 | Average)

(Ratings Guide)

I'm happy to see that the NYCR selections for Finger Lakes red wines of the year have generated a fair amount of feedback and debate. There have been many questions: Why no cabernet franc? How come every wine is made from a different grape? 

Keep in mind that for a wine to be eligible, it has to have been released in 2011. Many of the red wines released in 2011 came from the uneven 2009 vintage. The glorious 2009 September produced strong conditions for Finger Lakes pinot noir, but otherwise, it was a down vintage for reds. Some of the wines released in 2011 were from 2008, a solid-if-not-spectacular vintage. Very few of the 2010s have been released yet. If the vintage conditions and barrel tastings are any indication, they will be very good.

Cabernet franc fans, no worries: I expect that variety will be back in force in future years. But this lineup makes a statement, which is this:

Continued exploration and experimentation with red grape varieties in the Finger Lakes should be welcomed and celebrated.

Unlike riesling, the clear viticultural star of the region, there is no clear dominant red variety. That does not mean that red varieties can't thrive. In fact, it means that with some hard work and inquiry, a range of red varieties can make impressive wines. Each wine on the list comes with further confirmation of this idea.

Red Tail Ridge Winery 2009 Teroldego

I confess that, having tasted the bottled 2009 and the still-in-barrel 2010, I am even more excited about the newer vintage. But that should not prevent anyone from checking out this wine.

Winemaker Nancy Irelan has a long background in research, and without divulging the secrets she's trying to keep under wraps in her lab, it's fair to say that she has even more ideas for cool-climate red grapes. Teroldgeo was one of her first experiments. It is paying off.

The first vintage of teroldego came in 2008, and Irelan took the grapes from those young vines and turned them into an unusual red sparkler. That rapidly gained a following, but I'm glad that Irelan has not diverted from her plan of making a still teroldego. The grape provides nice acidity but also a backbone of chewy tannins. The flavors are unusual, and it's already showing signs of complexity.

Teroldego is grown primarily in northeastern Italy. Want to get really geeky? It's also grown in parts of California, where it's occasionally compared to zinfandel. That's probably because there is an inherent spice to the grape, which is related to the dureza grape, the father of syrah.

See, don't you want to see what else Irelan will try?

Rooster Hill Vineyards 2008 Reserve Lemberger

This grape variety continues its slow but steady accumulation of fans in the Finger Lakes. You say lemberger, I say blaufrankisch, but whatever: Rooster Hill has turned out a very nice version. 

Some winemakers are choosing to blend lemberger with cabernet franc, aiming for a complex blend of flavors and aromatics. I understand that, but I also enjoy seeing what blaufrankisch can do as a varietal. 

In normal-to-ripe vintages, lemberger can produce structured reds with spicy and dark flavors. (Hosmer winemaker Aaron Roisen sees lemberger's future as more akin to the softer pinot noirs of the world, but he's the regional exception.) 

The first time I tasted this wine with Rooster HIll owner Amy Hoffman, she was obviously excited about it. And yet she patiently waited to bring it to market, confident that the wine's makeup will allow a long life. I think she made the right call. Is there too much oak? For me, no. But watch for the oak influence in other lembergers or blaufrankisches, which can be sensitive to wood.

McGregor Vineyard 2007 Black Russian Red 30-Month Barrel Reserve

Saperavi and Sereksiya Charni. Those two grapes alone make this wine interesting. 

Here's a wine with a celebrated history, an intensely devoted following, and yet owner John McGregor decided to do something he'd never done before: He held half the vintage back, keeping it in barrel for a full year longer than most vintages. 

What's the result? Thanks to a powerhouse vintage, the wine stands up very well. I go back and forth on the need to decant wines - and for how long - but certainly I would not hesitate to give this wine some air before drinking it.

It's unique, and it has the structure to age with grace. The McGregor family proves it with annual verticals and library tastings. This is one of the most expensive wines in the Finger Lakes, and yet it has no trouble selling. 

Billsboro Winery 2010 Syrah

Syrah is occasionally misunderstood as a warm-climate variety. Its history shows a grape highly adaptable to its climate; it can produce some big, powerful wines in California, and its sweet spot in Cote-Rotie is much cooler. Neither of those regions is as cool as the Finger Lakes, but a group of winemakers is giving this variety an extended shot to succeed.

No one knew the success would come so soon. Damiani is understandably proud of their version, as are a handful of others, including Lucas and Red Newt Cellars. But the Billsboro version is the most intriguing yet.

We should have seen it coming. Syrah needs time to ripen, and 2009 simply didn't provide the growing season that a winemaker wants. And yet Vinny Aliperti's '09 Syrah was relatively prodigious. He couldn't explain it, other than to credit the Seneca Lake growers: Sawmill Creek Vineyards, where Billsboro sources its fruit.

So if he could produce that kind of syrah in 2009, it's not a surprise that 2010 finds a truly broad-shouldered, layered version that could attract the admiration of syrah lovers. Our own Mark Grimaldi was floored by this wine. And if you know Mark, you know that he has very tough standards. 

Ravines Wine Cellars 2009 Pinot Noir

By now, we know that the Finger Lakes is capable of outstanding pinot noir. We also know that this is not easily achieved, and is being produced by only a small group of wineries.

Winemaker Morten Hallgren drinks a lot of Burgundy and has a deep appreciation for the cool-climate style for this grape. That does not mean he's trying to recreate France in the Finger Lakes. That does mean, however, that he's aiming for elegance. 

The 2005 Ravines Pinot Noir is one of the great examples of what the region is capable of. Hallgren expects the 2009 to stand alongside it. I think that's possible.

My Finger Lakes-focused colleague Evan Dawson and I sometimes lament what sometimes happens to Finger Lakes riesling when it's fermented dry. Depending on the fruit and the winemaker, the wines can become shrill, hollow and overly austere. Casually, we refer to them as "lemon water riesling."

That's not a compliment.

It seems though that dry rieslings from longer and/or warmer growing seasons -- like the long 2010 one -- tend to avoid this problem more often.  

Billsboro Winery 2010 Dry Riesling ($16) is an fine example of that. Made from fruit grown at Sawmill Creek Vineyards, it has expressive, pretty aromas of river rock, lime and citrus blossom.

Driven by minerally, rocky flavors, the lithe body also delivers lime, kumquat and grapefruit citrus character with a bit of green apple. Staying just this side of austere, its dry (.3% rs) with a focusing beam of acidity and a medium-long, mouth-watering finish that shows hints of flint.

Producer: Billsboro Winery
AVA: Finger Lakes
ABV: 11.5%  
RS: .3%
Production: 175 cases
Price: $16*

(3.5 out of 5 | Very Good, Recommended to Outstanding and Delicious, Highly Recommended)

(Ratings Guide)

Artisanal cheese has made its way to the forefront of the local food movement. Farmstead cheesemakers elevate the milk from their farms, and the rock star cheesemonger expounds upon the history, the background, and unique qualities of that particular cheese. So what is the best way to accomplish this? 

Specialty cheese shops are all over New York City and surrounding areas to bring a piece of the farm to your table, but is that enough to distinguish one shop from another? If the quality of the product is essentially the same across the board, and the level of care is (in a good shop) similar as well, then what sets one shop apart from another?

C’est Cheese in Port Jefferson, NY taking a unique approach that may prove to establish itself as a destination point for cheese lovers out on Long Island. 

Walking in, the cheese counter is at the front of the store off to the right. The cheese looks well cared for, offering a variety of milks and styles from across the globe. On my recent visit, the American section was pretty limited in comparison to the rest of the case. I hope that they expand their selection to incorporate some of the great American-made cheeses that are made not only in the Northeast, but the rest of the country.

In looking at the rest of the place in comparison to the cheese case, I can see that the focus goes well beyond a simple retail cut-and-wrap shop.

Want to come in to taste and buy some cheese to take home? Perfect. They have cheesemongers there ready to serve, offer suggestions, and answer your cheese-related questions. 

Curious about cheese and beverage pairings? C’est Cheese has several taps with local beer, as well as wine available. Have them pull a pint for you, or pour a glass, and enjoy it with your custom created cheese plate.

The best way to describe this place is to classify it as a “Cheese Tavern.”

I really like the focus of C’est Cheese. There are a variety of ways to highlight the diverse qualities of cheese, and lovers of cheese have a chance to explore this from a variety of angles. Whether through beverage pairings, incorporated into a dish, or straight from the case, this shop in Port Jefferson is on the right track. I look forward to visiting again in a few months to see how this shop is fully realized.

Over a relatively short period of time, Heart & Hands Wine Company has almost become synonymous with New York pinot noir. There are other wineries making good versions of course, but on a consistent basis, there isn't a producer I can recommend more for pinot.

Co-owner and winemaker Tom Higgins carefully sources fruit from dependable growers and his passion for the grape manifests itself in meticulous cellar work.

Heart & Hands Wine Company 2009 Pinot Noir ($20) -- which is closed under Vino-Seal by the way -- offers aromas of red cherries and cranberries sprinkled with brown spice, star anise and a bit of black pepper.

Light bodied -- there isn't any syrah in this pinot -- the palate is juicy with red fruit flavors and layers of toasty oak, spice and tea leaf. Fresh acidity and well-incorporate, soft tannins bring structure and lengthen the finish.

Producer: Heart & Hands Wine Company
AVA: Finger Lakes
ABV: 12.6%  
Price: $20

(3.5 out of 5 | Very Good, Recommended to Outstanding and Delicious, Highly Recommended)

(Ratings Guide)

When you visit a winery's website, you're probably there for one simple reason. Either you want tasting room hours or the wine list or the winemaker's story. But whatever it is, you want it quickly and easily.

And too often, it's not easy enough to find what you're seeking. On top of that, the websites look clunky and amateurish. This is a generalization, of course. Some websites are excellent. Too many are not.

But don't take it from me. Here's an email I received this week from a reader of my book, Summer in a Glass. This reader lives several states away.

I've re-printed the email in full, and I welcome your thoughts on what makes for a high-quality and low-quality website.

*****

Hi Mr Dawson,

First of all, thank you for writing this book. Though we currently live in Wisconsin, my wife and I are physicians originally from upstate NY. We've recently decided to move back to CNY (Canandaigua) to start our own adventure, and this book has made us proud and excited to move back!  

Like many, my wife and I made the rounds on various wineries websites after reading your book, and I wanted to comment on something I bet you've noticed, and could help with! 

Many of the websites are, well, a bit difficult to navigate. Like the vintners you describe, the websites are not flamboyant or ostentatious. That's fine as a character trait, but perhaps not so good for marketing. Specifically, we noticed that many photos are casual (amateur?), and don't do justice to the scenery or the establishment. I left some websites with an overall impression that I can't get engaged with the wine or the winery.  

That's frustrating, and I'm sure a ton of folks are visiting those sites after or as they read your book, and I bet many others left the sites feeling a bit disappointed. For instance, if I decided to plan a trip to the Finger Lakes, I'd hit these websites hard to get organized. So in that scenario, I think the website design could become sort of crucial for the wineries, right? 

We thought Weimer's website was really good. The designer looks like he's a computer science grad from Cornell (my alma mater). I was thinking that between your wife working as a professional photographer and perhaps with your mutual contacts in the web design/photography business, you could help link some of the wineries with eager folks to help improve the websites. I don't know,  I'm sure these wineries will do very well thanks to your book, but I felt compelled to contact you anyway!  

You've almost single-handedly changed our opinion of CNY with this book....
THANK YOU!

Sincerely,

(Name withheld - I've asked the author for permission to publish their name.)

Color matters in the beer world. It's a disappointing truth, but some people make snap judgments about, and shy away from, some styles just because of the color of the brew. It's ironic because of the inherent self-deprivation; tragic because some drinkers who turn up their nose at all liquids not obsidian black would miss out on as wonderul a beer as Naked Dove Brewing Company Helles.

Helles is the iconic golden lager style of Munich. It's the rejuvenator you get a liter of when you drag your jet-lagged tourist butt into the Hofbräuhaus. It's proof that a beer's hue isn't always an indicator of character, body or flavor.

The Helles offered by Canandaigua, New York's Naked Dove Brewing Company indicates a deep grounding in Bavarian brewing tradition. You get that in the first whiff. The aroma hints at freshly baked bread and green hay.  Although strikingly pale (more so than any German example) the beer is a river of alluring grain sweetness and clear finish, both hearty and refreshing, with a slight viscosity that gives it heft on the tongue. This is the kind of beer that supports the old cliché about 'liquid bread.'

In that sense, Naked Dove Helles is a great beer for the other extreme of color-shyness. It looks like a refreshing golden beer, so it's perfect for introducing the beer-averse to something more interesting and present than the big-box stuff. 

Naked Dove Helles is a limited release, so please, cling tightly to your prejudices of beer color. That way there will be more available for me. 

Producer: Naked Dove Brewing Company 
Style: Helles 
Stemware: Straight 16oz pint
ABV: 5.5% 
Price: $5.00

(4.5 out of 5 | Outstanding and Delicious, Highly Recommended to Extraordinary, Can't Recommend it More)

(*Ratings Guide)

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

This is the third year of our New York Cork Report "Wines of the Year" program and over the past several weeks, my colleagues Bryan Calandrelli and Evan Dawson, and I have been tasting, re-tasting and re-re-tasting dozens of wines to , narrow and hone our lists of finalists 2011 Wines of the Year.

We don't pretend that we've tasted every single wine released during the 2011 calendar year, but we feel that we've tasted a more-than-representative sampling from each region. Each of these finalists was hand-picked by the regional editor for each region -- Evan Dawson (Finger Lakes), Bryan Calandrelli (Niagara) and myself (Long Island and Hudson River Region) -- and will be blind tasted by most of the  NYCR team in mid-February to determine the winners. While the team will attend and take part in the tasting, only wine editors will vote.

You will notice some variations in terms of categories and wines per category. Those decisions are left up to the regional editors.

Finger Lakes Region

Red Wines
Billsboro Winery 2010 Syrah
McGregor Vineyard 2007 30-Month Barrel Black Russian Red
Ravines Wine Cellars 2009 Pinot Noir
Red Tail Ridge Winery 2009 Teroldego
Rooster Hill Vineyards 2008 Lemberger Reserve

Riesling Wines
Anthony Road Wine Company 2009 Art Series Riesling
Bloomer Creek Vineyard 2010 uten Vineyard First Harves Dry Riesling
Hermann J. Wiemer 2010 Dry Riesling Reserve
Keuka Lake Vineyards 2010 Semi-Dry Riesling
Tierce 2009 Riesling
Standing Stone Vineyards 2010 Riesling

Sparkling Wines
Chateau Frank 2006 Blanc de Noir
Hermann J. Wiemer 2006 Blanc de Noir
 

Dessert Wines
Atwater Estate Vineyards 2010 Celsius
Ravines Wine Cellars 2007 Appasionata
Standing Stone 2010 Riesling Ice

Hudson River Valley Region

Red Wines
Hudson-Chatham Winery 2010 Casscles Vineyard Reserve Baco Noir
Oak Summit Vineyard 2010 Pinot Noir
Tousey Winery 2010 Cabernet Franc

White Wines
Hudson-Chatham Winery 2010 Estate Seyval Blanc
Millbrook Vineyards 2010 Tocai Friulano
Oak Summit 2010 Chardonnay

Long Island Region

Merlot Wines
Clovis Point 2007 Vintner's Reserve Merlot
Grapes of Roth 2005 Merlot
Lenz Winery 2007 Estate Merlot
Paumanok Vineyards 2007 Merlot
Wolffer Estate Vineyards 2007 Christian's Cuvee Merlot

Non-Merlot Red Wines
Jamesport Vineyards 2007 Sidor Reserve Syrah
Leo Family 2007 Red
Peconic Bay Winery 2007 Lowerre Family Estate
Roanoke Vineyards 2007 Blend 2
Roanoke Vineyards 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

White Wines
Bedell Cellars 2010 Viognier
Channing Daughters Winery 2010 Mudd Vineyard West Sauvignon Blanc
Grapes of Roth 2009 Riesling
Palmer Vineyards 2010 Sauvignon Blanc
Paumanok Vineyards 2010 Sauvignon Blanc

Sparkling Wines
Bedell Cellars 2007 Blanc de Blancs
Lenz Winery 1999 Cuvee RD
Lenz Winery 2005 Cuvee
Sparkling Pointe 2001 Brut Seduction
Sparkling Pointe 2007 Brut

Dessert Wines
Jamesport Vineyards 2010 Late Harvest Riesling
Grapes of Roth 2009 Noble Roth Late Harvest Riesling
Paumanok Vineyards 2010 Late Harvest Riesling
Shinn Estate Vineyards 2009 Veil
Wolffer Estate Vineyards 2009 Laica

Niagara Region

Reds Wines
Arrowhead Spring Vineyards 2010 Pinot Noir
Arrowhead Spring 2010 Estate Syrah
Eveningside Vineyards 2009 Cabernet Franc
Freedom Run Winery 2010 Reserve Pinot Noir
Long Cliff Winery 2010 Pinot Noir

White Wines
Arrowhead Spring 2009 Reserve Chardonnay
Eveningside Vineyards 2010 Reserve Chardonnay
Freedom Run Winery 2010 Estate Chardonnay
Leonard Oakes 2010 Reserve Riesling
Schulze Vineyards 2010 Vidal Blanc 

Congratulations to all of the finalists. Keep an eye on this site for more information and results in a few weeks.

Sparkling riesling isn't new in the Finger Lakes. A handful of wineries have been making it for years and a couple years ago, one even won the Governor's Cup.

Last fall, Atwater Estate Vineyards became the latest winery to make sparkling riesling, adding Riesling Bubble to its portfolio. Off-dry and force-carbonated, it also features modern packaging that definitely stands out on a store shelf (my picture doesn't do it justice) and is closed  with a crown cap rather than a cork.

A fruity nose shows ripe peach, candied green apple and hints of mint syrup. Soft carbonation and crisp acidity make this fun, fruity sparkler seem almost dry. Short on the finish.

Producer: Atwater Estate Vineyards
AVA: Finger Lakes
ABV: 11%
Harvest Brix: 19.6
Residual Sugar: 2%
TA: 8.5 g/L
pH: 2.94
Price: $16*

(2.5 out of 5, Average-to-Very good/Recommended)

(*Ratings Guide)