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Thursday, February 7, 2019
Monday, May 8, 2017
NEW YORK STATE OF
WINE
Back in the
70’s, Billy Joel wrote about being in a New York State of Mind. Had he written
the song today, he might have changed his tune. New York may be the wine
capital of the Eastern United States but it doesn’t get the same respect as its
western counterparts, California, Washington, and Oregon. New York actually has
the oldest operating winery in the country. So how is it that the state fell
behind the west coast in quality and prestige? The answer seems to lie in the
type of wines the state produced early on.
Vitis, or
grapevines, is a genus of around 60 accepted species of vining plants. The most
famous and important of these is Vitis Vinifera, which is native to Europe.
Among the many varieties of this species are the most well-known grapes which
are used to make the majority of the wine we drink. Instead of these grapes,
New York’s early focus was on Vitis Lambrsca, which included sweeter, lesser
quality grape varieties such as Concord and Catawba. In the late 1950’s, Dr.
Konstantin Frank began experimenting with European vinifera grape
stocks in the Finger Lakes, thus changing the course of the NY wine
industry.
Dr. Frank
was a European immigrant who arrived in the U.S. with family in 1951. He was a
professor of plant science and held a PhD in viticulture and eventually ended
up taking a position at Cornell University’s Geneva Experiment station. It was
there he came to the conclusion that it was the lack of proper rootstock and
not the cold climate that had caused the failure of Vitis Vinifera vines in the
Finger Lakes. He eventually found an ally in French Champagne maker Charles
Fournier of Gold Seal Vineyards, who began producing the first European
varieties in the Northeast. During the 70’s, even though the majority of wines
were still coming from Concord and similar varietals, a handful of producers
began producing fine wines, starting a shift toward the noble European
varieties.
Another huge
shift came in 1976 when the New York Farm Winery Act was passed, which allowed
the small winemakers that used New York grown grapes to sell their wine directly
to consumers rather than through wholesalers. This legislation helped kickstart
the industry. At the time, there were 19 wineries statewide. Today there are
more than 400.
The New York
wine industry is still young and continually evolving as winemakers continue to
learn, discover, experiment and take risks. Will New York wines ever take their
place alongside the great regions? For a bit of perspective, the first official
vineyard in Napa Valley was planted in 1859, but it wasn’t until the Judgment
of Paris, where two California wines beat the highly regarded Bordeaux wines in
a blind taste test, that the reputation of the region was cemented. That took
place in May 1976, the same year New York passed the Farm Winery Act.
Coincidence? Maybe, or possibly they realized a sea change was about to take
place in the domestic wine industry.
We sample enough
good quality New York wine that it’s a challenge to choose which ones to share
with our customers. We’ve cultivated a section we believe offers a diverse
selection of what the state has to offer. For those who would like to learn
more about the producers, or better yet, pay them a visit (it’s much cheaper
than a trip to Napa or Bordeaux) below are links to their websites. Support local wine!!!
From Long
Island
Shinn Winery works
biodynamically, practices sustainable farming, gets energy from solar and wind
power and utilizes holistic farming techniques. And if that wasn’t enough, they
voluntarily include ingredients on their bottles.
http://shinnestatevineyards.com/vineyard/vineyard-history
Shinn
Coalescence 2016 $14.99
A
fresh and juicy white made from Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Riesling.
Shinn
Estate Vineyards Red NV $14.99
A
smooth quaffable red blend made from Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah.
The Osprey Dominion brand
started in 2010 and they have quickly established themselves as a producer of
award winning wines.
Osprey
Dominion Merlot 2012 $16.99
Medium
body, striking just the right balance of fruit, oak and tannin. Includes 16%
Cabernet Franc and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon.
A father and son collaboration
which began in 1986, Jamesport Vineyards is now a three-generation winery.
Their winemaking approach is to interfere with nature as little as possible.
Their wines can be found at many top restaurants throughout Long Island and
Manhattan.
Jamesport Estate Sauvignon Blanc
2015 $17.99
Aromatic with rich tropical flavor and
citrus.
Another family winery, Paumanok was founded in 1983 by Ursula
and Charles Massoud and their three sons. They strive to produce wines in the
“Old World” style.
Paumanok Chenin Blanc 2015 $25.99
Dry and crisp with pineapple, apple
and a hint of grapefruit.
Lieb Cellars is a small production, Estate Grown Winery whose
brands also include Bridge Lane.
Lieb Cellars Cabernet Franc 2014
$27.99
Blackberry, tobacco & black
pepper highlight this Old World style Cabernet Franc.
From Finger Lakes Red Newt Cellars Cabernet Franc 2014 $20.99
This Cabernet Franc sees no oak
which brings out the pure expression of the grape. Refreshing with fresh red fruit.
Forge Cellars is a small, artisanal producer of exceptional
Riesling and Pinot Noir. These wines are proof that New York is capable of
producing terroir driven wines.
A beautiful example of a Finger
Lakes Pinot Noir. Deep with cherry, raspberry & earth notes.
Red Hook Winery employs three winemakers, Robert Foley,
Robert Nicolson, and cult winemaker, Abe Schoener. They are located in Brooklyn
but source their grapes from the best vineyard sites in Long Island and Finger
Lakes.
Red Hook Winery Riesling Seneca
Lake 2013 $22.99
This Finger Lakes Riesling comes
from winemaker Foley. It sees only stainless Steel and is dry with notes apple,
apricot, lime and light honeycomb.
Wines from Goose Watch Winery emphasis the more uncommon
varietals found in New York such as Viognier, Pinot Grigio Lemberger and our
selection, Traminette.
Goose Watch Winery Traminette
2015 $13.99
A dry, fruit wine with bright stone
fruit and a spicy finish.
Monday, September 5, 2016
Explore South African Wine
South
African wines have come a long way. Ten years ago it wouldn't be uncommon to
hear most people say, "South Africa makes wine?" Today, South African
wines have a higher profile but have still gone unexplored by many wine
drinkers. To understand the challenges winemakers have faced, here’s a brief
history of the South African wine industry. The first wine made in South
Africa, as recorded in the diary of Jan Van Riebeeck, was February 2nd 1659.
Because of the threat of hungry birds, farmers were forced to pick grapes early
so acid was sky high, creating harsh wines of low quality. Things were not totally bleak as Simon van der
Sel, the Cape Colony’s first Governor, gained some international acclaim with a
noteworthy sweet wine.
In
the early 19th century, the Cape passed from Dutch to British control. With an
increase in settlement and shipping came an increase in the number of vineyards
and by 1825 wine accounted for more than half of the Cape's exports, but
quality was still considered poor.
A change in the
right direction came in 1918 with the formation of the KWV, a co-operative formed
with the intention of creating unity among South African wine farmers and
improving quality. The KWV grew and in 1940 the government gave them the power to
set prices for table wine as well as setting quotas for wine production.
Despite its intentions, the system at this point incentivized quantity
over quality. Farmers grew as many grapes as possible and then sold them to the co-operatives
who would make the wine. Despite this lack of motivation from KWV, quality
wines were starting to be made but Apartheid-induced sanctions kept these wines
from being exported and kept the country isolated from the rest of the wine
world.
1994 saw the end of Apartheid and is also seen as the start
of the modern wine industry in South Africa. During the 90's, the KWV dropped
the quota system and price setting, eventually becoming a private company which now
exists as a wine producer, not a regulatory body. Winemakers at this point
had the freedom to grow and innovate with an eye toward producing high quality
wines.
South Africa grows international varietals such as Shiraz,
Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, but Cabernet Sauvignon and Chenin Blanc
are their two most planted grapes. They also have one grape unique to the
region. Pinotage, a crossing of Pinot Noir and Cinsault, was created in 1925 by
South African scientist, Abraham Perold and it has become South Africa’s
signature grape.
Here is a sampling of some of the South African wines we
currently stock.
 |
| Remhoogte Pinotage $18.99 "Lam" Pinotage $14.99 |
We offer two Pinotage which exhibit two different sides of
the grape. The Remhoogte Bushvine shows more of the traditional characteristics
of the varietal. It is full bodied with red fruit, black pepper, tobacco and is
slightly smoky. Our other offering is the Lammershoek "Lam" which
expresses more of the characteristics of Pinot Noir. This wine is light and
elegant with pleasing red fruit. We recommend this one with a light chill.
 |
| Terre Brulee Chenin Blanc $15.99 Terre Brulee Le Rouge $14.99 |
We currently carry two wines from the Terre Brulee winery.
The Chenin Blanc is dry and refreshing with
citrus, honeysuckle and bright acid. The Le Rouge red, a blend of Shiraz and
Cinsault, is savory with blackberry, light spice and enough oak to give it good
weight and structure.
Kanonkp has
established itself as a one of the best producers of South African Wines. The
Kadette, a blend of primarily Pinotage and Cabernet Sauvignon, is a full bodied
wine with black fruit, raspberry, and mocha with light earthy notes.
 |
| Kanonkop Kadette $14.99 Morgenster Lourens River Valley $31.99 |
For those looking
for a more serious wine, we recommend the Morgenster Lourens River Valley 2010.
A blend of mostly Cabernet Franc with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit
Verdot, this hearty wine delivers cherry and black fruit, chocolate and sweet
spice with well-integrated tannin.
From this point
on, wines from South Africa will continue to improve and it won’t be long
before they take their place among the great wines of the world.
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
The Evolution of Rose
This impression actually
began quite a bit earlier. In France, "pink" wines were the first to
be produced. In historic times, before modern winemaker techniques were developed, wines
were made with low maceration which gave it its
light color. After WWII, two Portuguese winemakers released a slightly sweet,
sparkling Rose-like wine in Europe and the
U.S. and set sales records.
Meanwhile, in Provence,
quality Rose's were being produced in 125BC and by the 14th Century became the
wine of kings and aristocrats. Today, Rose production is around half to two
thirds of all wine produced in Provence. With its food friendly, light crisp style, the region became
synonymous with Rose and became the "go to" region for U.S. drinkers
who slowly began to discover that "pink" doesn't necessarily mean sweet.
At approximately 13%,
the U.S. is now the second largest consumer of Rose' wine, behind only France.
So how did we get here? Some say the trend began in The Hamptons where about
five years ago, drinking Rose became a lifestyle and was known as
"Hamptons Gatorade". Others theorize that the influx of Europeans,
and their love of Rose, helped re-introduce it to Americans. Either way, the
popularity surge has been good for everyone. Rose's made from a variety of
grapes and regions, both Old and New World, are gaining in popularity
throughout the U.S.
"Rose season"
used to start in the summer. Now it begins in the spring and is practically
year round. Here at Windsor Wine, the
process began in February when we began tasting lots of Rose in order to find what we
considered the best for our customers. Our selection includes not only Provence, but Rose from all over France as well
Spain, Italy, South Africa and the U.S. Whether you're looking for light and
crisp, full and fruity or something in between, we have something to please every palate.
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