Pairing with Whites Wines from the Finger Lakes

I’ll be joining several other wine writers on Twitter tonight for a virtual tasting of selected white wines from Finger Lakes region. The tasting is being hosted by the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance. I thought I might whet some appetites and get the juices flowing with a pre-tasting post.

As many of my readers already know I have only recently (last 9 months or so) spent time getting to know the Finger Lakes region and its wines. I’ve talked with several winemakers and winery owners from the region, and between the tasting room and the wines we brought home; both my wife and I are actively enjoying the fruits of their labors. I’ve been in the region twice in the last six months and will be back there in about five weeks or so for the WineMakerMagazine Annual Conference as both an attendee and a speaker. I am very much looking forward to meeting more of the people behind the wines and networking with the other conference attendees who I hope will be primed to explore the area. The two post-conference days of touring and tasting are going to give me lots of opportunity to visit wineries that are new to me and expand my understanding of the wine story of the region.

When the opportunity to participate in the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance tasting came along I jumped at it to further educate myself on the region. I will be posting a complete report on the wines, the conversation during the event and how the pairings I highlight below actually turned out, in the WineMaker Magazine blog early next month. Here’s what I am prepared to make based on the wines provided for the tasting and my experiences in the region to date.

Shrimp (cooked, cold) with a ginger sesame dipping sauce. There are four Gewurztraminers in the lineup, including wines from Sheldrake Point, Rooster Hill, Wagner and SenecaShore. I have had the first three and generally know that this style of wine in the Finger Lakes trends to the dry side with any sweetness well balanced by a healthy dose of acidity. I think the potential range will work well here with both the ginger in the dipping sauce, and the shrimp. The Pinot Grigio from Goose Watch and Reserve Chardonnay from King Ferry, both new to me, should also pair well with the shrimp, but maybe with just a bit of traditional cocktail sauce or melted garlic butter. Ginger might be a bit overpowering for the wines with a different aromatic profile from Gewurztraminer.

California rolls and spicy tuna rolls. With the consideration of white wines came an unusually immediate consideration of sushi or the like. It isn’t a common food on my table so I am not sure why it came to mind so readily. I went with it though. I am thinking the Gruner Veltliner from Dr. Frank and the Gewurztraminers mentioned above will also work here.

( Can't wait to check out the view from the deck at Dr. Frank again real soon! September 2011. )

Cheeses, Brie and blue in particular. I am betting all the wines will pair well with the cheeses, including the Pinot Blanc from Glenora, which I found to be unusual in the region when I first had it in 2011. I’m going to warm some of the Brie up to allow it’s naturally pungent aromatics to be part of the pairing equation.

White bean & garlic dip. This is a Provencal style dish and my immediate thought was the Glenora Pinot Blanc, and also the Goose Watch Pinot Grigio. The Gewurztraminers might present an unbalanced nose to the herbs and garlic in the dip.

I’m destined to try quite a few combinations tonight because I’m willing to be as wrong as I am right, so long as I enjoy the experience!

To check out the conversation and get tips on wines and wineries to experience in the Finger Lakes use the Twitter hashtag #flxwinevt tonight (April 18^th, 2012) at 8PM.

Cheers!

Jason

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” 

Sterling Vineyards Vintner’s Collection Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 - #winechat

This month’s topic for #winechat is red wine. To get everyone’s thirst up I thought I would post a new review right before the event.

I picked the Sterling Vineyards Vintner’s Collection Cabernet Sauvignon 2007. This is the value line from Sterling and is a collection of wines that are generally easy to find in our area. I have enjoyed it before, but never sat down to do a formal review.

Tasting Notes

Purplish red color with no obvious brown shift. Blackberry and wood notes come out in the nose. Greens and blackberry show up in the taste. I also picked up vanilla and a little bit of smoke. I found it to be dry with average tannins and smooth with a medium length finish.

Overall I wasn’t blown away, but there is nothing at all wrong with this wine. I saw a lot of reviews that noted dark chocolate powder and smoke meat flavors. I didn’t pick those out in my tastes. I also saw that many folks allowed the wine to breathe a bit and found it to improve. I look forward to the opportunity to try it again in an hour and see what happens.

#winechat is held on the last Tuesday of each month from 8PM EST to 10 PM EST. We have difference topics each month and questions prepared in advance to get the conversation going. Join us for TONIGHT for the April 2011 #winechat!

Cheers!

Jason

Can We Really Love Red Wine Too Much? - #winechat

#winechat is on for this month again, and it's tomorrow night!

This month we are going to talk about red wine. We're really going to get in there with discussions about the flavors, aromas, body, oak, how you enjoy it, what you enjoy it with and why you can't live without it!

Here are some of the questions that will be asked to get conversation going:

What are your optimal attributes for a really great red wine?
What is the least "classy" food you enjoy red wine with?
What is your favorite style (not label) of red wine?
When you think of red wine, what non-food ideas come to mine?

Last month at our inaugural chat we had hundreds of tweets contributed by several dozen participants. We had great stories, lots of questions and information sharing, and many new tweeps connected.

If you love wine you need to check out #winechat! 8PM - 10PM EST the last Tuesday of every month. Use the hashtag #winechat to participate.

Cheers!

Jason

Talking Torrentes

I vaguely remember the first time I had Torrentes. I was at a small wine tasting put on by a local wine distributor and it was presented as something new they were carrying, but no information about it. I sipped it, didn’t think much about the wine and actually forget the name of the grape until the Second Glass Wine Riot in Boston last year.

At that event I came across the Yellow & Blue (Y+B) Torrentes 2009 and remembered what had been lost after my first experience. I actually went to find my wife and dragged her back to the table to try it. Huge aromas of flowers, peaches and melon get to you before you even get your nose all the way to the glass. It is light with lime that kicks in and stays with you through the finish. This is the signature of this style of wine.

We ran into the Y+B again this year at the Winter Wine Spectacular. I went to get a taste as soon as I saw it. I would call it my favorite of the ones I have had to date. It is also organic and comes in an eco-friendly container.

At that same event I also got to try the La Puerta Torrentes. Another hugely aromatic example of this type of wine. The La Puerta had a smooth finish and the citrus along for the ride.

My favorite Torrentes experience though was last Saturday. I picked up a bottle of the Alamos Torrentes 2009 to review and then share with some friends. I was pretty confident most of them would have never had it. As a wine educator these opportunities are a great way to connect people with new wines. Here’s what they said:

Cindy – “mmmmmm” and “crisp & refreshing.”

Chris – “Bright & lively. Would go great with shellfish or summer salad with ripe tomatoes.”

Wayne – “Lime sherbet. Crisp with a nice fruit quality.”

Missy – “Would be great with BBQ chicken!”

Everyone really enjoyed it and most people said they would look for it again. My job is done here.

I captured my review of the Alamos Torrentes in a short video embedded below.



Cheers!

Jason