riesling

Here is my list of some favorite wines for Thanksgiving. Most of these are old favorites, and all are interesting and worth your time. With a couple of exceptions, these wines will fall under $15.00 a bottle.

1. Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2016 / 750 ml.: A good vintage with a deep, dark, plum color and juicy, ripe flavors with a smooth finish. This light refreshing red should be served slightly chilled and works nicely the day after Thanksgiving when you build that monster of a turkey sandwich.

2. The Borell-Diehl 2014 Gewurztraminer Kabinett Pfalz: This wine should be of particular interest to you if you like some sweet with your spice. This wine is very aromatic, with rose, grapefruit, lychee, coriander. With ginger, citrus and golden apple notes on the mouth, this wine will be a winner for complex Thanksgiving flavors.

3. Domaine L’Enclos Moelleux 2015: This is a lovely, bargain-priced French white

From a region famous for well made wines going back several decades, Keuka Springs Vineyards has been making great wines for thirty years. Under the direction of the Wiltberger family, Keuka Springs is producing outstanding from a wide variety of grapes. 

Arrowhead Spring is another excellent winery that opted to journey down “the road not taken” that so many New York wineries have feared to venture.  Arrowhead has successfully created wines that for many years were not associated with New York, like Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, and even Syrah.  As with other wineries that have dared to follow this route, Arrowhead Spring has low yields which help to increase the flavor intensity of their wines.

For the next few weeks, I will be featuring a series on select wines from New York State Wineries that I believe merit special attention.  The wineries are located in the Finger Lakes Niagara regions. The focus will be on specific dry reds and dry to semi-dry whites (particularly Rieslings) that I would encourage wine lovers to try. I would also recommend they visit these wineries over the Summer or Fall.

Just a few weeks ago I had my first sip of Randolph O’Neill wines. I was very impressed with the four wines I tasted, but there were two that held my attention the most. The 2014 Cabernet Franc was delicious. In fact I was stunned that such a recent vintage could taste so complex and not finish with the annoying green pepper notes that often exist in the finish of young Cabernet Francs. This wine had all the earmarks of an outstanding Cab Franc with gorgeous dark berry and currant flavors, black pepper and spice notes.  Acidity is good but not overpowering as are

If you go on line looking for wine pairings for Thanksgiving, you’ll either walk away with some great ideas or come away overwhelmed with the diverse choices coming from every direction. I’d like to tell you that I can simplify the process, but frankly, I can’t. In fact I am about to add to it.  But hey, this is a meal about family which as many of us know can get a bit messy, physically as well as emotionally. So relax and embrace the crazy.

I love Austrian wines and feel they deserve more attention, and three of their major wines are actually great choices for Thanksgiving. These wines have the ability to pair with a variety of dishes served on this special day including turkey, yams, stuffing, and even Brussel sprouts.

This year I may be taking a more traditional route for our Thanksgiving pairing.  But I should mention that this is no ordinary Riesling offered at this price point. The Lamoreaux Landing 2013 Dry Riesling is a glorious wine we should definitely be thankful for.

In the midst of the Moscato craze that has been dominating the sweet-white wine drinking world of late, it might be time to step back and enjoy a wine that is still fruit laden and refreshing without the excessive sweetness that some moscatos contain.  

This weekend we are celebrating one of our own brands produced exclusively for us by Mazza Chautauqua Cellars. The Premier Cuvee is a perfect summer quencher that delivers fruit bursting flavor with slight minerality. On the nose a lemon–lime lollipop bouquet is pervasive. Beyond the first taste of lemon-lime, there is a slight stone fruit follow-up. The wine is unapologetically sweet without being sugary tasting thanks to the tangy citrus flavors and bright acidity.

Recently we decided to feature New York State Finger Lakes Rieslings by displaying select ones from our inventory at our tasting center. It is no secret that New York produces some excellent Rieslings that rank up there with some of the best German varietals.

Today I am featuring Wagner Vineyards 2011 Riesling Select. This is a very sweet style of Riesling, but this not a sugar delivery device. It is an honest to goodness Riesling that is vibrant, fragrant and complex without the “Kool-Aid” factor that is found in some cheap Rieslings. There are wonderful notes of Apricot, lemon-lime soda and a hint of spice. The finish is pleasantly crisp and lingers a bit longer than most. Enjoy this wine with grilled Mahi- Mahi with spicy, Pineapple Salsa.

Drop in and pick up a bottle of the Wagner Vineyards 2011 Riesling Select for the terrific sale price of $8.99. You should also make a point of visiting Wagner Vineyards on Seneca Lake. It’s a breath taking spot in a

Many customers have been fans of Woodbury winery since the 1970's. About 5 years ago, for various reasons we let our stock and attention to Woodbury lapse. Recently we've begun carrying the Woodbury line again, with good reason. The ownership at Woodbury decided it was time to make world class wine at Woodbury again.

The first step they took was to hire New York Superstar, Phil Hazlitt, as the wine maker. Phil had a lot of success in Finger Lake Wine Country with 2 different "Premier Favorite" Wineries, Heron Hill and Atwater. The quality of the wines immediately improved and with Phil's local vineyard contacts Woodbury was soon offering wine on par with the best in the State.

One my favorites is the new Semi Dry Riesling- great wine with bold fruit and snappy acidity. Priced at $18 a bottle, it shows great value for the quality wine inside. The wine is too new to be on the web as of posting, but here are a few of our Woodbury offerings:

http://www.winemadeeasy.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=woodbury