#FLXWineDineDistill Part Two: Dinner #SLWT #WBC15

As a part of #WBC15, I was on an excursions to experience the wine and food of New York State's Finger Lakes.  The evening was an alchemy of senses, the perfect blend of four Seneca Lake vineyards, chef Scott Signori and his staff from #Stonecatcafe showcasing local food and the red wines of Seneca Lake.

Known as a region famous for its white wines, we were going off script - and experienced a rich, fragrant, and flavorful marathon of 12 unique red wines from four Seneca Lake vineyards paired with a three course local menu. 

Dinner was at Damiani Wine Cellar overlooking Seneca Lake.  The setting sun set the stage for us to sip great wine, eat delicious local food and hear about making wine in the Finger Lakes. Throughout the evening, we tasted wines from Damiani Wine Cellars, Hector Wine Company, Standing Stone Vineyards and Ventosa Vineyards.

Our host was up first: In the mid-90's, Phil Davis and Lou Damiani hand planted their first vinifera on land that was to become Davis Vineyard and Damiani Vineyard in Hector, NY.  Phil is an engaging man, who told us of his history of the area, the wines and his philosophy on farming, and making wine.

After Phil welcomed us, we heard from Standing Stone Vineyard's Marti Macinski - I had met Marti earlier that week at #FLXWineWomen
and it was exciting to hear her speak more on the evolution of Standing Stone, it's white wine pedigree, planting reds, including Saperavi, and making ice wine.

Flight 1: (Rare Seneca Lake Wines)

Each of the four wines served in this flight were rare and unique - not all are available to purchase.  These wines were a special start to dinner, paired with Leek & Lively Run Chèvre Tart with local greens and blueberry vinaigrette.  I also noted that we were being served dinner on MacKenzie Childs plates - a whimsical - yet heirloom quality local company that holds a special place in my heart.

chèvre

chèvre

Damiani's Pinot Noir Reserve `12 from the Davis Vineyard (Not yet listed for sale)- it was a fresh, fruity medium body wine that complimented the rich goat cheese. Did I taste a hint of truffles? Delicious.

Hector Wine Company Merlot `13  (sold out) - Merlot from Hector is a rare commodity - for this single varietal bottle to happen grapes are hand picked from a steep slope overlooking the lake on only on the years when the weather and yield cooperate. Conditions have to be perfect for this elegant, classic wine to be made.

 Standing Stone Vineyard's Petit Verdot `13 was an eye opener.  A single varietal that I had not yet seen in the Finger Lakes. With spice and elegance, I'd grab a bottle or two of this in a second if I could.

Wrapping up this flight was Ventosa Vineyards Pinot Noir`12 What a difference a lake makes!  Ventosa is on the west side of Seneca Lake, and  there is a cordial east/west rivalry between the shores - almost a left bank/left bank division of subtle taste differences. This isn't France - this is Finger Lakes, New World, classic style, innovative and delicious (without having to learn a new language to decipher the label).  This Pinot is a classic, that is easy to drink and really highlighted the blueberries in the blueberry vinaigrette.

Flight Two
This was when it really sunk in that we were going to be tasting 12 wines with dinner.  The rarity of our first flight led to the diversity of our second flight.  Two single varietals, and two blends that showed that New York is producing wine that is world class. 

Our main course was served, a plate of Stonecat's "Cult Classic" Slow Smoked Pork BBQ with cornbread, honey butter, fresh dill coleslaw and black & black posole.


Damiani Wine Cellar's Cabernet Franc `12 (sold out) Cabernet Franc is one of my favorite varietals, and this is a classic representation.  The rich smokiness paired perfectly with the pork, and a bit of the honey buttered cornbread with a sip of this wine was just MAGIC in my mouth.

Hector Wine Company Essence `13 this Bordeaux style blend of 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Cabernet Franc and 33% Merlot proves my point that french style red blends can translate into the new world.  This wine is well balanced, and held it's own against the dill and "vegginess" of the coleslaw.

Standing Stone Vineyards Saperavi `13 (sold out) I had never heard of Saperavi before. It is a ancient Georgian grape that now is thriving at Standing Stone.  I love it when vineyard owners do their research and bring us dark rich wine with many layers of flavor. This wine paired very well with the pork BBQ, but I can only imagine how it would pair with a juicy grilled steak - or classic Sausage and peppers - the whole time Marti was talking about this wine, I was designing menus around it.


Ventosa Vineyards Saggio-x This Italian style red blend (43% Cab Sauv, 26% Cab Franc, 22% Merlot & 9% Syrah) is Ventosa Vineyard's signature wine. It is smooth, easy to drink and at 13.5% ETOH it's a great way to elevate a special evening dinner - or even a tailgate for a big game.

Flight Three
By now, there is some palate fatigue. My tasting notes had been sloshed on, and I seemed to love EVERYONE in the room. Which was a sign that any semi-professional attempt at reviewing was out the window, and this became the most amazing Finger Lakes dinner party that I had ever been to. Good thing that the sun was setting, and dessert was being served. Dark Chocolate hazelnut torte infused with Finger Lakes Distilling Cassis Liquor and drizzled with a spiced Blueberry sauce - served on slate from a local waterfall. Rich, delicious and inventive.

Exploring Taste: Fox Run Geology Series #WBC15 #Terrior

If you're curious about what makes wine taste the way it does there are many ways to learn about the "taste" of wine.  I like pairing wine with food (I'm a hedonist - always seeking pleasure) for those with intellectual curiosity some vineyards offer experiences that educate on their terrior. (land quality that affects final taste of crop)

Vineyards are farms.  Winemakers only have one chance a year to create a stunning wine from the annual crop - that's just 30 - 40 chances in a long career. To make a good wine, they need choose the right planting for the soil and climate, and the right yeast to ferment the grape juice.  If the weather cooperates, it can be a stunning year - if something goes wrong it is make the best of it, and try again next year....

The owners and winemaker at Fox Run Vineyard know their farm. In their geology series, they share the geologic history of the area and farm, and the soil composition. Using that knowledge, they work to optimize the varietal to the soil, and climate.  In this four glass Riesling series, we were able to taste the subtle differences by fermentation style and allotment.  The allotments represented were Hanging Delta Vineyard and Lake Dana Vineyard.

The last glacial period was about 22,000 years ago - that's a lot of dirt to pile up, move around, and settle down.  Cornell University is at the southern tip of Cayuga Lake - so there are plenty of academics to opine.   I'll give you this blogger's overview:  Lake Dana was the giant glacial predecessor of Lake Seneca. When it retreated (a few thousand centuries before molecular gastronomy) it left behind a Hanging Delta. The owners of Fox Run have planted Riesling on two
geologically unique plots: Hanging Delta Vineyard and Lake Dana Vineyard. We got to taste them, and the moral of the story is: Minerality in wine comes from the yeast - not the soil. Soil affects the moisture and drainage - how the fruit develops, ripens and changes sunlight into sugars. But the fermentation can make all the difference.

Comparing Soil and Fermentation
These Rieslings were both had different fermenting processes- resulting in much different taste profiles.

Harvest Year: 2012

Riesling #11:  fermented in a  pied de cuve method - a small quantity of fermenting wine from another tank was added to the juice instead of a cultured yeast inoculum.

Hanging Delta Vineyard #11 Riesling `12 The first wine that I tasted in the series - it was bright, and complex (citrus fun citrus). Layered flavors. 9.9% ETOH  - we were off to a good start.

Lake Dana Vineyard #11 Riesling `12 This wine seemed sweeter - I noted honey sweetness it was also 9.9% ETOH

The difference between the two was subtle.

Riesling #12: The fermentation was started with Epernay II yeast and was carefully managed using current New World wine-making techniques to ensure healthy and steady kinetics. Fermentation lasted for three weeks and was arrested when the alcohol was low and sweetness high, in order to produce a classic traditional style of Riesling.

Hanging Delta Vineyard #12 Riesling `12  Sweet, delicious. It was my favorite of the four - it was also just 9.3% ETOH - what a difference an allotment makes!

Lake Dana #12 Riesling `12  Fruity with some acid 11.3% ETOH this is a classic. 

There was a big difference between these two wines, and the whole tasting experience showed the variability that can be created by the winemaker.  It really was amazing - different than a typical vertical tasting - and a great introduction to the recipe science of making wine.

Fox Run Vineyards #SLWT #WBC15 #FLXWine

As a part of the WBC15 per-conference, we were guests of Fox Run for an afternoon.  From the moment I stepped off the bus, and caught a glimpse of the wisteria shaded porch, I felt at home.  I was handed a glass of chilled white wine, and as I sipped (It was delicious) the co-owner Scott Osborn asked us to "name that wine" I smirked and said, "this is a delicious Gewurztraminer"- I was wrong! I was in disbelief. It was a varietal that I had never heard of before - Traminette - my mind was suddenly open, and I was ready to learn.

Traminette

Fox Run Vineyards is like the Whole Foods of #FLXWine - everything is there - it tastes good, it's one stop shopping and if you talk to people and stay for a while, you'll learn something. I know I did.

After our brief introduction to the wine, we took a walk up the hill to the press, stopping along the way to discuss the history and terroir of the vineyard. Family owners Scott and Ruth Osborn, together with Kathleen and Albert Zafonte, are running this vineyard (former dairy farm) with education and taste at the forefront.  The vineyard produces around 15,000 cases annually, and plantings include: Riesling, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Lemberger (aka Blaufrankish), Cabernet Franc, and Pinot Noir. They even have a cafe, run the Glorious Garlic Festival every Summer, and champion local food and artisans year round in their shop.

Our tour was the Food & Wine Experience it included tastings, and lunch. We met the wine maker Peter Bell and discussed making wine, competitions and and marketing. This unassuming Canadian who has been at Fox Run shows that still waters run deep.  From his anecdotes abut wine judging, to his opinion on marketing Lemberger wine, he is a font of information - and no shrinking violet when it comes to his opinion. That opinion is reflected in his wine - it is good.  And as I sipped his Lemberger while walking down the hill to lunch on a hot August day, I commented to my companions that I had never tasted Lemberger, but to me, it tasted exactly like Blaufrankish - a wine that I have panned in the past. Well, one again.... I was wrong - well, wrong to pan Blaufrankish....

Our lunch/pairing menu was a terrific sample of their consumer education.  Chef Brud Holland and his staff took locally sourced ingredients and condiments and created a powerful profile to showcase the range of Fox Run Wines.

(left to right)
A slice of Bel Cellio from the Muranda Cheese Company in Waterloo, NY topped with Sweet Wino-nion jam, that blew my socks off - Wine Maker Peter Bell paired it with Doyal Family Chardonnay, and I was hooked.  It was one of my favorite combinations of the day.  (and I as a rule- don't even like Chardonnay...but this one had... you guessed it 10% Traminette!)

A mixed green salad with Stella Vallis Tomme from the Real Amazing Live Food Co, Pike Plains, NY, and Pumpkin Seed Vinaigrette & Pepitas (those pepitas are like crack...I crave them) this was paired with Fox Vineyards Semi Dry Riesling This is a low ETOH (10.8%) wine that a new look at riesling  - taste, not sugar.  Refreshing yet layered.

Wine Barrel Smoker

My WOW moment was Sprout Creek Farm's Margie Cheese - it was a delicious brie like semi-soft cheese that makes me want to go visit them in Poughkeepsie ASAP. The amazing moment was when Winemaker Peter Bell started discussing how they market their Lemberger wine. He casually said "Most people won't even try it under it's other name - Blaufrankish"  I started laughing.  My companions started laughing, and then I took a big delicious sip of the Fox Run Vineyard's Lemberger - I am a convert.

What's really neat about Fox Run, is that they really encompass the whole wine & food experience.  I learned about Ver Juis in the form of local Cabernet Franc VerJooz pickled egg - a culinary education, and it was accompanied by house made wine barrel smoked sausages.  (Now I want to own a wine barrel smoker!)

Dessert was a simple shortbread cookie, paired with Hedonia a  tawny port style traminette (21% ETOH that really sneaks up on you) I left lunch early to run upstairs and buy two bottles of this.  It is versatile, refreshing and different.  I love it!


Then there was more.... in my next post, a Fox Run Vineyard master class on terroir with pairings.

Sheldrake Point Riesling Wild Ferment Ice Wine `14 $100.00 #SheldrakePoint #CLWT #ALTWBC15

What's the best part about holidays?  For me, it is spending time with the people you care about, sharing a special meal and memories.  This year, I was invited to join in the Annual Game Pie family dinner with SMF & JPH et al.  During dinner, we discussed New York's Finger Lakes AVA and the vineyards that we have visited.  It was at Sheldrake Point on Cayuga Lake that they discovered this rare, delicious wild ferment ice wine.

Let's talk about wild/spontaneous ferment wine.  That's where the winemaker takes a chance on the native yeasts in the environment, and lets it culture the wine.  It's a risk, yeasts affect that final flavor of the wine - and you won't know what you get from the random predominant yeast until it is too late to change the inoculation.

Conditions need to be perfect just to be able to make an ice wine (grapes freeze on vine at perfect ripeness).  Wild ferment is a high risk game of chance - after you have hand harvested your rare frozen grapes, and juiced them the wine maker had to wait months to see the residual sugar dropping indicating that the juice is spontaneously fermenting while in a holding tank. In this case, with Wild Ferment Riesling Ice Wine `14 Sheldrake Point scored a home run. 

This is a rare (213 cases), expensive ($100.00) special occasion wine.  It's a splurge.  rich, delicious dessert wine with an amazing mouth feel, and long lingering taste of pineapple - it is sweet, fruity and delicious. Although we sipped this unpaired as the evening wound down, it could easily be paired with anything - just remember the rule of thumb - never serve a dessert that is sweeter than the dessert wine - it will make the wine seem thin - too much sugar can be overpowering.

At 7.8% ETOH is was a great low alcohol dessert wine for entertaining (Some ports/dessert wines are so high in alcohol, they should be labelled in proof, and could be the final tipping point to a DUI).  It was the prefect finish to a wonderful evening as we sipped, smiled, and enjoyed.

Serendipity is a beautiful thing! (And so is Game Pie!)

A Tatse of Seneca Lake Wine and Food at Villa #Bellangelo #SLWT #WBC15

There are over 30 wineries on the Seneca Lake Wine Trail, and at Villa Bellangelo we were given a wonderful overview from our hosts,  and a small group of local food and wine artisans.

The bus pulled into the driveway, and 50+ bloggers were greeted by Christopher Missick, owner of Villa Bellangelo and author of A Sense of Place (Book Review CTC).  As I stepped off the bus, stretched my legs, and set up my camera, I watched a goat being led, and a news crew setting up - this showed promise of an interesting afternoon....

As we entered the tasting room, we were greeted with a delicious, crisp Bellangelo 2013 Dry Rosé ($13) it was a great pairing for the local artisanal charcuterie laid out for us. In addition to the meats, nuts, fruits, honey and cheeses, Bellangelo had a tasting line up of their olive oil/balsamic "dippers" - it was a serious "flavor festival".

After picking my way through the display of food, glorious food (slideshow below), I spied, over in a corner, a bar set up with seemingly identical bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon.  I had heard rumors on the bus that there was to be a 10 year vertical tasting.

I took my glass, plopped my plate on the bar, and settled in for interactive wino story time. (some schools have sing-a longs, #WBC15 had "drink-a longs" - as we learned about wine, weather and terrior - oh if kindergarten had been like this, I may have done better in school)

"Make what you love to drink"

This Cabernet Sauvignon vertical from Kings Garden Vineyards  Blew. My. Mind.  ("Make what you love to drink!" was sage advice from Owner and Wine-Maker, Mike Oleksyn). Located just across Seneca Lake from Bellangelo in Lodi, NY, King's Garden is  in Seneca Lake’s “banana belt”, the warmest growing region on the lake. Is that why the Cabernet thrives? The 10 year vertical was a highlight, and I found myself just hovering, nibbling and sipping - eavesdropping on the conversations that were being held by much between educated #winelovers than myself.  I learned so much; It was amazing to taste the same varietals, from the same vines, dramatically affected by different seasons. What an enjoyable education.  I'll be going back to King's Garden for a case or two... it was THAT good.

Side Hill Acres, Candor, NY

By the end of the afternoon, we shuffled back onto the bus - stuffed, and  a little buzzed talking about the goat and the vertical as and our driver brought us to the delightfully surprising gritty/neoclassic Geneva, where we were to spend the night at the Geneva Hampton Inn.

After a quick check in and afternoon nap, there was more adventure awaiting us at a sunset celebration of #flxwinewomen, a walk through the vineyard with a vineyard scion/burlesque diva, and a sunset pairing menu on the balcony of Ventosa Winery. (I'll save that story for another post!)

About that goat….  She was unimpressed with my miking abilities, but I really, really, liked the cheese from her farm.

Bloggers on the Bus: Senaca Lake Wine Trail #SLWT #WBC15

Seneca Lake as seen from Route 14

New York is a BIG state, and tucked away in west central New York, just south of the Erie Canal, nestled between Rochester to the North and Ithaca to the south are the Finger Lakes, a budding empire of wine/food/cider and spirits.

To kick off to the 2015 Wine Bloggers Conference, around 50 of us attended the Seneca Lake Wine Trail pre-conference excursion aka “Bloggers on the Bus”. As you can imagine, at a wine bloggers conference, there is a lot of wine, a lot of swishing, swirling and spitting, pictures and notes are taken. (With hopes that all the drinking does not impede the quality of the photographs or note taking.  All of this is academic - well, in name only, I can barely read my notes, and my pictures are sparse (I vaguely remember having battery issues - but upon second view - the root cause was focus.  I was focused on tasting). That being said, I’m going to share with you the sights, stories and taste recollection of a wine region that you should know about - the Finger Lakes AVA and the sub regions of Seneca Lake AVA. and Cayuga Lake AVA. The world does not revolve around Europe or Napa. 

There were 50 various writers, winos and culinary partners on the bus.  A few of us have been doing this for years… So as we settled in, explored our gift bags, (I ate my granola bar in 6 seconds flat – I was starving) our featured winemakers prepared to pour and talk about their wines.  All on a bus making the 40 mile trek from Corning, NY past Watkins Glen to the Seneca Lake Wine Trail. I have to give it to  Dr. Mark Karasz of Rock Stream Vineyard. and David DeMarco of Seneca Shore Wine Cellars. They told us their stories, talked about their wines and walked up and down the aisle of a moving bus while pouring their wines.

First to take the challenge of pouring his wine at 40mph was Dr. Mark Karasz of Rock Stream Vineyard. Each time I hear the genesis story of a vineyard, passion and enthusiasm (and maybe one or two amazing trips to Italy) are at the forefront -  followed by a colorful life, in this case, a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel with a PhD in chemistry with a musician's soul!
 

Rock Stream Vineyards wines were a good introduction to the region: tasty, and easy to drink - (even while sitting on a bus watching the clouds change the color of the sky). Ever the scientist, his Dry Cayuga White wine was local - an American hybrid developed at Cornell's New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, NY. There is a bright future for the wines and vines of Seneca Lake.  

Just a brief tasting of Rock Stream Vineyard wines can only give you the glimpse of the depth and flavor of wine, the same goes for the person telling the story.  A vineyard can be a place where farming and art are cultivated together. - wine, an expression of place, art, and music, the expression of a culture.  Rock Stream encapsulates this on every level.  Mark Karaz is also a musician (iTunes) and the work of his his aunt, the late artist Ilonka Karasz is incorporated in their wine labels. 

David DeMarco and Queen Charlene's Dry Rosé

Our second winemaker and raconteur (after all, who SPITS wine on a bus, after Mark's pourings, we were primed for colorful stories) was  David DeMarco of Seneca Shore Wine Cellars. After the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993, A classified ad led to a 50 acre vineyard n the banana coast of Seneca Lake. Now operating as Seneca Shores, Medieval Wines of the Finger Lakes.  David wove a take of Kings and Queens as he poured his wines.  Queen Charlene's Dry Rosé - a crisp, easy to drink homage - it was wonderful to taste and listen as the bus brought us closer to our first stop. Looking past the romantic medieval branding, we heard about the hard science of Seneca Lake and the work of cultivating grapes in the northeast.

 

David also gave us a brief overview on soil dynamics of Seneca Lake (my first of the trip) neutral soil (Seneca North Shore) encourages European Vinifera (Riesling, Merlot); and acidic soil (Seneca South Shore) is good for Native American Labrusca vines (Concord & Niagara).  During this two day trip, I would be hearing more (Hint US NAVY secret research) about Seneca Lake, the deepest of the Finger Lakes at 617'. In the winter, the depth allows the stored warmth of the lake to be released keeping the vines above -10F (the minimum bud killing temperature).

The wine was finished, Mark was dropped off at his tasting room on route 14, and we continued up the road to Villa Bellangelo, where I was to meet a news crew, and milk a goat... in addition to a 10 year Cabernet Sauvignon vertical tasting.... more to come!

A Journey to the Finger Lakes #WBC15 #SLWT

In the blink of an eye, I'll be driving northwest following a well worn trail to the interior of New York State. There will be wine, friends, food, and all that is good. I've written a lot about the wines in my back yard (what I like to call Long Island) - they really are great. But the Finger Lakes region is the cradle of New York's modern wine era coined the “Vinifera Revolution.”  If there were a #NYWine family tree, Dr. Konstantin Frank's vineyard in Hammondsport is the root stock - I'm thrilled to be meeting the farmers, wine makers and chefs that are contributing to the revolution.

Look out world, I am writing again.  I'll bring you along to this year's conference, and share what I discover with you!

Until then here is what I have written about NY State wine in the past.

 Photo courtesy of NewYorkCork Report/New York Wine
    

Dr. Konstantin Frank Gewurztraminer `10 $18.99 *** #Wine #ChickenSoup

It's official, here in New York the seasons have changed. There's a chill in the air, and in the morning I can see my coffee breath as I head off to work. These cold mornings and falling leaves call us to hearth and home.  For me, home is that warm and fuzzy feeling you get when simmering scents waft from the kitchen for hours, music plays in the background as I putter in the kitchen, slicing, dicing and sluicing.  In this ethereal bubble, no matter what, all is right in the world.

On Sunday, I had the chance to be in that moment, I made chicken soup & dinner rolls, and paired it with this NY State Gewurztraminer. The apple pie I baked was just culinary overkill.... (the wine was really good with that too!)

It took me three years to be able to pronounce Gewurztraminer correctly. This Alsatian varietal is a great option when you are an "ABC" like me. (anything but chardonnay). It is rich, with citrus notes, and a hint of sweetness (sometimes with honey tones) - it was a great foil for the fatty chicken soup and rich, buttery dinner rolls.

Dr. Konstantine Frank is a legend in the NY State wine demi-mond. Back in `10 (while the grapes in this Gewurztraminer were still on the vine), I reviewed their Riesling (paired with a PB&J). Traditional northern European wine varietals, grown on old vines in the Finger Lakes of New York. Dr Frank' legacy is robust, available and delicious.

Menu:
Crock Pot Chicken Soup (my own recipe)
Classic Dinner Rolls
Apple Pie





I'll leave you with a slideshow of early fall in Central Park:

Channing Daughters Mudd `06 $40.00

Wine and Food: The anatomy of a pairing

Planning a meal with a wine pairing shouldn't be daunting. Generally, unless you are a wino like me, you choose the food and then you choose the wine.  Pick out what you are hankering for or in the case of the Test Kitchen, add some variety to the menu. (I really shouldn't make chicken EVERY weekend)

Choose a wine that will enhance the meal, either a varietal/blend that you already like or try something new. The internet is full of wine advice (just searching "lamb,wine" will get you over 50,000,000 results) or just ask at your local wine shop.

I like wine shops, usually the staff are friendly and they like wine.  Let them know what you're cooking, what your budget is and what you like: red or white? dry or sweet? That's all a professional needs be able to recommend a wine, and before you know it, you'll have a wine guy/gal and they'll have a happy customer. (Never be afraid to set a budget. I've ranted for years about when I was timid and let a man sell me two $21.00 bottles of wine for making sangria, I refuse to go back to the shop, and it's been over six years  and 400 bottles since the infamous sangria ripoff.)

Last weekend, I proposed Shepherd's Pie with lamb.  My thought process was that it is a very cold, snowy February, I haven't cooked lamb in a while, the leftovers will reheat well and I have a baking dish from the `60's that I love to use.

When I thought of lamb, I thought Merlot and when I thought about what I had in the wine rack, I picked a bottle of `06 Mudd, a juicy and complex, predominantly Merlot red blend from Channing Daughters in Bridgehampton. A win/win pairing in my book.

I first discovered Channing Daughter's Mudd at a Winery Library Tasting.  If you are lucky enough to live near a vineyard, it's a great opportunity to check out the tasting room, try wines by the glass and decide on what you like. If you don't live near any vineyards, a lot of Wine Shops have tastings too,  but remember, wine and food work together, they bring out the best in each other.  To quote my favorite romantic winemaker Robin Pfeiffer "Wine and food want to be married". After one class with Robin and his wife Danuta, I became a romantic convert. There have been quite a few wines that I have sipped and thought "meh", but then I've had them with a good meal, and my socks have been blown off. (or my buttons undone... it all depends on how much wine)

The `06 Mudd in my wine rack hadn't traveled very far since it was bottled.  Channing Daughter's Mudd Red Blend was grown, hand picked, stomped, aged, blended and bottled less than 30 miles away from the Test Kitchen. The only thing I needed to do was buy groceries.

A lot has been written about buying fresh from the farm and seasonal, but I'm writing this in the dead of winter, the streets are piled high with salt & pepper snow and the trees are glazed in ice. For the next couple of months, I'll be buying my ingredients at the grocery store.  En route to the Test Kitchen, I stopped at Fairway Market in Douglaston, Queens to shop. 
 
I'm a Kitchen Witch -  it's magical for me to plan, shop for and cook a meal.  Choosing the wine is like putting final piece of the puzzle in place - when you add the wine, you reveal the finished picture.

(Yes, I am about to compare the tastes of a meal with art, simply because poetry and eating is sooo 18th Century)

CC Pollock ONE  Wikipedia

Sometimes I get the pairing wrong, and for me, the meal ends up like a Jackson Pollock painting, intense pieces that cause confusion on my palate, but if you concentrate, you can appreciate the work and the subtleties- you just have to dig a lot deeper to appreciate it.
(Please Pollock fans, no e-mail, art is SUBJECTIVE)

CC Turner The Fighting Temeraire Wikipedia

Sometimes I get it right, and a meal can be like a J.M.W. Turner sunset - harmonious with the surrounding ships balanced by the intense focus of the light as it colors the scene. (In my mind, the wine is the light)

Using too much tarragon made
my beet salad
a bit like a Pollock. oops

Reality check: the meal I'm writing about wasn't a Pollock or a Turner, it was a simple hearty meal that was enhanced by Channing Daughter's `06 Mudd - a red blend rich with layers of Merlot, Syrah, Dornfelder, Cabernet Franc and Blaufrankisch. At 12% ETOH, it is well balanced, complimentary to the fattiness of the lamb and the subtle seasoning of rosemary & garlic.

You can't buy the `06, `07 or `08  Mudd anymore, they are all sold out.  It's a small batch wine.  The `08 was only 141 cases and 54 magnums - that's just 1800 bottles (2700 liters or 713 gallons for those non euro types) - The wine can't be bought at the Vineyard, it could be tucked away in cellars, a few bottles may be in restaurants or in wine shops or, like mine, it is already poured and enjoyed.  Mudd is a hand made limited number, which makes it an artisanal wine. Pick some up if you can find it and make yourself an ARTisanal meal (hah! get it? I finally tied in my musings on Turner and Pollock with pairing food and wine)

The upshot on all my musings?  Life is too short not to enjoy every moment.

Menu:
Roasted Beet Salad with goat cheese and candied walnuts on a bed of Mache
Shepherd's Pie
Pillsbury Crescent Rolls (I'm a long time fan of bread in a can!)

For dessert, I got to play with fire! (I may be a bit of a pyromaniac...)
I made my very first Crème brûlée.

Lenz Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon `07 $40.00

I'm starting to feel guilty about drinking this wine.  I should buy a few bottles, keep them in the cellar, and just drink one bottle a year.... but I have impulse control issues (let's just leave it at that...).

At the test kitchen, sometimes, I let the host pick the menu.  When he chose Beef Wellington with Napoleon for dessert, I smiled and thought that this meal WILL NOT be my Waterloo.  It was my first time making a Wellington or a Napoleon, but, with my usual bravado in the face of challenge, I jumped in head first and embraced the opportunity to create a culinary riff on Naval history.  The meal was perfect to showcase the Lenz Cabernet Sauvignon, and who am I to deny a man who plays the banjo while I happily putter in the kitchen? (I am a very lucky girl)

Now for the review:

Lenz Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon `07 unfiltered and unfined (Dr. Scribner would be thrilled).  What a full, lush wine.  At 13% ETOH, it was an excellent, traditional, old world style foil for the lean tenderloin wrapped in mushroom duxelles, prosciutto and puff pastry.

The truth is, I was sipping it all day as I cooked. (hey, it was 6:00 somewhere) By the time the meal was ready to be photographed... there wasn't a lot of wine left - maybe enough for a pairing - I smiled, praised Julia Child and toasted to a terrific afternoon of cooking and blissing out to my very own live acoustic soundtrack.

This Cabernet Sauvignon is flavorful, slightly dry, with notes of dark forest berries.  It's a smooth, classic, left bank type Cabernet that winemaker Eric Fry makes right here on Long Island's North Fork. I really did kick myself for drinking it while it is still young (ish).

It was so much fun pairing it with a special meal (we even broke out the good china).  I was delighted to sip it as I cooked and drink it with dinner. Thank you Lenz.  I'll be buying more, and I'll try to let it sit in the cellar long enough to mature to its full potential.


I paired the wine with a dinner of:
Beef Wellington
Herb roasted Russian banana potatoes
Red and green leaf salad with toasted walnuts & shaved Parmesan with a Honey/Balsamic dressing

 

I made a Napoleon for dessert.


 

Lenz Old Vine Merlot Unfiltered `07 $60.00

Word of mouth is a wonderful thing.  I was on a whirlwind trip to the North Fork AVA of Long Island with my friend Valerie from Wine Dog Review, we stopped in at Empire Cellars to check out some local wines, and a woman recommended that we swing by Lenz Vineyard and Winery in Peconic for a taste.  I never looked back. After enjoying flights of their Estate and Old Vine wines, I was hooked. It's a luxury to be able to taste and buy wine at the vineyard where it is produced, but I am a woman on a mission, I'm going to try to visit every Vineyard in the North Fork AVA... all 57 of them. It helps that I have an open invitation to cook in the Yaphank Test Kitchen on weekends which puts the North Fork AVA almost in my back yard.  Now, on to the Lenz Old Vine Unfiltered Merlot, a rich, flavorful Merlot with hints of Cabernet and Cabernet Franc.

This is another "Special Occasion Wine" at $60.00 a bottle, you want to share it with friends, pair it with an amazing meal, and just enjoy. When I drink really good American wine, I always think of Thomas Jefferson, and his passion to bring the qualities found in French wine to the nascent United States, Jefferson was a passionate farmer. Lenz's winemaker Eric Fry has made a very good Merlot that I easily could have tasted in Burgundy. This wine makes me proud of the work of our growers and winemakers - it's Jefferson's dream come true.

I paired the wine with a dinner of:
Spinach Salad with Pears, Walnuts and Goat Cheese (above)
Anatolian Roast Pork (pork roasted with butter, garlic, cinnamon, rosemary and thyme)
and
Chocolate Souffle

Channing Daughters Meditazione `10 $40.00

It's 2014!  The celebrations are over, winter has set in, and I've decided to focus my writing on the wines of New York. As I am nomadic by nature, I'm spending my quality cooking time in the "Yaphank Test Kitchen" just a stone's throw from Long Island's Wine Country. Starting this month, I'm writing about New York State Wine over at Examiner.com, but more about that later.  Now let me tell you about this compelling wine from Channing Daughters Winery in Bridgehampton, NY.

At $40.00 a bottle, this is an "event" wine for most of us. A story to tell, "Yes, this wine is totally grown and made on Long Island, where the farmers drive their tractors past multimillion dollar mansions - and sometimes live in them.

This is a skin fermented white wine, which in the fashion of the day is being called "Orange Wine", and, as the Hamptons will ALWAYS be considered fashionable, Meditazione fits right in.  But it tastes good too, so it is win/win in my book.  This12.3% alcohol wine is a complex blend of: 28% Muscat Ottonel, 20% Chardonnay, 18% Sauvignon Blanc, 12% Pinot Grigio, 10% Tocai Friulano, 5% Viognier, 5% Aligote, 2% Semillon, your tongue won't know where the juiciness stops and the richness begins, it is lightly oaked, so there is some depth.but you will know that you are drinking this wine, because it has the longest finish of any white wine I've had in recent memory. I paired it with a Frisee Salad with goat cheese and balsamic syrup, which may have been a bit of an acidic pairing, I think that wine would be much better with heavier, fattier food.  But, the goat cheese toast rounds and orange wine really played well with my taste buds.

I really like Channing Daughters Winery.  Their chef turned winemaker Christopher Tracy pushes the envelope, and makes good innovative wine.  I'm really looking forward to the harvests to come.

Normally, I would leave you with a slideshow, but technology is not on my side.  So here are some shots from a Channing Daughters Library Tasting in March `12: (FYI, Mudd is my favorite!)