Winemakers Notes: Syrah has found an ideal home in the Finger Lakes , where our climate mimics France's Rhone Valley, where the grape produces some of the finest wines in the world. Syrah has always been one to those wines I could take or leave it. Almost all that I had ever tasted were the Shiraz from Australia. From that day on I was a fan. MORE >>

Somewhere among my 50 New Year's resolutions (99.9% failure rate) was to leave my wine comfort zone more often as I continue to expand my trapped palate. To do so, I will have to taste, I mean drink, more wines that I never tried or wines I just never liked. So, to start off the new year I opened one of my least favorite wines, Zinfandel. MORE >>

Instead, I uncorked an Arboleda Carmenère 2006 from the Colchagua Valley of Chile. The Arboleda Carmenère 2006 was purchased locally for $19 Vintage: 2006 Appellation: Chile Wine pH: 3.61 Wish I had a nice Canadian wine tonight so I could toast the Canadian Olympic Hockey Team on their winning of the Gold medal. Wine Acidity: 5.31 MORE >>

did stop at one and tasted their 2007 Meritage. Treleaven Meritage 2007 produced and bottled by King Ferry Winery in King Ferry NY was exactly what was needed for the steak. Winemakers notes: A classic Bordeaux style blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon. 61% Cabernet Franc, 28% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon. MORE >>

Tonight I opened up the second bottle and had maybe the best white wine find of this summer, a 2006 Michael Shaps Viognier from the King Family Vineyards. While in Virginia on vacation, I picked up four bottles of Virginia wines, figuring I would try all four and choose one to review. The wines are produced with a traditional old-world style. MORE >>