This Pradeaux rose is only a year old, but already offers a glimpse of what time in the cellar will do. drank the 2002 in Portland on the day that I met my good friend Peter Liem , back in August of 2008. Been so busy lately with work that I just haven't had time to write here. Whoa, this is just amazing wine. More, please. Briny.

It is a quaint vineyard and after a tour of the ferementation vessels we have our tasting in the cellar, surrounded by oak barrels. Tannat Cab Frank Reserva 2008. Tannat 2008 Riserva de la Familia. "Welcome!" says attractive dark haired Federico Domingo, Export Manager for Bodegas Castillo Viejo as we squeeze into his tiny car.

As we arrive a the winery Carlos proudly shows us his “new and old” cellar … one part dates from 1910, and the other part(s) they had built in stages, with the most recent part built just last year. The cellar is artfully done, designed to showcase and link both the new and the old. Pizzorno tinto reserve 2008. “Welcome!”

And Peter's wine was special in that it was bottled in December of 2008 - it has aged for over three years in bottle. L083532" means that the wine was bottled in 2008 on the 353rd day of that year - December 18th (it was a leap year), from bottling line number 2. little cloudy, almost. Was something special about this bottle?

The blanc de blancs grand cru [cuvée 2008] has depth and minerality, a stony core that pleasantly lingers. All the wines bear the signature of firm tannins that cry out for cellaring. The 2008 Barbarescos are delectable treats. Yesterday was the Polaner Selections tasting and I dropped by for a while in the second half. alcohol.

2008 Leonetti Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley ( about $65 ) USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley. Sure enough, Eric posted the wines served, complete with tasting notes. For the full menu (pdf) , click here. Appetizers: crostini. USA, Virginia, Central Region, Monticello. Halibut course and salad course.

have found 2008 to be an exceptional year across the board, with more variation and less concentration in 2009. 2008 Botanica * Robust blue-purple in the glass, with a Smörgåsbord (?) 2008 Antica Terra A more riveting, if ultimately less profound, companion to the Botanica. 2008 Shea Cellars Estate At 14.8% Bryce.

was in Jerez in October , and one night I had dinner at La Carbona with Peter Liem and Eduardo Ojeda, the cellar master at La Guita and Valdespino. This bottle comes entirely from 2008 and is a blend of equal parts Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Well, of the last few months anyway. And La Carbona is by not even a steakhouse.

This is absolutely top notch wine, I bet it would improve with time in the cellar, and it sells for $20 before a mixed case discount. 2008 Julien Labet Côtes du Jura , $36, Imported by Fruit of the Vines. I've been having a hard time with red wine lately. Okay, I never have a problem with mature Burgundy, or mature red wine in general.

The Cellar. Corrine Michot gave us an excellent tour of the cellar, both the “old cellar” and the new cellar which is gorgeous and so high tech it even has “skylights” that allow a visitor to look up at the sky through a thin film of water, as the cellar is located below the water table. Secrets of the Cellar.

We have just driven through the charming, historic village of Gevrey-Chambertin to arrive at Mr. Gallois’s home and cellar, where a child’s bicycle is parked near the front door and two enthusiastic-looking music and video producers eagerly taste wine atop a barrel in the charming tasting room, minutes later exiting with several cases.

I can’t help but exclaim, looking at the large, crude, roughly hewn 12th century wine press in the equally antiquated looking cellar. tried the 2008 which is a fabulous vintage and incredibly well balanced with racy acidity and that delicious cherry. “Your grandfather actaually used that press!” Yet it is true. Absolutely magnificent.

waiting for our 7pm dinner and what a fabulous day we have had at the Palais Coburg, viewing multi-million dollar wine cellars and meeting the celebrities of the wine world. Now the California wine conversation was interesting, because we were just served two wines, a Merryvale Chardonnay 2008 and a Domaine Roumieu Bonnes Mares 2000.

decided to open a bottle that isn't important to me, something that I would cull from my cellar. bought several bottles in early 2008 and loved when it was released, but found subsequent bottles to be too oaky. Seems like a solid candidate for cellar-culling, no? was a different taster in early 2008, and the wine changed too.

Rightfully so: Louis/Dressner has a portfolio bursting with terrific wines, from vineyard owners making their own wines with few, if any, interventions in the cellar. Since I was always a fan of his wines, it was hurtful when Joe started leaving caustic comments on this blog in late 2008, a practice that he continued for about a year.

And nothing better to pair with the food then a 2008 Ravines Wine Cellars Sauvignon Blanc ( $18 ) that I just brought home from our recent Keuka Lake Wine Tour. Tonight it just happens to be a very nice Sauvignon Blanc from Ravines Wine Cellars. My friends in the D.C. Very nice finish.

Well, we had places to go and people to see, so back on the road heading for Dr. Konstantin Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars. Mark was smiling widely tasting both the Dr. Frank and the Salmon Run Chardonnay while I could just not believe the 2008 Dr. Konstantin Frank Meritage. also enjoyed the 2008 Meritage. at least for now).

If you want to try it, Astor Wines has it on the shelves right now, and I hear that a few other shops are considering carrying it - in a few weeks try Uva or Slope Cellars in Brooklyn. The non-vintage Extra-Brut we drank was based on wines from 2007 and 2006, but because of the ripe richness of the wine, I guessed it was based on 2008.

With this we drank two different Inflorescence Brut Blanc de Noirs , the 2008 and 2009. preferred the 2008 with its rich, resonant fruit and complex depth, its baseline of minerality. The 09 might be more of a wine to drink young, and the 2008 seems to be a great candidate for the cellar. It retails for about $85.

did pass on a few nice California reds though and stayed with the Finger Lakes and a Salmon Run Meritage 2008 ( $11 ), a blend of 54% Cabernet Franc, 39.5% Grilled a few NY strip steaks this past week-end and looked forward to opening a nice red wine for change. Seemed to be stuck on Finger Lakes white wines all summer. Merlot.

Choosing the wine is also my job, so tonight I chose a Gewurztraminer from Red Newt Cellars. If not a believer, then pour yourself a 2008 Red Newt Gewurztraminer.( This coming week-end is the Finger Lakes Riesling Festival , but tonight I am just enjoying wines from Red Newt Cellars. Love it, when I make a great wine choice.

Two Malbecs followed, Killka Malbec 2008 and the Reserve Malbec, with the Reserve having a fuller mouthfeel and more intense concentration of fruit. Salentein history began with the opening of its state-of-the-art winery and cellars just one year after its debut vintage. What can you say about an excellently turned out Chardonnay?

Its founders, Jesús Barquín and Eduardo Ojeda, recommend that their biologically aged wines, the ones that are aged under flor , be cellared for a few years in order to reach their full potential of complexity and harmony. He likes to cellar Inocente for at least a year, he says. Peter said that the wine was absolutely fabulous. Bliss.

That was a very exciting event, with dinner in the wine cellar and much drama as they brought out the old vintages. Fabulous opening dinner at Haut-Brion last night for the press. Haut-Brion was the host Chateaux, with each table hosted by the members of the Grand Cru Classes de 1855 of Medoc and Sauternes. seem to recall bagpipes.

Two Malbecs followed, Killka Malbec 2008 and the Reserve Malbec, with the Reserve having a fuller mouthfeel and more intense concentration of fruit. Salentein history began with the opening of its state-of-the-art winery and cellars just one year after its debut vintage. What can you say about an excellently turned out Chardonnay?

The Heinz Cellars Grigolino from Napa seemed slightly more complex, possibly from riper grapes and some maturation in wood. 2008 Heitz Cellar Grignolino. Columns News Varietals Asti grigolino heinz cellarsSo there you are, in your local wine shop on a Saturday afternoon, craving something out of the ordinary. Grigolino.

The 2008 vintage of Henschke Hill of Grace has not yet been released. Now with five years of testing and bottle age, Henschke is pleased with the evolution and will convert half of the 2008 production of Hill of Grace to Vino-Lok. We will find out in the next year or so with the release of the 2008 Hill of Grace.

Liv-Ex also remarks on his downgrades of the 2008s: Following the en primeur tastings two years ago, the general feeling amongst the trade and the critics was that the 2008 vintage was solid, if unspectacular. “ Which reds would you cellar beyond Bordeaux? &#. The Liv-Ex blog provides his top scored wines. Bordeaux

Here are five current releases I would cellar for 15 years that will bring a whole lot of bang for much less buck: Domaine Baudry, La Croix Boisée, 2008. And, of course, for the prices Bordeaux futures are fetching, you could get plenty of Bordeaux with a decade or two of cellar age on them. And around $30 a bottle? Under $30.

Anyway, we drank Les Chalasses from 2004 and 2008, and I thought they were both excellent wines. The 2008 was vibrant and pungently mineral with great freshness and a core of energy that bodes well for the cellar. Domaine Ganevat is in the Jura, in a town called Rotalier. The new vintage is 2009 and it's completely delicious.

Tonight I opened the 2008 Sorcerer's Stone, a blend of Zinfandel 85%, Petite Sirah 10% and Teroldego 5% and right off the bat a relationship began. One that is very drinkable now and one you can cellar for the future. Recently I received a few samples from Cinnabar Winery in the Paso Robles region of California.

Fermentation takes place at between 17°C and 23°C in air conditioned cellars for 18 to 30 days depending on the batch. Clear gold appearance with medium color, on the nose medium plus intensity and botrytis aromas of bread and yeast, followed by licorice, honey, earth and mushrooms, with hints of dill. Bottling At the Château.

2007 and 2008, these are vintages for connoisseurs. In other words, it is not as easy to learn about Chablis terroir by drinking 2009 wines as it would be to learn by drinking 2007 or 2008 wines. also learned about several producers whose wines I really liked, and would consider buying for my cellar. were brothers.

Wines included: Angels Gate Winery Mountainview 2008. Burrowing Owl Estate Winery 2008. Cave Spring Cellars Blancs de Blancs Brut 2004. Cave Spring Cellars CSV 2007. Closson Chase Vineyards Closson Chase Vineyard 2008. Colaneri Estate Winery ‘Paese’ 2008. Flatrock Cellars Reserve 2007.

On my recent trip to the Loire, I got an excellent chance to explore this issue at the cellars of none other than Domaine Bernard Baudry in Chinon, one of my favorite producers in the Loire. The tannins are fine; the wine in 2009 exhibits fine tannins while the 2008 could benefit from more bottle age (or a good decant).

That night, we were invited to the Chapoutier party in the cellar where we experienced incredible library wines and met a lot of trade, just a few based in New York. It was very surprising to see the drastic difference between the 2008 and the 2009, with the 2009 being the better vintage. The second day was Hermitage.

Following my interview with Jean-Marie Fourrier, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to attend a Domaine Fourrier tasting that featured several wines from the 2008 and 2009 vintages. Equally instructive is tasting the same wines from 2008 and 2009. 2008 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin Aux Echézeaux. Yes, 100 year old.

The wine: Avia Pinot Noir 2008. Avia Wines, a nationally known and successful line of varietal wines, is marketed by Laureat Imports Company in the United States under the ownership of The Goriska Brda Wine Cellar. Vinska Klet Goriska Brda is a 700 member co-operative and its cellar was built in 1957. The region: Slovenia.

Following your late afternoon arrival and settling in, we serve a Champagne reception, followed by a “ fine wine dinner&# with us at La Madèlene - 4 courses of typical Provencal fare prepared expertly by Jude and each course accompanied by a different fine Rhone wine from my cellar chosen carefully to pair with the food. link].

We went inside and warmed up by the fireplace before heading next door to her cellars and winery. The same sensibility extends to the cellar, where she makes the wines without filtration, without cold-stabilization and without any sulfur at disgorgement. She disgorged a bottle of the NV Brut for us, based on the great 2008 vintage.

Behold a savory and delicious carmenere: the Clos Ouvert Loconmilla 2008. The wine is made by a pair of Frenchman, using organically cultivated old vines and with a gentle hand in the cellar, notably using old oak barrels over new. In a recent column on Slate.com , Mike Steinberger threw most Chilean carmenere under the oak bus.

had a chance to visit the property and talk with the cellar masters this past spring. The 2008 Geyserville, translucent in the glass, exudes come-hither aromas of dark fruit, herbs, spice and cedar. All too often, Zinfandel is a highway to a quick, cheap buzz. The lay of the land. David Gates, head of Vineyard Operations.

Like Sylvani Langoureau, Gilles Lafouge (the son) has his cellar, and a vat room, in his own middle class house located in a typical Burgundy neighborhood. La Chapelle 2008 is also rather light in color, with good structure, nice tannins, with good minerality from the iron soil. jean gilles standing with Jeanne Marie de Champs. screw.

Sylvain points out a cage for birds (they must have been chosen for color and beauty) and a potato cellar, as well as some alters carved into the rock that one can enter for a few feet. The wine is racked, settles for a day, put into the oak barrels, and rests on its lees in the cool cellar for 15 - 18 months. The Cellar.

Three wines were from the Yalumba Vineyard and three were picked from Erics's cellar. Yalumba The Scribbler 2008 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Shiraz showing aromas of oak, raw wood and ripe cherries while on the palate hints of violets, black pepper and a spicy intensity. Table

was looking for some basic information about the wine I was serving, the vineyards, the cellar masters, and a photo for the slide show. Clemens Busch , “Vom Roten Schiefer,&# Mosel, 2008: great wine, richer than the Wiemer but, surprisingly, not as popular in the class. More Americans are drinking wine today than ever before.

The Cellar. Corrine Michot gave us an excellent tour of the cellar, both the “old cellar&# and the new cellar which is gorgeous and so high tech it even has “skylights&# that allow a visitor to look up at the sky through a thin film of water, as the cellar is located below the water table.

Decanter.com has a helpful rundown on the spreads, many of which are justifiable given the provenance of the wines (they were coming directly from Lafite’s cellars in the Medoc.) Yet Decanter reports the prices paid for 2008 futures were 102% over retail and the 2009s were almost 300% over retail.

As we sat down I took out the wine I brought along, the 2008 Pierre Gonon St Joseph Blanc Les Oliviers , $32, Fruit of the Vines Imports. great argument for cellaring high quality Sancerre. I went out to dinner with my buddy Levi the other night and it turned out that I brought a proverbial knife to a gunfight. And so we did.

The Cellar. Corrine Michot gave us an excellent tour of the cellar, both the “old cellar&# and the new cellar which is gorgeous and so high tech it even has “skylights&# that allow a visitor to look up at the sky through a thin film of water, as the cellar is located below the water table. The Tasting.

One day last weekend I put together a lunch that seemed right, and so into the "cellar" I dug. The last bottle I drank sometime in early 2008 was raspy and harsh, closed. Don't know about you, but lately I've been feeling the 2005 Beaujolais itch. The other night I finally decided to scratch. It is a soft and alluring nose, very fine.

Thought by many to be one of the better California Zinfandels, Rosenblum Cellars makes this blend of the 2007 and 2008 vintage to very interesting results. Hues of dark ruby towards the blue side color the glass, as waves of blackberry, figs and spices round out the aromas.

Last year I reviewed the Damiani Wine Cellars '07 Meritage and later picked that wine in a poll to win top honors at the New York Wine and Food Classics's annual competition. The Governors Cup was won by an outstanding Riesling, but the Damiani Meritage won double gold medals for the best vinifera red blend.

would have pulled out a nice Gewurztraminer if I had one, but settled for a Fontana Candida Frascati Superiore DOC 2008. Getting time to clean out the old wine fridge. Shirley keeps doing her part by challenging me to come up with a pairing for some of her weird dinner experiments. Here the grapes for Frascati are grown.

They are 23 months apart in age, born in 2007 and 2008. The daughter was there in the Lafouge cellars, inside her mommy's belly, when her mommy tasted this very wine (and spat, thank you very much). I'll find more, but the 2008 Burgundies haven't really been released yet in NYC, never mind things like vintage Champagne.

Stoney Lonsesome Estates 2008 Reserve. I love it when Shirley decides to experiment in the kitchen. It either means we end up going out to dinner or I am in for a special treat. What I do know is that she cooked skinless chicken breast in apple juice with oyster mushrooms, slices of gala apples and diced mint fresh from the garden.

enjoyed his Cellar Tracker note on the 2009 Coudert Clos de la Roilette Fleurie Cuvée Tardive , $26, Louis/Dressner Selections, and received his permission to re-print it here: This is my first taste of 2009 Beaujolais so I don't know if some other examples are bearing out people's speculation that the vintage may be marked by fat, overdone fruit.

cannot imagine cellaring it, as it tastes so good now, and doesn't seem to be holding anything in reserve. 2008 Pierre Gonon St. 2008 Albert Boxler Edelzwicker Reserve , $16, Robert Chadderdon Selections. Some of my favorite wines have just been released in new vintages. Buy the wines and drink them. Don't miss it. Pure joy.

I don't often go with Shirley and Pam to the Saturday morning Central New York Regional Farmer's Market, but I made an exception today. was also out of bed early enough to tag along, which is unusual. did stop at one and tasted their 2007 Meritage. It seems to be that the wine always is a bit different, no, a lot different than what I remembered.

I've been holding out on the wine reviews until everything gets back to normal after my surgery. At present, my Cardiologist has OK'd 3-4 oz. of wine per day and, for me, that just don't cut it. do cheat a bit and I also skip some evenings. That is what happened with the first bottles I opened. little lighter bodied than what I'm used to in Zin.

Here is a fine Napa blend of 46% Zinfandel, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah, 10% Petite Sirah, 2% Charbono, and 1% Grenache. Deep violet colors in the glass, spreading to a garnet outer ring, with aromas of red berry and ripe black cherry and wafts of smoke. Robert Parker: 90 pts Wine Spectator: 92 pts Retails: $35

Our next visit was the wines of Groupo Italiano Vini (GIV) which completed the acquisition of Bolla in 2008. The tasting was held in what looked to be a multi-million dollar tasting room in his very high tech cellar, with the floor of the maturation room studded with blue lights like the jetway of an airplane. And New York? Day 2.

Last March I posted a press release on a new collection of artisan wines in an innovative attractive new package. An international wine collection with six brands and ten items packaged in a new exciting premium 3L wine cask from the Octavin Home Wine Bar ™. The Chardonnay was not impressive. Definitely a good party wine.

also tasted and brought home a 2008 Gewurztraminer. Our next stops were Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars and Wagner Vineyards. Back on the road and headed to Red Newt Cellars and Bistro for one fantastic lunch and of course more fantastic wines. Maybe both!! The day started at one winery that was not on the list. WoW!!!

This week I decided to open a dry and semi-dry from the same winery to compare and I chose one of the nicest Rieslings so far; Chateau Lafayette Reneau 2008. With May and New York Riesling month coming to close soon, it is safe to say that I tasted more Riesling this month than any one year in my life. Why, I'm not sure. Truly enjoyable.

The 2008 Hatzidakis Aidani seemed rather weird at first, but that's probably because until that point I had consumed nothing other than wines made from the fiercely acidic Assyrtiko grape. 2008 Hatzidakis Santorini Assyrtiko was beautiful wine, salty and savory with deep flavors of herbal honey and smoke, and of course, seawater.

Here's what I drank recently: 2008 Marcel Lapierre Morgon , $20, Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant. I've read comments on the interweb about variation again in 2008, but specifically with the "N" lots - no sulfur as I understand it. 2008 Jean Foillard Morgon Cuvée Corcelette , $34, Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant. Sigh of relief.

He headed back up to the valley that same afternoon to make his best offer, and Cakebread Cellars was born. served with pasta and ultra-fresh peas and morels, 2004 Merlot (the real winner)and the 2006 Syrah paired with Steak, and the 2008 Zinfandel served with the dessert course shown below. "So what did the first winery look like?"

My choice for the evening was a 2008 semi-dry Riesling( $14 ) from the Long Point Winery. This past Monday evening was a first for me on-line. Because of my work schedule and Shirley's extra long 'honey-do' list I never have the chance to do a tweet up on Twitter or follow a wine party on Facebook. All from the Seneca Lake wineries.

Domaine Aubuisieres , cuvée de silex, Vouvray, sec, 2008 $18: really a gorgeous example of chenin–and a good value too. Francois Pinon , cuvée tradition, Vouuvray 2008. Chenin blanc is one of the world’s most underrated grapes. Beautifully multifaceted, it displays multiple forms: dry, off-dry, sweet and sparkling.

The first one I opened was the Zugibe semi-dry 2008( $14 ). This past weeks edition of the Syracuse New Times, a weekly alternative newspaper published in Syracuse, New York, contained an interesting article on Finger Lakes Riesling. Evan is passionate about Finger Lakes wines and authors some of the most interesting articles on the subject.

The 2008 Alice and Olivier de Moor Chablis Rosette , $38, Louis/Dressner Selections is the first Chablis I've had from the 2008 vintage. The 2005 Vincent Dauvissat Chablis , about $25, imported by Wine Cellars (acquired from a private collection) was a ripe and fleshy wine that showed lots of flesh and interest for a regional wine.

By 1839, his first underground cellars were dug and Mr. Jacques fermented his first wine vintage. Those cellars, the oldest and largest in America, are still in use today at Brotherhood Winery. The two wines we tasted were the 2008 Riesling and the 2008 'dry' Riesling. Doing so seemed almost impossible. Enough history.

The 2008 Red Tail Ridge semi-dry Riesling was suggested by my sister-in-law. Just finished watching the movie "Avatar" while sipping on my first Riesling of the summer. Finger Lakes Riesling of course. This month is Riesling month in New York and this will be the first of many I'll enjoy over the next 30 days. Sound good? What else is better!

Recently, the wife and I have been discussing a possible trip to California next year. few of the issues are for how long and where. Of course my choice would be Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley or Russian River Valley, the home of some of the best wines in the world. Oh, I'm sorry, did I leave out Paso Robles, Lodi, Central Coast or Livermore Valley.

For this tasting I was joined by Rosemary Gray, the Champagne, Austria, Germany, and Sake wine buyer and a manager at Chambers Street Wines , Ben Hagen, the wine buyer at Slope Cellars , one of my favorite Brooklyn retailers, and Dan Melia who runs the US operations for Mosel Wine Merchant. But the inexpensive red wines of Provence? It is 12.5%

I'm leaving Chile(till later) and heading over to California to try a few more Zin's. I'm starting to surprise myself with what I am finding with Zinfandel and also a bit disappointed that I wasted so many years with such a limited selection or narrow palate. Deep dark fruit aromas with some cherry. Hey, you're never too old to learn.

Tonight I uncorked another Carmenere from Concha y Toro , the Casillero del Diablo 2008 Reserve. This is the third of the Carmenere wines I tasted this month. As I stated in my previous two articles, Carmenere is one of the wines I've pushed aside in the past, but have placed on a list to re-examine in 2010. I'm still not sold on Carmenere.

The 2008 Antica Terra / * to be released to the mailing list next week, is vibrant and glossy in the glass, the color of dessicated roses, that reminded me of Middle School romances and Rilke, of notes scribbled furiously in journals and hidden under pillows. The 2008 Botanica / * -- a barrel selection -- is more concentrated. spice?)

It's been a few years since I tasted Carmenere. If I remember right, it was a take it or leave it, nothing special, too many other fine wines, don't shop for wine. My last review confirmed that feeling, but in a very serious attempt to expand a lazy palate I purchased a few different labels to compare. The first was disappointing.

As he poured the first of his wines, the absolutely delicious 2008 Mosel Riesling von den Terrassen trocken , $20, I told him how much I enjoy his most basic wine, the humble 2008 Mosel Riesling trocken , $14. The 2008's were showing beautifully, ripe but controlled, pure and elegant, and with a great balance of fruit and mineral.

Wish I had a nice Canadian wine tonight so I could toast the Canadian Olympic Hockey Team on their winning of the Gold medal. am not an avid hockey fan, but I do watch occasionally and tonight enjoyed one of the best ever games. Instead, I uncorked an Arboleda Carmenère 2006 from the Colchagua Valley of Chile. Bring on the steaks!!! Wine Acidity: 5.31

Instead I opened a young Sangiovese, the 2008 Montesecondo Rosso Toscana IGT , $18, Louis/Dressner Selections. I've been enjoying Sangiovese lately, and on paper this should have been a great wine - great importer, careful vineyard and cellar work, etc. The first opportunity involved radishes. love radishes, all kinds of radishes.

Think my taste buds are back. I've been having a few problems with red wines since finishing some prescribed meds a few weeks ago. No matter what was tried I was getting a very musty taste. opened a few old reliables thinking there must have been some bad bottles in the rack, but they turned out to be the same. Bogle Winery 2007. Great value!!

The winery is Cline Cellars. One of the first wineries on the road to wine country, Cline Cellars is located 45 minutes north of San Francisco in Sonoma-Carneros. The tasting room is located in an 1850s farmhouse and the wine is the Cline Cellars Cashmere 2008. This disease is not reserved for just women.

ve got no money or no space in the cellar or whatever, I’m just going to miss it.”. Mind you, 2008 was the right vintage for its moment and thankfully there are still plenty of 08s available. It was not quite as good as 2008. Is Riesling a hard sell? Has the bubble burst on his Champagnes made by those who grow the grapes?

Sometimes when you least expect it, you open what may becomes your new favorite bottle of wine. Tonight I opened one of my remaining bottles of Finger Lakes wine purchased at my last tour in December. An Atwater Estate Vineyards , Cabernet-Merlot 2007. blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon and 47% Merlot. Can't do much better than that. Alcohol: 13.0%

The 2008 Umathum Traminer was a tasty and interesting wine. It was very well balanced and I imagine that it would cellar very well. I was lucky enough to be invited to the recent Blaufränkisch tasting and luncheon at Gramercy Tavern, organized by David Schildnecht. This was a challenging tasting for me. was a clean slate.

Big break in weather today here in Central New York. Temperatures will reach about 30F. Must be the annual January thaw! To celebrate I figured to open one of my usually reserved for warm weather whites. My choice is one that was recently purchased at Lakewood Vineyards on Seneca Lake at the December 'Deck the Halls" event. 2007 Riesling.

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.

The blog started out in 2008 only as fun thing to do and to give my new wine affiliate web site it's first link. When I made my first Finger Lakes wine tour in 2008, I went expecting to taste only white wines. That was until 2009 when I bought a nice Italian vin rosso from Damiani Wine Cellars. was afraid to open them.

While visiting Damiani Wine Cellars on Seneca Lake this past spring I tasted an excellent Syrah and I was sold. 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. enjoyed the Syrah with Shirley's three bean chili.

This has been one fantastic year of enlightenment for me when it comes to all things wine. Believe I may do a year end article on the subject. If I do, I will have to include the German grape, Dornfelder as one of the highlights. Dornfelder is a cross between Helfensteiner and Heroldrebe grapes. It is the 3rd most planted red wine grape in Germany.

** Disclaimer: I received these wines from Martellotto Wine s One of the benefits of writing a wine blog is the occasional UPS delivery of wine to taste and review on the blog. It can also be disappointing when the wine received is one that I don't normally drink or one that I have a hard time with. Now Cabs I have no problem with.

From Lamoreaux we went on to visit Wagner Vineyards, Penquin Bay Winery, Red Newt Cellars and Atwater Estate Vineyards on the east side of Seneca Lake before heading up the west side. From there we traveled to Fulkerson Winery, Glenora Wine Cellars and Villa Bellangelo. We were able to visit 16 of the 30 participating wineries.

Thanks to my son, this past weekend I opened a dry Riesling from Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars located in Lodi, NY, on the east side of Seneca Lake and my first stop on the annual " Deck the Halls " event on Dec. Can't seem to find a Finger Lakes Riesling I don't like. have to say his timing was impeccable. g/L pH: 2.93

Tonight I added another favorite place to eat in Syracuse, Joey's Italian Restaurant. Shirley and I have been dining here for the last 10 years and it seems that the food just keeps getting better and better. Best of all is the fabulous and always changing wine list. The only downside is the lack of New York wines on the list and no NY reds.

We selected our two favorite wines, in order, identified the wine that we'd pick for long term cellaring, and also identified one outlier wine - a wine that is different from the others, if there should be one. 2008 Overnoy/Houill on Poulsard Arbois Pupillin , $36, Louis/Dressner Selections. This is one for the cellar, I would say.

If forced to choose, I would buy the 2008 Chateau Fouquet , with its bright nose of red fruit and a clean, energetic, and ripe palate. This is not complicated wine, nor does it seem to be a good candidate for the cellar, but it is perfect in its simplicity. People came from all over the world to participate. Le Bourg was not shown.

Now I have a few and tonight I chose a 2008 Reserve Reisling from Fox Run Vineyards. Thankfu lly for me, a no sugar guy, the 2008 vintage is a dry Riesling, 1.0% Only in years when ripening conditions are outstanding will this wine be produced and the 2008 is well worth it. The downside of this Riesling is the price.