[Picking a Finger Lakes wine trail...]

I'm starting to plan a trip to the Finger Lakes wine region in NY this summer...and I'm hoping to get some recommendations from people that have visited the region...

I know my Long Island wine....but which "wine trail" should I check out first in the Finger Lakes?

[Spencer Roloson Wines]

I've been drinking and reviewing mostly New York wines lately, but recently Spencer Roloson (from the Bay area) sent me a few wines.

I'm curious if anyone out there has had any of these wines and what they tought of them.

I'm actually getting ready to pop open the 2002 Palaterra blend (33% Carignane, 33% Syrah and 33% Valdigue)...I'll add my own thoughts later!

[Interest in New York Wines]

However, they did also have the "first entrant" advantage, being amongst the first in upstate to place themselves as a positive alternative to jug wines from the big "evil empire" Taylor wines. This got them shelf space before the making and drinking of good wine became "hip".

To me, the product itself is pretty consistantly plonk.

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Plonk is really the only way to describe it. I've tried endless bottles of Bully Hill (they have a seemingly endless array of hybrids varietals and blends) and never found one that was worth talking about.

Back to FatGuy's comments. Sure, LI wines are not cheap (at least not the ones worth drinking) but, I'd argue that many of the 15-dollar Merlots out here are better than the 5-dollar ones from Argentina. Argentina is a "hot" region in all the pubs, but there is plenty of bad wine coming out of there as well.

If the prices were THAT insane, the better wineries probably wouldn't sell out if their wines each year.

I think people need to have open minds...I think that because Wine Spectator and the like don't often write about LI (or NY wines)...lots of wine drinkers, even supposed "wine lovers" can't or won't evaluate them without bias.

It's a documented fact that LI wines have been seen to stand up VERY well in blind tastings conducted by so-called experts.

[Interest in New York Wines]

try Paumanok, Pugliese and Osprey's Dominion.  pugliese makes a wicked blanc de noir "nature" with no dosage.  light salmon colored and a great dry finish.  the blanc de blanc brut is good, too.  we have had osprey's dominion fume blanc and johannesberg riesling and enjoyed them.

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Paumanok is certainly another good destination. I spent 3 hours last weekend with co-owner and winemaker Charles Massoud tasting his wines and also still-fermening samples of his 2004 vintage. He has a very smooth style...where the tannins are in the background...with nice fruit.

Pugliese does have make some fun sparkling wines and some simple, but tasty dessert wines. For a fun food wine, they make a sparkling Merlot that is pretty good.

Osprey Dominion does have a couple good wines, but overall, I'm not that big a fan.

[Interest in New York Wines]

Which ones are at the top of your list?  Which would you avoid?  (I understand if you don't want to answer the latter question.)

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Brent,

Thanks for reponding. While I'll pass on mentioning the ones I'd say to avoid (there are some, feel free to email me if you'd really like to know).

As for ones you should definitely try:

- Lieb Family Cellars. Despite some of the comments above, they make extremely good wines. Sure, their Meritage is pricey at 50 bucks...but the Bridge Lane wines are good for the price.

- Shinn Estates Vineyard. They only do tastings after 3pm Saturday tours, and their offerings are limited (two wines now) but it's an experience I'd recommend to any wine lover. The owners (David Page and Barb Shinn) also own Home restaurant in Greenwich Village.

- The Tasting Room. It's a co-op tasting room for smaller producers, including Comtesse Therese (try ANY of their wines...which are much better priced than others), Broadfields (good reds), Sherwood House and Schneider.

- Macari Vineyards. Probably the best tasting room in terms of knowledgable and friendly staff. And, a great view of their vines.

[Interest in New York Wines]

Does anyone outside of New York even realize how many good (and even a few great) wines come out of this region?

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For the most part, a New York wine is going to be expensive for its quality level. This is understandable from a cost-of-inputs standpoint: it's a lot more expensive to grow wine in New York than in California. But in order for it to be understandable from a consumer standpoint, there needs to be something in the bottle that justifies paying more. I just don't see that very often.

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You are absolutely right..at least when it comes to Long Island wineries (where the best wines are made). That is definitely something the LI winemakers have to battle...why should the consumer pay 20 bucks for a bottle of good Merlot when they can get one from Argentina for 15 (or less)?

I'd be curious to hear what LI wines you've had and what wineries you've visited...because, despite the price-value concern, there are some special wines...and some are actually good values. I'd point to the recently released Roanoke Vineyards Merlot...

[Interest in New York Wines]

Hi Len:

I am a wine importer and distributor in the Metropolitan area.  I represent two vineyards from Long Island in NJ., they are Castello di  Borghese and Gallucio Family Winery.  The Gallucio wines do extremely well at the Hotel Borgata in AC and The Tropicana Hotel just added NY flights of wines from both these vineyards in the new Quarter Section.  Both vineyards have really nice Chardonnays and reds.  They are also in several really nice wine shops in NJ., and have had some promising reviews in NJ magazines and WS. People just need to keep an open mind, many of the wines are very Burgundian and Oregon like in style.

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Can I ask how you picked Borghese and Gallucio? I'm always curious to hear how people pick wineries to distribute...Vincent (Gallucio) is a great guy though...very passionate.

[Interest in New York Wines]

Len, Is that the most expensive NY wine you know of? What makes it so expensive? I am not aware of any particular demand to justify the price. Do they actually sell it at that price? I'll be interested to read your impressions of it.

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Wow. I'm glad to see a few responses today.

First, I think that Channing Daughters makes very good wine. Their grounds are gorgeous and they do a lot of interesting experimentation with different varietals and blends. In fact, it's difficult to get their wines if you're not in their wine club...they sell out so quickly.

I will DEFINITELY keep an eye out for those events. I wasn't aware of them at all.

As for the $125 bottle of Merlot...I'm curious to taste it myself! They sent me some information on the wine that I haven't gone through yet...but Roman Roth (the winemaker there) is a maestro...and one of the top one or two winemakers on the Island. As to whether or not they actually sell it at that price, I can't really say.

[light whites.]

If you have access to Rieslings from the Finger Lakes in New York State, you might like them.  We just had a Treleaven Riesling that was surprisingly light, crisp, and fruity. Used to like Dr. Konstantin Frank, but last year's was disappointing and haven't had this year's yet.

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Just to pile on the Finger Lakes wines...try some of the whites from Awater Estates...their Riesling and, surprisingly, the vidal blanc are excellent.

[Supreme Court Rules on Interstate Wine Sales]

I can't wait...assuming the justices lift the ban!

More people will be able to get NY wines...and I'll be able to get more wines from smaller producers throughout the country!

[Interest in New York Wines]

Well thanks for the warm welcome...I'll GLADLY visit often and offer insight into NY wines and wines at large!

I've definitely heard of Dan Kleck...and I've had that chard myself...it's for sale in a co-op tasting room out here (for smaller wineries without their own rooms).

As for others to try...without knowing what you like and what you're drinking lately...I wouldn't assume I could suggest something.

I just got a sample of Wolffer Estates Premier Cru Merlot sent to me...I'm going to enjoy that this week...for the first time. At $125 a bottle...I can't afford that often haha. And, I wouldn't accept a full bottle from them...so I asked them to send me a 375ml one!

Yes, Len, welcome!  We hope you will visit often and share your insights into the NY wine scene.

Oddly enough, we have a fine chardonnay produced here in Paso Robles from Long Island North Fork fruit.  Check out the Silverstone 2000 Chardonnay, North Fork of Long Island.

Winemaker Dan Kleck was previously the winemaker at Hargrave and Palmer, before Jess Jackson wooed him away to work for Kendall-Jackson.  After arriving in California, Dan decided to move to Paso Robles and start his own winery, where he continues to purchase and feature NY fruit.  (His bio needs updating--he no longer lives on the Monterey Peninsula.)

But honestly, if it weren't for knowing Dan and his wife, Debbie, all I would know about NY wines is that they exist, and are often very, very good. . .  we don't see them in our local markets.

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[Interest in New York Wines]

As a freelance wine writer living here on Long Island, I drink (and write about) Long Island wines regularly, as well as some that I get from wineries in the Hudson Valley and even, on occasion, the Finger Lakes.

Does anyone outside of New York even realize how many good (and even a few great) wines come out of this region?

Unfortunately, there's a lot of sweet, poorly made wines out here too...and until recently those were in the vast majority.

That's the "history" of NY wine...and it's an uphill battle.

Does anyone outside of NY know about the good wines? Does anyone care?

Of course, the limitations on shipping don't help :)...but hopefully that won't be an issue soon :)

Had any NY wines you liked?

[Wine with Sushi]

Thanks for the welcome Dover...I don't claim to be an expert...only a HUGE wine fan and budding wine writer/journalist :)

The pinot blanc pairing with sushi really was spectacular...and I'm not even that into Sushi (I know..how odd for a foodie).

[Long Island=Merlot]

I don't think it's really fair (or accurate) to say that LI is already defined by it's Merlots. In fact, I agree that the Cab Francs are probably better.

However, the winemakers on the island don't think that Cab Franc has a large enough group of fans to help them get on the map. Also, there are a lot of top wineries (Raphael, Lenz, etc.) that disagree with this movement, arguing that it's far to limiting and may pigeon-hole the region.

Personally...I've had some outstanding Merlot on Long Island, particularly at Bedell (took part in a 17-vintage tasting two weekends ago), Lieb Cellars, Comtese Therese and Wolffer.

But, there are other great wines out here. There is some great Riesling, some excellent steel-fermented chards and, again, super Cab Francs.

I'm curious to see how this all plays out. It's a bit of a civil war out here right now.

[Wine with Sushi]

Hi. This is my first post and I just wanted to add that I went to a wine tasting event at Lieb Cellars (here on Long Island) a few months ago. The first course served at the event was some tasty maki rolls...with their reserve pinot blanc. It was a stellar pairing....