A Finger Lakes Riesling

Late last summer, at the very end of summer, actually, we made a pilgrimage up to the Finger Lakes to immerse ourselves in the New York State wine experience. Although the drive was much longer than I expected (my estimate of 3 hours was dramatically off the mark) and it rained off and on the entire day, it was a rather pleasant journey from the city to the idyllic environs of the Finger Lakes. I couldn't wait to get into the tasting rooms of the wineries that dotted the shores of Seneca Lake. Our first wine tasting journey was at the beginning of the summer, a Memorial Day trip out west to experience the gorgeous scenery and wines of Sonoma County. After having discovered the joys of an entire weekend spent tasting and eating and driving the back country roads of Sonoma I was excited about seeing how New York's Finger Lakes compared.

After spending a few days driving around the lake, hopping from winery to winery and taking in the plethora of sights, sounds, smells, tastes and overall feeling of the place I had to conclude that Sonoma was much more to my liking. I like the energy of Sonoma more, and the quality of the light. Although the Finger Lakes were fun, I couldn't quite escape the feeling that pervades much of upstate New York, that of a place that has seen better times.

Oh, and the food was much better in Sonoma.

These are the wineries the Professor and I liked best, either for the wine, the vibe or just because they were plain fun:

Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard
Fulkerson Winery
Lakewood Vineyards
Red Newt
Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards
Lamoreaux Landing
Ravines Wine Cellars


The Professor's Tasting Notes

Hermann J. Wiemer
Dry Riesling Reserve
2005

A delightful riesling from one of my favorite New York State wineries. It is more elegant and richer than its more cheerful sister, the 2005 Dry Riesling. It has a pretty pale gold color reminiscent of the late autumn sun. Its aroma is softly fruity, with a hint of honey. It's notes are definitely fruity (ripe pears and apples*) without the heavy-handedness or overly-sweetness of some rieslings. We paired it with three different dishes ---ginger-fried calamari, striped seabass on a bed of roasted artichoke, and fresh spring green salad---, and it went with each one equally well. I can imagine it paring beautifully with a variety of seafood dishes, cheese plates and salads. To sum up, this wine plays very well with others.

*I thought I tasted a hint of pineapple, but Dantae was not able to confirm this. He said, "it's yummy!" instead.