Lemberger and Lillybug

Last night we opened our 1 bottle of Hermann J. Wiemer Lemberger 2010, from the second vintage I worked there. As soon as I opened it I was sent back to the sorting, the tasting (these grapes were delicious!) and the punching down. I haven't had many Lembergers (the grape has its origins in Germany and also goes by the name Blaufrankisch) so I don't have a good reference point for this varietal, but the Wiemer version was extremely interesting and complex. Leather, earthy, brambly, herbal and spicy are the words I used to describe it. The medium body and good acidity made it delicious with both steak and barbecued chicken. I have to say this was my favorite Wiemer red to date. I should have gotten more than 1 bottle because I think it might be sold out :(

Separately, it's good to be back in action since this little bug came into our lives 6 months ago. Her outfit reminds me of the ladybugs we used to fling off the sorting table at Wiemer (ladybugs taste terrible - you do not want them in your wine). But we're keeping her.

Blend, baby, Blend

This week we released a new wine: Field Cuvee 2007. This is a red blend that until now used to be called Estate Red.  Field Cuvee 2007 is dominated by Cabernet Franc and Merlot, followed by Lemberger, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Noir. Hermann originally planted some of these varieties for the nursery business to provide bud material for grafting. We vinify Cab Franc and Pinot Noir as single varietals. Depending on the vintage we'll also do a Merlot. But we'll always have a blend with these 5 grapes, and from now on it will be known as Field Cuvee. It's a medium-bodied red with a lot of bright fruit that is easy to drink and will go well with many foods from BBQ to pizza.

The Cuvee line of wines is our blended line, with a different label to distinguish it from the rest of our wines - which are single varietals that are named on the label. It was first unveiled last summer with Frost Cuvee 2008, a white blend of Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and Chardonnay.

Blends are nice because they can bring out the best of each variety. If you can't decide on one grape, blend, baby, blend!

Unrelated: Apparently John Travolta has bought a house on Keuka Lake, which is west of Seneca. I've called dibs on his tasting if he comes to the winery!

Blueberries?

Over the weekend we harvested the last of the reds - Cabernet Franc, Lemberger, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. After seeing all these grapes I can now appreciate all the pretty colors that appear in red wine making. The berries are blue upon picking...

...and turn purple as they go through fermentation. The juice goes from virtually clear to pink to red, depending on the amount of skin contact and whether the fermentation occurs on or off the skins (rose vs. red wine). Here, I'm punching Cabernet Franc that is fermenting on the skins:

Punching the reds is a great way to warm up when you are freezing from sorting and cleaning outside. In terms of snacking, the Lemberger grapes were my favorite - I could eat those any day. Would be a healthier alternative to donuts :)

Y Keuka Lake?

Because every winery has an amazing view! Here's the one from Dr. Konstantin Frank in Hammondsport, NY. Dr. Frank was the man responsible for bringing the European grapes that we all know and love (Vitis Vinifera, or Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, etc.) to the Finger Lakes and making quality wines from them where no one had been able to before. At the winery, they greet you for your tasting and spend as much time as you want talking about the wines, making everyone feel like a VIP. Plus, the tasting is free! How often do you see that? I liked their 2007 Gewurz, but I think their most interesting wine is Rkatsiteli - an eastern European grape that pays homage to Dr. Frank's roots. It's totally unique - I really enjoyed the green olive flavors of the 2007 release and took home a bottle.

At Heron Hill Winery I tried some good Rieslings, including their 2007 Reserve Old Vines Riesling ($24.99), 2006 Classic Dry Riesling ($12.99), and 2006 Ingle Vineyard Riesling ($15.99). The Reserve Old Vines was an Alsation style and had a really nice long finish thanks to slightly higher alcohol (13% compared to 12% on the other two). Here I also learned that 2007 was the best vintage of the century for Pinot Noir in the Finger Lakes. I am now curious to explore this further. Their Reserve was good, but for $29.99 I thought I might be able to do better.

My hunch was affirmed at Ravines Wine Cellars, where I was WOWed by their 2007 Pinot Noir, a Burgundian style full of cherry and spice, which I didn't hesitate to buy at $22.95. Ravines was a great way to end the day. I did their wine and chocolate pairing, featuring Hedonist Artisan Chocolates from Rochester, NY. There were a lot of wines to like here, including:
2007 Dry Riesling
2008 Sauvignon Blanc
2007 Chardonnay (with Hedonist sesame milk chocolate)
2006 Cerise (red blend - 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Lemberger - with Hedonist cherry dark chocolate)
2007 Pinot Noir
2007 Cabernet Franc (with Hedonist cranberry orange peel dark chocolate)
2006 Meritage (Bordeaux blend - Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Merlot - with their very own infused Hedonist truffle)

I got to taste the wines for free and received a 20% discount on the bottles I bought because of my affiliation with Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard! Apparently winery employees are eligible for these bennies at all Finger Lakes wineries. Too bad I didn't know that for the prior two ;)

PS Keuka Lake is just west of Seneca Lake and is shaped like a 'y'