Posts Written OnJanuary 17, 2012

The New York Cork Report 2011 Wines of the Year Finalists

The winners from our 2010 Wines of the Year tasting (Photo by Morgan Dawson Photography)  By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor This is the third year of our New York Cork Report “Wines of the Year” program and over the past several weeks, my colleagues Bryan Calandrelli and Evan Dawson, and I have been tasting, re-tasting and re-re-tasting dozens of wines to , narrow and hone our lists of finalists 2011 Wines of the Year. We don’t pretend that we’ve tasted every single wine released during the 2011 calendar year, but we feel that we’ve tasted a more-than-representative sampling from each…

Atwater Estate Vineyards 2010 Riesling Bubble

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor Sparkling riesling isn’t new in the Finger Lakes. A handful of wineries have been making it for years and a couple years ago, one even won the Governor’s Cup. Last fall, Atwater Estate Vineyards became the latest winery to make sparkling riesling, adding Riesling Bubble to its portfolio. Off-dry and force-carbonated, it also features modern packaging that definitely stands out on a store shelf (my picture doesn’t do it justice) and is closed  with a crown cap rather than a cork. A fruity nose shows ripe peach, candied green apple and hints of mint syrup.…