On day two of our Finger Lakes winery tours we left our hotel in Geneva and drove all of 5 minutes to the Ravines tasting room.  They had just opened and were probably not expecting much traffic on such a cold and snowy day.

We thoroughly enjoyed the 2020 Dry Riesling which was showing off notes of petrol at such a young age. It was delicious and holds much potential, 92 points from me. The ever better 2020 Dry Riesling from the Argetsinger Vineyard was dry with great minerality, less petrol, very balanced and showing some phenolics on the back end- 93 points.  A 2022 Sauvignon Blanc impressed with great acidity, was fresh, balanced, crisp and worthy of 90 points.  The 2021 Gewürztraminer was a more delicate affair from a weaker vintage.  89 points for this wine that showed a transitional flavor profile from the nose to the palate.  It was very interesting and delicious.   Then again, I love this grape.

The thin 2021 Cabernet Franc is a victim of terrible weather that year. It managed 86 points. The 2019 Maximilien was integrated with nice structure. Juicy and spicy, this blend of 69% Cab Sav, 31% Merlot got 89 points from me. Drink now or till 2027.

The finale was what I came here for- sparkling wines that my friend raved about. The 2018 Sparkling Riesling was golden colored with lovely honeyed notes. It went down a treat and got 91 points from me. The last wine of our tasting was the 2017 Sparkling Brut. Made in the traditional method it was a ringer for Veuve. Delicious, crisp, loaded with all you look for in that style. Brioche, pear, lemon, creamy mouse and great acidity. I could go on but you get my drift. We really enjoyed having the tasting room all to ourselves, albeit at 10 am! Worth a visit either as your first stop of the day or at the end of your day where you can settle down to a nice cheese board and some fun bubblies before heading back to town. Salut….

The last stop on day 1 of our Finger Lakes tour was on the west side of Cayuga Lake, just north of its sister property Six Eighty Cellars .  A little more rustic than the modern tasting room we had just left- this winery offered up a more traditional approach to winemaking and was geared to the masses.  I tasted six wines and we indulged in a light cheese board.  The 2021 Blaufrankisch was an easy-drinking and delicious bottle with cherries galore alongside white pepper.  The Cabernet Franc, also from 2021 was decent but the weakness of the vintage showed.  Excessive rain and little sunshine produced thin wines with less structure for the long haul- It was pleasant enough.  The two Rieslings I tasted were pretty good, 89 points for the Dry and 91 for the Riemer Block which showed off minerality and tropical fruit.  The 2020 Pinot Noir showcased what this property can achieve.  It scored 90 points and was delicious with cherry, spice, cedar and a lovely mouthfeel.  The ripeness of the vintage showed itself on the backend with what I felt was a ‘sweet’ finish.  Last, but not least was the 202 Marnie Ann- a Bordeaux style wine that really rocked- 91 points.  We enjoyed our time here but the day was starting to drag and the weather was not great.  The views would have been spectacular save the cloud cover.  I bet this place rocks in the summer, they have cabins!  Salut….

When I was planning our visit to the Finger Lakes I consulted my fellow winos for recommendations.  I planned the trip to start in Ithaca on Monday morning heading North West for our first visit and then a meandering northwards to Geneva, stopping at three wineries this side of Seneca Lake and capping it off at Ravines, which is just west of the town.  Once we got started, our timing was thrown off by an exuberant host at one winery showcasing all they had to offer followed by advice from another host that we should add Six Eighty to our agenda as it was on our path.  I’m glad we took the advice- this is a unique experience and a beautiful tasting room with amazing views, albeit on our visit it was snowing with fog!

Located on the western shore of Cayuga lake this relatively new winery is doing some interesting things with its vinification methods.  From their literature- “Ancient-style clay, stone and terracotta vessels” are but a few of the adventurous methods being used to make delicious wines.  I tried 12 of their offerings starting with three versions of Chardonnay from the 2021 vintage.  The Sandstone garnered 88 points whilst the Clayver and Terracotta got 89, with a comment that the Terracotta was ‘interesting’. 10% was skin fermented, 10% was from dried grapes.

Pet Nat is a style of sparkling wine that was accidentally invented many moons ago and is seeing a resurgence.  It stands for Pétillant Naturel.  Google it for more info.  I tasted a red and white of this style with the 2021 Gruner Veltliner gaining 88 points.  I found it interesting.  The Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé had a funky nose with a fruity palate and got 89 points from me, I found it ‘fun’!

Off-dry Riesling is a delicious wine as was proven with the 2022 Concrete Diamond that got 91 points.  The Pinot Noirs showcased the potential of this winery but also highlighted the weakness of the 2021 vintage.  The Concrete Diamond ’21 was thin and only mustered 88 points while the Sandstone was a bit medicinal and only scraped 89 points.  Going back to 2018, the Pinot is a blend of Noir and Meunier done in a more traditional oak aging- 91 points.  The 2020 (an exceptional year) was also aged in oak, a mix of old/new/small/large and produced an ageworthy and delicious wine that got 92 points.

Moving on to some avant garde wines were the 2022 Pinot Noir/Gewürztraminer co-ferment, aged in the Concrete Diamond.  This is a neat concept- red and white grapes, one light and fruity while the other is very aromatic.  I enjoyed this hybrid and gave it 87 points.  My favorite of all was the 2021 Carbonic Cabernet Franc.  Think fruit-forward with no tannic grip making for an easy drinking and fruity wine.  90 points.  It’s probably the smartest thing anyone could do with the grapes from such a mediocre vintage.

Overall I had a great tasting and really think this winery has a bright future, albeit their methods may not appeal to the masses.  For wine geeks this place is your #1 stop.  Salut….

Moxie and I did a tour through the Finger Lakes of New York recently, this was our first of eight wineries in two days.  We thoroughly enjoyed our time here with our very knowledgeable and witty host.  A brief overview of my scores reveals most in the 88-90 range but the showstopper for me was the 2014 Riesling Caywood East Dry.  Simply stunning and loaded with freshness yet petrol was abundant- just what I was looking for.  I gave it 93 points and picked up a few bottles.  I also grabbed some Magnums of a more recent vintage to lay down, after all this wine was meant to develop and when it does…..  I noted that the Meritage was deelish with low tannins, light color and a medium (-) body.  Overall, a great tasting experience and glad we had the place to ourselves.  Salut….

Sorry about the horrible pictures, the lighting was intense and I could not get a decent angle.  

Moxie and I had to drop my daughter off in New York and decided to push North West to the Finger Lakes for a quick two day tasting experience.  The last time we were here was in January 2021.  I gotta say, if you can brave the cold and snow, it’s the best time to visit if you are serous about wine.  No crowds, no reservations needed (well, almost none), cheap hotels and an abundance of food options makes it a good month.

We arrived on Sunday afternoon and checked into the Canopy by Hilton in Ithaca.  Located on the southeast part of the region, it was a good place to kick off from as we had already driven from DC to NYC and after 8 hours in the car I was ready for a drink.  The hotel itself is beautifully appointed with a big, open reception that leads to the lounge and dining area.  The Bills were playing that night so the pull down screen was in place to view the game, sans volume.  Our breakfast was hearty, Shakshouka for me and the first of three daily omelettes for the missus.  We headed out just after 9:30 on the 45 minute drive to our first experience- Wagner.  Here is our mapped itinerary.

I ended up tasting the whole gamut of wines once our host realized I was in the trade- it was fun and exciting.  He really made our visit a memorable event.

Next up was Boundary Breaks- a really cool and modern wine tasting that showcased the delicious variations on the varietals that thrive on the region.

Our next stop was the eclectic Six Eighty Cellars.  Just one look at the descriptors got me excited.  Non-traditional would be the key word here, just read some of the techniques they are using to vinify… Cocciopesto, Concrete Diamond, Carbonic (Mainly found in Beaujolais), Sandstone, Clayver, Terracotta and loads of Pet-Nat wines.

Next door is their sister winery- Buttonwood Grove.  Far more traditional in style, they had some interesting choices that were tasty.

Alas, we had run out of time…. I did not want to be that guy that shows up 30 minutes before closing time on a dreary January Monday.  We cut short our next destination and pivoted to the hotel in Geneva.  We stayed here the last visit and enjoyed the amenities and their delicious breakfast.  Dinner was at Kindred Fare, where we dined last time as well.  Both visits we thoroughly enjoyed our evenings.

Our first stop on Tuesday was five minutes from our hotel- Ravines.  They have a beautiful old barn that is used for tastings, well worth a visit.  The wines were delicious but the Sparkling Brut was unreal.

Due to the weather we stopped into Fox Run Vineyards and took our time enjoying their offerings.  The view onto the lake would have been spectacular had there not been fog and snow!

A few yards down the road – Red Tail Ridge winery where we were warmly greeted by the General Manager and given a delightful tasting.  Their wines were the best we tasted. Moxie is very picky but she loved them, especially the Perpétuelle Change sparkler.  Who doesn’t love a dinosaur label??

What ended up being our last winery was Anthony Road, where I was told I must try their skin ferment Riesling.  I opted for the blind tasting of five wines and had a blast.  It’s been a while since I did that so it was a nice change.  Scoring 3/5 correct got me a prize!  Moxie and I were quite famished at that point so we ordered a brick of absolutely stunning Camembert made locally, I finally drank some wine instead of spitting.  I think I had tasted over 80 wines at this point and needed a break.  It was fun closer to a great two days of ‘work’.

We headed to the beautiful and well appointed Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel where we checked in to our lakeside room.  For dinner, we sat fireside and enjoyed a reasonable Malbec- I was done with Cab Franc and Riesling for the time being.  The next morning, after a hearty breakfast we loaded the wares into Moxie’s trusty Mini and drove the 5 hours back home.

Unable to muster up the courage to open a bottle, I settled for Belgian beer to go along with our roast chicken dinner.  I was pooped.  The 750 ml’s of a 10% ABV amber lulled me to a well deserved state.

I will be summarizing each winery in the subsequent posts, check back to read more!  Salut….