I thought we could all use a break from Paul Ryan and the budget shut down, so I’m going to do a bit of wine blogging. First off, Evan Dawson of New York Cork Report, my favorite wine blog, has a new book out about Finger Lakes wines that looks really good. I got a copy but I’ve only read the first chapter — it’s very good so far!
I also thought I’d write a bit about this crazy week-long (I kept decanting into smaller bottles to keep the wine fresh) Finger Lakes riesling horizontal I did last week. I tried the Hermann J. Wiemer 2008 HJW Vineyard Riesling, the Hermann J. Wiemer 2008 Magdalena Vineyard Riesling, and the 2008 Ravines Argetsinger Vineyard riesling. They were all a bit pricey (25-35) but excellent and it was a fascinating tasting. The Magdalena is the one everyone is gaga over because it’s the richest and fruitiest, but I liked it the least, even though it was very good. To me it was a rich, round, lovely wine dominated by the classic Finger Lakes note of candied lime. I preferred the brisk stone fruit flavors of the Argetsinger; they aren’t something I’ve seen in too many other rieslings, and I loved the clean, slightly bitter finish. My favorite, though, was the HJW Vineyard riesling, which had an unusual and haunting kiwi-strawberry-vanilla flavor. It was a wine you had to pay attention to to appreciate, but I like that.
What have you been drinking lately in the wine, beer, and spirits category (no tea talk!)?