Calling All Wine Lovers!
05-30-2023, 06:05 AM
#21
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: The Finger Lakes of upstate NY
Posts: 3,446
We live in the Finger Lakes, where wineries are a huge part of the economy.
Several years ago, I read an article about Herman Wiemer's wines being served in the first class section of flights to and from Germany. That piqued my interest, so we visited it, and have loved it ever since. We also enjoy Dr. Frank's very much. Many wineries come and go within a few years, but these two have stood the test of time. There is every imaginable note available.
Sadly, I have not found reds from the Finger Lakes that I enjoy as much. We really attempt to support local, so only buy the FL wines. This is going to be particularly important this year, as up to 70% of grape buds were destroyed by hard frosts a week or so ago.
Several years ago, I read an article about Herman Wiemer's wines being served in the first class section of flights to and from Germany. That piqued my interest, so we visited it, and have loved it ever since. We also enjoy Dr. Frank's very much. Many wineries come and go within a few years, but these two have stood the test of time. There is every imaginable note available.
Sadly, I have not found reds from the Finger Lakes that I enjoy as much. We really attempt to support local, so only buy the FL wines. This is going to be particularly important this year, as up to 70% of grape buds were destroyed by hard frosts a week or so ago.
05-31-2023, 05:52 AM
#22
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Mendocino Coast, CA
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Originally Posted by peaceandjoy
We live in the Finger Lakes, where wineries are a huge part of the economy.
Several years ago, I read an article about Herman Wiemer's wines being served in the first class section of flights to and from Germany. That piqued my interest, so we visited it, and have loved it ever since. We also enjoy Dr. Frank's very much. Many wineries come and go within a few years, but these two have stood the test of time. There is every imaginable note available.
Sadly, I have not found reds from the Finger Lakes that I enjoy as much. We really attempt to support local, so only buy the FL wines. This is going to be particularly important this year, as up to 70% of grape buds were destroyed by hard frosts a week or so ago.
Several years ago, I read an article about Herman Wiemer's wines being served in the first class section of flights to and from Germany. That piqued my interest, so we visited it, and have loved it ever since. We also enjoy Dr. Frank's very much. Many wineries come and go within a few years, but these two have stood the test of time. There is every imaginable note available.
Sadly, I have not found reds from the Finger Lakes that I enjoy as much. We really attempt to support local, so only buy the FL wines. This is going to be particularly important this year, as up to 70% of grape buds were destroyed by hard frosts a week or so ago.
So sad about the bud frost.
05-31-2023, 04:07 PM
#23
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Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 3
Just some thoughts as I'm not so familiar with French wines. White wines that are alternatives to a Sauvignon Blanc that you might consider are Seyval Blanc or Pinot Grigio (I find with that minerality you mentioned). But do love my Gewurztraminer, lol.
06-01-2023, 06:52 AM
#24
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: The Finger Lakes of upstate NY
Posts: 3,446
tropit, FL wines are fabulous and ever expanding. The hills around the lakes, together with our winters, provide great conditions for the vines. Well, unless there's a late frost, as we just had.
It really is a beautiful area, if I do say so myself, lol. Some of the vineyards have been here for ages and ages, but in the last 25 years or so, there has been an explosion of wineries, and now many craft breweries as well. Those, and our lakes, have really become a huge tourist attraction.
Riesling, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer are the most common whites, Pinot Noir is common for red, but there are so many varieties now. Here's an interesting read from my fav: https://www.wiemer.com/exploring-var...ulia-vineyard/
We have quite a few lovely quilt shops, including a couple of Mennonite shops that don't have the decor of a traditional LQS, but fantastic pricing. If you're ever in a position to be in the area, definitely worth at least a couple of days to visit!
It really is a beautiful area, if I do say so myself, lol. Some of the vineyards have been here for ages and ages, but in the last 25 years or so, there has been an explosion of wineries, and now many craft breweries as well. Those, and our lakes, have really become a huge tourist attraction.
Riesling, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer are the most common whites, Pinot Noir is common for red, but there are so many varieties now. Here's an interesting read from my fav: https://www.wiemer.com/exploring-var...ulia-vineyard/
We have quite a few lovely quilt shops, including a couple of Mennonite shops that don't have the decor of a traditional LQS, but fantastic pricing. If you're ever in a position to be in the area, definitely worth at least a couple of days to visit!
06-01-2023, 10:36 AM
#25
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Mendocino Coast, CA
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Originally Posted by peaceandjoy
tropit, FL wines are fabulous and ever expanding. The hills around the lakes, together with our winters, provide great conditions for the vines. Well, unless there's a late frost, as we just had.
It really is a beautiful area, if I do say so myself, lol. Some of the vineyards have been here for ages and ages, but in the last 25 years or so, there has been an explosion of wineries, and now many craft breweries as well. Those, and our lakes, have really become a huge tourist attraction.
Riesling, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer are the most common whites, Pinot Noir is common for red, but there are so many varieties now. Here's an interesting read from my fav: https://www.wiemer.com/exploring-var...ulia-vineyard/
We have quite a few lovely quilt shops, including a couple of Mennonite shops that don't have the decor of a traditional LQS, but fantastic pricing. If you're ever in a position to be in the area, definitely worth at least a couple of days to visit!
It really is a beautiful area, if I do say so myself, lol. Some of the vineyards have been here for ages and ages, but in the last 25 years or so, there has been an explosion of wineries, and now many craft breweries as well. Those, and our lakes, have really become a huge tourist attraction.
Riesling, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer are the most common whites, Pinot Noir is common for red, but there are so many varieties now. Here's an interesting read from my fav: https://www.wiemer.com/exploring-var...ulia-vineyard/
We have quite a few lovely quilt shops, including a couple of Mennonite shops that don't have the decor of a traditional LQS, but fantastic pricing. If you're ever in a position to be in the area, definitely worth at least a couple of days to visit!
We lived in the Santa Ynez Valley for over 30 years and it was a quiet and peaceful place that no one had ever heard of...until... the movie Sideways came out. It was filmed there and once people saw it, it became a major destination for S. California wine lovers. It got so crowded with tourists that we couldn't even get into our little town to buy groceries. The roads were so congested, especially on the weekends. The area completely changed. We finally just moved. It was just too much of a good thing. A little tourism is very good though...it brings in money to the local economy. We need a little more of that here, in Mendo. We could use a quilt shop too.
06-01-2023, 10:45 AM
#26
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Mendocino Coast, CA
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If you are like me and learning about wines, a good site is Wine Folly, winefolly.com. I think that they even offer online courses. It might be fun to take a class.
Also, our local wine lady, Wendy Lamer, has a website for her store, The Disco Ranch: https://www.discoranch.com/. She is VERY knowledgeable about wine and has won several Awards of Excellence from Wine Spectator, in spite of the fact that she's located in our teeny tiny town. She has a curated collection of wines available from all over the world and you can download her list of available wines. It's a good reference, if nothing else. (Not a plug, really. I don't know her that well, but her site and wine list are an interesting read.)
Also, our local wine lady, Wendy Lamer, has a website for her store, The Disco Ranch: https://www.discoranch.com/. She is VERY knowledgeable about wine and has won several Awards of Excellence from Wine Spectator, in spite of the fact that she's located in our teeny tiny town. She has a curated collection of wines available from all over the world and you can download her list of available wines. It's a good reference, if nothing else. (Not a plug, really. I don't know her that well, but her site and wine list are an interesting read.)
Last edited by tropit; 06-01-2023 at 10:52 AM.
06-01-2023, 10:55 AM
#27
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Location: Mendocino Coast, CA
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My Daughter works at Navarro Vineyards, https://www.navarrowine.com/main.php and used to work at Pennyroyal Farms, https://www.pennyroyalfarm.com/. Both produce excellent Pinot Noirs.
06-03-2023, 06:52 AM
#28
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: The Finger Lakes of upstate NY
Posts: 3,446
tropit, finding that balance between needed tourism $ and gridlock is tricky. In the Finger Lakes, getting through the small towns at the north or south ends of the lakes during the summer months is daunting. They are all just 2 lane roads, and the traffic is crazy. Getting into restaurants can also be challenging.
We have a winter home in FL that is on an island that was unheard of 25 years ago. Now, thanks to the county's constant advertising of it worldwide, it is overbuilt and overpopulated with tourists. Very few people who own property actually live there anymore, even in the winter. Getting onto the island during high season, if you have to go onto the mainland for some reason, can take a couple of HOURS. Horrible. I'd sell in a heartbeat, but DH is not ready to yet.
Thanks for the links! When I have the chance, I will spend some time checking them out.
Many years ago, DH had to spend a semester at UC Davis. Absolutely loved the area and would like to go back again. We drove as far north as Eureka for a quick visit, but that was before the wine industry took off. We also went to southern California before driving back across the country. That part of the state did not appeal at all.
We have a winter home in FL that is on an island that was unheard of 25 years ago. Now, thanks to the county's constant advertising of it worldwide, it is overbuilt and overpopulated with tourists. Very few people who own property actually live there anymore, even in the winter. Getting onto the island during high season, if you have to go onto the mainland for some reason, can take a couple of HOURS. Horrible. I'd sell in a heartbeat, but DH is not ready to yet.
Thanks for the links! When I have the chance, I will spend some time checking them out.
Many years ago, DH had to spend a semester at UC Davis. Absolutely loved the area and would like to go back again. We drove as far north as Eureka for a quick visit, but that was before the wine industry took off. We also went to southern California before driving back across the country. That part of the state did not appeal at all.
Last edited by peaceandjoy; 06-03-2023 at 06:55 AM.
06-03-2023, 08:37 AM
#29
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Mendocino Coast, CA
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Yeah...I grew up in S. CA and it was magical then, but certainly not now. I love it in N. CA though...You passed right by me on your way up to Eureka.
It's funny how that movie, Sideways, changed so much of our lifestyle and the wine industry. One of the characters told the wine pourer, "No, if anyone orders Merlot, I'm leaving. I am NOT drinking any f***ing Merlot!." Suddenly, no one would drink Merlot, which, personally, I think is absolutely lovely. The vineyards all re-grafted their vines to other varietals and it became hard to find Merlot anywhere in CA. I did find one in our area, made by McNab Ridge, which puts out a Merlot that is really good some years, not so much other years. To me, a good Merlot tastes like drinking soft, purple velvet. Gorgeous!
It's funny how that movie, Sideways, changed so much of our lifestyle and the wine industry. One of the characters told the wine pourer, "No, if anyone orders Merlot, I'm leaving. I am NOT drinking any f***ing Merlot!." Suddenly, no one would drink Merlot, which, personally, I think is absolutely lovely. The vineyards all re-grafted their vines to other varietals and it became hard to find Merlot anywhere in CA. I did find one in our area, made by McNab Ridge, which puts out a Merlot that is really good some years, not so much other years. To me, a good Merlot tastes like drinking soft, purple velvet. Gorgeous!
06-03-2023, 08:47 AM
#30
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Mendocino Coast, CA
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Originally Posted by medford
Just some thoughts as I'm not so familiar with French wines. White wines that are alternatives to a Sauvignon Blanc that you might consider are Seyval Blanc or Pinot Grigio (I find with that minerality you mentioned). But do love my Gewurztraminer, lol.
