The Latest from “Wines of Altitude” with Amalaya Wines & Bodega Colomé

Last July I covered Wines of Altitude featuring two wines each from Amalaya Wines and Bodega Colomé, each members of the Hess Family Estates. Both wineries grow and source grapes from the Salta Province of NW Argentina - one of the highest viticulture regions in the world where vineyards are situated 5,500 ft to over 10,000 ft above sea level. This high altitude provides intense daytime sunlight and cool nights that help better retain the acidity and concentrated fruit characteristics of the grapes - predominately Torrontés and Malbec. There are actually three varieties of Torrontés: Torrontés Riojano (the most common), Torrontés Sanjuanino, and Torrontés Mendocino.  Each are believed to be separate crossings of the Mission grape and Muscat of Alexandria. This June I received the current vintage of the previous wines and will compare and contrast below.

Amalaya translates to "Hope for a Miracle" from the native Calchaqui Indians and the grapes are harvested from the Finca San Isidro Vineyard and Las Mercedes Vineyard.

• 2016 Amalaya Blanco ($12; 85% Torrontés / 15% Riesling) This release has the same grape composition and Finca San Isidro vineyard source as the 2015 release.  The wine is also as refreshing with more citrus and minerality - a little sugar - and a tremendous deal at this price.
• 2016 Amalaya Malbec ($16; 85% Malbec, 10% Tannat, 5% Petit Verdot) The 2016 version replaces Syrah with Petit Verdot; expands the vineyard to both Finca Las Mercedes and the Calchaqui Valley; and maintains a similar oak regime (25% aged 8 months in French Oak). The two are also very similar on the palate so let me reuse my descriptor: this wine is fruit forward and smooth there's a dusty, spicy, and vanilla character resulting from the oak. The finish is very easy, very easy. 

Bodega Colomé primarily sources fruit from four vineyards. The winery and Colomé Vineyard are located at 7,545 feet above sea level and operates three other vineyards ranging from 5,750 (La Brava Estate) to 10,200 (Altura Máxima Estate) feet above sea level. This last could be the highest vineyard in the world.

• 2014 Colomé Estate Malbec ($25) This release is also 100% Malbec and produced from grapes grown at all four vineyards.  This wine is denser, more full bodied with dark fruit and a velvety complexion. The finish shows white pepper, acids, and once again noticeable, but approachable tannins.
• 2016 Colomé Torrontés ($15) Like the 2015 release, this wine is 100% Torrontés harvested from 30 - 60 year old vines from throughout the Calchaqui Valley and shares the same wine making methods. It also shares most of the characteristics of the previous year with the abundant floral and Muscat aromas, plenty of stone fruits, grapefruit, and refreshing acidity. A fantastic wine.

From Teetotalers to The World's Best Cabernet: Australia's Galvanized Wine Group

"The irony is that Thomas Goss and successive generations were strict teetotalers" Tony Parkinson, Group Principal, Galvanized Wine Group

The story behind this ironic situation originated in 1854 when Thomas Goss purchased a tract of land using his Ballarat Goldfields proceeds.  For the next 144 years Goss and successive generations of family teetotalers farmed grain and sheep on this homestead. But in 1993 Tony Parkinson purchased parcels of this historic farmland and began to plant grape vines. And "in 1998, Keith Rowland, great-great-grandson of Thomas Goss sold the Ingleburne homestead property to Tony Parkinson ..... which reunited the original Thomas Goss section (80 acres) of farming land".  From teetotalers to vineyards.

The Goss farm is located in McLaren Vale, an area well suited for grape vines with its winter dominate rain and dry summer days which transition to cool breezy evenings. Parkinson explored the region when he decided to enter the wine industry and first purchased part of the Goss farm in 1988. This parcel would become Penny's Hill Vineyard and the first vines were planted in 1991. In short order he expanded his vineyard acreage and "set about establishing the brand with distinctive 'red dot' packaging and the slogan, 'Proudly Australian. More so McLaren Vale'". The first Penny's Hill brand wine appeared in 1997 with the introduction of the Penny's Hill 1995 Vintage Shiraz.

When Parkinson purchased the last section of the original Thomas Goss farm in 1998 the property was used as a cellar for the Penny's Hill brand. However, in order to celebrate the 200th birthday of Goss, Parkinson's recently incorporated Galvanized Wine Group (GWG), launched the Thomas Goss label featuring McLaren Vale red wines and Adelaide Hills white wines. The new label was not only a tribute to Goss and his family's long contribution to the region, but also a playful jab at their teetotaler lifestyle.

I learned this information at a recent lunch with Parkinson and current GWG winemaker Alexis Roberts at BlackSalt Fish Market & Restaurant in Washington DC.  Their visit to D.C. was near the culmination of a two week sprint across North America promoting their story and wine brands. Besides the Penny's Hill and Thomas Goss labels their portfolio includes The Chook (Australian for chicken) which was once known as the Black Chook until lawyers became involved.  During the lunch we sipped the wines listed below and discussed the Mediterranean-style climate of McLaren Vale, the cool climate Adelaide Hills, pests (apple moth, rust mites, birds for late harvest grapes, some kangaroo), markets (Canada is their #1 export market), and these delicious and affordable wines. In sum, the Thomas Goss label provides extraordinary value and across the board were excellent; The Chook, more value with a playful flair; and Penny's Hill, class. The latter includes the recently awarded The World's Best Cabernet Penny’s Hill 14V Edwards Road Cabernet Sauvignon. From Teetotalers to The World's Best Cabernet. Cheers.

Thomas Goss 16V Riesling ($16.99) - Lemons, texture, abundant acids from large diurnal temperature swine in the Adelaide Hills. Domestic market understands that Riesling is equivalent to dry wine so no need for the International Riesling Foundation scale.

Thomas Goss 16V Chardonnay ($16.99) - Fermented in neutral oak plus occasional lee stirring provides a complex and weighty wine that showcases the Chardonnay fruit. Once again, plenty of length and acidity at the tail.

Thomas Goss 15V Shiraz ($16.99) - More weight at this price point plus very balanced fruit. The blackberries transitions to slight spice and a bright finish.

Thomas Goss 14V Cabernet Sauvignon ($16.99) - More dark fruit, complex with a slightly spicy finish. "Dynamic" for a single word descriptor.

Penny’s Hill 14V Edwards Road Cabernet Sauvignon ($27.99) - Sourced from higher elevated five acre block. More elevated, narrow window to harvest.  A classy wine, drinkable now but possesses rounded tannins and acids for aging. Recipient of The World's Best Cabernet  Enough said.

Penny’s Hill 14V Cracking Black Shiraz ($27.99) - Sourced from the Malpas Road Vineyard and aged 18 months with 20% in new French oak, this wine oozes with complexity. The Bay of Biscay clay soil dries to a crackle, hence the name, and limits vigor providing greater grape quality. Expect dark fruit, some chocolate, and firm tannins.

The Chook 14V Shiraz-Viognier ($19.99) - Co-fermented Shiraz with a small amount of Viognier provide an enhanced aroma. This is a deliciously smooth wine, very ripe fruit that lingers with the subtle tannins.

The Chook NV Sparkling Shiraz ($19.99) - Produced using the Charmat method from between 3-5 year old wine, this sparkling wine has been produced since 2005. There is plenty of body and lift where the fruit and spices linger...... Great value.

Ned Luberecki's Take Five and Chateau Ste. Michelle's Columbia Valley Dry Riesling

On March 31st 2017 banjoist Ned Luberecki releases his newest album Take Five. I'm a fan of Luberecki's Sirius XM Radio Bluegrass Junction show, but I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical when receiving an early download link. I'd never listened to a solo banjoist album before; and in hindsight, there was no reason to be skeptical. First, Luberecki organized a stellar supporting cast from vocalists to fiddlers and guitarists. (This cast consists of Missy Raines and the New Hip, Jeremy Garrett of The Infamous Stringdusters, Becky Buller, the Helen Highwater Stringband (Mike Compton, David Grier, Missy Raines, and Shad Cobb), Chris Jones and The Night Drivers, Dale Ann Bradley, Amanda Smith, and Stephen Mougin -- guitarist of the Sam Bush Band and the other half of Nedski & Mojo.) Second, the interplay between the fiddle and banjo is hypnotic (See Cleveland Park). Finally, and most importantly, the album is as varied as possible.  There are fiddle tunes, train songs, and even concludes with the Theme from Star Trek. Higher Ground is my favorite track with Dale Ann Bradly on vocals. Blue Monk handles the blues and there's an excellent Buck Owens Medley.  And his take on the Brazilian bossa nova jazz song Girl From Ipanema sums up this album -- anything is possible with Ned Luberecki's banjo.

Riesling is the wine equivalent to the banjo; it's underappreciated and misunderstood. (Such as Riesling wine is always sweet.) Yes some are, but the majority range from dry to off-dry with enough acidity to balance any residual sugar.  Normally I would think Finger Lakes Riesling, but recently I purchased a bottle of Chateau Ste. Michelle 2015 Columbia Valley Dry Riesling ($9, 12% abv). Like Take Five, this wine is refreshing and versatile - with apple and citrus flavors, some petrol, and all balanced with refreshing acidity. The winery has even implemented the International Riesling Foundation Sweetness Scale to inform the consumer of the wine's inherent sweetness -- with this wine solidly in the Dry range. And at that price and abv I could drink it every day while listening to Luberecki. Cheers.

A Quick Visit to Temecula Valley Wine Country

During our craft beer centric stay in San Diego, we did allocate one afternoon to visit wine country - choosing Temecula Valley or Southern California's Wine Country as they refer to themselves. This wine region is located 90 minutes south of Los Angeles and 60 minutes north of San Diego off I-15. The community boasts 35 wineries - all situated due east of Old Town Temecula - and grows over 50 grape varieties. The first modern winery, Callaway Vineyard & Winery, opened in 1974 and the region gained its AVA designation in 2004. The landscape is very scenic, dry rolling hills interspersed with lush green vineyards. And the wineries are tightly packed making a wine excursion quite simple to navigate. And as always, theCompass Winery, Brewery, Distillery Locator Mobile App helps.

Our first stop was at South Coast Winery, prehaps the most prolific producer in the region. The winery was established in 2003 and since then has been awarded the Best California State Winery four times (2016 the latest). Besides the extravagant facility - it includes a resort and spa - they produce wine from at least 20 grape varieties including many Rhone such as Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Roussanne. These three are blended into a delicious GVR and also bottled as 100% varietals. Excellent wines. Another tasty white was the 2015 California Verdelho, with its lemon profile, velvety texture, and fresh acids; it reminded of the new Nationals star Trea Turner - light and speedy, but possesses surprising power. As for reds you can remain in Portugal with a solid Touriga, move to Bordeaux with several offerings or return to the Rhone with my favorite, their 2014 Grenache or 2014 Mourvedre both $18. Great values for two delicious wines. South Coast also includes a nice portfolio of sparkling wines so as you can see from the range of offerings, a must visit.

The next stop was to Falkner Winery, primarily because they had answered a tweet I had posted on suggestions. The winery is much smaller, but includes a restaurant, and provides a grand view of the surrounding countryside. The winery opened in 2000 and specializes in a smaller portfolio of Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Merlot, a Meritage, and the "Amante" Tuscan proprietary blend. Prices are much higher than at South Coast, most likely from smaller volumes. The "Amante" ($55) is a big Super Tuscan plenty of leather, tobacco, and fruit. Their off-dry 2015 Risqué Riesling was a group favorite and the wine we enjoyed while studying the scenery on their deck.

Our last stop was Wilson Creek Winery & Vineyard because our hosts wanted us to sample their specialty Almond Sparkling Wine and chocolate. The Wilson family opened this winery in 1998 and currently run a large operation. This was the most populated of the three with a small wait at the tasting bar. The most interesting wine was the 2014 Variant Series White Cabernet ($26), which was both fully textured and lively. For reds, Syrah and Petite Sirah were the leaders particularly the 2012 Family Reserve Petite Sirah ($65). Pricey yes, but also big and bad. They also provide a range of low cost sparkling wines like the Almond which seemed rather popular. Take a glass and walk down to the shallow creek and try to find the crawfish.

“Wines of Altitude” with Salta's Amalaya Wines

The Calchaqui Valley is located from 5,500 ft to over 10,000 ft above sea level - making it one of the highest viticulture regions in the world.  The high altitude provides intense daytime sunlight and cool nights that help better retain the acidity and concentrated fruit characteristics of the grapes. The valley lies within the Salta Province of NW Argentina and specializes in Torrontés and Malbec grapes. There are three varieties of Torrontés with Torrontés Riojano (the most common), Torrontés Sanjuanino, and Torrontés Mendocino. Each are believed to be separate crossings of the Mission grape and Muscat of Alexandria. And Salta is its main base in Argentina.

I recently received two wines from Amalaya, part of Hess Family Estates. Amalaya translates to "Hope for a Miracle" from the native Calchaqui Indians and that's how Donald Hess felt regarding his first investment in Argentina in the vineyards of El Arenal. No need for miracles as grapes thrive in the Calchaqui Valley and Hess Family expanded their acreage. Today the grapes for the Amalaya brand are harvested from the Finca San Isidro Vineyard and Las Mercedes Vineyard. Both are located in arid parts of the Calchaqui Valley with the main difference being soil types.

2015 Amalaya Blanco ($12; 85% Torrontés / 15% Riesling) Sourced from the Finca San Isidro vineyard, this is the first time I've seen this blend composition. Torrontés is generally aromatic and this blend elevates the peach characters and possibly the grapefruit flavors as well. This is a fresh, acidic wine; very refreshing and favorable at that price.

2015 Amalaya Malbec ($16; 85% Malbec, 10% Tannat, 5% Syrah) Sourced from both the Finca Las Mercedes and Finca San Isidro vineyards. A quarter of the wine was aged in once-used French Oak barrels for ten months so while this wine is fruit forward and smooth there's a dusty, spicy, and vanilla character resulting from the oak. The finish is very easy, very easy.

Ernst Loosen Discusses Dry Riesling

The Mosel Valley is one of the few areas where phylloxera won't survive in its porous sandy soils. Thus vines are planted "ungrafted" on original rootstock. And many of these ungrafted vines are well over 100 years old. These were a few of the many facts I learned from Ernst Loosen during a recent Dry Riesling seminar at Cork Wine Bar. During this event, the popular and influential owner of Germany's Dr. Loosen winery discussed his family's history, the topography of Mosel as well as Pfalz (home to his Villa Wolf brand) and poured many delicious dry Rieslings.

In the Mosel Valley, vineyards are generally steep, south facing, and in many cases comprised of red or blue slate soils. Ernst spent considerable time discussing these slate soils -- particularly with a map displaying vineyards by soil type. Besides being well drained and nutrient poor (forcing the roots to dig deep), the slate also radiates heat creating mini micro-climates. The vineyards are also protected from "foul" weather drifting over from France by the Rhenish-Westphalian Slate Mountains. And as stipulated by an edict from the 1700s, only Riesling can be grown in the Mosel Valley.

Ernst also discussed the Dr. Loosen pedigree as the estate has been in the same family for 200 years. His grandparents had two separate estates and these were joined by marriage with the current winery coming from his grandmother's holdings. Interestingly one side of the family only produced dry Rieslings whereas the other only sweeter versions. Today, the winery's six major vineyards are designated as “Erste Lage” -- equivalent to grand cru -- as designated in the 1868 Prussian classification of Mosel vineyards.  Wines from these estates are designated single-vineyard whereas all other Dr. Loosen wines are labeled as estate wines. 

Ernst also stressed how Dr. Loosen Rieslings can age, both in the bottle as well as in the large oak casks used for fermenting and aging. In fact, through a friend of his grandfather's he learned about a method of extreme aging.. He conducted his own experiment and by creating a reductive environment with continual topping off and making sure the yeast were still active, he was able to validate that a wine could age 17 years in cask was still by lively and vibrant. The extended maturation in the cask, on full lees, stabilizes the wine naturally and provides time for it to develop structure and deeper complexity.  Seventeen years is by no means a standard practice but they do age most of their Rieslings on the lees for at least a year -- and usually for two.

2014 Dr. Loosen Riesling Dry ($12)
This is the winery's entry level wine made from contracted fruit that Dr. Loosen's vineyard manager oversees. Most of these vineyards reside in blue slate soils. For such an inexpensive wine there is a pronounced floral aroma, a touch of minerals and racy acids.

2014 Dr. Loosen “Red Slate” Riesling Dry ($18)
This wine is made from red slate estate vineyards in Erden and Ürzig and fermented on its less for 12 months in the 3,000-liter oak casks. This is a richer, rounder, and more elegant wine, with intense minerals that compliment the citrus profile. The finish is more subdued but plenty refreshing.

2013 Wehlener Sonnenuhr (The Sundial of Wehlen) Riesling GG Alte Reben ($54)
This single vineyard GG wine comes from the steep and rocky blue slate vineyard (VAY-len-er ZON-en-ooer) where the vines are well over 100 years old. The wine is fermented and aged in traditional 1,000-liter Fuder casks on less for one year. The result is a full bodied, yet feminine wine showing more apple over citrus and still plenty of acids for a refreshing finish. Ernst refers to this wine as a graceful ballet dancer.

2012 Erdener Treppchen (The Little Staircase of Erden) Riesling GG Alte Reben ($54)
Long ago, in order to tend the vines, workers built stone steeps into the hillside of this red slate vineyard. Ernst referred to this wine as a "mountain climber", not only referencing the stone steps, but also because it is a muscular wine - complex and intense. There is also a considerable mineral content - almost minty in flavor that helps transition the wine from its wet stone aroma to the finish.

2013 Ürziger Würzgarten (The Spice Garden of Ürzig) Riesling GG Alte Reben ($54)
The steep Ürziger Würzgarten (ERTS-ih-ger VERTS-gar-ten) vineyard was planted in red volcanic soil over 100+ years ago. Like the other GG wines, this one is fermented and aged in Fuder cask for one year before bottling. The herbal aroma is overpowering with the palate exploding with tropical and mineral driven flavors. Another intense offering.

2012 Ürziger Würzgarten (The Spice Garden of Ürzig) Riesling GG Alte Reben Reserve ($92)
 This reserve wine is the same fruit from the previous wine, but kept in oak for 24 months and then aged a year in the bottle before release. Whereas the GG version was intense, this wine is smooth and elegant - almost delicate. The acids are soft, but still refreshing. Fantastic.

The Wine of the Smokies - Gatlinburg, Tennessee

Moonshine isn't the only game in town in East Tennessee. Wine has gained traction west of the Smokies with over a dozen operating east of Knoxville. There's even The Rocky Top Wine Trail to guide you to five of these; although we still prefer the theCompass Winery, Brewery, Distillery Locator Mobile App. During a recent trip I was able to sample wine from three Tennessee wineries and yes, a majority of them are sweet. There's plenty of fruit wines, muscadine wines, hybrids, labrusca, and blends of all kinds. When vinifera did surface, the wine was usually made from left coast grapes -- although there was one wine that included locally grown Viognier. In general, the wines I sampled were well made and included several pleasant surprises.

Three wineries operate in the tourist mecca of Gatlinburg. We visited two starting with Tennessee Homemade Wines. As the name suggests, the family has been making homemade wines for over 100 years and the current batch consists of fruit, muscadine, and the world's most popular white labrusca grape Niagara. This wine wasn't bad, well made, just too much muskiness for my tastes. When in doubt, the Strawberry Stomp is excellent - comes across light and dry - and could pass for a dry rose. Well, maybe not completely - but close enough.

Sugarland Cellars was the second Gatlinburg winery on our agenda and provides a more traditional wine tasting experience with tours of the winery's operation. There's a plethora of unique choices from blended muscadine to fruit wines to sparkling Cayuga-Niagara - the Bliss. For fruit wines there's a sweet Cherry – Kee, but you have to try the Loganberry - a cross between a blackberry and a raspberry. And tasty.  The Century White was my favorite - a blend of local Seyval and Viognier, blended with Washington state Riesling and more Viognier from California.

Townsend is another entry point into the Smokey Mountains - about 20 miles west of Gatlinburg. Cades Cove Cellars is a nice post park excursion since alcoholic beverages are not allowed into the national park. Overall this was my favorite winery stop with all the wines getting positive reviews from our party. For whites, they produce a nice Riesling using Washington State grapes and a Seyval based Nature Excellence Bliss Adams Fall White.  Our companions enjoyed the muscadine based Rustic Cabin Red and we all enjoyed their dessert offerings - particularly the excellent Red Raspberry.

#WineStudio – Tanaro River Imports & Florian Beck-Hartweg

January's online session of #Winestudio features George Tita of Tanaro River Imports, which specializing in small producers in northern Italy and France. This month will feature a few of Tanaro's wines made by young winemakers who have maintained the traditional of their forefathers. One of these “young turks” is Florian Beck-Hartweg, who along with his wife Mathilde, are the fourteenth generation to work the family vineyards in Alsace. These vineyards are situated in northern Alsace near the village of Dambach-la-Ville.

Old traditions are followed as Florian utilizes century old oak casks to ferment and age the wine; natural yeast for fermentation; and only adding a small quantity of sulphur dioxide for preservation. Furthermore Beck-Hartweg stresses a spirit of cooperation with nature as depicted in their logo and imprinted on some of their corks. The logo shows a flower with a bee, which represents the wild green cover that is allowed to grow in their vineyards. This cover crop includes flowers which attract insects -- encouraging biodiversity. The particular bee drawn on the logo is a predator of the grape worm, which allows the winery to avoid the use of insecticides.

Beck-Hartweg's most famous wines are the Frankstein Grand Cru, but in this tasting we sampled a Riesling and Pinot Gris from their Prestige brand. These grapes are harvested from the same Frankstein vineyards; they are just located on opposite slopes with different sun exposures. Yet they all share the same granite mineral rich soil. The wines are also stamped with a Vigneron Indépendant label which designates that Florian Beck-Hartweg operates all phases of the wine's production from the viticulture to harvest to wine making to bottling.  Now that's hand crafted.


2011 Pinot Gris “Prestige” Beck-Hartweg ($20, 12.5%) - this is a mineral driven wine as the light citrus flavors are overshadowed by creamy minerals with solid acidic backbone. If you think of Pinot Gris as boring (like I used to) then try this wine; it will change your perception of the grape.

2012 Riesling Cuvée “Prestige” Beck-Hartweg ($20, 12.5%)- this is an acid driven wine with floral and light citrus flavors mingling with honey and nuts. There is a solid textured body and a long, long finish.  Well done.

One entertaining note is that Beck-Hartweg recommends serving the Riesling Cuvée with sauerkraut. I mimicked that pairing and for my tastes determined that the Pinot Gris was actually a better partner as it coated and dampened the sourness On the other hand the Riesling seemed to blend and extend the sour flavors. Nevertheless an interesting pairing.

On Tuesday January 19, #Winestudio will move into northern Italy with Dolcetto and Barbera. Join the conversation.

A Tale of Two Wine Regions: Seneca Lake, New York and Balatonfüred-Csopak, Hungary

Seneca Lake from Fox Run Vineyards

I recently discovered that August is the optimal time to visit Balatonfüred Hungary as the village hosts "The Wine Weeks of Balatonfüred". This festival features wines and palinka (grape brandy) produced in the Balatonfüred-Csopak wine region. This is a historical tourist destination located in the northeast corner of Lake Balaton.  August is also an optimal time to visit New York's Finger Lakes as I did as a participant in the 2015 Wine Bloggers Conference. Visiting both regions a week apart highlighted the numerous similarities in viticulture between the Finger Lakes and Lake Balaton and specifically between Seneca Lake and Balatonfüred-Csopak. These similarities include the climate, soil, and grapes.

Vineyard in Balatonfüred

Grape growing in both wine regions benefit from lake induced micro-climates. Lake Balaton is the largest lake in Central Europe whereas Seneca Lake is the largest and deepest of the Finger Lakes. Both lakes moderate severe winter temperatures and in some areas, vineyards located a mile from each lake are protected. Seneca Lakes provides more of this thermal retention as the lake never freezes, whereas Lake Balaton sports a thin layer of ice in winter - as it is much shallower.  In summer, the lakes lengthen the diurnal temperature by acting as a mirror during the daytime and elevating the temperature and then absorbing the excess heat at night - preserves the balance of natural acids in the grape.

At various times during our WBC15 visit we learned how diverse the soils can be around Seneca Lake. This was first revealed during the pre-excursion to Fox Run Vineyards and enforced during a presentation at the conference. This slide to the left shows the diversity of soil types in just a small area on eastern Seneca Lake, plots of  sand red clay, brown loam, shale, limestone, poor drainage and well drainage soils. And Fox Run has leveraged the different soil types into a Geology Series devoting two vineyards (Lake Dana Vineyard Block 11 and Hanging Delta Block 7) of Riesling in order to compare the interplay of terrior and wine making techniques.  Soil diversity is also prevalent in Balatonfüred-Csopak as the soils is based upon volcanic shale, mingled with red sandstone, limestone, dolomite, and basalt.  These conditions present a challenge for grape growers -- what to plant in each small plot.

View of Lake Balaton
from Ferenc Csarda

In some instances, the grapes planted in these soils are the same across both wine regions. An obvious similarity is Lemberger-Blaufrankish-Kékfrankos, the same grape known by different names.  That the grape fares well in both regions wasn't surprising after I read Finger Lakes Wine and the Legacy of Dr. Konstantin Frank (American Palate) and A Sense of Place: A Discovery of Finger Lakes Wine History, and Villa Bellangelo Winery, ironically on the plane to Europe. Both books mention that the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva had recommended planting vinifera grapes as far back as 1917, with one being the Hungarian variety Kadarka. This information was lost to the Finger Lakes until vinifera production was revived by Dr. Frank in the 1970s. Whereas Lemberger is a minor player in the Finger Lakes, it is the primary red grape in Balatonfüred-Csopak. Other red varieties such as Bordeaux grapes and Pinot Noir do have roles in both regions, although in Hungary only in the Tihany Peninsula just west of Balatonfüred.

Palinka & Swans

As for white grapes there is a preponderance of cold climate Riesling varieties, just not the same Riesling variety. The signature grape for the Finger Lakes is Rhine Riesling whereas in the Balaton it is Olaszrizling (Welschriesling) - no relation between the two. In fact the origination of  Welschriesling is still being debated - although it is extremely popular in central Europe - including Slovenia and Croatia. In both the Finger Lakes and Balatonfüred-Csopak, the Riesling grapes come in a range of styles from dry to semi-dry with plenty of acids to balance the sugar. Gewurztraminer (Tramini) is another common grape as well as Pinot Gris - although the Hungarian Szürkebarát version is more plentiful. Balatonfüred-Csopakis also home to several obscure indigenous grapes that I recommend sampling whenever possible: Juhfark (“Sheep’s Tail”), Leanyka (“Maiden”), Kiralyleanyka (“Princess”), and Zenit a rare modern day cross of the local Ezerjo variety, with the Slovenian Bouvier grape.Some of these are available at Ferenc Csarda in Tihany and in Balatonfüred at the Figula Borbár.

Wine Weeks in Balatonfüred

The main difference between the two regions - particularly during the "Wine Weeks of Balatonfüred" - is the ease of consumption in the village. Kiosks were aligned along the main pedestrian path and revelers were able to walk along Lake Balaton sipping their wine. No open container or drinking in public laws in Hungary. Would be nice if this policy immigrated to the States. Regardless, cheers to both wine regions.

2015 Wine Bloggers Conference Live Wine Blogging - Whites

I always look forward to the madness known as the Live Wine Blogging. For 50 minutes, winemakers rotate around the room, stopping at a different table to describe their winery and wines in 5 minute increments. Within that time, the participants post their thoughts using their preferred social media channel. Mine was Twitter. I anticipated scores of Riesling at the white wine version of this event, but in general, winemakers chose to showcase other varietal wines such as Traminette, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurztraminer, and Vidal Ice Wines. The 2014 Boundary Breaks #239 Dry Riesling was my overall favorite followed by a tasty Hermann J. Wiemer 2009 Blanc de Blanc.

@casalargawinery the 2010 Fiori Delle Stelle Vidal Ice Wine 41 year old winery ; delicious apricot and acids #wbc15 pic.twitter.com/JBQW14oHQn

— WineCompass (@winecompass) August 14, 2015

@LamoreauxWine single vineyard Red Oak Riesling honeysuckle aroma nice acids #flxwine #wbc15 pic.twitter.com/aEj3BttlFQ

— WineCompass (@winecompass) August 14, 2015

2014 Boundary Breaks #239 Dry Riesling late Oct harvest; dry, lemons; long finish #wbc15 #flxwine pic.twitter.com/2aPypZwPBJ

— WineCompass (@winecompass) August 14, 2015

#wbc15 #flxwine Hazlet Vineyards 4 clones of Sauvignon Blanc. Early harvest. pic.twitter.com/lKpTKxmtXe

— WineCompass (@winecompass) August 14, 2015

@MontezumaWinery Edelzwicker Riesling & Gewurztraminer blend. Big aroma, easy finish; $14 #wbc15 #flxwine pic.twitter.com/LFKLmwqyKZ

— WineCompass (@winecompass) August 14, 2015

#idolridge 2014 Vidal Ice Wine apricots luscious good acids #wbc15 pic.twitter.com/MXmDujPBSF

— WineCompass (@winecompass) August 14, 2015

Glad to meet Dave Peterson @GooseWatchWines '14 Traminette dry, lemon, high acids #wbc15 pic.twitter.com/feV1UFSyDI

— WineCompass (@winecompass) August 14, 2015

@LucasWinetalk 2014 Semi Dry Riesling honeysuckle aroma; balanced acids #wbc15 #flxwine pic.twitter.com/RLDzNwTrOd

— WineCompass (@winecompass) August 14, 2015

Hermann J. Wiemer 2009 Blanc de Blanc 100% Chardonnay #wbc15 #flxwine pic.twitter.com/VFMjPF77dV

— WineCompass (@winecompass) August 14, 2015

@BellangeloWine 2013 semi dry riesling acids don't overwhelm great flavor #wbc15 #flxwine pic.twitter.com/gQ1IUADJQw

— WineCompass (@winecompass) August 14, 2015

Old York Cellars #VirtualVines - Dry Riesling & Malbec

Last week Old York Cellars hosted another Virtual Wines video tasting with wine maker Scott Gares and Sommelier Laurin Dorman. While a wine dinner was being served at the winery, Gares and Dorman gave an overview of two of the wineries latest releases, the 2013 Dry Riesling ($17, 1% RS, 13.0% ABV) and 2013 Malbec ($17, 13.8% ABV). I was fortunate enough to receive a sample so that I could participate as well. We started with the riesling where the tasting notes suggest: a dry, crisp white with hints of stonefruit and red delicious apple. Pair with your favorite sushi roll. Gares used R2 yeast to provide more apple and cream characters and I definitely noticed a tart, creamy honeycrisp flavor. Gares also talked about how the wine was harvested and fermented to retain acids, but that was one aspect my specific bottle lacked. The wine fell flat at the finish. I need to try another. And as with the case with all Old York Cellars wines, Dorman suggests a chocolate pairing, for the Riesling milk chocolate with 30% cocoa.

Turning to the Malbec, the tasting notes read "this medium bodied red has luscious red fruit flavors and silky, smooth finish. Pair with your favorite burger". Gares said the grapes were harvested at 24 brix which equates to a higher ph and lower acids. He spent two weeks pumping over and pushing down the fermenting juice and skins until the wine acquired the color and flavor he targeted. The wine was then aged in American oak. The result? There's a lot to love about this wine starting with the character, fruit forward, approachable, soft tannins, and a hint of spices. I also detect some cedar leather in both the aroma and palette. Finally, you have to like the low alcohol (13.8%) and the suggested chocolate pairing is smooth dark at 50-60% cocoa. I'm looking forward to seeing more of the beauty. Cheers.

The #FLXWine Alliance celebrates the release of 2013 #FLXRiesling

This past Saturday was the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance celebrated the release of 2013 Finger Lakes Riesling by hosting a #FLXRiesling twitter tasting. In total fifty-five media representatives received wine from a pool of nineteen wineries. In case you are not familiar with New York's Finger Lakes, it is a cool climate region specializing in many grape varieties; but Riesling is King. The region also follows the International Riesling  Foundation (IRF) Riesling Taste Profile which is designed to make it easier for consumers to predicate the taste they can expect from a particular bottle of Riesling. Below are a few facts on Finger Lakes Reisling as well as my notes and tweets as well as the winery's theCompass Winery Brewery Distillery Locator profile. Cheers.

@DrFrankWine: If we had to describe #flxriesling in three words: "sunshine, stone, fruit"
@FulkersonWinery We prefer higher butterfat content cheeses with dry rieslings. Sharp cheddars with semi-dry
@flxhosmer The west side of Cayuga Lake tends to produce more tropical fruit flavor profiles.
@LakewoodWines we had an unusually cool summer but an unusually dry fall so far. Could be one for the ages but to early to call.

Finger Lakes Riesling Quick Facts

• 850 acres of Riesling
• 220,000 cases of Riesling
• Strong, regional aromatic whites with a focus on Riesling.
• The average producer makes 2-3 styles of Riesling wine a year.
• The Finger Lakes is home to over 200 Riesling brands

Heron Hill Winery  2013 Classic Dry Riesling ($14)
.23% R.S.; 12% alcohol

• @HeronHillWinery 2013 Classic Dry Riesling .23% R.S.; 12% alcohol; grapes from 4 lots  #FLXRiesling
• @HeronHillWinery 2013 Classic Dry Riesling spiced pear aroma, silky creaminess kiwi lychee flavor, citrus finish #FLXRiesling
• @HeronHillWinery operating for 35 years on Keuka Lake @ KLWT; winemaker Bernard Cannac from Languedoc, France #FLXRiesling

Sheldrake Point Winery 2013 Dry Riesling ($16)
0.7% R.S.; 11.4% alcohol

• @SheldrakePoint 2013 Dry Riesling - soft peach & lemon aroma leads to citrus cream, minerals, and nice acids #FLXRiesling
• @SheldrakePoint Home location on @cayugawinetrail with satellite tasting room on @senecalakewine #FLXRiesling
• @SheldrakePoint 2013 Dry Riesling 0.7% R.S. 11.4% alcohol #FLXRiesling
• @SheldrakePoint 15 years of operation; 44 acres on @cayugawinetrail #FLXRiesling

Knapp Vineyards & Winery 2013 Dry Riesling ($17)
1.1% R.S.; 12% alcohol

• I spy a #Nomacorc with the @Knappwinefan 2013 Dry Riesling #FLXRiesling
• @Knappwinefan 2013 Dry Riesling 1.1% R.S.; 12% alcohol #FLXRiesling
• @Knappwinefan 2013 Dry Riesling peaches and lemon, fruit driven, nice acids #FLXRiesling
• @Knappwinefan located in @senecalakewine with vineyard in @cayugawinetrail #FLXRiesling

Boundary Breaks Vineyard 2013 Dry Riesling #239 ($20)
0.9% R.S.; 11.6% alcohol

•  @bndrybrx seems the most Germanic of the Rieslings: elegant - cream and acids mingle nicely #FLXRiesling
• @bndrybrx 2013 Dry Riesling #239 0.9% R.S.; 11.6% alcohol; Geisenheim clone #239 #FLXRiesling
• @bndrybrx 2013 Dry Riesling made by Peter Bell of @foxrunvineyards; estate located on @senecalakewine #FLXRiesling

More #SummerOfRiesling on #Winechat: Paul Blanck Riesling Grand Cru Schlossberg 2010

This past Wednesday I participated in the weekly Twitter #winechat session which focused on Riesling and specifically the now unified Riesling core of France (Alsace),  Germany (Rheingau), and Austria (Kamptal). The session was sponsored by drinkAlsace, Wines of Germany US, and Austrian Wine USA with each contributing a wine from their region: the Paul Blanck Riesling Grand Cru Schlossberg 2010 from Alsace, the Brandl Riesling Heilingenstein 2011 from Kamptal and the Schloss Schönborn Riesling Kabinett Erbacher Macrobrunn 2011 from Rheingau. I was fortunate to receive the first and learned several new facts about Alsace and the Schlossberg Vineyard. Alsace is located on the French-German border and has been governed by both countries over the centuries. The current border results from the aftermath of WWII with France gaining more territory so that Alsace lies between the Vosges Mountains to the west and the Rhine River to the east. As a quirk of this history, there are some German wineries whose vineyards are still located in Alsace (See Friedrich Becker Family). Alsace is also dry, the 2nd driest region in all of France. Riesling is the most widely planted grape in Alsace w/ nearly 22% of land under Riesling vines; and Alsace accounts for 10% of the World's Riesling production.

One if the highest prized Riesling sources is the Schlossberg Vineyard, which is the oldest and largest of Alsace’s 51 Grand Cru sites. The site lies on south-facing slopes stretching from Kaysersberg to Kientzheim and it's granite soils create elegant and floral Rieslings that are prized for their ability to age. The slopes are steep, so many vines require terraces.

One winery that utilizes Schlossberg is Domaine Paul Blanck. This estate traces its history to the 17th century and today is owned and operated by Philippe & Frédéric Blanck. According to several sources, the winery is known for producing wines that are "balanced, terroir-expressive, and versatile".  And after tasting the
Paul Blanck Riesling Grand Cru Schlossberg 2010 ($34), I can agree with that assessment. The aroma leads with a breathe of fresh mint that is followed by lemon creamsicle on the palette. There's plenty of cream and depth in this Riesling. The wine then finished with silky effervescent acidity that holds for quite a while.  This is a very nice wine, highly recommended. Cheers.

Celebrating #FLXWine with Finger Lakes Wine Hour

Every summer is the #summerofriesling and a good region to start is the Finger Lakes in New York - "North America's premiere cool-climate winegrowing region". These are the words from the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance, which handles the region's wine marketing and hosts many tasting events throughout the year. This past Saturday they hosted, the "Finger Lakes Wine Hour" - actually 4 hours of tasting and tweeting about Finger Lakes wine. Besides Riesling; Cabernet Franc is a focal point and my sample pack consisted of wine from both of these gapes - and all from Seneca Lake courtesy of Glenora Wine Cellars, Chateau LaFayette Reneau, and Boundary Breaks Vineyard. Interestingly, Gene Pierce & Scott Welliver own Glenora and CLF as well as Knapp Vineyards Winery - and maintain as three separate entities. 

I started with the Glenora Wine Cellars 2013 Riesling ($14), an off-dry wine coming in at 3.52% RS and 12% alcohol. 68% of the grapes came from the east side of Seneca Lake and 32% from the west side; thus a mixture of the various micro-climates in the region.  The finished product is juicy white fruits (apricots and peaches) with the acidity balancing the sugar nicely. Now this is a summer wine.

Boundary Breaks Vineyard focuses solely on Riesling, usually single vineyard and in this case, their 2011 Riesling #198 Reserve ($25) is a single vineyard, single clone (Geisenheim #198) wine. It weighs in at 5.7% RS and 8.9% alcohol - and, once again, all white fruit - apricots and peaches - but a much stronger presence; nice acidity to balance sugar; and easy drinking despite the RS. With the late October harvest there are traces of botrytis that enhance this wine's profile.


Chateau LaFayette Reneau is located on the southeast region of Seneca Lake and their Cabernet Franc grapes come from an acre parcel from the estate. After fermentation, the wines is aged 18 months in new or used French & Hungarian oak and then bottle aged for 6 months before release. The 2010 Cabernet Franc ($19 & 12.5% alcohol) has a slight pepper - light cherry aroma, followed by an easy drinking medium bodied cherry flavor finishing with very smooth tannins. Here is a Chinon styled CF ready to drink now.

The Finger Lakes provides many opportunities for nice, affordable, low alcohol wines. Still looking forward to planning a visit to the region. Hopefully soon. Cheers.