Wines of Summer

Its that time of year, as wine makers start to release their new vintages. We had a chance try a few new wines from The Finger Lakes, and its just whet our appetite to see what the new year has to offer from our favorite wine region.

We had a chance to enjoy a virtual tasting of some new releases, sharing our thoughts about a few bottles with some folks on Twitter. We opened a bottle of Reisling Gewurtraminer blend from Goose Watch Winery, and a Reisling from Fulkerson.

Goose Watch is the sister winery to Swedish Hill, a winery we are familiar with and fond of. It was great to see the same quality carrying over. The blend combined some of our favorite aspects of two great grapes from the region. The strong mineral and citrus backbone of the Riesling make the perfect scaffold for the more delicate spice and floral notes of the Gewurztraminer. The flavors combined to make a great early summer wine, with flavors that perfectly complement the first delicate vegetables of the year.

Of course, summer is also a great for a glass of crisp wine to be enjoyed on its own.  Bright, clear flavors that shine through even when chilled. Most wines lose their flavor as you drop their temperature, but a wine like Fulkerson Dry Riesling with an agressive acidity can stand to be chilled, almost deserving a cube of ice to bring it right to the edge of freezing. Its an odd recommendation for a wine, but somtimes you are just looking for a glass to share with friends over a long warm afternoon in the garden.

We have a few more bottles to try, and look forward to sharing what we find out, as we explore this new vintage from some great wineries of the Finger Lakes.