They Make Wine in New York?!? (Great Wines for Fall, Finger Lakes Wines, Riesling, Exotic Tastes, Good With Indian and Thai Food)

Show Notes

Episode 91: They Make Wine in New York?!?  00:00

Hello! And welcome to The Wine Pair Podcast. I’m Joe, your sommelier of reasonably priced wine, and this is my wife and my wine pairing partner in crime, Carmela. And we are The Wine Pair! 

Ok, a quick orientation for those of you who may be new to the podcast - in each episode we learn about, taste and give our brutally honest review of three wines that are reasonably priced - meaning under $20 each -  and should be easy for you to find. And our podcast is made for people who want to learn more about wine, find new wines to enjoy, and just want someone to talk about wine in a fun way that normal people can understand. So, if that sounds like you, you are in the right place! And we are proud to say that we have been featured recently in The Mercury News and we are recommended by the editors of Decanter Magazine who call us fun, irreverent, chatty, and entertaining

I am still trying out this new microphone. I would love to know if people out there in listening land are ok with it. 

Carmela, this week I thought we would try something new - and that is to highlight wines that come from a region that people may not know make wine. I mean, we all know that California makes a ton of wine, and most people know that our state, Washington, and the state of Oregon, make a lot of wine, and we all know that France and Italy and Spain make a bunch of wine, but I am not sure that people know that there are lots of other states and countries where they grow wine grapes and make wine. 

Focusing on the good old US if A, and this may be hard to believe, but guess how many states make wine? According to Wikipedia, there is wine made in all 50 states! Which I did not know.

Now, there are many states that make just a small amount of wine. 84% of all wine made in the US comes from California, and the second highest production comes from - where do you think, Carmela? Yes, our state of Washington at 5%. Believe it or not, though, who is 3rd? Yes, New York is the 3rd highest in wine production with almost 3.5% of all US wine being made there, and the next is Pennsylvania and then Oregon. 

And, California was not even the first place in the US where wine was made. The earliest wines were made in places like Florida in the 1500’s, and in Virginia and the Carolinas when they were early colonies. 

So, we’ll spend some time in different episodes finding wines that are made in unexpected places in both the United States and around the world. Like, did you know, Carmela, that Russia is #11 in wine production, and Romania is #14? Japan is on the list at #23, and Mexico is #37 on the list! 

Which is amazing. That’s why we will never run out of content for our podcast, because there are states and countries that make wines that most of us don’t even know about, and we think episodes like this, and wine in general, are a great opportunity to learn more about culture, food, geography, and history! 

But, back to our topic at hand, which is to edumacate you, our faithful listeners, about wines from New York, which again, is the third largest producer of wine in the US, and we are going to focus on one of the wines which they are well known for, and which is a great wine to focus on for fall, and that is dry Riesling, and we have 3 dry Riesling wines from New York state all from the area of the Finger Lakes that we are going to taste and review and let you know what we would pair them with and if they are worth your hard-earned money . . . 

But first . . . we have to do our shameless plug.

First, we want to thank you for listening to us and for supporting our show, and if you have not had the chance to do so yet, now would be the perfect time to subscribe to our podcast  - it is a free way to support us, and then you never have to miss a show!  - and a huge thank you to all of you who have subscribed already! 

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And, as we do every week, we’ll tell you someone we think you should tell about The Wine Pair Podcast. This week, we want you to tell anyone who lives in or loves to visit New York.

ARTICLES and LINKS

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wine_of_the_United_States#:~:text=Today%2C%20wine%20production%20is%20undertaken,percent%20of%20all%20US%20wine. 
• https://www.visualcapitalist.com/cp/biggest-wine-producers-by-country/ 

Topic: They Make Wine in New York? 09:50

Well, Carmela, we have been to New York quite a bit, but most of the time we have spent there is in New York City. And you have family in upstate New York in an area called Red Hook which is kind of straight north from New York City. But, we have also spent a little time in Ithaca, New York, and that is in the area of New York state called the Finger Lakes area, and that is where most of New York wine country is located.

The Finger Lakes area is named after this region where there are eleven long, thin lakes that run north and south and kind of look like, yes, you guessed it, fingers! 

Again, many people think of the big city of New York and the 5 boroughs when they think of New York, and, of course, that is the area with the largest population. But I think people are sometimes surprised to find out that a lot of New York state’s land is forested and beautiful. In fact, one article I have in the show notes, which you can find if you go to our website and look for this episode and then scroll down, describes the Finger Lakes as “a captivating landscape of rolling hills, crystal-clear lakes, and lush forests. Defined by its 11 slender, finger-like lakes that run north to south, the Finger Lakes provide a microclimate ideal for growing grapes and producing world-class wines.”

The area is kind of in the middle of the state, south of Lake Ontario and between Syracuse and Buffalo. There are a few reasons why the area is a good wine grape growing region, and it seems to mirror some of the wine growing regions of Germany, and that is probably why they also grow so many German varietals there.
First, the soil in many areas is chalky soil with good amounts of lime. This is good for growing grapes and making wine in the European style
Second, the lakes help provide good drainage for the grapes and keep the temperatures more moderate. When it gets hot, the lakes keep the temperatures from getting too low, and when it gets colder around harvest time, the lakes hold onto some of the heat and reduce the risk of frosts. 

They have been making wines in the Finger Lakes area for more than 100 years, but the area only became an AVA or American Viticultural Area in 1982. Today, there are about 144 wineries that produce about 54,000 tons of grapes per year. The Finger Lakes is most famous for its Rieslings, but they also make Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Gewürztraminer, Cayuga, and Pinot Noir in the region. 

There are other areas where they make wine in New York state as well. There are wineries in Long Island and the Hamptons where they make Merlot and Cabernet Franc. They also make wines in the Hudson River and Upper Hudson areas, and they also make wine in the Champlain Valley, Niagra, and Lake Erie. 

But today we are going to be focusing on the Finger Lakes, and in particular Rieslings, which, again, is their most prominent and best known and rated wines. And, because it is more our style, all of the wines we are drinking today are dry Rieslings. They do make sweet and semi-sweet Rieslings in the Finger Lakes as well, but we chose all dry Rieslings, as I said. 

So, on that note, I think it’s time to learn a little more about the specific wines we are drinking today. Whaddya say?

ARTICLES and LINKS

• https://www.winetourism.com/wine-region/new-york/#:~:text=The%20Finger%20Lakes%20region%20in,its%20high%2Dquality%20Riesling%20wines. 
• https://www.lifeinthefingerlakes.com/from-grapes-to-wine/#:~:text=And%20it%20is%20the%20lakes,vines%20planted%20along%20the%20hillsides. 

New York Finger Lakes Rieslings Wines We Chose for This Episode 15:43

All of the wines we are drinking today are around $20. Normally, we would try to find wines that are under $20, but we are going to find it hard sometimes to do that - and this is one of those times. So, although some of the wines are over $20, they are all really close, and none is over $22.99. All of them should also be relatively easy to find because I bought them all on wine.com. Although New York does produce a good amount of wine, because we are on the opposite coast, the left coast, it can be a little harder to find them where we are here in Washington state, but they were easy to find on wine.com, and I expect you can find them relatively easily online. 

All of these wines have, or have had, good ratings from reputable reviewers, meaning people other than James Suckling who we do not trust.

The first wine we are going to drink is the Dr. Konstantin Frank Dry Riesling from 2021, and it received a 90 rating from Wine Enthusiast. This is an unoaked wine that is fermented in stainless steel, and this one spends 5 months on the lees, which means that they keep the wine in contact with the dead yeast cells that end up on the bottom of the fermenting container. Sounds gross, but doing this often gives wines a bit of a creamier feeling, and can make the wine taste a bit “nutty.”

The winery says the temperature where these grapes are grown is a little warmer, and so the fruit gets ripe, which should produce strong fruity tastes, and the soil is silty, so the wine should be acidic and potentially have some stone on the end of it. 

The vines are said to date back to 1958, and this wine is a screw cap, which we love!

Our next wine is called Forge Cellars Caywood Vineyard Dry Riesling and it is from 2019, so a little older than our other two. This wine received a 91 from Wine Spectator. The winery was founded in 2011, and has been well recognized for making what they call bone dry Rieslings. 

The winery is led by two partners, one of whom comes from Gigondas, France, a well known wine growing area. They claim to make their wines in the traditional, hand-crafted manner. They harvest and sort their grapes by hand, they use spontaneous fermentation, and ferment in what they call tiny lots. They do use some sulphur, but they say they do not fine or filter their wine. But these wines are fermented in barrels, so this could have a different flavor and texture than the other wines. 

They make a number of Rieslings, and this is specifically their Caywood Vineyard which was planted in 1970. I think because this wine is fermented in oak and uses indigenous yeasts, I am expecting a bit more of an oaked Chardonnay kind of feel to this wine, but we will see. 

The last wine we are going to try is called Hermann J. Wiemer Dry Riesling, and it is a 2021. They have had very highly rated wines in the past, and it looks like this wine got a 93 rating from Wine and Spirits, and a 90 from the Wine Advocate. 

The person who started this winery was born in Germany into a family in Mosel - a place famous for wine and for Riesling - who had experience in winemaking, and came to the US in 1968 with a background in winemaking. He bought some acres in 1973, and in 1982 the winery really came together, so they have some history of making wine in this area.

They also claim to hand-pick and hand-sort their grapes, press whole clusters, and ferment for 4 months using indigenous or wild yeast. And, they also claim to make Vegan, low-intervetion wines, so they should not be fined or filtered either. So, similar to the last wine, although their grapes come from three different vineyards.

I cannot tell if this wine is oaked or not, but my guess is that they are not. We’ll see if we can tell. 

But, I think that is enough information - let’s get to drinking! We’ll take a quick break and be right back. And, if you have these wines or similar wines, drink along with us!


ARTICLES and LINKS

• https://www.drfrankwines.com/wine/dry-riesling/
• https://www.wineenthusiast.com/basics/lees-wine-meaning/
• https://www.forgecellars.com/ 
• https://www.wiemer.com/product/riesling-dry/ 

New York Finger Lakes Dry Riesling Wine Pairing Tasting and Reviews 22:06

Wine: Dr. Konstantin Frank Dry Riesling (Click this link to learn more about this wine on wine.com. Affiliate link)
Region: New York, Finger Lakes
Year: 2021
Price: $19.99
Retailer: wine.com
Alcohol: 12%
Grapes: Riesling
Professional Rating: WE 90, JS 91

What we tasted and smelled in this Dr. Konstantin Frank Dry Riesling:

• On the nose: Gasoline, airplane glue, lime, citrus, peach 
• In the mouth: Tart pear, Granny Smith apple, crunchy Asian Pear, refreshing, rock, bitter lemon at the end, moderately bodied

Food to pair with this Dr. Konstantin Frank Dry Riesling: Fish, seafood, fried fish, Indian food, Thai food
 
As a reminder on our rating scale, we rate on a scale of 1-10, where 7 and above means that we would buy it, and 4 and below means that we are likely to pour it down the sink, and a 5 or 6 means we are likely to drink it and finish it, but we are probably not going to buy it. 

Dr. Konstantin Frank Dry Riesling Wine Rating: 

• Joe: 8/10
• Carmela: 8/10

Wine: Forge Cellars Caywood Vineyard Dry Riesling (Click this link to learn more about this wine on wine.com. Affiliate link)
Region: New York, Finger Lakes
Year: 2019
Price: $21.99
Retailer: wine.com
Alcohol: 12%
Grapes: Riesling
Professional Rating: WS 91, JS 91 

What we tasted and smelled in this Forge Cellars Caywood Vineyard Dry Riesling:

• On the nose: Sweet, crystalized sugar, cantaloupe, honey, creme brulee, apple tart, has an odd smell
• In the mouth: Melon, apple juice, very sweet, honey, crystalized honey, Granny Smith apple, creamy, spice, ginger, candied ginger, citrus, pecan, very unique, kind of fascinating

Food to pair with this Forge Cellars Caywood Vineyard Dry Riesling: Hard to pair with food, cheese board, fruit and nut course, dessert, chocolate, mincemeat tart, Tempura

Forge Cellars Caywood Vineyard Dry Riesling Wine Rating: 

• Joe: 6/10
• Carmela: 6/10

Wine: Hermann J. Wiemer Dry Riesling (Click this link to learn more about this wine on wine.com. Affiliate link)
Region: New York, Finger Lakes
Year: 2021
Price: $22.99
Retailer: wine.com
Alcohol: 12%
Grapes: Riesling
Professional Rating: 

What we tasted and smelled in this Hermann J. Wiemer Dry Riesling:

• On the nose: Ketchup, ginger, savory, spicy, white pepper, some vegetable and herbs, cucumber
• In the mouth: Spicy, a little effervescence, raw ginger, some body, apple, lemon lime, intriguing, unexpected, exotic

Food to pair with this Hermann J. Wiemer Dry Riesling: Good with fish, Indian food, Thai food, fried fish


Hermann J. Wiemer Dry Riesling Wine Rating: 

• Joe: 8/10
• Carmela: 7/10

Which one of these are you finishing tonight?
Carmela: Dr. Konstantin Frank Dry Riesling
Joe: Hermann J. Wiemer Dry Riesling


Taste profiles expected from New York Finger Lakes Dry Riesling   40:01

• General 
  • Wine Folly: Lime, meyer lemon, pineapple, apricot. Orchard fruits like nectarine, honeycrisp apple, pear. Honeycomb, jasmine, lime peel, petroleum, rubber, diesel fuel, ginger, lemonade. 
• Dr. Konstantin Frank Dry Riesling
  • Winery: Delicate and elegant, harmonizing lime zest, granny smith apples, and mineral stoniness from the Keuka vineyards with fresh citrus and nectarine from the Seneca vineyards. The zingy freshness brings energy, brightness, and persistence.
  • Wine Enthusiast: opens with a lifted aromas of white peach, lemonlime and florals with a honeyed underbelly. The palate is dry with a lofty line of laser-like, lemony acidity and a slightly chalky texture.
• Forge Cellars Caywood Vineyard Dry Riesling
  • Winery: A signature profile dominated by herbs and spices rather than fruitiness. The 2019 vintage combines a unique macadamia nut and almond nose with an energetic saltiness backed by the classic herbal quality liked in Caywood.
  • WS: A bright, high-pitched version, with honeysuckle and chamomile notes leading the way for white peach and lemon curd details. A subtle talc thread adds tension to the finish
• Hermann J. Wiemer Dry Riesling
  • Winery: Fragrant essence of spring blossoms sets the stage for a succulent palate of early fruit, balanced with a refreshing crispness, revealing the true qualities of the Riesling grape
  • De’Panneur Wines: Layers of citrus, stone, and tropical fruit are underpinned by taut acidities and a clean mineral finish. Juicy, friendly, succulent. This is a legally trocken/dry Riesling, it does have a few grams of RS - so it will also appeal to fans of off dry whites and be an amazing pairing with spicy cuisine

Outro and how to find The Wine Pair Podcast 43:26

Ok, so, Carmela, it is just about time for us to go, but before we do, we want to thank you very much for listening to us - and if you haven’t done so yet, now would be the perfect time to subscribe to our podcast and also a fantastic time to leave us a nice rating and review on our website or Apple podcasts or other podcast service - and it is an awesome and free way to support us and help us grow listeners.

We would also love to hear from you about a wine you would like us to taste and review. You can, leave a message for us on our website thewinepairpodcast.com and you can join our email newsletter there, too, or you can just email us at joe@thewinepairpodcast.com and tell us about a wine you are curious about, or curious what we think of it. And, follow us on Instagram and Threads so you can see pictures of all of these wines we are tasting and reviewing. 

And, next time you listen to an episode, drink along with us and see if you are tasting and experiencing the same things we are - it’s like a date night! And if you do that, we’d love to hear what you think!

Alright, with that, we are going to sign off, so thanks again, and we will see you next time. And, as we say, life is short, so stop drinking shitty wine.