Cooking with Wine

I find myself with a large amount of veggies from the CSA this past week.  Veggies I normally don't cook, so I did some surfing on the internet to see if I could come up with a soup that would somewhat use some of the leeks, 8lbs of potatoes, parsnips and rutabagas that I brought home.

I found a recipe for Potato Leek Soup to use as a base, altered it for my ingredients and what I had in the fridge.  I also used a Whitecliff Vineyards & Winery 2011 Estate Chardonnay( wanted to keep as much of it local)  A little wine for the soup, a little wine for the fish, a little wine for me and I was off slaving over the stove.

If you find your self with lots of root veggies, here is the soup recipe I created.  Hope you enjoy it.

Debbie's Root Veggie Soup

• 3 leeks, washed and sliced
• 2 parsnips, peeled and diced
• 1 rutabaga peeled and diced
• 2 bay leaves
• 10 black peppercorns
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
• 3 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 Tbs butter
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 7 - 8 cups chicken stock
• 2 pounds potatoes, diced
• 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 teaspoon white pepper

Put the peppercorns, bay leaves and thyme in a garni bundle. (I use these little mesh teabags for items like this.) Set aside.

I cook my bacon in the microwave. If you do that save some of the grease to cook the leeks in.  Otherwise cook the bacon with butter take out when done, cool, crumble.

Add leeks to bacon grease and saute for about 5 minutes.  Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the garni bundle, chicken stock, potatoes, parsnips, rutabagas, bacon salt and white pepper. Reduce heat to simmer and let simmer for about 40 minutes or until the veggies are soft.  

Remove garni bag and let cool for a bit.  Then put in blender and process in batches.  Enjoy.  I served it with the baked cod below.

Sauteed some greens and baked the cod with some white wine, dill and lemon juice.  Real easy dinner!

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Cablevision Special on Hudson Valley Wineries with Hudson Valley Wine Goddess

Last month I spent the day with Kimberly Hart from Cablevision to produce a special on Hudson Valley Wineries that aired on July 4, 2012. In this video I take you to Whitecliff Vineyard & Winery where we learn about their new geo-thermal winery, Millbrook Vineyards & Winery and we learn about the flagship winery of the Hudson Valley and Benmarl Winery, the oldest vineyard in the United States. Follow me on my journey through the Hudson Valley.
 

Riesling and Gumbo

This is another one of my tasting notes that I should have posted months ago.  I paired a 2009 Whitecliff Vineayrds Riesling with Chicken Gumbo.  Unfortunately, I didn't note the recipe I used, so you can create your own gumbo to pair with.

This 2009 Riesling is aging quite nicely.  Aromas of soft mineral and some hints of smooth petrol with apricot hanging in the back.

The palate had soft acidity with stone fruit and a hint of spice on the end.  There were some lingering soft petrol flavors on the finish as well.

There is a little bit of residual sugar in the Riesling that made it pair very well with the chicken gumo.

LaGrange by Whitecliff

I worked on the blending of this wine and wasn't sure I was going to be a big fan of it.  I'm not a big fan of Cayuga but have recently had wine with Cayuga blended in and it wasn't bad.

With an open mind and palate I tasted Whitecliff's LaGrange White. The nose is nothing remarkable, hint of grape and wet stone.  Palate has hints of peach with a nice balance in the acidity.

Cayuga tends to be a grape with high acidity.  With 4% residual sugar I wasn't sure what to expect.  The sweetness balances out the acidity nicely and gives the wine a nice rounded mouth feel without tasting overly sweet.

The wine sells in the Whitecliff's tasting room for $15.95 bottle.

Whitecliff Vineyards Vertical Chardonnay Tasting

I took part in a vertical tasting of Whitecliff Vineyard & Winery's Chardonnay.  I am going to read you off the notes I have from the tasting.  We also tasting the 2011 from the barrel.

2006 - This Chardonnay came from Whitecliff's estate and  Laurel Lake in Long Island.  Nose of lemon curd and was very flavorful
2007 - It's not dead yet, but it's marching.
2008 - Estate Bottled.  Nose of honeysuckle.  The second swirl is all honey.  On the palate there was hints of almonds.  Picked at brix of 22 and ph of 3.5
2009 Higher acid and good balance.  Taste of oak.
2010 Aromas are fresh with a hint of  bitterness on the finish
2011 Awesome nose with strong hints of butter.  Palate a bit oaky and a little green but that will be racked out.

Going into the tasting I honestly thought the 2006 would be the one I liked the least, but it is really holding its own quite well.   It was interesting to see the comparisons in age as well as location of the grapes used.

Deep in the Cellar - 2008 Whitecliff Pinot Noir

Another one from the cellar. I am quite amazed on how the Whitecliff wines hold up with age.  As I go through my cellar I have quite a few of older vintage Hudson Valley selections.  I am looking forward to sharing them with you as they are uncovered.

We opened this Pinot Noir as an appetizer on Superbowl Sunday.  Aromas of oak and raspberry filled the glass with hints of vanilla.

Soft tannins were felt on your palate as flavors of ripe plum and red cherry danced on your tongue.  Hints of spice rounded out the finish in an elegant way. 

If you have any of this Pinot Noir hanging around now would be the time to open it.  We felt it was at its peak. The flavors really stood out, it had a great soft mouth feel and was very enjoyable.

Whitecliff Vineyards 2010 Traminette

This wine Paul hid from me, but I found it. I don't know why he would hide a wine from me.

 Whitecliff Vineyards & Winery's  2010 Traminette.

This Traminette had an extremely lychee nose.  In fact, lychee dominated the nose but it also had a crisp freshness to it with a hint of floral.  The palate had nuisances of jasmine and tropical fruit notes with soft white pepper on the finish.  The wine did not have a lot of acidity but was clean.

The more years that go by, the more I really like Traminette.  As each winery crafts their wines in their own manner, Whitecliff has shown exceptional growth in winemaking with this varietal.

Hudson Valley Wineries Score Big in the February Issue of Wine Enthusiast Magazine

It was nice to see in the February Issue of Wine Enthusiast Magazine that there were some Hudson Valley Wineries scored, reviewed and listed in the buying guide. Congratulations!  But the list only represented the Pinot Noir scores of the region and there were many other varietals submitted and scored from the regions wineries.

Congratulations to Tousey Winery, Hudson-Chatham Winery, Millbrook Vineyards & Winery, Whiteciff Vineyard & Winery, Oak Summit Vineyard and Brotherhood Winery!

Here is the Hudson Valley Buying Guide via Wine Enthusiast February scores.

TOUSEY WINERY

86  Tousey Winery 2010 Pinot Noir New York $20

85 Tousey Winery 2010 Cabernet Franc Hudson River Region NY $22

84  Tousey 2010Chardonnay Hudson River Region  – 84 $16

MILLBROOK VINEYARDS & WINERY

89   Millbrook 2010 25th Anniversary Pinot Noir Hudson River Region $18.00

88   Millbrook 2010 25th Anniversary Chardonnay Hudson River Region $16.00

87   Millbrook 2007 Proprietor's Special Reserve Cabernet Franc Hudson River Region $29.00

87   Millbrook 2009 Proprietor's Special Reserve Chardonnay Hudson River Region $20.00

86   Millbrook 2008   Cabernet Franc Hudson River Region  $20.00

HUDSON-CHATHAM WINERY

87   Hudson-Chatham 2010 Casscles Vineyard Reserve Baco Noir Hudson River Region $20.00

86   Hudson-Chatham 2010   Cabernet Franc New York $17.00

86   Hudson-Chatham 2010 Old Vines Baco Noir New York $22.00

86   Hudson-Chatham 2008 Empire Reserve Baco Noir New York $22.00

85   Hudson-Chatham 2009 Old Vines Masson Place Vineyard Pulteney Farm Baco Noir Hudson River Region $20.00

84   Hudson-Chatham 2010 Field Stone Baco Noir New York $30.00

OAK SUMMIT VINEYARD

88 Oak Summit Vineyard 2005 Pinot Noir Hudson River Region $35.00

85 Oak Summit Vineyard Chardonnay Hudson River Region $28.00

BROTHERHOOD WINERY

85 Brotherhood 2009 Pinot Noir New York $16.00

85 Brotherhood Grand Monarque Champagne Hudson River Region $25

84 Brotherhood Blanc de Blancs New York $11.00

WHITECLIFF VINEYARD & WINERY

88 Whitecliff Vineyard 2010 Reserve Chardonnay New York $17

87 Whitecliff Vineyard 2010 Cabernet Franc New York $20

86 Whitecliff Vineyard 2010 Traminette New York $16

PALAIA VINEYARDS

84 Palaia Vineyards  2008 Cabernet Franc New York  $19.00

The Sky is the Limit

Note: I received this as a sample right off the bottling line from Whitecliff Vineyards, hence there is no label.  I did wait two weeks before I opened it so the bottle shock wouldn't be so harsh.

The Sky Island is Whitecliff's Bordeaux blended wine.  (A red blend of 5 grapes grown in the Bordeaux region of France Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc)  This Sky Island blend is 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc, 32% Merlot 4% Malbec and 4% Petit Verdot.

We decanted the wine because it was so young. As we decanted it, I got an immediate nose of Petit Verdot - the black fruits and blackberry really stood out. Along with the dark fruit there was some oak that was apparent on the nose.

One sip and you get a mouth full of dark fruit flavors. As the wine opens up black cherry begins to stand out. There is a strong black pepper finish (which I love) on the wine that just lingers a bit on your palate.   It's a nice full bodied, strong wine.

This wine is young and I would suggest holding on to it for a year or two.  It sells for $24.95 in their tasting room.

Regional Wine Week - Drink Local First Hudson Valley

This week is Regional Wine Week. I am narrowing it down to Local Wine Week because  I am a big proponent of local wine.  This week I will do my best drink local Hudson Valley Wines and I hope wherever you reside you will seek out your local and regional wines.

In the spirit of "Regional Wine Week" I am going to talk about the Traminette grape. A little grape history - Traminette' is a late mid-season white wine grape which produces wine with pronounced varietal character likened to one of its parents, Gewurztraminer.  I'll be honest, when I first tasted traminette about 5 years ago it thought it was skunky.  That may have been because the vines were very young but now as the vines have matured and the winemakers have perfected their Traminette winemaking skills, it has become one of my favorites.

I know of 4 wineries in the Hudson Valley that produce Traminette; Whitecliff, Palaia, Benmarl and Applewood.  I just happen to have a 2010 Whitecliff Vineyards Traminette and recently opened it.  This grapes in this wine came from both Whitecliff Vineyards and fruit from the Finger Lakes region.

This 2010 Whitecliff Traminette was a Gold Medal winner in the 2011 San Francisco International Wine Competition.  Kudos to Whitecliff!   I found the bouquet on this wine to be very aromatic! Lychee aromas with citrus and minerals filled my nose.


On the palate the wine was very smooth, slightly acidic and had nice balance.  Tastes of tropical fruit and hints of pineapple filled my palate with a soft spicy finish.  


This wine will pair will pair very well with a dish that has hints of spice.  The wine sells for $15.95 in the tasting room.  Not sure if they still have it available.

RARE VERTICAL TASTING WEEKENDS AT WHITECLIFF VINEYARD

The owners of Whitecliff Vineyard have dug down into their private library of wines that are no longer available for sale in order to offer a vertical tasting over the next two weekends. A “vertical tasting” is wine jargon for a side by side tasting of different vintages of the same wine. It provides a sometimes eye opening glimpse of what aspects of the wine are unique to the grape, and what aspects are shaped by the weather in a given year. It’s a stimulating learning experience that teaches people to pay careful attention to subtle differences. 

They have been inspired to offer vertical tastings to compare 2009 with 2010 because they were such different years in the vineyard—the former cold and wet (remember the ruined tomato crop?), the later particularly hot and dry. Typically, hot, dry weather promotes high sugar, low acidity, and riper fruit flavors in the grapes, and cold, damp weather promotes higher acidity. While most people will likely think “Yum” in response to the first, and NOT to the second, acidity is in fact a key component of great wine. One of the interesting aspects of this tasting will be the opportunity to sample Whitecliff’s 2009 Riesling (a fairly high acid wine), which beat 1300 wines from 27 countries and 28 states to win a Double Gold Medal and Best White Wine in Show at the 2010 San Francisco International Wine Competition.

Whitecliff’s Vertical Tasting Weekends will be the July 4^th weekend, July 2^nd through Monday the 4^th, as long as our 2009 supplies last. Visitors will sample 3 of their current 2010 wines—Reserve Chardonnay, Gamay Noir and Riesling—along with the same wines from the previous 2009 vintage. 

Vertical tastings will be available all of each weekend, for either $8.50 a person, or $6.50 with a purchase of wine. Whitecliff Vineyard & Winery is located at 331 McKinstry Road in Gardiner, New York.

Blending Cayuga

A few weeks ago Paul and I were over at Whitecliff Vineyards blending their Cayuga wine.  Cayuga White, which is the proper name of the grape is a hybrid cross between Schuyler and Seyval Blanc. Personally, I haven't met a Cayuga that I liked, but when you are blending wine, you are not blending the wine because you like the grape, you need to blend it for the customer.

On a personal note - this was the first time Paul and I had worked together making a blend.  It was just me and him in the tank room.  We didn't argue, we actually enjoyed working together, I think.

We began by making 150ML bottles of blending Cayuga with tank fermented Chardonnay.  We had our control bottle of Cayuga, then began by adding 10% Chardonnay in 5% increments until it was 50/50.  The two blends that were 85/15 an 80/20 had wonderful bouquets.

After everything was blended we went upstairs to sit with Michael the owner/winemaker. The tastings began.  I liked the 80/20 Paul liked the 70/30.  We weren't satisfied.  So....we went back to the blending table and added Riesling to the mix.  Each 150ML had 10% Riesling.  I liked the blend that was 76.5% Cayuga 13.5 Chard and 10% Riesling.  Or course we never agree - Paul like the blend of 72% Cayuga 18% Chard and 10% Riesling.

But we still weren't happy.  So....we decided to take the Cayuga straight and add residual sugar to it.  We mixed one that was 1.5% 3.6% and 4.4%.  I am not one for sweet wines but with the acidity of the wine you couldn't tell that it was 4.4% RS.

The winning blend was the straight Cayuga with 4.4% RS.  Served cold on a hot summers day, the acidic balance with the RS will make it a very enjoyable wine.  At least I hope.

A few things I learned blending wine:

• Adding vinifera to a hybrid doesn't always make the wine taste better.  
• Adding just a little bit of another variety can change the taste and bouquet dramatically.
• Sometimes balancing out the acid with sugar will make the wine taste better on its own.
• Have a good calculator.

Whitecliff 2010 Awosting White

This wine is one of Whitecliff's best selling wines and I can see why.  This 2010 Awosting White is estate bottled and is a blend of 60% Seyval and 40% Vignoles.

It has a fresh nose of lime giving way to a hint of banana and passion fruit.  On the palate there is pineapple, soft tropical fruit, and lime.  The wine is slightly acidic which is balanced out by a hint of sweetness.

This is a nice fresh and vibrant wine that will be very refreshing on a hot summers day.

The wine is sold in the tasting room and many regional wine shops.

Two Glasses One Wine

I recently stopped by Whitecliff Vineyards & Winery to do a tasting of their new releases.  Michael gave me a sample of the 2010 Unoaked NYS Chardonnay to take home, but the 2010 labels hadn't arrived yet. So..he slapped on the 2009 label to make the bottle complete.  I think for picture reasons, I would have opted for an incomplete label with no vintage year.  So even though this picture says 09, it's really a 2010.  Now that we got that taken care of.

Paul and I sometimes argue about the wine glass. He seems to like these football no stem glass where I prefer to traditional wine glass.  The first pour was in Paul's favorite glass.   On the nose I got wet slate, fresh rain, minerally, kiwi and melon.   On the palate strong honeydew melon gives way to lime.  It was very one dimensional.

Now we switched to the stem glasses.  The nose was melon and wet slate.  On the palate I got honeydew melon, kiwi and hint of lime.  There was slight acidity mid palate that comes out. Could it be the glass? As the wine begins to warm, the Bartlett pear flavor begins to show and the mouth feel becomes smoother.

This is a very nice and refreshing wine. I am really becoming a fan of the unoaked Chardonnay!

Blending Experiment

Michael Migliore invited me and  Paul over to do some wine blending. The wine on the blending table was Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec.  We later added Gamay Noir and Pinot Noir to the table. The mission for the day was to see if the varietal stood up on it's own or was better blended with another varietal. 

First we began with a taste of the Riesling that was blended a day or two ago.  It was unfined and unfiltered, so looks were a little cloudy.  The taste was pear with an orange peel finish.  Looking forward to that release.

For each of these wines, we tasted the wine on it's own and then with some blending to determine which blend if needed was what would be bottled.

Merlot Experiment:

• On it's own it had a very berry nose with new oak.  Berry
• Blended with 2% Petit Verdot - not to much difference.  You got a little bitterness on the finish.  The berry was toned down.  
• Blended with 9% Cab Franc, 2% Petit Verdot - Nose of Cab Franc. The Cab Franc overpowered the wine.
• The winner - 98% Merlot 2% Petit Verdot

Cabernet Franc Experiment:

• On it's own - WOW!  This is a wonderful wine.  Fresh berry spice, smooth,  wonderful black pepper finish.  
• Blended with 3% Petit Verdot - Brightened the color on the purple hue.  Softened the Cab Franc and the flavors associated with it
• Blended with 12% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot - no notes on this because I really liked it on it's own
• The winner - Cabernet Franc on it's own.  It is going to be a wonderful wine.

Malbec Experiment:

• On it's own - Houston we have a problem - Sauerkraut.  I taste sauerkraut, not good, this means bacteria attacked some of the chemical compounds in the barrel, lactic acid in this case causing the sauerkraut smell.  Off to the barrel room to take a sample from another barrel and to mark the barrel this sample came from.
• New sample - 100% Malbec had a bland nose.  
• Blended with 4% Petit Verdot - great nose, nice finish
• Blended with 7.5% Petit Verdot - to much Petit Verdot, lost the Malbec
• Blended with 4% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot - Merlot nose and a fruity finish
• The winner - 96% Malbec 4% Petit Verdot

The Pinot Noir and Gamay Noir were blended with 4% and  3% Merlot respectively and it was determined that they both held their own without any blending.

It was a great harvest last year.  The fruit really holds its own.

Cookies and Merlot

It's that time of the year again where the annual cookie swap comes into play.  With less than one week notice I had to make 8 dozen cookies for our "Wine Night" swap.  So Friday evening found me slaving over my oven and kitchen aid to bake my cookies.  I couldn't do it alone, so I pulled out a 2008 Whitecliff Vineyards New York State Merlot.

A little wine for me, and more wine for me as I made the Coffee and Cream Drops.

When I opened the wine the first aromas that came to me was earth and mocha. I thought that was fitting since the cookies I was making had coffee and chocolate in them.  The earth and mocha gave way to hints of plum and black cherry.

I first tasted the wine before I tasted any of the cookies I was making.  I got a black cherry, bright fruit flavor with hints of raspberry.  The wine was thin with a bitter finish.   Then I had to see how the cookie and wine pairing tasted.  I will say the cookie softened the bitter finish and the black cherry flavor became loud and prominent.

I didn't know much about this wine before I opened it, but I must say it was a nice pairing.  A note to myself, if I am going to make cookies with coffee in them, bake then in the morning.  This way when you eat a couple from each batch, you won't be up all night from the caffeine.

Wine Pairings for the Associates in Your Life

Ever get stumped on what to purchase for the associates in your life.  The hairdresser, your boss, personal trainer etc...  Natalie McLean, of Nat Decants has put together a list of what to get for your associates.  I have added local wine suggestions next to each associate.  As of writing this post, the wines were available in the tasting rooms at all the wineries.  Some wines you will be able to find in local liquor/wine stores. If you don't see them, just ask.

Natalie’s Top Ten Gift Wines for Your ...

1. Hairdresser: For the person who combines humor and optimism every time she styles your mop. Go for a light, gulpable wine like a dry rosé. It’s versatile and fuss-free—a great quaff for your coif.  (Millbrook Vineyards and Winery Hunt Country Rose $15; or Benmarl Winery Rose)

2. Psychiatrist: Of course, he’ll analyze whatever you give him so choose a wine that’s all about balance. Easy-drinking pinot noir is medium-bodied yet packed with flavor. Surprise him with a large-format bottle, like a magnum. Big thinking means big progress for you. This wine also works for psychologists, marriage counselors and bartenders. (Millbrook Vineyard and Winery 2009 Pinot Noir $18)

3. The Boss: Pick too pricey a wine and your boss will think your last raise was too much; go cheap, and she’ll think you lack judgement. Focus on a label with a lot of white space since that makes the bottle look more expensive. A castle in the distance also works, but avoid fluffy animals. (Whitecliff Vineyards and Winery 2009 Gamay Noir $16.95 )

  

4. Personal Trainer: Think a muscular, robust red would work? Hold that position. Instead, try riesling: this light white wine pairs well with a health-nut diet of salad and seafood, plus it’s low in alcohol. You can also give it to Pilates instructors, yoga masters and Tai Chi coaches.(Brotherhood Winery Dry or Semi-Dry Riesling $9.99)

  

5. Financial Planner: You and he both know it’s going to take decades before your portfolio recovers after the crash of 2008. With that long-term view, vintage port makes the perfect gift. This fortified wine from northern Portugal, with its long aging potential, will be around for both of you into your retirements. (Brotherhood Winery Ruby Port $9.99)

  

6. Travel Agent: She’s been everywhere and seen everything, so go local with your choice of wine. Even better, if you live close to the winery, get the bottle signed by the winemaker. (Hudson-Chatham Winery 2009 Baco Noir)

7. Teacher: If you can’t find a suitably obscure wine with a Latin name, there’s always cream sherry. It’s the tipple of Oxford dons, not to mention the centerpiece of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic short story The Case of the Amontillado. (Brookview Station Winery Whistle-Stop White $12.99)

  

8. Mail Deliverer: Go for a winery that’s consistent year after year in producing a wine that can be enjoyed in snow, rain, sleet or hail. Try an Australian shiraz or Argentine malbec. (Whitecliff Vineyards and Winery 2009 Malbec $18.95)

9. Mechanic: Yes, there’s a wine called Red Truck, but try to be more imaginative. Why not give a wine made by Mario Andretti in California or Ferrari in Italy? (Glorie Farm Winery Red Monkey $13.50)

10. Online Date: So you’re on your second or third rendezvous with the person you met on eHarmony or Dating.com. If you’re not sure yet whether marriage is a possibility, try something middle-of-the-road, like merlot. Yes, it’s the soft jazz of wine, but until you know, play it safe. (Palaia Vineyards Merlot $18.99)

And after all that shopping, don’t forget yourself: even Santa’s little helpers need more than milk and cookies. Try something with high-alcohol like Italian Amarone or Rhone syrah: these big reds easily drown out tone-deaf caroling and pair beautifully with tired feet. (Whitecliff Vineyard and Winery 2008 Sky Island Red $23.95, Millbrook Vineyards and Winery, Millbrook Vineyards and Winery 2007 Cabernet Franc Proprietor's Special Reserve $29, Oak Summit 2008 Pinot Noir $30)

Another Find - Whitecliff 2004 Cabernet Franc

Whitecliff 2004 Cab Franc 

Boy the things I find in my wine cellar. Recently searching for a Hudson Valley Cabernet to drink on #Cabernet day I came across a 2004 Whitecliff Vineyards Cabernet Franc. Couldn't have found a better wine to pair with the hanger steak.

When you find wine like that in your cellar you often wonder if it will still be good or if it's past its peak.  Well I am happy to say this was at its peak.

On the bouquet was cherry, cigar and a hint of alcohol.  The taste: bright cherry giving way to black cherry, hint of cranberry and a white pepper finish.  It was a very well balanced wine.

I did have this with a cheese I picked up at the Arlington Farmers Market.  A Haseholm Caource Cheese from a new cheese vendor.  When this wine was tasted after eating this cheese, it brought out a maraschino cherry flavor to the wine.

Unfortunately I can't say where you can get this wine, because I think I was the only one that still had a bottle.

Lost & Found - Whitecliff 2003 Sky Island

Search and you never know what you will find.  Recently while searching in my wine cellar for a nice red to have I came across and oldie - well not that old, but old enough - 7 years a 2003 Whitecliff Vineyards & Winery Sky Island Red. I didn't even realize I had a local wine that old in the house.  Quite honestly I was wondering how well it was holding up.

I contacted Michael Migliore the winemaker to tell him of my find and ask what was in the blend.  I know this particular wine of theirs is their Bordeaux blend.  This wine is blended with 78% Cabernet Sauvignon from Ackerman Vineyards in Long Island, 6% Whitecliff Vineyard Hudson Valley Merlot and 6% Whitcliff Vineyards Hudson Valley Cabernet Franc.

With no expectations I opened the bottle.  I was shocked to find aromas of bright bing cherry, vanilla and wet tobacco once I got past the earthiness.  On the taste was dark fruit and black cherry with a hint of plum. It had a quick cherry finish.

I was quite surprised at how nicely this wine did  age.

Redtail and Ribs

I recently served Whitecliff Vineyards Redtail wine with a burger and rib dinner I cooked.  I am the first to admit I am not a red hybrid grape fan and this wine is a blend of  DeChaunac, Noriet, Frontenac and Merlot and is a Hudson Heritage Red. It went very well with the ribs and burgers. 

On the nose came strong aromas of blackberry and earth with a hint of smokiness in the background.  On the palate it was bery smooth.  Lots of black fruit and blackberries.  There was a hint of sweetness in the wine, which leads me to believe there is a bit of residual sugar, but not to much to make a sweet wine. On the finish I found it a little musty but lingering with blackberries.