Wine Tasting at New Heights

Posted on September 28, 2009 by admin

On Saturday I attended the Microbrew Beer and Wine Tasting at Hunter Mountain.  The air was brisk and the leaves were just beginning to change IMG_3185color providing a gorgeous backdrop for a day of tasting.  The guys headed straight for the beer taps while I went on to see what the area wineries had to offer.  Most were featuring fruit flavor based wines such as pear or blueberry but what I was looking for was a great tasting red.  This I found very early on in the day at a brand new winery Premium Wines located on the North Fork of Long Island.  The Pumphouse Red 2007 is a blend of merlot (84%), cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, petit verdot, and 2% syrah.  Its full bodied and extremely easy to drink with concentrated fruit flavor and soft tannins.

The second standout was their Suhru Shiraz Rose 2008.  If you love Rose this is a wine you absolutely must try.  A perfect blend of shiraz (84%), cabernet franc, reisling, chardonnay, and petit verdot.  This wine has a distinct grapefruit flavor that is crisp and refreshing with mild acidity and has a gorgeous light red color.  I can’t wait to open a bottle of this Rose while boating on the Hudson next summer-a perfect wine on a hot summer day!

Posted in Long Island, Rosé | Leave a comment

Wine For Breakfast?

Posted on September 21, 2009 by admin

vinho verdeThis past Saturday I was excited to attend the first Court Street wine tasting of the fall season.  This tasting featured 10 wines from four amazing countries: New Zealand, Portugal, Argentina, and Chile.  Our first wine was a fantastic white Broadbent Vihno Verde 2009 from Portugal which has earned the nickname the “breakfast wine”.  It had a very crisp, light flavor and has a very low alcohol content.  It is sweet but not overwhelmingly so.  For those wine drinkers who shy away from sweeter wines I would definitely give this a try.  It would be a sensational accompaniment to rich eggs benedict,  french toast, or as the distributor guiding us through the tasting so eloquently stated “great over your cereal!”  Perfect with any meal morning or night this wine is a true bargain retailing for less that $15!

quintadocrastoThere were several great reds but the one that stood out for me  also comes from Portugal.  Quinta do Crasto Red 2007 is a blend of four grapes native to the region.  It comes from the same area where port is produced and you can taste that similarity in the richness of the full fruit flavor that is balanced with a hint of spice.   This makes a great go to wine that won’t overpower food and can also be enjoyed on it’s own.  Definitely a red I will be purchasing and  another great value at less than $25 per bottle.

Posted in Portugal | Leave a comment