Everyone knows about the Finger Lake wines, but not so many people know that the North Fork part of Long Island has a number of wineries. One Saturday I took a wine bus tour that took me to three wineries. Below are some tasting notes from the wineries.
Pugilese Vineyards
2007 Sparkling Merlot - I thought this wine was okay. It wasn't juicy and had a lot of tannin, which isn't what I normally expect from a sparkling red wine. When I want a sparkling red, I'd be much more inclined to buy an Australian sparkling Shiraz!
2011 Pinot Grigio - I haven't tasted much Pinot Grigio this summer, and this wine reminded me of that. The vintner describes the wine as flavored with honey, apricot, and vanilla. If this sounds sweet and fruity, it is. It was not cloying, though, and I bought a bottle to take home.
2007 Cabernet Franc - The vintner describes this wine as softer than Cabernet Sauvignon, with flavors of black cherry. I tasted deep, dark juices and tannin. Because of the tannin, this wine would taste best with a a meat or stew dish -- the fats of the meat and tannins of the wine would cancel each other out. A good pairing!
2009 Late Harvest Gewurtzraminer - Listed as a dessert wine, it was very sweet. As a person who doesn't like too much of one flavor, I would not drink a wine this sweet while eating dessert. I would much rather drink this wine with something spicy, but I wouldn't buy this wine anyway. I really don't like sweet wines.
Duck Walk Vineyards
2011 Sauvignon Blanc - This wine got a gold medal, and with so many to choose from, I wanted to taste a winner! This wine had an earthy smell and light grapefruits notes. Of all the whites I've tasted, Sauvignon Blanc seems to be a chameleon ... tasting different every time. This wine was okay, but I didn't buy it.
Windmill Blush NV - Obviously a Rose wine, this wine didn't have much of a scent, except perhaps a hint of honey. It is an incredibly fruity wine, not cloying, but still not dry enough for me.
2009 Pinot Meunier - I really enjoyed this wine, and bought a bottle to take home. The grape is originally from the Champagne region and no one else on the east coast makes this varietal. I smelled strawberry from this wine, and tasted light spice and tannin.
2009 Pinot Noir - I am not normally a Pinot Noir fan, but this wine was in their reserve collection, so I was hoping to be pleased. I smelled spice and earth with red fruits and tasted tannin and pepper in the wine. The tannin in the wine would pair well with the fats of duck breast or aged hard cheese. I did not like this Pinot Noir enough to buy it, but I didn't blame the vintner. I only like one in ten Pinot Noir wines that I taste!
Baiting Hollow Farm
We didn't receive sheets that describe the wines. Instead, we were told to try the White Satin and Red Velvet blends. White Satin was made primarily from Merlot but the grapes were pressed without the skins so the wine is white. Red Velvet is a red wine varietal. Because these were the "house specialties", and unique to the vineyard, I tasted both. I liked them and took them home, but was unable to take tasting notes.
