Tag Riesling

Three Brothers Wineries and Estates

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     The Three Brothers Wineries and Estates are located at 623 Lerch Rd Geneva, NY.  It is just a short distance off of NY Rte 96A South at the north end of Seneca Lake.  This winery is a collection of three distinctly different wineries (Passion Feet, Stony Lonesome and Bagg Dare) and a brewery (War Horse).  We arrived at the property just a day after the conclusion of Winestock, a wine and music festival that had run through the weekend.  Three Brothers was the only winery that we visited twice and is a perfect example of the saying “What a difference a day makes”.  The first day we visited we were served in the tasting room of the Stony Lonesome Winery by a very well versed young man named Alex.  Alex poured our selections and recited the characteristics of each flawlessly and with a friendly ease.  That day we would purchase two Riesling:  Degree 1 Medium Dry 2010 and Degree 2 Medium Sweet 2010 along with a wine that I was unfamiliar with Estate  Reserve Grüner Veltliner 2011.  I could have easily have picked up their Barbera, the first to be produced in the Finger Lakes but the promise of the wines in my near future caused me to pass on it.  The next afternoon we decided to return to Three Brothers to pick up a bottle of their Pinot Noir and that Barbera that I had passed on the day before.  We entered the Stony Lonesome tasting room and stood around until we were finally approached by a small young woman.  We asked her several questions about their Pinot Noir and other red wines which she struggled to answer with her limited knowledge of the products.  Since the Pinot was to be a gift I asked if she could do me a favor and photo copy the wine list and its tasting notes.  She went into the other room only to return and say no and that it could be found on the website (I looked but couldn’t find it there).  I bought the 2009 Pinot Noir and forgot about the Barbera.

     The wines at Three Brothers Wineries and Estates were probably the best I tasted on this trip but the tasting room experience was surly the most sub-standard that I encountered.  The management of this business has to remember that making good wine is important but there is much more to a brand than just that. 

Mission Accomplished

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I am pleased to report that I have a new bottle of Riesling resting safely in my wine rack at home. I bought a Chateau Ste Michelle 2010 Riesling, which is a blend of Riesling from the Columbia Valley of  Washington. Blending the best qualities from several different wines allows a wine maker to use the strong attributes of one wine to complement the short comings of others. When done with a skillful hand you end up with a wine that is greater than the sum of its parts. This product is always a consistent example of a off-dry that is pleasant to drink and matches a wide variety of foods. The Wine Enthusiast gave it a 90 point rating and I would agree with that assessment. The other choice I considered was the Chateau Ste Michelle 2010 Harvest Select Riesling, but it had a R.S. of 4.98 compared to the 2.29 R.S. of my purchase. The much sweeter style of the Harvest Select would have been a good pick for asian dishes especially Thai food so I will remember that for another day.

Riesling hunting

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Ripe grapes of Riesling.

Ripe grapes of Riesling. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

     I will be going to the State Store soon to look for a bottle of Riesling. That in itself doesn’t seem like a difficult task but considering the last bottle I bought was a Hermann J. Wiemer 2009 Semi-Riesling it may prove to be a challenging search. The Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard and Winery is the premier Riesling producer in the New York Finger Lakes Region and perhaps the entire country. Riesling is one of the few varietals that is good in all ranges of sweetness. This wine uses its sweetness (2.4 Residual sugar) and acidity to show off its true flavor. It is a good choice for those who can’t seem to decide on a white wine. Fruit forward with a citrus fruit nose and finish makes this a balanced well made wine. The usual pairings include poultry, shellfish and asian dishes. These are all good pairings and you can’t go wrong with any of them but I have found it very drinkable at a family holiday gathering where ham is the main course. I will do my homework and follow my own guidelines that have appeared in previous posts and will try to pick the best Riesling available for my taste. I will let you know if I score a hit or a miss. 

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