September is here and in New Jersey (the current world HQ of Amie’s Winehouse) the leaves are only just beginning to turn with the shortening of the days. In the Finger Lakes, however, about 4 hours north, the leaves are resplendent with color and harvest is in full swing. This is the ‘manic’ season for most wineries and winemakers. Grapes are being picked, presses are working overtime, new releases are being bottled. In small wineries across the country, every staff person is on deck and is wearing multiple hats, sorting grapes, affixing labels, packing shipments, working the tasting rooms. This is a far cry from the lazy dog-days of August, when I was last up in FLX. We had stopped into one of my favorite restaurants, the Stonecat Cafe for a late lunch and grabbed seats at the bar. As we ate, we found ourselves joining a wine related conversation with Joshua Carlsen, Stonecat’s Wine Director, who was tending the bar, and a soft-spoken gentleman sitting to my right. Josh was pouring tastes of a new imported Sicilian wine he had sourced for the restaurant for us and made introductions. The gentleman was Justin Boyette, the Co-owner and winemaker of Hector Wine Company, and Forge Cellars. Justin invited us to stop in and visit with him at the winery to taste some of the wines he and his teams were producing. As it turns out, the day we dropped in at Hector Wine Company and asked for Justin, he had just left to man a tasting event down towards Watkins Glen. Instead, we met with Alexandra Doniger, an enthusiastic young assistant winemaker to Justin, and the Director of Marketing at Hector Wine Company. As we began our tasting, Alexandra excused herself to take a call from a colleague working at a tasting room just up the road. Apparently an intoxicated young woman had come in to their winery with what appeared to be her sober boyfriend, but they had denied the couple a tasting. They were calling to give the Hector staff a heads up as they were fairly certain that the couple were heading towards Hector’s tasting room. “She’s got a blue striped dress and is slurring her words, you won’t miss her.” Five minutes later the couple rolled in. The young woman was practically draped over her boyfriend's shoulder, lids heavy. Alexandra approached the couple and explained that they had received a call from the previous winery and that they would also not serve them. With grace and finesse, Alexandra suggested that they consider calling it a day. What followed was an interesting and animated discussion about tasting room protocol and etiquette. “Tasting rooms look out for each other - we do communicate and share information, especially about problematic patrons, and obvious intoxication. It really doesn’t matter that she had a designated driver. We want people to enjoy themselves, to taste and to learn, but we take ‘poor behavior’ pretty seriously. Yes, it is awkward to deny a visitor a tasting, and it doesn’t happen often, but sometimes we have to say no. Not only is it for the health and safety of the patron and everyone around her, it also reflects on our tasting room, all of the wineries around here, and on the Finger Lakes as a wine making region.” Well done, Alexandra. A mental note: among the all different ‘hats’ staff have to wear in small wineries, add ‘occasional bouncer’ to the list. It occurs to me that there might be a book, or at least an article with fun and interesting stories from ‘behind the wine tasting counter.’ The people the staff have met, and the crazy things that happen, a sort of tasting room staff "tell-all" piece. But I digress. We tasted several delicious and well-crafted wines produced by Justin and his team, both Hector Wine Company wines as well as wines from Forge Cellars, Justin's more recent winemaking venture and partnership with friends, Louis Barruol, and Richard Rainey. The standout tasting for me that day at Hector's tasting room was Forge Cellars' Les Allies 2012 Pinot Noir. Though I tasted it in mid summer, I knew immediately that I would want to drink it on a cool fall evening as the leaves are turning. This is a lovely 100% Pinot Noir with ripe red fruit (cherry and strawberry) on the nose with red fruit and some exotic Asian five spice notes on the palette, giving it depth and intensity. There is bright acidity that balances the fruit and spice. It would make a wonderful wine with braised or roasted pork with stewed fruit – apples, cherries. It would also pair well with a roast turkey, particularly the rich dark meat. I think this wine has aging potential; there is really just great 'substance' in this 2012 vintage. It has got that wow factor. Laying it down will help develop secondary savory notes and the add to the complexity and allure of this wine. That is, if I can actually wait that long. And here’s the thing; tonight is a perfect cool autumn evening. So, I think that at least one bottle of Forge Cellars’ Les Allies 2012 Pinot Noir is not going to see any more cellar time tonight. If you want to get a picture of the outstanding winemaking that is taking place in the Finger Lakes, this short video captures it perfectly. The Forge Cellars owners share their passion for their craft, and their commitment to making wine that expresses the amazing potential of this “unique, cool-climate region."
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My next stop in the Finger Lakes was Bloomer Creek, owned and operated by Kim Engle and Debra Birmingham. I reached out to Kim and Debra to schedule a special visit on Friday, as Bloomer Creek’s tasting room is typically not open on the weekdays. When we were trying to figure out a time, the exchange went something like this: Me: How about Friday? Would midday work? Kim: Actually later would be better, the three of us are in the fields tending to the grapes during the day. We think by 3:30 or so we should be reasonably cleaned up and presentable. Wait, did they say ‘the three of us’? Yes. Just three people. Essentially, Kim, Deb and one extra pair of hands manage the entire operation: grapes, to harvest, to winemaking, to bottling, to staffing the tasting room. I was happy to hear that tending to the grapes takes first priority. Their reply about setting up time for a tasting speaks to who they are and why their wine is so special. Kim and Deb are farmers and artists first, retailers second. Truth be told, the wine sells itself. The Bloomer Creek tasting room is a lovely light-filled and airy carriage house with vaulted ceilings and exposed beams. Kim and Deborah built the structure themselves in 2007. Their wines reflect the same labor of love and the deft hand of artists. “My wife is the REAL artist,” he explained. Kim and Deb were fellow Cornell students when they met. Kim had spent time working on organic farms as a student. He landed a job at a vineyard, “which back then was not even producing wines yet.” He fell in love with area and the grape growing and harvesting process. Deb, a painter and professional artist, joined Kim in the artistry of wine making. As Kim poured his Vin d’ete Cabernet Franc 2011 for us, he continued, “some winemakers play it safe, they want to replicate something that works – that is the ‘same’, season after season. The wine is highly processed, manufactured wine. This kind of wine that isn’t 'alive' to me. Here, we let grapes and the natural yeasts do their own work; we intervene very little in the process. The whole idea is to let the wine be the best expression of the terroir -- land, the soil, the conditions and the fruit.” For Kim and Debra, part of the joy of wine making is this ‘artists way’: allowing the process to unfold naturally, but with careful awareness of and attention to the details. They coax out wines that have a personality and are truly memorable. And the Vin d’ete Cabernet Franc 2011 was exactly that - a memorable wine with personality. This 100% Cabernet Franc had fruit aromas of red cherries and plums, and I could also pick up an herbal notes of thyme and delicate floral notes as well. On the palate, a medium to light bodied wine, delicate for a Cabernet Franc, with bright acidity, raspberry and hints of black candied cherry fruit, very well balanced with deeper peppery, earthy notes on the finish. The wine has seen very little oak and the tannins are soft and elegant. Kim and I discussed the touch of carbonic maceration (often used in the production of Beaujolais), which contributes to the wonderful aromas and cherry fruit character. The wine is unfined and unfiltered, as are all of Bloomer Creek’s wines. What was an absolute pleasure to me was that there was nary a green note in this wine. I enjoy Cabernet Franc, but the downfall of many producers is ‘rushing it’ – with less careful harvesting methods that result in the use of some unripe grape clusters which give Cab Francs a green bite. The Vin d’ete was was bright and lively as well as nuanced and delicate – is that possible? It was both easy to drink and also a bit enigmatic. In fact, I might not have guessed it was a Cabernet Franc. Kim’s inspiration for this wine is the cooler climate Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley, a style that makes perfect sense for the Finger Lakes. It was was a delight to drink and would be wonderful with food. I picture this wine with a summer meal outdoors at a café; a green salad with fresh garden herbs and a simply roasted chicken would hit the spot. I am not the only fan, it seems. The New York Times’ wine critic, top Eric Asimov, gave high praise to Bloomer Creek’s Cabernet Francs as ‘deliciously fragrant peppery wines.’ The Wine Spectator gave it a 90 (if scores matter to you). The Bloomer Creek Vin d’ete Cabernet Franc averages about $20.00 retail, which is a terrific value, as it drinks like a much more expensive bottle of wine. Kim and Debra really ARE artists. They take risks with their wines and the resulting alchemy is memorable. Their wines are produced in small quantities. If you can find the Vin d'ete Cab Franc 2011, or any Bloomer Creek wine, buy it. |
AuthorAmie Herman is a sometimes writer, a deep thinker, an enthusiastic explorer, and an artful sipper... Archives
November 2020
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