Category Archives: drink

Navigating tap handles: Selecting lager or ale

Call me nosey.

I’ve been called worse. But when I happen to be at a bar by myself, I tend to survey the scene. I’ll peruse the beverages on draft and look to see which bartender is apt to provide the best service, but, mostly, I’ll eavesdrop and “people watch.”

Recently, I overheard a college-aged man and woman, seemingly on a date for only the first or second time, sitting at the corner of the bar. Nothing unique, really, but I got the sense early on that the young woman was either not much of a drinker or had recently turned 21 and had little beer-ordering experience. She asked her date to order for her because she didn’t know what to get. He asked her simply, “Well, do you want an ale or a lager?”

I wasn’t listening intently — I’m not that nosey — but the question piqued my interest because I immediately thought to myself, “Come on, kid, do you really think she knows or even cares about the difference?” Not to my surprise, she just stared at him blankly and shrugged.

Now I was listening because I was wondering how this guy would explain it to his date. Obviously, a cold scientific response would not work and would more than likely bore his date to tears. “Budweiser is lager,” he started, and then he paused as he scanned the available beers on tap until he found a green handle and pointed it out to his date, “and Sierra Nevada is ale.”

While I knew his answer was as vague as vague could be, he was essentially correct. His date shrugged again, still a perplexed look upon her face, and said she’d just have a Bud Light. (She added the phrase “I guess” afterward, further cementing the fact that his response meant nothing to her.)

So why the Bud Light and not the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale? Did she really prefer lager over ale? Or did the name have something to do with it?

Be honest with yourself: whether you’re a 21-year-old woman or a 45-year-old man, you are apt to begin considering which beer to order at a bar based on brand name. You, too, likely scan the bar taps, with their ornate, colorful, creative handles, making a mental checklist, crossing off the brands that don’t appeal. But there are many factors beyond the brand that can help you make your choice.

At its most basic level of contrast, beer can be broken into two main categories: ale and lager. You are most likely not going to order a beer by telling the bartender you just want an ale or a lager (unless, of course you’re in Pennsylvania, where “lager” is synonymous with Yuengling Traditional Lager).

All beer is made from the same basic ingredients: water, barley, malts, hops, and yeast. Other things may be added in to influence flavor, color, or consistency, but those elements are common to all beer. The difference between an ale and a lager can’t be found in most of those ingredients, either: some ales will use the same type of malts and hops in their beer as a lager counterpart.

So what is the difference in the name? What makes ale ale and lager lager?

While there is no doubt that some exceptional and seasoned beer drinkers will claim to be able to pinpoint very different tastes between lagers and ales, it really comes down to one thing: the type of yeast used in brewing.

Ales have been brewed for much longer than lagers, with some ancient recipes of ale as medicine having been discovered to date back as far as Sumerian times. Ales most commonly utilize a yeast called Saccharomyces cervisiae, which has been cultivated for thousands of years and which favor warm temperatures, usually between 58 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit. These yeast strains must be brewed at a warmer temperature because, if the water is too cold, the yeast become dormant and do not naturally ferment to turn the water into beer. Most wine production also uses S. cervisiae or a similar strain of yeast.

S. cervisiae is also a top-fermenting (or top-cropping) yeast, meaning that as the brewing occurs, the yeast floats to the top of the brew tank and settles over the beer. This allows for a thick, frothy foam to form over the ale. Ales brewed in this method tend to allow for the fruit and bitter aromas in the hops to be overt in the finished product. Because of this, some ales will have a much cloudier appearance than lagers. Unless very stringent filtering techniques are utilized, most ales will have noticeable remnants or sediment from the yeast even when bottled.

On the other hand, lagers are cited in references and recipes only dating back as far as the mid-1500s in Germany and other parts of Europe. Lager uses a hybrid strain of yeast called Saccharomyces pastorianus, named after famous researcher Louis Pasteur, or Saccharomyces carlsbergensis, named by Emil Hansen, a researcher who worked for Danish beer giant Carlsberg Brewery in the 1800s.

Even though lager yeast is known by two names, it was later found that they are the same exact strain of yeast. Hansen discovered that his strain of yeast could be cultivated in-house and was easier to brew, needing less attention from the brewmaster’s watchful eyes. The owners of Carlsberg shared their secret of cultivating the lager yeast to all the big beer producers of the world, and mass-produced beer has been dominated by lager ever since.

S. pastorianus, while sharing some genome traits with S. cervisiae, grew to become a larger and more resilient yeast strain. The lager yeast also stays active when brewed in colder temperatures. Because of its size and its amenability to cold water, the yeast allows for what is known as bottom-fermentation (or bottom-cropping); the yeast gradually sinks to the bottom of the brew tank, leaving a clearer, cleaner beer.

Another decidedly different factor between ales and lagers is that lagers take much longer to brew. Most lagers need one or more months to ferment, whereas ales can typically be successfully brewed in as little as seven days. The name lager, in fact, is based on the German word lagern, which means “to store.”

It’s no coincidence that cold-brewed lagers are also often served ice cold. (After all, according to the commercials, a Coors Light isn’t fit to drink unless it’s cold enough that the mountains on the can turn icy blue.) Ales, on the other hand, especially those brewed under traditional circumstances like those in England and Belgium, are often served at cellar temperature, or around 55 F.

Let’s revisit the young woman at the bar with her date. Is it a shock that she chose Bud Light, a lager, when given the many choices at the bar? Could the popularity and familiarity of the Budweiser line of mass-marketed beers have played a part?

Nearly every popular American beer brand is headlined by a lager beer. In order for these beers to be produced at a high volume and at a low cost, most are what are known as American adjunct lagers. The word “adjunct” refers to the fact that many of the well-known lager beers (Coors, Budweiser, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Corona Extra, Miller High Life, and Foster’s) are brewed with an added grain, usually rice or corn, to round out the brew. The result is a beer that is usually very easy to drink: crisp, light in taste, low in bitterness, and with a pale yellow color and a middle-of-the-road alcohol level.

Many of the former flagship beers of the biggest macrobreweries have been supplanted by their “lite” versions. Light beers like Coors Light, Miller Lite, and our young lady’s choice, Bud Light, are also lagers. They are usually “lightened” by adding high volumes of rice or corn in the adjuncting process, thereby lessening the contributions, both in flavor and in calories, of the other ingredients. Light beers typically sacrifice those flavors for a lager that is much less filling.

The other popular form of lager in the United States is the pale lager, or pilsner. You’ve probably had world-wide marketed European pale lagers in the form of Heineken, Amstel, Stella Artois, and Harp.

Ales, on the other hand, are often the main attractions for micro and craft breweries. Ales tend to have much more robust, full-mouth flavors that linger. They utilize heavy amounts of hops and/or malts to achieve varying expressions of aromas and flavors. As a result, there are many styles of ale.

There is the American pale ale, like the one offered by Sierra Nevada. Pale ales and witbier are light and fruity, while the famous India pale ale, adored by hopheads across the land, packs on the hops to create intense floral and citrus aromas. Stouts and porters are ales that utilize heavily toasted grain to create a near-black ale with roasted malts and coffee overtones. Tripel ales up the yeast amounts, and quadrupel ales take it a step further by multiplying the grain ingredients four-fold to create dark, frothy ales high in sugar and malts, with equally high levels of alcohol.

But the types of ales don’t end there, with most styles being categorized by their place of origin. For example, there are English brown ales and Belgian brown ales, each having their own distinctive tastes and brewing styles. I could go on, as the number of ales is almost overwhelming … so go out and try some for yourself!

I recently took my own advice and pitted some pale ales against some pale lagers and pilsners. Here are my thoughts:

Left Hand Brewing Company’s 400 Pound Monkey I.P.A., an India pale ale from Longmont, Colorado — Big, frothy head on this hoppy pale ale, notes of clove, coriander … just a lot of spice going on here, maybe too much. I give it a B-minus.
Bell’s Brewing Company’s Lager of the Lake, a pale lager from Kalamazoo, Michigan — This pale lager is not all that impressive; it’s typical for the style, tastes like Miller High Life, only with a little more bitter aftertaste. C+
Erie Brewing Company’s Mad Anthony’s A.P.A., an American pale ale from Erie, Pennsylvania — Easy-drinking … smooth, with a very tolerable amount of bitterness. Would make a good “everyday” beer. B+
“Beer Camp” Electric Ray, an India pale lager that is a collaboration from Sierra Nevada Brewing Company and Ballast Point Brewing — A cool creaminess factor on this lager that is more ale-like, but with a crisp finish and a mild level of bitterness that slides from the taste buds, not destroying them; definitely unique. A
D.G. Yuengling and Son’s Premium Beer, a pilsner from Pottsville, Pennsylvania — Note that this is not the famous Traditional Lager, but the “house beer” at Yuengling. A pilsner with a subtle level of hops that creates a crisp, cutting finish, with a refreshing carbonation. B

Nothing against the good people who produce Bud Light, but please don’t follow the same path as our young lady friend by choosing a beer based on its familiar name. Try some variety! Order a distinctive type of lager and an equally original ale, then rate them against one another until you find a favorite. That way, should you ever get asked the lager-or-ale question, you’ll be ready with an educated response.

America’s hopsession: Pushing IBU to the limit

Beer lovers: Send up the emergency flares! Light the beacons! Sound the alarms! Did you know we are in the midst of a hops shortage?!

Hops are one of the central ingredients in all beers, essential in giving beer its bitter, floral, and sometimes citrus flavors and aromas. They’ve been a part of the recipe for centuries, but their value has changed over the past 40 years. Ever since 1975, when San Francisco-based craft-brewing pioneer Anchor Brewing Company released its hop-heavy Liberty Ale, craft brewers across the country have competed in making their own version of a hop-heavy, super-aromatic brew.

Moneywatch, a worldwide, economics-focused branch of CBS News, reported in May on the rising price of hops. It seems the “big boys” of the beer industry like Anheuser-Busch tend to hog up the hops sales, and that could translate into a hops war. This is a scary proposition for craft-brew fans, as those beers tend to use more hops and are already pricier than their mass-marketed counterparts.

What is it about hops that has brewers buying up as much of the little flower as possible — and at increasingly high costs to boot?

Tom Acitelli, the author of The Audacity of Hops: The History of America’s Craft Beer Revolution, recently blogged about Anchor’s role in developing an American alternative to European hops. Every hop-heavy beer in America owes something to Anchor’s discovery of the Cascade hop, an American-grown and cultivated hop that packs on the bitterness. In the decades since, many brewers have followed Anchor’s lead, moving the market away from hops grown in just Bavaria and Flanders, and opening up an ever-more-diverse crop of hops. These hops lend a complexity of flavor that can make a beer unique and stand out from a crowd.

Acitelli asserts that America’s obsession with mega-hopped beers has caused it to become a gimmick. As all sales tricks tend to go, once moderately-hopped beers became popular, breweries started to take the trend over the top. Hence, the creation of hop-heavy beers with crazy names like Terrapin Beer Co.’s Hopsecutioner I.P.A., Victory’s Hop Devil, and Ithaca Brewing Co.’s Flower Power I.P.A. There is also a hop-crazy beer called The Audacity of Hops, but it is not directly related to Acitelli’s book.

The bitterness of a beer, imparted by its hops, is measured by International Bitterness Units (IBU). Beers with high IBU will have an extremely noticeable floral aroma and will leave the tongue with a dry, bitter finish. India pale ales are the most readily identified as hop-heavy, but barley wines and stouts are other styles that feature high IBU. Beers with less than 20 IBU will hardly have any noticeable hops flavor: think of your light, wheat beers, like Blue Moon, which only has about 10 IBU. Most beers on the market land somewhere between 20 and 45 IBU; Heineken and Stella Artois, for example, hover in the 25 IBU range.

Anything over 45 IBU is considered hop-heavy. This is a bit shocking when you think that some beers, like Stone’s Ruination I.P.A., are reaching 100 and beyond on the IBU scale. “Ruination” seems an appropriate name for a beer that will more than likely ruin your taste buds for anything that follows it; it’s best to save that one for last call. But Stone does not stand at the pinnacle of mainstream hop peddlers. What may be the Holy Grail for hop lovers, Dogfish Head’s 120 Minute I.P.A., weighs in at a staggering 120 IBU — that is an insane amount of bitterness. Be ready for some mouth puckering after that one, plus it has a 15 to 20 percent ABV, so watch out.

Beers that rank high in IBU are also likely to have the hop flavor sit on the tongue, creating an aftertaste that lingers. Some beer drinkers who don’t know what to expect when indulging in a beer like 120 Minute I.P.A. may want to be cautious on that first sip or else they’re likely to contort their faces into a grotesque grimace, like in those old Keystone Light bitter-beer-face commercials.

So far, all this talk makes the proposition of having a hopped-up beer sound awful, which isn’t always the case. So what is it that attracts brewers to push bitterness to new limits?

Part of it, as CBS Moneywatch stated, is simply cashing in on a trend. Pushing the limits happens in every fad until the market is absolutely oversaturated. And the trend isn’t just confined to the United States either. Rob Willock of the United Kingdom’s Morning Advertiser feels this craze will follow the course of past fads: once the price of hops gets too out of hand, a new movement will arise in the brewing world that focuses heavily on some other ingredient or method of brewing. I mean, remember when Zima and Smirnoff Ice malt beverages were the in-thing 15 to 20 years ago? Zima closed up shop in 2008, and Smirnoffs aren’t exactly flying off the shelf anymore.

There may already be signs of the shift away from hops, as a number of domestic and international brewers are starting to revitalize the old Belgian style of beer known as saison or farmhouse ale. Check out Boulevard Brewing Company’s Saison-Brett or Ommegang’s Hennepin Ale; both are delicious and worthy new-world saisons that pay homage to the Belgian classic Saison DuPont. And breweries worried about the increasing cost of hops can breathe a sigh of relief if they chose to brew a saison, as most fall in the 20 to 35 IBU range.

Another upside to highly-hopped beers is that they drink a lot slower. For most of us, this translates to less beer being drunk in one sitting. Most beers with high IBU are full of flavor to savor and carry a weight that make them hard to chug. Compare that to Keystone Light, which clocks in at a measly 15 IBU with next to no aftertaste: before you know it, you’ve had six or seven of them in a short span of time and you’ll be needing to hail a cab to get home.

Plus, not all hop-heavy beers leave you with an extreme bitterness. Some brewers have very skillfully blended hops, malts, ryes, and wheat to perfect a unique flavor that doesn’t rely on pucker-face or cotton-mouth. While many of the super-hoppy beers on the craft-brewing market will likely only appeal to hop heads, some are easily enjoyed by all types of beer connoisseurs.

I sometimes enjoy the thrill of seeing how much my taste buds can handle, but I will more than likely settle for a beer that is well balanced. Here are some that I personally recommend:

Troubadour Magma Belgian Tripel I.P.A. (50 IBU) — One of my all-time favorites, this wine-like, well-balanced beer employs the dry-hopping method to create a fruit-forward and flowery beer that doesn’t destroy your taste buds.
Dogfish Head 90 Minute I.P.A. (90 IBU) — This beer will have a little more hop punch to it, but it has a creaminess that makes it smooth and balances out the hops so the bitterness doesn’t sit on your tongue in the aftertaste. This beer pairs well with with food and is, according to Esquire Magazine, “quite possibly the best I.P.A. in America.” Ratebeer.com users have even given it a 100 percent rating.
La Chouffe Houblon Dobbelen I.P.A. Tripel (59 IBU) — This beer is not super-hopped and shows a great deal of craftsmanship in balancing the hop flavor of an American I.P.A. with that of a standard Belgian strong ale. Smooth, yet with hints of its power and fruit flavors peeking through, this is a great beer to get you started on the road to higher IBU — if you dare.
Breckenridge 471 Small Batch I.P.A. (70 IBU) — Hailing from Denver, this double I.P.A. is a great example of how a high level of hops can be manipulated from overly bitter to being subtly sweet. Breckenridge uses a blend of three different hops and four sweet malts to balance this beer — definitely worth checking out.

So, if you are a hop head, it’s best to indulge in these potent beers while they last. If the hops war is to begin, you don’t want to wait until the price elevates to experience these treats.

What We’re Pouring: Selections from Bell’s Brewery

I’ve been on a Bell’s Brewery kick this summer. Ever since I first had the Oberon Ale. an American pale wheat ale, back in April, I knew I’d be looking into all this brewery had to offer.

Bell’s Brewery is based out of Kalamazoo, Michigan, and is one of the earlier craft breweries in the United States to make it big and have its product made available from coast to coast. Like most larger breweries, Bell’s has staple brews that are available year-round, but also offers a different beer for each season alongside a slew of specialties, some available only on draft.

I picked up a variety case of Bell’s core brands at Red Land Beer & Soda Outlet and sampled a few other offerings over the past few weeks. Click through below for my impressions:

Lobster feast made better with Iberian wines

Lobster: that quintessential luxury seafood dish that takes center stage however it’s served, whether it be alongside a choice cut of steak, mayo’ed up and served in a roll, or just by itself, cracked open and ready to dip and dab to buttery perfection. Lobster can have its rightful status as the great meal it is. How could it be any better?

Well, by pairing it with a crisp, mineral-heavy wine, of course. I indulged in a trio of lobster dishes and paired some great wines from Spain and Portugal, two countries that have rapidly become favorite go-tos for great wine.

It has become a summer tradition of mine to treat my family (a la Parks and Recreation’s Tom Haverford’s “Treat yo’ self!” mantra) to a slew of yummy lobster dishes. The best thing to do is buy a bunch of lobsters all at once, checking the local grocery stores and markets for when the deals hit, and plan out a number of dishes to have throughout the week with that all-delicious crustacean.

I started by purchasing seven Maine lobsters, all between 1.25 and 1.75 pounds, live from a local grocer. If you’ve never purchased live lobster before, be sure that you plan to cook and eat them that same day. With lobster, freshness is of absolute importance. However, following some simple tips, you can keep a lobster alive and healthy for up to 48 hours, should you need to. I recommend putting the lobster in a large cooler, wrapped in damp newspaper (or better yet, cardboard, as it’s more durable). Put a little bit of ice in the cooler. Keeping the lobsters cold will make them docile and easy to handle, slowing them down.

Get a large pot, like a turkey fryer, and boil the necessary amount of water, which is obviously dependent on the amount of lobsters you plan to boil. I don’t follow any particular recipe for this part. Chop up a couple of lemons, quarter 3 to 4 onions, chunk-chop some celery stalk, and toss it in the water. Season to your heart’s delight with Old Bay.

Once that water is at a good boil, submerge your lobsters alive … yes, alive. If you have something against cruelty to animals, get someone else to do this part and just close your eyes and bite your lip. You don’t want to kill the lobsters beforehand, but should one accidentally die, be sure to cook it as soon as possible. Lobsters that die prior to cooking have a reputation for being slimy and gross.

Boil for about 12 minutes; the more lobsters in the pot, the longer it may take.

Meal #1: Boiled whole lobster

This was a simple one. Pull the lobster out of the pot, cool it down at least enough to handle (the critters will keep cooking in the shell, I’ve found) by running some cool water over the lobster. Put it on a plate, crack, and begin the feast.

To accompany this meal, I chilled a bottle of 2012 Ulacia Txakolina and opened just prior to serving. The wine, by itself, seems like it would be a great aperitif, but it also was a perfect pairing with the lobster. It has a low alcohol level of 11 percent, so it is not overbearing relative to the flavor of the lobster, which I obviously wanted to savor.

The wine is made from a blend of Hondarrabi Zuri and Hondarribi Beltza, from the Getariako Txakolina region of northern Spain in Basque County. If you’ve never heard of those grapes before, no worries. They produce wines that are very similar to the wines of Vinho Verde, a more well-known wine region in northern Portugal that is across the border from Galicia (and which we discussed last week).

This particular wine had a great herbal and floral aroma with high carbonation, near sparkling, so it danced nicely on the tongue. There was a bit of acidity up front, but what I liked most was the minerality that matched nicely with the natural saltiness of the seafood. The wine had a dry and subtle finish that was truly refreshing. I give it a B+. You can find this wine at a great price ($15 is what I paid), and it’s meant to drink young, so buy up and have often!

Three lobsters down, four left. What to do? That night, I cleaned out the other lobsters, pulling all the usable meat and storing it in air-tight dishes and refrigerating.

Meal #2: The now-infamous Paula Deen’s lobster rolls

If you’ve never had a true lobster roll, march yourself to New England and indulge in one the best treats you can give yourself. While Paula Deen is loudly and proudly Southern, I found her recipe to be very reminiscent of the lobster rolls I’ve had in Maine and Massachusetts. Here’s her recipe. If the lobster meat has already been shelled, this is an easy-as-pie meal.

For this, I decided to stick with a wine that was similar to what I had the night before, but i jumped the border to Portugal and went with a $14 bottle of 2012 Niepoort Dócil from Vinho Verde. It’s made of 100% Loureira grape, with a perfume-heavy floral scent that is very attractive and pale yellow in tone, even somewhat opaque. The wine had noticeably more citrus up front than the previous night’s wine, but it gave way to the same granite-like minerality and a crisp finish.

Also at 11 percent alcohol, it was an easy-drinking wine that made for a pleasant chilled, lunchtime beverage. I could taste more of the steel in this one (it being steel-fermented) in the aftertaste, which was not something I personally favored. I didn’t get this from some other wines that were also steel-fermented, so it was a curious afterthought. A solid B rating.

Meal #3: The even more infamous (maybe) Martha Stewart’s Lobster Newburg

This is a great dinner meal to accompany other seafood sides, like spiced shrimp skewers or a filet of your favorite fish, along with some Old Bay cheddar biscuits. Here’s the easy to follow recipe. I followed it pretty much to a tee, but I made sure to stick with the Iberian wine theme and used a nice, medium-dry Spanish Amontillado sherry in the recipe. I had a bottle of non-vintage Valdespino Tio Diego Amontillado on my wine rack that has a nutty and creamy persistence to it, so I used that; this sherry was also good for sipping on after dinner.

During the meal, we drank a slightly chilled bottle of 2009 Peza do Rei Blanco, produced by the Adega Cachin winery, with grapes grown in Ribeira Sacra, Galicia, Spain. The wine makes use of a number of varietals in a blend of 70 percent Godello, 20 percent Treixadura, and 10 percent Albariño. I feel like this wine, less yellow and almost clear in color, was the most complex and added the most as a lobster accompaniment.

The Peza do Rei had a high dose of minerality and gave off an almost charcoal-like flavor that made me think it would match well with grilled seafood (something to remember the next time I grill some flounder or swordfish!). The acidity is not as potent in this wine, but it’s there in the form of tropical fruit hints. Like the others, it ended with a refreshing crispness that cleansed the palate. A great wine, A- rating, and at only $19, a best buy. This vintage might be at its peak, but the wine producer has already released 2010s and 2011s, so there is that to look forward to.

All in all, my two-day lobster feast was made all the better by trying some great wine offerings from northern Spain and Portugal. The Iberian peninsula’s white wines and seafood seem to pair extremely well.

Red, white, and … green wine? The Vinho Verde experience

“Vinho Verde” — could that really mean “green wine”? Literally, yes, it translates from Portuguese as green wine, but “green” here is meant to convey youth, not color. These wines are normally meant to be enjoyed in the first few years after they are bottled. It is an enjoyable wine, particularly in the summer, and is widely available for less than 10 bucks.

Is this too good to be true? I’m here to tell you, it is not. This is a wine that has exploded in popularity recently, with Portugal exporting triple the volume to the United States in 2012 versus 2002.

The grapes for Vinho Verde are grown in the northwest corner of Portugal. This northern area is mostly within Minho province, home to another green specialty, caldo verde, a soup of potatoes and collard greens. Most grape growers in the area are small or family operations that grow other produce in addition to grapes. Consequently, grapevines are grown much higher up, on high trellises or even up telephone poles or the trunks of trees, so that vegetables can be grown near the ground. Minho province gets a considerable amount of rainfall each year, and growing vines higher off the ground helps avoid rot and other fungal diseases on the grapes.

The wine name is not synonymous with the grape varietal used. In fact, many different grapes are allowed in making a wine labeled Vinho Verde, including Albariño, Arinto, Avesso, Azal Branco, Loureiro, and Trajadura for white Vinho Verde. (The wine can be red or rosé as well.) Aside from Albariño, which is sometimes labeled Vinho Alvarinho to denote the specific varietal, these grapes are likely unknown to most people outside northern Portugal.

And what about the wine itself? The whites, in particular, are perfectly suited for summer sipping. They are light, refreshing, and effervescent. They do not qualify as sparkling or even semi-sparkling, but the carbonation is definitely noticeable. The wines are normally acidic to heavily acidic; if you prefer oak barrel aged, buttery chardonnay, this might not be your wine. But if you enjoy riesling or sauvignon blanc, this is definitely something you might want to try.

On the nose, these wines are often very aromatic, with fresh pear, peach, apple, and lemon tastes. The acidic flavors make it a perfect pairing with seafood; the more acidic, less fruity offerings are tremendous with shellfish. The whole essence of the wine — light, refreshing, acidic, quasi-sparkling, with lighter fruit flavors and low alcohol (between 8.5 and 11 percent) — screams for a long, relaxed meal of seafood dishes while sitting outside on a perfect day.

Gazela Vinho Verde, my very first experience with this wine style, is a great one. It is zesty, acidic, and fresh, with a thirst-quenching pear, lime, and grapefruit combination on the palate. Take a few more sips and you’ll find hidden gems beneath the surface: fresh ginger, apricot, and tangerine. The wine has an ocean-air quality to it, like you can almost-but-not-quite taste the salt. It’s a steal at $8.

Hera Vinho Verde Branco was fantastic as well — and another bargain at $10. It is all citrus and melon on the very fragrant nose, followed honeydew, citrus, pear, and floral notes on the palate. The acidity here is racy but is mellowed by some slight residual sugar; combined with the effervescence, the wine is very well-balanced.

Finally, I wanted to mention Quinta da Aveleda Vinho Verde, which may appeal to some who are less inclined to drink acidic wine. A few years ago, Joshua Greene, Publisher and Editor of Wine & Spirits Magazine, called this the best wine value in the world. The wine is not as light as the Hera or Gazela — it has a little more weight to it, but still is certainly not heavy — and does not possess the sparkling quality of the other two. The flavors are citrus-focused, with an intriguing rose petal component — still acidic, but not necessarily racy or zesty (though this will undoubtedly depend on the vintage), and another steal at $9.

Portuguese wine as a whole is underrated. The big, powerful reds are often overlooked in favor of more prestigious Châteaux in France or more trendy wineries on the West Coast of the United States. Even port wines are not popular, though they do have a special following. Vinho Verde is a great way to start exploring Portuguese whites.

Swirl, sniff, sip.

What We’re Pouring: July 8, 2014

Bill and Jared offer these mini-reviews of the drinks that have sustained them for the past several weeks.

2012 Sheldrake Point Gamay Noir
Finger Lakes, New York, United States

The wine is very upfront on cherry and berry fruit aromas, like fruit punch, as soon as the bottle is uncorked. It is a pleasant aroma that will tempt wine drinkers who are especially fond of fruity wines. In the glass, it pours a ruby red color. At this point, I should have let the wine sit a little, but I was thirsty and eager to try. The wine was extremely heavy in cherry syrup flavors that immediately made me think Robitussin or Vicks. I wasn’t overly enthralled by what happened next, either, for as strong as the flavor hit, it left almost as quickly, without much residual flavor on the tongue. The wineries website asserts a creamy finish to the wine, but I did not experience this. The wine seemed thin and just simply vanished. Admittedly, the second glass seemed better, after some exposure to air, but was still underwhelming. Good if you like strong cherry flavors in your wine; otherwise, try Sheldrake Point’s pinot noir: it’s much more satisfying. Rating: C+
— Jared Washburn

N.V. Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut Extra Dry Cava
Penedes, Catalonia, Spain

This sparkling wine has a great deal to offer — and at a decent price (only about $13). There is a tempting sweetness on the nose that translates to a sweet melon flavor, but being an extra dry wine, the sweetness factor is quickly evaporated and replaced with the typical tang and zip of a Cava. It is refreshing, somewhat acidic, and has a surprisingly long finish that yields earthy notes of toasted cracker. Drink chilled and enjoy with appetizers or snacks. Rating: B
— Jared Washburn

N.V. Zardetto Prosecco DOC Treviso Extra Dry
Treviso, Veneto, Italy

This sparkling wine worked very nicely as an aperitif. At first, mellow fruit aroma on the nose, but then dominated by a more floral/perfume aroma, the pale, yellow wine gave way to spiced apple and pear on first taste. A dry wine that had a nice level of carbonation and really danced on the tongue, but then sat nicely on the palate for a lingering aftertaste. Refreshing, in spite of the dryness, and left an aftertaste that was smooth and somewhat creamy. Great balance of acidity. I plan to try this again with some oysters on the half shell, as I think it would pair nicely. This is definitely worth checking out at about $18. Rating: A
— Jared Washburn

2013 Damiani Dry Rosé
Finger Lakes, New York, United States

A beautiful salmon-pink color in the glass, this 100 percent pinot noir rosâ€š is not shy. The nose is very fragrant, with strawberry, cranberry, lemon, and slight savory/earthy aromas. On the palate, it’s primarily a mix of strawberry jam and sour cherries, but with nice acidity and a minerality that balances the fruit flavors. The wine has a bit more weight than an everyday rosé — more medium-bodied. Long finish makes you want more. $16. Rating: B++
— Bill George

N.V. Lamoreaux Landing Estate Red
Finger Lakes, New York, United States

A nice, dark garnet color, but still somewhat transparent. Medium-bodied, with aromas of brown sugar, raspberry, and spice. Plenty of red fruit flavors on the palate — cherry, raspberry, plum, even cranberry — make this a great everyday wine, with or without food, though I find that it pairs well with pizza or barbecue. $12. Rating: B
— Bill George

2012 Lamoreaux Landing Dry Riesling
Finger Lakes, New York, United States

As I wrote in a recent column, I was really impressed with the wine at Lamoreaux Landing, and the classic dry riesling is a great example. Showing plenty of Finger Lakes minerality, it also exudes zippy citrus on the palate, particularly lemon and lime, with a nice splash of tropical passion fruit on the finish. Very well balanced. $14. Rating: A
— Bill George

2013 Hector Wine Company Sauvignon Blanc
Finger Lakes, New York, United States

Very fresh on the nose, with aromas of an herb garden mixed with citrus. On the palate, it is quite lively, with flavors of grapefruit, melon, a bit of fresh-cut grass, and a spritz of lemon juice. I paired this with pesto pasta and chicken; the herbal/grassy notes went really well with the garlic and basil, and the acidity of the wine cut right through the oily sauce. $18. Rating: A-
— Bill George

Slip into relaxation with these campfire brews

After a long day of hiking, fishing, and canoeing subsides, after the search for adequate dry kindling ends, and after the initial fuss and smoke and spark of flickering baby flames erupts, the soothing magic of a summer campfire asserts itself and lures the camper into a trance. The pulsating glow of coals and dancing blue-gold flames licking the strategically placed logs is a kind of hypnosis unlike any other. All troublesome thoughts and worries fade and the quiet stillness of the woods at dusk is only broken by the subtle crackling pops and wheezes of the fire.

A man can be lost for minutes, simply staring into the hot coals of a well-built campfire. The only thing to break the trance is the reminder of the cold beverage in hand. A shake of the head to bring the camper back and the bottle of delicious beer becomes the new reality. There are not too many earthly experiences that can match the satisfaction of a mouthwatering, yeasty, malty brew enjoyed by the fireside with friends and/or loved ones.

Camping this weekend and sitting by a fire of my own design afforded me some time to taste some worthy beers that only added new levels of enjoyment to the campfire experience. I had with me a couple Belgians (the mass-marketed and produced Palm Special and a small-production level saison from a family brewery) and a trio of beers from Otto’s Pub and Brewery, a craft brewery in State College, Pennsylvania.

Once the fire was good and glowing hot, with adequate flame-age to meet my high standards — that’s when I popped the first cap. I started with a Palm Speciale, a beer that has become one of my absolute favorite “everyday” type beers in recent years. I guess I chose this beer first because it was one I didn’t need to think about. Having had this beer many, many times, I figured I could still work on the early stages of my fire and enjoy this beer without much need for time to sit and reflect. It’s a smooth-drinking, palpable amber ale that blends English hops (from Kent) with French barley and Belgian yeast. It’s a harmonious blend that yields to a fruity, yeasty aroma and a balanced bitterness that makes it an enjoyable, easy-to-drink beer, with a sweet and mellow honey finish.

Once the fire was really going and I could finally stop nitpicking over the need for constant attentiveness, I decided to pop the cork (yes, a corked bottle!) of a saison I picked up before my camping trip at a favorite restaurant of mine, Cafe Bruges in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. This beer, called La Saison d’Epeautre (or “Spelt of the Season”) by Brasserie de Blaugies, is a traditional farmhouse ale brewed by a small, family-owned and operated brewery near the French border with Belgium.

This beer was surprisingly high in carbonation, much more than most saisons, but I think this added to its appeal. I found this to be a perfect warm-weather beer. The golden, straw-colored beer combines a wheaty spelt malt with barley to make it a kind of combination of a witbier and amber ale. Its super carbonation gave it a foamy head that took time to subside, but the taste was refreshing and really hit the spot on a warm evening by the campfire as the sun waned and quietly slipped beyond the horizon.

By now, the campfire scene was dark, and the large flames from early on had consumed much of the initial timber as the hot coals began to glow. I tossed on a few large, heavy timber logs and sat back to watch the flames grow again. I now turned to a trio of ales I had picked up in six-packs at Otto’s Pub and Brewery in State College. My sister and brother-in-law live in State College and recommended this place to me, and I took their advice on a few beers.

I started with one of Otto’s seasonal brews, Pallet Jack Pale Ale. Pallet Jack quickly became my favorite beer of the weekend. It is a Belgian-style pale ale that is reminiscent of some blonde abbey ales like Affligem’s blonde ale or the more commonly known Samuel Adams Summer Ale. According to Otto’s website, the brewery uses Belgian yeasts to ferment the beer and mixes in a blend of hops. The beer is noticeably lemon heavy, and that taste follows through all the way to the finish. The citrus fruit is refreshing and not overly acidic, though. The beer has a white, thin-but-frothy head and a deep golden hue — delicious and very drinkable. Thinking that I may have found my new favorite summer beer, I had to have a second one.

Moving on to the later hours now, the fire began to dwindle and I was quite at ease with myself and the state of the world as I drank the last two of my chosen campfire beers, both from Otto’s. I had two of their mainstay brews, the Slab Cabin I.P.A. and the Zeno’s Rye Ale. Slab Cabin offered up a typical, hop-centric, floral aromatic sensibility that is expected with an American I.P.A., but it had a reddish-brown hue, which I felt was atypical for this style of beer. I later found out from Otto’s website that this is due to the addition of Munich malts, giving it a German doppelbock appearance. The beer was more of a sipper than the previous few, but it offered me a chance to take it easy and really enjoy my now-low-burning fire.

Zeno’s Rye Ale, which came heavily recommended by my sister, poured a darker, but still translucent, brown with a frothy white head that was thick. The beer took on a spiced aroma, like cinnamon or vanilla, the rye ever-present. This was a great finishing beer, as it was quite complex compared to the more refreshing tastes of the previous beers. It featured long, lingering hops, smooth without overwhelming my palate.

By this point, my gaze lost in the lingering flickering flames that leaped from side to side of a thoroughly charred log, I was feeling satisfied, accomplished, and tired. A campfire, with the sounds of crickets all around and the stars above, made my personal tasting a worthy experience. So, if you are looking for some good, easy-drinking brews to share by the campfire this summer, you can’t go wrong with any of the beers I had. Enjoy your summer!

Quick tasting notes:

Palm Speciale — A Belgian amber ale, easy to drink, smooth, with a honey sweetness and balanced bitterness. Good everyday beer. 5.4 percent alcohol by volume, 18 International Bitterness Units. Available in bottles or draft. Grade: B

Blaugies La Saison d’Epeautre — A wheat-heavy Belgian traditional saison beer with a heavy carbonation and refreshing taste. 6 percent ABV. Only sold in corked 750-milliliter bottles. A

Pallet Jack Pale Ale — My favorite beer to have enjoyed by the fire. A yeasty, citrus-heavy pale ale with a thin, foamy head. 6.1 percent ABV. Available on draft at the pub, or to take home in six-packs or by the case. A

Slab Cabin I.P.A. — Typical tasting American I.P.A. but with a brown tone due to added Munich malts. Hop heavy. 6.3 percent ABV. Available on draft, in 12-ounce or 22-ounce bottles, and in a keg from the brewery. B-

Zeno’s Rye Ale — Spicy and complex ale, but with a smooth finish and flavor. Vanilla notes and cinnamon present. 6.5 percent ABV. Occasionally available on draft and 12-ounce bottles in six-packs. B

Finger Lakes wineries make for great weekend trip, part 2

In my last edition of this column, I wrote about the first half of my trip to New York state’s Finger Lakes, including wineries on Keuka Lake and Seneca Lake. This is the story of the second half of the trip, including the rest of the wineries my wife and I visited on Seneca Lake. Unfortunately, we did not make it to Cayuga Lake — this time.

The last winery we visited on the west side of Seneca Lake was Red Tail Ridge. The winery has one of best driveways in the Finger Lakes, snaking through the beautiful vineyard, uphill to the production facility, with the tasting room just beyond. Known for its dry wines, Red Tail Ridge is also one of the most environmentally conscious wineries I’ve visited. In 2011, the winery received the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certification as a result of green features like geothermal cooling and heating and using recycled building materials.

The wines are fantastic as well. Oaked and unoaked chardonnays show very different expressions of the same grape. A nice dry riesling and a zippy, refreshing dry rosé were both great, but the 2013 riesling was the standout white. With 1.3 percent residual sugar, its not bone dry, but it achieves wonderful balance between acidity and a very slight hint of sweetness. I loved the crushed rocks and lime aromas on the nose and the zesty citrus on the palate.

As for the reds, Red Tail Ridge is known for producing wines using some rare varietals in addition to making a delicious pinot noir. These unique wines include: Teroldego, a red grape from northeastern Italy, which has produced a wine with black cherry flavors mixed with interesting herbal and earthy notes; Dornfelder, a thick-skinned German grape with raspberry and smoky flavors; and the Austrian grape Blaufrankisch also called Lemberger, which has a mixed berry palate combined with earth, smoke, and spice. All are delicious and worth trying.

On Sunday, we began our tastings on the eastern shore of Seneca Lake. This area is sometimes referred to as the “Banana Belt” for its longer growing season. Vineyards are closer to the lake here than in most areas, and the water is very deep, allowing the microclimate to stay warm for a bit longer than the rest of the Finger Lakes.

Our first stop was at Silver Springs. The winemaker was in the tasting room, which allowed us to hear more about his process and style. Silver Springs utilizes some grapes from the Finger Lakes and others from Long Island, which provided an interesting comparison. Grapes for some wines are dried on straw mats, an old italian wine making method. The pinot grigio was a delicious summery white, with crisp acidity but also a full-bodied mouth feel, plus delicious peach and pineapple flavors.

Damiani Wine Cellars, our next stop, had an impressive tasting room with a beautiful view of the lake, friendly staff, and plenty of wine variety. One standout was their Prosecco-style sparkling wine; with nice citrus and floral flavors, it would be a perfect easy sipper for the end of a hot day. We also really enjoyed the Vino Rosso, an everyday table wine with bright red fruit flavors that would pair perfectly with pizza. This winery isn’t just for table wines, however. Damiani is making some very interesting fine wines as well. The 2010 cabernet sauvignon, Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, and merlot were all very well made. The Cab Reserve really caught my attention with its powerfully concentrated black fruit flavors along with hints of fig and cedar.

Damiani also produces some very interesting single-vineyard wines, which is becoming one of the best parts of wine in the Finger Lakes. There are many micro-climates and soil varieties in certain pockets of the Finger Lakes, and these offerings are making a serious splash for those searching for terroir — a sense of place — in wine. Damiani’s bottles from the Sunrise Hill Vineyard, Damiani Vineyard, and Davis Vineyard all warrant attention, especially the Sunrise Hill Lemberger.

Atwater Estate Vineyards has some really outstanding dry wines; we thoroughly enjoyed everything we sampled. Atwater and Billsboro, which I wrote about in part one of this review, share the same winemaker. Two sparkling wines at Atwater, Riesling Bubble and “Pinot Noir Bubble (a rosé) were easy purchases. Both are fruit-forward, food-friendly, very refreshing, and priced right — perfect for sipping on the deck or by the pool during warm summer weather. The dry riesling was delicious, with its lime and mineral flavor profile. We really enjoyed the peach and citrus flavor combination in the pinot gris and were pleasantly surprised by the Riewürz — a unique blend of riesling and Gewürztraminer. Two red blends, Stone Bridge Red and The Big Blend, were also quite good.

Red Newt Cellars is one of the best riesling producers in the country, with no fewer than six to try: the light, refreshing, and slightly sweet “Circle” riesling, with orange and apricot notes; the mineral-driven dry riesling with crisp acidity; the semi-dry riesling boasting juicy peach and pear; and three single-vineyard rieslings — Bullhorn Creek, Tango Oaks, and Lahoma, each expressing different styles and unique terroir. Red Newt also produces single-vineyard bottlings of merlot and Gewürztraminer, which are fascinating to try.

The Bistro at Red Newt is easily one of the finest restaurants in the Finger Lakes. Like the terroir expressed in Red Newt’s single-vineyard wines, the Bistro aims to express the taste of the Finger Lakes: the food is sourced from over 30 farmers and producers in the region. If you have the chance, try the wine pairing dinners.

At Hector Wine Company, we were fortunate enough to taste with one of the winemakers. Hector is a relatively new winery, having only opened in 2010, but is already making a splash with excellent wines and a great tasting room. We tasted a pinot blanc, somewhat rare in the Finger Lakes, and enjoyed the delicate citrus and tropical flavors mixed with a tinge of minerality and pepper on the finish. The sauvignon blanc was also a standout, light and refreshing with lively lemon and apple characteristics, and hints of herbs and fresh cut grass. Conversely, the pinot gris had a slightly more cloying mouth feel, likely from the oak-barrel aging, with a nice cantaloupe/melon component, along with tropical fruit flavors.

Leidenfrost Vineyards has been growing grapes on the family farm since 1947, and the experience and knowledge the winemakers amassed over the decades is evident in the wine. The reds were particularly good here, especially the pinot noir: really nice hints of floral and red berries on the nose, with ripe black cherries dominating the palate and a long finish. The Cabernet Franc Reserve also stood out, with an interesting nutty, coffee component on the palate. Leidenfrost’s heritage blend, Rhapsody, was full-bodied and loaded with fresh, ripe black fruit flavors as well as smoky pepper on the finish.

Pulling into the parking lot at Lamoreaux Landing feels more like arriving at a winery in California, with the fantastic views and the beautiful, grandiose building in front of you. But once inside, it feels smaller and friendly, despite the high ceilings, with the cozy tasting bar and wine racks spread around. The wines were, frankly, outstanding. Like Red Newt, the tasting menu puts a distinct focus on riesling with multiple single-vineyard offerings. The dry riesling, Yellow Dog Vineyard Riesling, and Round Rock Riesling were each fantastic. While the Yellow Dog had flavors of tangerine and lemon with mouthwatering acidity, the Round Rock had a much more integrated and round feeling to it, with almost creamy apple flavors, less zest, and more elegance. All three were no-brainers at checkout.

As for reds, the Estate Red is a ridiculous bargain at $12, a perfect wine for pizza or casual drinking with both true winos and beginners. The pinot noir was elegant and smooth, with an intriguing mix of the expected cherry and slightly earthy herbal flavors, combined with an unexpected orange/tangerine character.

This was one of the best trips to the Finger Lakes I have made in awhile. Most wineries are pulling out all the stops with serious, delicious, thought-provoking, and complex wines. I feel like I bought more dry rosés and sauvignon blancs than usual, though the beginning of summer undoubtedly had something to do with that. Pinot noir and cabernet franc are fairing the best among reds, but there’s no question that riesling is king in the Finger Lakes.

If you live in the northeastern United States, do yourself a favor and make the trip. It is well worth the drive.

Swirl, sniff, sip.

What We’re Pouring: June 18, 2014

Looking to try out, and hopefully praise, some of the beers brewed in our native York County, Pennsylvania, we trekked down Interstate 83 and North George Street to downtown York to check out Mudhook Brewing Co.’s brewpub. Situated just one block west of North George Street and nestled in a quiet corner on the backside of the Central Market House (along Cherry Lane off of Philadelphia Street), this locally owned brewpub serves its own line of craft beers ranging in tastes and styles alongside typical pub appetizers, sandwiches, salads, and soups.

So far, the brewery is not bottling its beers, although you can purchase a growler to take home. We asked the server if there were plans in the future to bottle and sell; he said, “It’s been talked about,” but that no such plans are currently in the works. Neither of us had been here before, so we were interested in giving all their beers a taste.

We each ordered a flight sampling of the six craft beers they were offering on draft that night. We drank them from lightest to darkest.

Weekend trip to sample wine of Finger Lakes, part 1

When this column began back in January, I wrote about New York wine, focused on the Finger Lakes. This past weekend, I got a chance to visit the area, including tastings at nearly 20 wineries. It was a perfect weekend to visit, with pleasant weather and surprisingly few crowds. My wife and I took a winding journey around Keuka Lake and Seneca Lake, not having time to stop at every winery, and no time at all to visit Cayuga Lake. We found some tremendous wines. It seems like each winery has something unique about it: an interesting story about how the winery got started or how the owners ended up in New York, growing uncommon grapes or making wine using uncommon methods.

In case you’re unfamiliar with the area, the lakes are long and narrow, running north-south through the expanse of New York state ringed by Rochester, Syracuse, Binghamton, and Elmira. Seneca Lake, just barely the second-longest after Cayuga, is 38 miles end-to-end. There are no bridges over the lakes, so if you need to drive to the opposite shore, it’s a bit of a ride.

Interstate 90 provides access to the Finger Lakes from points north (such as Ontario and Quebec), east (New England and upstate New York), and west or southwest (Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and beyond). Visitors from southeast (New York City, Philadelphia) can travel Interstate 81 to Binghamton and branch out from there.

For everyone directly south of the Finger Lakes, which includes my wife and me near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, as well as travelers from Baltimore and Washington, D.C., take Interstate 83 to U.S. Route 15 through Corning, New York, home to the famed Corning Museum of Glass. From there, take Interstate 86 west, through Bath and Hammondsport (named America’s Coolest Small Town in 2012) to get to Keuka Lake. Otherwise, follow I-86 east to Horseheads, and then choose U.S. 14 to Watkins Glen to access Seneca Lake or U.S. 13 to Ithaca for Cayuga Lake.

Cayuga wineries are along New York Route 89 on the west shore and Route 90 on the east. Route 14 is along the west of Seneca Lake, with Route 414 on the east shore. Keuka Lake lies on Route 54.

The first half of our trip took us on a familiar path, visiting wineries on Keuka Lake and a few on the west side of Seneca Lake. We’ve taken this route a few times before, but manage to find new wineries and new wines each time we visit. The second half of our trip, which I will discuss next time, took us to the east side of Seneca Lake.

There are far fewer wineries on Keuka than on Seneca, and they are mostly clustered along the southern half of the lake. Our first stop was Bully Hill, a long-time Finger Lakes institution on the west side of Keuka. The winery sits high up on a hill with amazing views of the lake below. Bully Hill grew out of a dispute between Walter S. Taylor and the Taylor Wine Company, founded by Walter’s grandfather. Today, Bully Hill is known as the “anti-stuffy” winery on Keuka Lake.

Visitors to Bully Hill can taste of five pre-selected wines (some dry, some sugary sweet), normally with a big crowd of people and the rowdy, entertaining staff, or they can opt for a custom tasting of any wine for $1 each. Since we had done the group tasting multiple times before and almost always focus on dry wines, we opted for a custom tasting. The Estate Blend, cabernet franc, Meat Market Red, and Fish Market White were standouts, and the prices can’t be beat. Bully Hill makes many different wines, with something for every palate.

Down the hill from Bully is Keuka Lake Vineyards, a winery with a very different personality. The tasting room is small and intimate, and the winery operation is much smaller, with far fewer wines available. The winery offers several excellent single-vineyard rieslings, which gives the taster a chance to sample the different Finger Lakes terroirs. We tasted two cabernet franc vintages (2011 and 2012), as well as a Léon Millot, a French-American hybrid red grape.

Traveling back to Hammondsport and up the eastern side of the lake, our third stop was at Domaine Leseurre. Owners Céline & Sébastien Leseurre just opened the winery in the fall of 2013, and the wines are already some of my favorite from New York. The tasting room is also small and intimate, with lots of natural light and beautiful views. Because the winery is so new, only whites and a rosé are available — the reds are not yet ready for release (though a pinot noir and cabernet franc are coming soon, I’m told). Even so, it is well worth stopping to taste the magnificent whites.

Sébastien emphasizes Bâtonnage, an Old World winemaking technique that involves stirring up the lees by hand. This allows the wine to take on a smoother, rounder personality, with layers of well-integrated flavors. Multiple rieslings and chardonnays are offered, and the differences among each are fascinating. Oaked versus unoaked chardonnay, dry riesling versus semi-dry riesling versus a rare oaked riesling, a zippy but not-too-harsh Gewürztraminer, and a refreshing dry pinot noir rosé — all are stunning creations.

From one favorite winery to another: our next stop was Ravines, where my wife and I are wine club members. Visiting the tasting room is always a great experience because of the very knowledgeable staff. Like Bully Hill, Ravines also has an interesting back story, involving a winemaker from Denmark, the purchase of a sought-after vineyard and château in France, and corrupt officials squandering the deal. We are better for it, however, as Ravines owner and winemaker Morten Hallgren settled in the Finger Lakes instead.

The quality of the Ravines wine is easily one of the best in all of New York, and the dry riesling is among the best in the country, consistently scoring 90+ points in major wine ratings. The pinot noir is Hallgren’s real passion, which is a true expression of the grape, and the Meritage blend is also very, very well made (and suitable for cellaring).

Up the road from Ravines is McGregor Vineyards, which has attracted something of a cult following in the Finger Lakes. The winery produces a wide variety of wines, but the Eastern European varietals Sereksiya Charni, Saperavi Rkatsiteli, and Sereksiya Rose set the vineyard apart. McGregor owes its cult status to its popular but pricey Black Russian Red, a blend of Sereksiya Charni and Saperavi Rkatsiteli. A visit to the tasting room, decked out in Clan Gregor plaid and all things Scottish, provides a good experience for anyone, from the novice sweet wine drinker to the serious wino. The Highlands Red is a great value for an everyday table wine.

We stopped at The Olney Place for lunch, a fantastic deli with great beer selection and a catchy motto: “Get this deli in your belly!” The grilled sandwiches are delicious and the sticky buns are legendary (get there early for breakfast if you hope to snag a few).

Here, our journey took a turn to the east, and a short drive brought us from Keuka Lake to the western side of Seneca Lake, the largest lake and home to the most wineries. It’s hard to visit Seneca and not stop at Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard, which, along with Ravines, is perhaps the best-known winery of the Finger Lakes region. The winery’s namesake came to New York from a German winemaking family and was instrumental in turning the Finger Lakes into an area for fine wine varietals, particularly riesling.

The winery website lists eight different Rieslings currently available, from dry to sweet, and several single-vineyard offerings. Even more astounding, all of them have been scored over 90 points. Don’t get too focused on riesling, however; the other white wines, as well as the pinot noir and cabernet franc, are all extremely well-made. The tasting room is fairly small and intimate, and best of all, it is right among the stainless steel tanks of the winemaking operation.

Just north is Shaw Vineyard, another winery serious about serious wine. More than anything, what sets Shaw apart is the tremendous respect the winery has for the aging process. Wine is barrel- and bottle-aged longer at Shaw than maybe any other winery in the Finger Lakes. In fact, we were tasting reds this past weekend from the 2007 and 2008 vintages. (I have a Chardonnay from the 2005 vintage in my cellar, purchased not long ago.) This is almost unheard of in the region, mostly because of the costs involved.

Growing the grapes, crushing them, and fermenting the juice, is a labor- and time-intensive process. A long time goes by before a crop of grapes brings in any revenue, and Shaw grapes take even longer. But owner Steve Shaw insists on the benefits of his system, and they show in the wines. The 2007 Keuka Hill Reserve, a Bordeaux blend, is particularly enticing — and could warrant even five or 10 more years in the cellar.

Monello Winery is relatively new and a smaller operation but is already growing. Even since my last visit in 2013, several new wines have been introduced. You’ll usually find owner Grace Mirchandani pouring in the tasting room, which is easily identified from the road by a large, red “M” sign. Monello, which in Italian means “brat,” produces mostly dry wines, including a delicious dry riesling and a red blend, called Pella Rosa, perfect for red sauce pasta dishes.

Billsboro Winery has been one of my favorites since my first trip to the Finger Lakes 10 years ago. Unlike most wineries, Billsboro’s tasting room is set in the woods, with a rustic, relaxed feel inside. The dry riesling and pinot gris are both praise-worthy, but the sauvignon blanc was the standout wine during this visit. Billsboro also provided the biggest surprise of the weekend: a Finger-Lakes-grown Albariño. Usually found in Spain and Portugal, the wine is very light-bodied and acidic, making it a perfect pairing for shellfish and light appetizers. Billsboro’s version was no different, delicious and refreshing.

Stay tuned for a trip to the southeastern side of Seneca Lake, sometimes referred to as the “Banana Belt” for its extended growing season, in part 2.

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