Back in the days before Prohibition, the wines from the Lake Erie Islands far outsold the wines from Sonoma.  Peruse and older text and you will see that these islands produced some of the top wines this country produced.  Nowadays, the islands mostly serve as a summer weekend destination for fun and cheap beer, but there is still some wine being made in the area.  No doubt most of the wine is better enjoyed on a hit summer's day, listening to music in a bar.  Still, it is good to try the wines and see what is being produced.  This is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Vidal Blanc.  It is uncle

Pretty cool to be able to try a Finger Lakes Albariño.  Unfortunately, this bottle seemed very off.  That said, a couple of people (with respected palates) at the tasting quite enjoyed the wine.  Light green/gold in color.  The nose has wet rocks, hay and plenty of plastic band-aid notes.  Typically, that is a sign of a brettanomyces yeast infection.  That is not always a bad thing, but it is a bit rare to be found in a white wine.  On the palate, the plastic note continues along with a bitter grapefruit juice finish.  I am curious if this was an off bottle or typical from the winery.  It w

198 refers to the clone type that was used for this wine.  8.3% Alcohol.  It is very much in the Spatlese style of Riesling and at a tasting, was my favorite wine.  Pale, silvery gold in color.  The nose is nice with petrol and minerals.  It is curious why it shows petrol a such a young age but the wine is otherwise young and fresh.  On the palate, this is sweet and approaches cloying but falls short of that.  A pineapple juice quality to it.  Enough acidity to carry it off.  Long finish.  This would be great with Thai or other spicy Asian cuisines.  It is fairly priced and is likely to dri

Light golden in color.  The nose has a crushed shell aspect to it along with some slight lemon peel.  Interesting.  On the palate, this is light bodied and a bit thin.  It has a tart lemon candy aspect.  A bit sweet and a bit sour.  Short finish.  It is solid and fairly priced.  It will work with lighter foods and salads.  Tasted as apart of my tasting group's exploration of this area, in general, the group liked this one a bit more than I did.  

What an interesting wine.  This is basically a Finger Lakes take on a Fino Sherry or Fortified Jura, France wine.  It comes in a squat bottle.  Although first made in 2008 (the only vintage so far), it was just released in January, 2019.  It is a fortified and oxidized style of wine.  It is very dry.  Deep golden in color with a slight orange hue.  The nose shows oxidation along with a nuttiness (almonds?) and slight orange/citrus.  On the palate, this is tart in a way that Fino Sherry is not.  It is dry and oxidized but a much fatter wine than its Euro counterparts.  The orange notes carry

Thrown into a tasting of First Growths from this vintage, that probably wasn't fair, but it held it's own even if not one of the top wines.  And, to top it off Inky purple in color.  The nose is very nice with liqueur-like notes of cassis and cherries along with some cedar and spice.  On the palate, this has a lot of cassis fruit with firm tannins.  It will need another five to ten year to maturity.  It is delicious as pop and pour right now.  Considering this is available for around $90 right now, it is hard to justify the prices of some of the other "better" wines.  

Consumed after a tasting of First Growths from 2008, this more than held its own.  It is 51% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Petit Verdot.  The definition of a sexy wine.  Purple/ruby in color.  The nose has cassis, floral notes and slight plums.  On the palate, this has a wonderful texture.  Juicy yet velvety.  Lots of cassis and some raspberries over a slight spice/earth.  Long finish.  There are medium to firm tannins but they are more silky in style.  A delicious wine right now, it should improve for a decade and last another couple (at least) after that.  

Wow.  Served alongside the 2008 Yquem, it just wasn't fair.  An amazing wine.  Deeper (not too deep) gold in color with just a bit of orange/bronze.  The nose is mazing.  Apricots and honey, slight burnt orange peel and just a whiff of vanilla.  On the palate, this has that great acidity to balance the sweetness.  Tons of apricots, slight peach and a bit of orange.  Layered and complex, it is both fascinating and delicious.  A combination of candy and fruit.  The finish goes on forever.  It will work with the right dessert but really needs none.  It seems to be both mature and will probably

Probably, this may be the best wine from Bordeaux in this vintage, but it is going to take a long, long time.  In any event, this is a wine that needs a week to decant now or just wait.  94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc.  Purple in color to the rim.  The nose has cassis, licorice, tobacco and heavy roast coffee.  On the palate, this is very concentrated and takes some time to open in the glass.  Firm tannins.  Lots of cassis fruit but packed densely, it is hard to get more than that, but at the same time, the fruit goes on forever.  There is some obvious oak at this p

In a tasting of the top 2008's from Bordeaux, this was the WOTN (and mine) for drinking right now.  Of course, none of them are fully mature and need at least a decade.  This is a very special wine.   83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc.  Deep purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose is classic with cassis, graphite, cedar, and cigar box.  On the palate, this is intense.  Lots of great cassis fruit intertwined with earthiness and cedar, it unwinds in layers in the glass.  The finish is very persistent and even seems to grow on the palate.  Great balance.  This is a w