Wine Blogging Wednesday: Gamay

2007 Gamay
Sheldrake Point 
(Finger Lakes)
"An Estate wine produced entirely from Gamay Noir grapes grown in two blocks (about 3.3 acres) in our 44-acre vineyard located on the west shore of Cayuga Lake.
On October 5, 2007 5 tons of grapes were hand-harvested (22 Brix, 8.2 g/L Ta, 3.29 pH) then crushed and de-stemmed into a stainless steel tank. The wine was fermented on the skins (RB-2 yeast) with daily pump-overs. The fermentation temperature peaked at 91F.
The Gamay was pressed after seven days on the skins then racked into older, neutral French and American barrels. Malolactic fermentation finished by November 20, 2007. The Gamay spent six months in neutral barrels."

     I chilled the wine slightly for my first tasting last night, as this is how I understand it is traditionally served. This wine is ruby-colored, a beautiful, clear jewel-tone of medium intensity. The nose is floral, with aromas of white flowers, iris and violet which opened into red fruits, specifically red currant, with a hint of vanilla. The wine is light-bodied and dry with a tart acidity, which dominates the palate. There are notes of pomegranate, cranberry and under-ripe plum, with strawberry on the finish. More aromas and flavors were evident as the wine warmed up. I suspect the acidity of the wine would make it very food-friendly, so I am going to serve it with dinner tonight and see how that goes.

     The wine benefited from being open for a day, even though I Vacvin-ed it. Even served slightly chilled, it was more open and the red fruits much more evident on the nose. The acidity seemed to have mellowed, displaying softer cherry and (ripe) plum flavors with some nice, light spice reminiscent on the sandalwood on back of the palate.

     The wine was pleasant with the hodge-podge we had for dinner tonight: a little homemade margherita pizza made with some leftover whole wheat dough to start, and as well as the grilled mushrooms on the side. (I thought this would be good since the Gamay grape is related to Pinot Noir.) The best pairing was the roast pork slices that we warmed through on the grill. The fruit forwardness in this Gamay complemented the pork, and the acidity valiantly cut through the fattiness.

Thanks to http://drinkwhatyoulike.wordpress.com!

A Flight of Rieslings Around The World: Menu

2007 Franz Wilh. Langguth Erben Kabinett (Germany)

2008 Pölka Dot Riesling (Riesling, Pfalz)

2005 Spätlese (Germany, Rheinhessen)

2007 Kim Crawford Dry Riesling (New Zealand, Marlborough)

2007 Snap Dragon Riesling (USA, California)

2008 Chateau Ste Michelle Riesling (USA, Washington, Columbia Valley)

2008 Lamoreaux Landing Red Oak Vineyard Riesling
(USA, New York, Finger Lakes)

2008 Standing Stone Riesling (USA, New York, Finger Lakes)

2007 Lamoreaux Landing Riesling Ice (USA, New York, Finger Lakes)

Wasabi Peas

Goldfish

Wine crackers

Pear, Fennel & Arugula Flatbread

Cheeseboard

Triple Crême Goat Brie (Canada)

Uniekaas Reserve Gouda (Holland)

Emmi Raclette (Switzerland)

Manchego (Spain)

Apple Slices

Almonds & Walnuts

Stoneground Wheat & Water Crackers

Crusty Bread

Apple & Onion Sausages with Riesling Mustard

Seared Scallops

Sweet Potato Gratinee

Thai Pumpkin Curry

Apple Turnovers

Coffee

The Red Newt Bistro

The first time I tasted Red Newt's 2005 Cab Franc was about a year ago. There were undeniable notes of chocolate on the nose, and upon tasting the wine, said chocolate just washed over you. I ordered it eagerly when we went to dinner at The Red Newt Bistro. It was pleasant enough, but not the ecstasy I remembered. I'm afraid this wine has come and gone, which particularly disappoints me because I have two bottles at home. Such is the game we play when we save wine, hoping it will improve. This didn't spoil our dining experience.

It was a Thursday night (Half Price Wine!), and we sat at the bar. (I apologize for the poor quality of the photos in this post. The lighting was low, and I was trying to be subtle.) The server was warm and knowledgeable. The roll they brought us (baked in-house, I'm sure) to munch on while looking at the menu, with some olive oil for dipping, was a nice touch. I chose the White Lasagna for which Chef Deb Whiting is locally renowned. The menu describes it as "layers of seasonal vegetables, organic spinach, ricotta cheese, roasted garlic cream sauce." It was a delicious, creamy dish that epitomized comfort food. 

Pat had the Beef Tenderloin Tips, which came with woodland mushrooms, onions, bordelaise sauce served over basmati rice. This was a beautifully seasoned, simple dish that we'd both recommend.

Dinner was flavorful enough to entice us into ordering dessert to share. There were lots of good choices, but the plum cobbler stood out. It's interesting that, despite my sincere love of all things chocolate, at restaurants most of the time I will choose fruit-based desserts.
This was obviously the right choice. The gingerbread that topped this cobbler was an inspried complement to the plums, and a lovely end to a lovely meal. The Red Newt has a reputation around here as being snooty and expensive. Our experience there was anything but. The meal was a good value for well thought out dishes made with quality, local ingredients. We'll go back, and I look forward to a special occasion when I can splurge on the Chef's Menu with the wine pairings.

Littletree Orchards

A sunny day was forecast amid the rain, so we took advantage of it by going apple picking. The rolling hills south of Ithaca were bright with color. We haven't seen as much change in the leaves in Lodi yet but, as Pat pointed out, we are closer to the lake. (This is an interesting illustration of the microclimate created by Seneca and Cayuga Lakes.)

     I liked the laid back atmosphere at Littletree Orchards right away. There were fresh cider donuts and apple cider, hot or cold, available self-serve in the barn. We had a look at the map of the orchard and headed out with a couple 1/2 bushel bags in hand.

     The brisk day was perfect for a walk amongst the apple trees. The first tree we reached was a McIntosh. I picked one to munch along the way. Lovely sweet flavor with plenty of crunch.

Check out the nest (above) I spotted in one of the trees. Those smart birds must be living like kings!

 

It was interesting to see the so many varieties of apples available. It seemed that we had arrived a little late in the season, but I also overheard that this year's crop was a fairly small one. I didn't end up pick a whole lot, but it sure put me the mood to bake. You'll be sure to be reading about it soon.

 

Northern Spys (below) are said to be great for making hard cider.

 

The Asian pears (below) were crisp and juicy, but on the small side.

This is a great field trip for children of all ages!