Working Winers: Easy Does It

This week I just wanted something easy. Every day was full of appointments, meetings, and tasks that jostled for priority. Sometimes there aren’t enough hours in a day. I arrived home before 8:00 most nights but started my days earlier. At home, I worked on all my daily chores plus laundry, a photo project, and holiday decorations.

So Friday night, after another full day of meetings, errands, and phone calls, I simply opened a bottle of Fulkerson Dornfelder left over from Thanksgiving. Dornfelder is a German grape that’s somewhat sweet with moderate tannins, but, as this particular wine sat in the glass developed some complexity—plum to dark berries, spice, a touch of oak. A pleasant surprise.

This would certainly pair with turkey and cranberries, ham, pork loin, charcuterie—holiday fare—because it’s a medium-bodied wine, easy to drink, that wouldn’t overpower. I also thought it might make a nice Gluhwein (mulled wine recipe here) without adding the sugar.

At any rate, it was on-hand at just the right time and helped me kick back after dinner all weekend.

Working Winers: Here Come the Holidays!

Our favorite table included these lovelies from classic Champagne houses

Adrienne, a Working Winer, invited me to an annual holiday tasting in a town a few miles outside of Rochester. Colonial Liquor, in Honeoye Falls, invites distributors, distilleries, and wineries to set up tables and pour in the historic mill above the Rabbit Room (restaurant.) Rich and I went to check it out, and here are some brief tasting notes and gift ideas from the evening. (Highlights in bold)

1.  Heron Hill Winery: This Finger Lakes Chardonnay and red blend were the least favorite beverages of the night. Both were very light—thin, actually—with next to no distinguishable flavor.

2. Patron Extra Anejo Tequila:  Potent, smooth, and warm with a nice caramel finish

3. Shore Acres “Peace on Earth” Wines:  From Lodi (California) both the Chardonnay and the Pinot Noir were respectable. The Chard had apple flavors and was not too sweet or oaky; the Pinot was in the fruity California style, but also had a little character with some red berries, cherry, and spice.

4. Black Button Distillery: Rochester’s own, their products are quality and flavorful. The Bourbon Cream is an awesome alternative to Irish cream. I tried their new Apple Pie Moonshine, which is a sweet sipper.

5. Cooper & Thieves: Rich tried this and really enjoyed it. It’s almost Port-like in texture with layers of flavors. I found it to be a masculine wine with coffee and tobacco flavors enhanced by its being aged in bourbon barrels.

6. Conundrum Blanc de Blancs: A sparkling blend of California whites; soft bubbles and citrus and apple flavors make this a crowd pleasing domestic bubbly for the holidays.

7.  Champagne Pommery Brut Royal: This is a classic Champagne with light, elegant biscuit flavors

8.  Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut: Soft bubbles with citrus, apples, and vanilla, finished with grapefruit

9.  Perrier-Jouet Blason Rose: A pretty, pretty Champagne—florals and orange/tangerine. A beautiful wine for special celebrations.

10. The Prisoner Red Blend: Wow. Layer after layer of flavors, cherry, chocolate, spice. Classic Napa.

Numbers 5 through 10 were all at the Southern Glazer’s distributor table, so kudos to them.

We did have dinner at the Rabbit Room, which, unfortunately, didn’t live up to its hype. Both of our drinks were initially wrong. Mixing up red wine is one thing (he brought a Malbec instead of Pinot Noir,) but a labeled can of craft beer should have been obvious to our server. To be fair, when Rich gave him an FYI, he brought the correct beer, and I never mentioned my glass. Later he brought me a “fresh glass” since I wasn’t drinking the first one, and the second glass was the Pinot Noir I ordered. We ordered the “Budino” appetizer, a Parmesan “custard” with basil, garlic, tomato, and slices of toasted bread. The custard had little flavor without the veggies, and the “toast” was totally burnt. Seriously. Again, I can’t imagine that blackened bread is the ideal, and it should have been clear to the server. My steak salad was fine. Rich said his pork chop was okay. There was nothing startling on the dinner or dessert menu for the price point. A bit disappointing.

All in all, it was a nice event for the holidays, and we ran into people we knew. A good way to wind down a hectic week.   

Working Winers: Est Arrive!

Beaujolais Nouveau Day promo poster

This time of year is always a mad rush. People feel pressured to take care of business and loose ends before the holidays begin. Which is fine, because everyone would like to try to enjoy the next six weeks without the feeling of something forgotten, left undone, hanging out there to resurface next year. Halloween is the first bell reminder, and Beaujolais Nouveau Day is the last call before the full-on season of food, family, and festivities shows up at the door.

So the Thursday before Thanksgiving (in the US) is Beaujolais Nouveau Day, a French “holiday” that signifies the end of the harvest and beginning of the holidays. Beaujolais Nouveau is not a “serious” wine—it’s fun and fruity and made to be drunk right away to celebrate. It’s shipped from France and released on that day. I had hoped to toast the season with a friend or two, but bad weather moved in and squelched those plans. I poured a glass and did a little plate for dinner, with a few pieces of cheese for the pup, and watched the snow fall.

This year’s is not too bad. The nose has blueberries, and they come through right away on the palate, too, as does a hint of licorice, then it moves through tart cherries and a “library” finish of tobacco and leather.  La sante!

Working Winers: From History to Harvest

This was another week of ups and downs. I seem to be adding to my “to do” list, struggling to get everything done. One of my regular tasks is contributing to The Wedge newspaper, which my agency has published for 36 years. I write the wine and, sometimes, food articles.

For the Dec/Jan issue I’m working on an article about family recipes, using a local farm in its eighth generation as the subject. More than a typical farm, though, Hurd Orchards is a model of passion and evolution. They grow and sell 70 kinds of apples and more fruits and berries and vegetables. They produce and sell preserves, applesauce, sauces, and baked goods made with their harvest.

On Saturday night I was fortunate to attend one of the farm’s Thanksgiving Tasting dinners. I treated myself to this literal smorgasbord of 23 traditional and new recipes, but only made it through about half of them! The setting was stunning with large fall centerpieces of dried flowers, berries and leaves from the farm, pumpkins, baskets of apples, and candles throughout the dining room, a 200 year-old barn.

Tiny Rome apples filled with sweet potato

What did I bring to drink? Well, about the same time as this farm was established in northwest New York, another farmer was planting grapes in southeast New York. That winery is still around and is the oldest winery in the United States. Steeped in history in the Hudson Valley, the Brotherhood Winery makes a nice little sparkling Riesling. Riesling is the classic Thanksgiving wine, especially if, like this one, it’s semi-dry. This one has apple and honey flavors, and the bubbles make it soft and refreshing.

That’s what I chose for this treat of an evening: bubbly to enjoy and share with new friends, celebrate the harvest, and begin the holiday season with thanks for a year of personal and professional growth and the many facets of my job.

Working Winers: It was a Dark (and Stormy) Week

This week had its challenges. My days are full, usually starting with emails and/or calls before leaving home in the morning. Once at the office I rarely leave unless I have appointments. So many people need assistance. I am trying to find alternative programs for them, but funding streams and resources are different—and far more scarce-- since I was last in this realm 15 years ago. My new duties leave me less time for research, so I am hoping to enlist a new volunteer to help, trying to keep tasks from falling through the cracks. Our agency is small, and we, too, are trying to maintain and build our level of service to the community as the nonprofit industry shrinks.  

I chose Apothic Dark this week because by Friday night I wanted to just crawl under a blanket. Nothing seemed to go quite right. The weather continued to be dismal, with, I think, Tuesday being the only passable day with a few breaks of sun. Monday night’s hair appointment was thoroughly disappointing. Tuesday I got some unsettling family news. Wednesday I thought I would get home before dark for the last time before the end of January, but I couldn’t get my car to start. It had to be towed to my mechanic’s, meaning rescheduling meetings and working from home on Thursday, not to mention the additional expense. Friday the neighbor who was going to take me to pick up my car backed out at the very last minute, and I had to set up an Uber account and ride asap so that I would have my car for the weekend. (Uber was awesome, by the way.)  

Boats tucked in for the season at a marina near my home.

So Dark, with its velvety blackberry/blueberry/black plum flavors was completely comforting and cozy as the rain continued outside. I don’t often head for a “mainstream” wine, but this red blend has enough complexity to keep it interesting and holds up in the glass for sipping over a quiet evening with candles and Netflix.

A popular parking lot and boat launch, swampy and desolate from the rain.

Working Winers: Organic Connections

This week the City of Rochester held a press conference at one of our community gardens, the Hamilton Street Victory Garden, to announce a policy change for these valuable plots: five-year permits. What this means, is that once the City and agencies (like mine) administering the gardens sign the contract, these lots will not be available for sale for the next five years. Gardeners can properly winterize the lots and plan for the next season without concerns for someone purchasing the City-owned lot for development or private ownership.

At 12 years old, the Hamilton St. site is the oldest community garden in the city, nestled on a residential street in the South Wedge. This and our Cypress St. garden provided plots for 55 households last season at no charge. These gardens are organically farmed and run by volunteers and the plot-holders (photo below.) They, as do other community gardens, provide places of oasis, greenery, therapy, beauty, sustenance, and an urban haven for bees and other pollinators.

I chose Domaine Bousquet Malbec to try. Made with organic grapes, this Argentinian classic starts with fruity blackberry transitioning to plum and black pepper with the characteristic dry finish. Flavors became more complex as it sat in the glass, adding a touch of currants and tobacco. The berry aromas also became potent as it warmed. It got very good reviews, and, at around $10, I will be buying it again.

Working Winers: Comfort at Home

Last week I traveled to Albany for an annual state coalition conference. All in all it was a good trip, catching up with acquaintances and meeting new ones; learning about others’ projects and looking at funding for our agency’s future.

But I didn’t really sleep. The hotel was nice, but the bed was way too firm. I had planned to get out in the evening to try some local fare but ended up with friends at the hotel instead. At the reception there was an awful California wine available in Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and White Zinfandel. I tried the Merlot, and that glass was enough. We ordered take-out.  

Saturday, back home, I did errands and tried to relax between my chores. The weather was turning colder, and by Sunday evening I felt it was time to start my chicken soup routine for the season. I didn’t want to open a bottle of wine but wanted something warmer, more comfortable. There it was: Cask & Crew Whiskey, produced by LiDestri in Rochester.

This is nothing too serious with its toffee and walnut flavors, but it is soothing to the throat and disposition, especially with a little honey or maple syrup adding to its medicinal qualities. I sipped it curled on the couch with my pup and a movie. Then I slept all night. I love traveling, but it’s always nice to be home sweet home.

Working Winers: Something a Little Different--Gruner Veltliner at a Record Store

More responsibility, more things to know, more people to meet---this week was another hectic one that found me hitting the ground running in the morning and getting home after dark every night. That’s why I went to the little South Wedge Farmers Market “after-market” get-together Thursday night. I needed to step out of the hamster wheel and relax for a minute.

One of our programs, the SWFM finished the season last week, but the cool market vendors decided to extend the year and make it a true social event. Laura, of Saratoga Courage Spirits (one of our vendors,) set it up at the Record Archive’s Back Room, i.e. a bar in a record store (how cool is that?,) during a record release party for Tia Brazda and her band.

In honor of doing something different, I ordered the Steinig Gruner Veltliner, an Austrian white that’s citrusy with a bite: some green apple with lemon, a little spice, a little heat. I’d like to try it again in a bottle that was open for less than a week, though, because this glass had gone a bit flat. Oh, well. Again, something out of my ordinary.

But the company was good (we have great market vendors and volunteers,) as was the music—sorta jazzy, lounge-y, torch-y. Check out this Canadian group’s sound here.  

Back to some normal things for this fall weekend—have a great one!

Tia Brazda and Band from Toronto, ON at the Record Archive

Working Winers: Career-Changing Cabernet Franc

I started a new job this week. It was bittersweet because my boss retired early, but he and our board of directors appointed me to his position, executive director, and I am grateful and excited for this opportunity. I’ll be seeing my work from a different perspective, and I know it will be a new level of education and service. 

Just before I changed titles, I went wine tasting on the Niagara Wine Trail. The last stop was Chateau Niagara, and I was anxious to try a wine they released late last year. Owner Jim Baker began our pours and insisted we try the Cabernet Franc. Historically, I’ve not been a fan of Cab Franc. The ones I’ve tried have either not been terribly complex or have been bone dry. Bone. Dry. I hesitatingly took a sip of this New York state red.

 Mr. Baker calls his estate grown Cab Franc “The King.” It’s been critically acclaimed by a group of international wine bloggers, and he is tentatively planning to increase production. My notes from that day include “cherry, currant, plum; silky texture; spice; elegance.” It was dry, but not the Cab Franc of my experience. This was surprisingly good, and I dropped my preconceived opinions about this varietal. In fact, Rich, my tasting partner that day, had not planned to even try any NY reds, and admitted that this was far better than he expected. It opened our eyes.

 On a second tasting for this post, I opened my Chateau Niagara bottle of Cab Franc for two more Working Winers, Anna and Yvonne. The bottle was tight and definitely needed air. This was not quite the same experience as the winery tasting. The spice was apparent, as was the dryness. However, the fruitiness wasn’t nearly as pronounced. Neither of them really liked the wine, and I was disappointed in it myself at that moment. They both said that it needed food and that they would drink it but not buy it at the price point.

I took my Vacu-vin’d bottle home and poured a glass the next night. The fruit was back, as was the spice and the smoothness. Conclusion: this is a hand-crafted wine, made in a traditional way. This is a wine to decant and enjoy, sipping throughout a dinner of grilled lamb or pork chops or beef tenderloin. The longer it sits, the more complex it becomes. A week of changing perspectives.

 Chateau Niagara Cabernet Franc, $29.99 . www.chateauniagarawinery.com