Tasting @ Adair Vineyards

I had the chance during the pasta event to taste at Adair Vineyards. They were serving an Almond Torte that was very good and went right to my hips.

The first wine I tasted was the 2005 Vidal. This was a dry white wine made from 100% Vidal Blanc Grapes. Vidal is a grape that grows very well in the Hudson Valley. This was aged in Hungarian Oak barrels. With that it give the wine a hint of carmel flavor. This wine was crisp with citrus fruit flavors. It was very good. Something you would pair with seafood.

Next was the Blackberry Kir. This was light fruity and refreshing. It had a little residual sugar... 2 3/4 to be exact. It was made with 30% Seyval, 40% Vidal, 30% Blackberry wine, which was made from blackberries from the Marlboro/Milton area.

Then it was on to Rosalias...a dry Rose. When poured, it was dark, not your typical pink looking Rose. It is made from 25% Chambourcin, 29% Dechaunac, 25% Frontenac & 25% Chancellor. It was very nice with overtones of cherry and strawberry.

The last wine I tasted was their 2006 Peche. This is a sweet dessert wine made from 100% local New Paltz white peaches. This makes a nice after dinner drink, or drizzled over a fruit salad.

If you had the opportunity to tast any of these wines, I would love to hear how you enjoyed them.

Warwick Vally Winery & Distillery

It was a beautiful day last Saturday for the Pasta Primo Vino event, a far cry from last years rain. Our first stop was Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery. They have done some renovations to the winery and bakery area since last year. The big doors leading out to the patio were open giving the outdoor café feel.

We tasted tasted 5 wines during our visit here. The first was a Merlot, which was also used in the pasta dish. This Merlot was crafted from 100% Merlot grapes which were picked at peak ripeness. It was then aged in French Oak for 24 months. We felt it was a light bodied wine with hints of cherry and cassis.

We then tasted the Riesling. This Riesling had a wonderful floral nose with hints of apple and pear. It was a Semi-sweet wine with a light mineral finish. These types of wines go great with spicy food. I like them with Thai food.

Next up was the Black Dirt Blush. This was grape jelly in a glass. If you grew up with Welches or Smuckers grape jelly, this smell of this wine will bring you back to your childhood. These grapes were made from the Vincent and Delaware grapes.

Then it was onto the Hard Cider…Doc’s Hard Cider… I’ve had the Apple before, which is very good, so I decided to try something different. I tried the Black Currant Cider and Paul tried the Pear Cider. The Pear Cider was very dry. It is made from Bartlett and Bosc pears. The Black Currant Cider is made from pressed NYS apples and fermented with Champagne yeast and local black currants. Both ciders are very good and will quench your thirst on a hot summers day.