It Starts With A Grape

I was driving down Route 20 in Sheridan New York about a week ago, and around there, its wine country. I heard news a while back that there was a new winery in town, but until recently I haven’t had the time to stop in. Well it just so happened that I had about a half hour to kill, and what better way to spend it than stopping in for a taste?

Upon entering the tasting and sales room, which though of modern design was absolutely beautiful, I was greeted by a friendly voice from behind the tasting bar, who turned out to be Beth, the owners daughter. I have to say even though the decor displays a fairly high level of sophistication, the mood is definitely relaxed, my kind of place.

On to the wine! I only had time to taste a few, they have around 16 at any given time, and all but three are free to taste. The three that aren’t are a dollar a piece, and are their ‘Premier Dry Reds’. Here’s a list of the ones I found most noteworthy:

Traminette $12.99/bottle

This tasty white is 100% estate grown, and displayed a spicy nose of clove and cinnamon with mild floral notes. It had a borderline syrupy, full mouth feel, with flavors of clove carrying over, along with distinct honey dew. I wouldn’t recommend it for overly spicy dishes, but it would be a perfect companion for holiday ham.

Noiret $13.99/bottle

Also estate grown, this grape was released by Cornell University in 2006, and has, as this wine displays, taken well to the Western/Upstate New York climate. It has pleasant barnyard, earthy aromas and a medium heavy body. With flavors of plumb and mild black pepper, and a soft oak finish, this one falls into the category of easy drinking all the way. Pasta dishes containing earthy veggies would be my pick for a pair. You could get away with throwing in some meat, but I would keep it light and fatty.

Syrah $23.99/bottle (Premium Dry Red)

I was highly intrigued by this one, and given the climate in the area, i figured the grapes had to be imported. Well, i came to find out, though they were not technically estate grown, they were grown right across the street, at Piranha Vineyards. After hearing this, I could not wait to see what a New York grown Syrah was going to deliver. Boy was I in for a treat! It was a deep shade of blackberry in color, with curious notes of sauteed portobello mushrooms on the nose. And holy beans, what a mouth on this one. It was packed with super jammy flavors, robust, dark fruit, and hints of vanilla. Not to mention its wonderfully spicy finish, it was juicy and dry at the same time.  Enjoy it with a tender, grilled steak, topped with mushrooms in a creamy butter sauce, with a side red mashed potatoes.

Closing notes:

Event though my visit was brief, and I did not get a chance to chat with the wine maker, or owners, I had a lovely time and thoroughly enjoyed the wines! They also regularly host events, so be sure to check the calendar on their website, www.libertywinery.com. Also, if you do stop in you should know, if you buy 6 bottles, you get the 7th free, not too shabby.

PS: If your looking for a budget friendly vacation, whether or not you live in the area, the Chautauqua wine trail should be on your list. The fall is breath taking there, and there’s plenty to keep you occupied!

Happy sipping Everyone,

It Starts With a Grape

Tags: Chautauqua, New york, noiret, Syrah, traminette, Winery

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009 at 9:17 am and is filed under Things too see, Wine to drink. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.