By Tom Marquardt and Patrick Darr
When it comes to the United States, California is the grape-volume superstar. Well over 90 percent of all wine grapes are grown in California with Washington State pulling less than 5 percent. Did you know that New York State is number three, not far off the pace set by Washington?
Only about 10 percent of New York wine grapes produced are from vinifera grapes, such as chardonnay, merlot and riesling. The two dominant growing areas are Finger Lakes and Long Island. The temperatures of these areas are moderated by bodies of water that help make frigid winters survivable for grapes. The Finger lakes were formed by glaciers gouging large holes in the bedrock, and Long Island is a moraine where the glacier stopped moving and dumped a mass of soil, gravel and rocks.
Finger Lakes
Arguably, the Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery is the leader in this region. Specializing only in vinifera grapes, the Frank winery offers some of the best wine produced in the Finger Lakes.
Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery was founded in 1958 by Dr. Frank who had studied the cold climate impact on vinifera grapes in what is now Ukraine. He died in 1985 and currently his great granddaughter manages the New York winery.
We recently tasted a selection of impressive, well-priced white wines from the winery. Following are our thoughts:
Dr. Konstantin Frank Brut Method Champenoise Finger Lakes Sparkling Wine N/V ($30). A classic blend of all of the traditional champagne grapes, with roughly equal parts chardonnay and pinot noir and a dollop of pinot meunier. Made in the same manner as French champagne, this sparkling wine offers a classic yeasty nose with bold flavors of apple, baked bread and citrus. A terrific effort for a domestic sparkler.
Dr. Konstantin Frank Gruner Veltliner Finger Lakes 2023 ($19). This grape originally hales from Austria where it dominates white wine production. This New York take displays bright lively fresh herbs, citrus and a hint of apricot notes. Very refreshing.
Dr. Konstantin Frank Dry Riesling Finger Lakes 2023 ($19). Hint of petrol in nose and mouth with lively acidity and citrus and apricot notes. We also tasted a 2020 vintage of this wine. The 2020 was much more expressive than the 2023 with a more obvious petrol nose and a rich, mouth-filling fruitiness with apricot and a delightful underlying stoniness. The moral of this story is to buy the current vintage and sit on it for a least 3-4 years.
Lombardy
Lombardy is not frequently referenced in writings or discussions of fine wines. Located in Northern Italy hard to the Swiss border, it is flanked by Trentino Alto-Adige to the east and Piedmont to the west. It is better known as home to Milan and its stunningly beautiful lakes and mountains. Yet true to Italian culture, Lombardy produces some very good wines especially from cool-climate grapes, albeit not in large quantities.
One of Lombardy’s best known and respected wines is a sparkler, Franciacorta, and is produced in both white and rosé versions. The white version is allowed to have 85 percent chardonnay, 15 percent pinot nero (noir), and 5 percent pinot bianco (blanc). The rosé version is more flexible, with 4 permitted grape varieties that emphasize pinot noir and chardonnay. The sparkling wine is fashioned “method classico,” the same process that the French use to create champagne.
We recently tasted two samples of Franciacorta from the respected firm Berlucci. Both of these sparklers were very pleasant and worth the tariff.
The Berlucci Franciacorta Extra Brut Session “61” ($35-45) is very impressive and very champagne like. Crisp with apple citrus notes and a pleasant yeastiness. Very refreshing.
The Berlucci Franciacorta Rosé Session “61” ($45-55) is a little richer and full bodied than the white, and not as dry. The rosé is more of a red fruit experience with a bit of baked apple in the finish.
Georgia
The red saperavi grape is the rockstar of the country of Georgia. Saperavi is the most planted red grape in Georgia and tend to show up in their most prized wines. They are deep, rich and highly colored – a factor of red, pulpy juice (teinturier) unlike most red grapes that when crushed ooze white pulp and juice.
We recently tasted three red wines from Georgia featuring the saperavi grape. We were thoroughly impressed with their overall quality and relatively affordable prices. Following are our impressions:
Teliani Valley Glekhuri Saperavi Qvevri Kakheti Georgia 2021 ($32). This is a single vineyard bottling. Their regular offering is pretty close in quality and comes in around $20. Fermented and aged in amphora-like qvevri, this wine presented big structure with soft tannins. Plum and cherry notes with a cranberry streak and a hint of minerality drove the sensory experience.
Shilda Rustaveli Khakheti Saperavi Qvevri Old Vines Georgia 2022 ($25). Another excellent saperavi aged in qvevri. Cherry berry notes with a slight hint of stones or minerals. Soft tannins.
Dugladze Saperavi Khakheti Mukuzani 2020 ($15-20). The grapes were sourced from Mukuzani, a special sub-region of Khakheti. Unlike the two previous saperavis, this example was aged in French oak barrels and displayed a slight oak note. Bright berry notes in a very pleasant and easy to drink format. Very deep and rich fruit, it was our favorite of the trio.
Wine picks
Dough Wines Central Coast Pinot Noir 2022 ($22). This is one of the best values in the expensive pinot noir category. Lots of youthful strawberry and black cherry flavors with a supple mouthfeel.
CV Studium Red Blend Paso Robles 2020. ($70). Latin for “house of learning,” the Studium is a Bordeaux-like blend from vineyards in Paso Robles that has been offering grapes to other producers for decades. Continental Vineyards are now making a series of red wines under its own label, including this proprietary, fruit-forward blend with youthful plum and black cherry flavors.
True Myth Edna Valley Chardonnay 2022 ($18). Ripe pear and tropical fruit notes with a hint of vanilla and prominent oak notes.
Franciscan Estate California Sauvignon Blanc 2022 ($13). Stone fruit and citrus make this a pleasing wine to sip or serve along a fresh vegetable or fruit tray.