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EP 978 Finger Lakes Wine Tasting

Gary Vaynerchuk tastes 3 interesting wines from the Finger Lakes of New York. This is a winemaking region that Gary feels doesn’t get enough respect and wants to shed more light on.

Wines tasted in this episode:

2008 Herman Wiemer Semi Dry RieslingNew York Riesling
2008 Dr. Konstantin Frank RkatsiteliNew York White Meritage
2008 Ravines Riesling DryNew York Riesling

Links mentioned in todays episode.


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luca bercelli

91/100

Lines of the day – ‘Pass overall but on a nerd level…a must try’ and ‘Smells like happy hugs’

Absolutely hilarious story about when GV was young and driving with his family. Grandma used to insist in pulling over whenever she saw ‘Root St John’ (Zlitaboy?) so they could stuff bags full of it.

Tags: Finger Lake, new york state, review, Video, white, wine, wines

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  • Anonymous

    Fun show! I liked the Russian babooshka side story. I appreciate that you recognize the diversity of your viewership, as a young wine enthusiast it means a lot.
    QOTD: I will tell you in a few weeks, I’m going to NYC for the first time in mid Feb. Its to bad I wont be able to make it to Springfield New Jersey and pick up some of these wines you talk about, a lot of them are tough to find here in Canada.

  • Anonymous

    I like a Riesling but never tried from NY. Try Riesling w/ steak. A tip that I got from @Winelibrary
    QOTD: Restaurants. In New York you find the best ones..

  • Anonymous

    The local PA premium shop carries plenty of Wiemer and Dr. Frank wine. There is a big following especially for Dr. Frank. They have riesling, cab franc. They even have the Rkatsiteli. I don’t drink much riesling, maybe once a year or less.

    NY: My family had a nice trip to Cooperstown. We also occasionally venture to NYC. It’s big. I’ve been in the suburbs for a long time………….

  • Anonymous

    The local PA premium shop carries plenty of Wiemer and Dr. Frank wine. There is a big following especially for Dr. Frank. They have riesling, cab franc. They even have the Rkatsiteli. I don’t drink much riesling, maybe once a year or less.

    NY: My family had a nice trip to Cooperstown. We also occasionally venture to NYC. It’s big. I’ve been in the suburbs for a long time………….

  • NY Pete

    NYS faves … top of the list … NYC.

    to be continued

  • NY Pete

    btw … way to bring the thunder dude!

  • By far my favorite wine in the store under $30 right now is this one: http://winelibrary.com/wines/54253-2007+Firriato+Etna+Rosso+Cavanera++750ML

  • Anonymous

    Had a finger lakes riesling at the terroir wine bar when I was in NYC. Dont know what the producer was, just remember I told them to surprise me with what to bring me, and that I like all kinds of riesling, and that what they brought was more expensive than any of the ones I saw on the list. Wasn’t bad though.

    My favorite thing about new york state is definitely new york city

  • Anonymous

    My first New York State Riesling was the Herman Weimer and remains a favorite, though tried Red Newt Cellars Reserve Riesling and that is my all-time favorite.
    QOTD: Of course, NYC, but would enjoy a trip to the Finger Lakes and Hudson Valley.

  • Anonymous

    QOTD: My favorite thing about New York State would probably have to be Brooklyn. Love that place, not such a huge fan of Manhattan and haven’t had much experience upstate besides Albany and Buffalo. Never had a NY Riesling but always up for a try.

  • Anonymous

    QOTD: Cooperstown its a pretty amazing place to see and visit.

  • NY Pete

    this episode needs a little music

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX9PQUr-K3I

  • Anonymous

    MFTANYS is it raised me from a little 1 year old purplegrill to the beautiful man I am today.

    As far as Fingered Riesling, I have to give it a try… I promise to pick a bottle or 4 when I pick up my BIG BUTTON Barbera.

    Did anybody smell all that thunder?

  • Anonymous

    Coram in the house!

  • QOTD: My favorite thing about New York would definitely be the CITY! I love the energy, the culture, everything!

  • Interesting episode thanks for the Finger Lakes prod. I have tried a few but haven’t been terribly excited yet. Will try more.

    QOTD: Absolute, hands down, without a doubt, greatest thing about NY is my parents ;).

  • QOTD: My favorite thing about NY State is the vast forests and the Catskill mountains.

  • Paul Sheridan

    QOTD: Columbia University, my alma mater.

    I attempted to buy a NYS Riesling at Wine Library on my one pilgrimage there. Accidentally picked up a Michigan Riesling. Not so good. I’ll keep an eye out, but in Washington State, with our own burgeoning Riesling scene, they can be a little hard to find.

  • Anonymous

    Thanks for the NYS Riesling espisode. I live in western NY and feel this region has come a long way in the last 10 years. There are several very good Rieslings. I recommend Standing Stone as another to try. I would love for you to do a show in the Finger Lakes and would be there in a NY minute.

    QOTD: The Finger Lakes Area!! I love Naps Valley but for shear beauty the Finger Lakes region blows it away.

  • DaveAll

    Fingerlakes – meh? Nice place to visit, not sure I’ve found any good wines in the 15 wineries I’ve visited. but it’s been 5 years, so I’m open to try again. . .
    good show. Nice to see you in lesser places. Did you know NC is 7th largest producer of wine in US? wink. We just opened our 100th winery…. it’s time.
    QotD: the Kinzua Dam and Allegheny Reservoir

  • Riesling is the best grape in the world and the fingers lakes is one of the best regions in the world to grow it.

  • Grill Factor

    QOTD: I’m sure others have listed this – COOPERSTOWN. Will never forget those trips as a kid + when I was in high school I got to play a baseball game on Doubleday Field.

    I like Rieslings from Clare Valley in South Australia. Serious thunder

  • I don’t know about my fingers but I almost peed my pants when you said that.

    The only finger lakes we sell down here is Anthony Road…it does really well because the Wisconsin pallet loves it’s sweet red wines :^O

    qotd: only been to NYC so it’ll have to be that.

  • Anonymous

    I have visited both the Konstantin Frank and Weiner. It is a beautiful area and there are some very nice wines being made there in my opinion. Riesling aside, I found the Cabernet Francs at both of these wineries to be very nice. It is really the only place other than Loire Valley (and Bordeaux to some extent) in my opinion that is doing good things with this varietal. Unfortunately, these wines are not readily available in Vermont wine stores. I
    would love to see a tasting of cab francs that included examples from this region.

  • QOTD: New York City

    My 2 cents, I’ve had many a NY Riesling and like a lot of them. Rieslings are probably my favorite wines.

  • RobinC

    Thanks Gary for the advice, but I don’t know what it means. Things are working better now except that I can’t get a cursor so that I can write a comment unless I click on several random links.
    QOTD: I only go to New York for the Metropolitan Opera, but once there I love central park, the subway, all the sights to see, and how very friendly and helpful people are.

  • I have had the 2007 Ravines Riesling and I thought it had a a hint of under-ripe green apple and a hint of spice on the pallet. Has anyone had the 2007 to compare to Gary’s profile on the 2008?

  • My favorite thing about NY would have to be Chelsea in NY City.

  • Are there any good Brazilian wines we can find up here in Texas?

  • I am all for the Michigan contenders. Who do you like in MI?

  • Yes.

  • Anonymous

    Great show!

    I live in Ithaca NY–in the heart of the Finger Lakes–and work in a wine shop here. I taste and purchase Finger Lakes wines, at a minimum, weekly. Ravines, Hermann Wiemer, and Dr Frank are all top-notch producers, across the board. Ravines has a single-vineyard Riesling that scored even better than the regular release and their Cabernet Franc and Meritage-blend are probably among the best red wines in the state (sorry Long Island). As you noted, Ravines is a very European/Old World styled producer; this also applies to the reds. Hermann Wiemer’s Gewurztraminer is also exceptional, by the way.

  • Anonymous

    QOTD: NY Pete!!
    J/K that’s the nerdy Vayniac’s answer. In all seriousness, it’s the fact that my wife hails from Rochester, so nothing can beat the fact that my in-laws live in NY & my wife is from NY.

    That being said, of course I’ve visited the Finger Lakes and tried their wines! Can’t wait to go back & visit even more of the wineries!

  • QOTD: The diversity that is all in one state – farmland to 5th Ave.

    Great show Gary. If you do make the trip up to the area, make sure to let the Cornell Wine Club know. They’ll make sure that you get a proper welcome. They have a Cheese Club as well (I think partnering Gourmet Library with college cheese clubs would be a great idea).

  • Anonymous

    The pizza.
    Am very intrigued by the finger lakes wines. Love riesling (favorite grape) but live in rural calif. so the opportunity to buy them is few and far between.

  • I am glad to see that the finger lakes are bringing quality Riesling. I got a chance to try some Pinot noir and Gewurztraminer from there and was quite disappointed with it. The Croatian and Georgian varietals have been catching my eye lately. You should do a show on Plavac Mali or some of the other wines from Croatia

    QOTD: The best thing was letting the Giants leave and go to San Francisco

  • Anonymous

    Risling, gotta love them

  • Anonymous

    Riesling, gotta love it

  • Anonymous

    Nice to see New York steppin’ up. I think the medicinal herb your referring to is called St. John’s Wort in English. Generally, I think wine quality everywhere continues to improve…the exception being, IMHO, the Frankenstein commodity wines(not naming names) some of the big multinationals continue to pump out with those catchy labels…so many seem out of wack and artificial. Again, nice to see, and taste, wines that are soundly made and are regionally/varietally correct. Unfortunately, there are not too many New York wines available in Washington State. QOTD: My awesome stepson lives in Williamsburg(Brooklyn). When I visit him next I’ll make sure to try a few New York wines.

  • I don’t know enough about acidity in red wine to comment, but curious myself.. I can, howver, tell you where to get a good lobster roll in the SF Bay Area:
    Old Port Lobster Shack (very New England-ish)
    851 Veterans Boulevard
    Redwood City, CA

  • So, Gary, does Andrea Robinson have the internets most passionate wine program, now? Just askin’… : )
    I’m curious why you’ve curtailed your opening.
    QOTD: Billy Joel. His music always gets me in a New York State of Mind. You know, a bottle of White? A bottle of Red? Perhaps a bottle or Rose instead.

    Phil Anderson

    http://www.generalwinethoughts.com

  • Anonymous

    There are some fantastic cabernet francs coming out of Northern Italy(see Trentino) and ones with some serious structure from Washington State.

  • Anonymous

    Ironically, I just had my first Finger Lake experience a few days ago at the Wine and Grape Symposium in Sacramento, and I was thoroughly impressed. Pretty much the same experience you just had on this show; Nothing blew my mind, but the potential is there, and the QPR is just silly.

    – Elliot K. *The Original C.K.C. Representative (Episode 225)

  • I have never experienced a NY wine. Hopefully soon. What do I like about New York? Jay-z. It’s a hard knock CKC life baby. Straight up.

  • I agree about the quality of Finger Lake wines, but I don’t think Long Island has anything to be sorry for, with both Merlot and Cabernet Franc, as well as Syrah and Malbec scoring competitively, and with less than a quarter of the wineries the Finger Lakes have. In short I think you need to drink more NY wine!

  • Anonymous

    Gary, coming up to the 1000th (Congrats on that) made me dig back and watch episode 1, very interesting to see how you have grown and changed!. This made me think how you would rate the Verite 2001 wines these days, has your palette changed over the years with your personal growth and confidants and how has the wine aged and grown in the same time frame?

  • Anonymous

    QOTD: Favorite thing about New York State is the people. Because living in New York State sucks, but the people that you find here are awesome. In terms of the side QOTD New York WIne yadadada…I started out selling New York wine. I think New York has some tweaking to do but is certainly on the right path as long as they stay true to the wine and not their wallets the wine will get better.

  • Anonymous

    Merlow will kick rieslings a$$!

  • Randall

    Actually, Pinot Noir makes THE most transcendent vino on this planet… Just sayin’, castello, my mellow merlot maven…

  • Randall

    Orval simply RULES!! And Cantillion is a close second… maybe even eclipsing them if you happen to find the right Cantillion…
    ;D!!

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