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On Monday, October 27, 2008, twenty of us gathered in the Vintage New York Tasting Room for the NYWCA’s first meeting of the wine sub-committee to taste and learn about wines from New York State – the third-largest wine-producer in the U.S.

Robert Ransom, co-owner of Vintage and co-founder of Rivendell Winery, explained that New York, which boasts major wine-growing regions on eastern Long Island, the Hudson Valley, the Finger Lakes, and along the shores of Lake Erie, traces its wine-making traditions back to Dutch settlers who planted vines there 400 years ago. Considered a cool climate wine area, New York State has a breadth of climate zones and micro-climates with ranges similar to Alsace and Germany, and to others resembling Bordeaux.

Bob began the tastings with a sparkling white from Swedish Hill Vineyards, unusual because it’s made from the Cayuga grape. Next, we sampled a Chardonnay from Millbrook Winery. Its slight oakiness added creaminess to the smoky, butterscotch notes. It was paired with North Square’s salmon, house-cured with Chardonnay. Lisa Donneson introduced her Bouké wines from the North Fork of Long Island. We enjoyed her white—a complex blend, including the perfume of Gewurztraminer—served with Aragones (a washed rind cow’s milk cheese) and a goat brie, provided by Forever Cheese. Lisa’s red, from the 2007 vintage, with hints of black fruits, paired perfectly with generous slices of paté. Also from the 2007 vintage, which Bob pronounced “about as perfect a vintage as we’ll see,” was a 100% Cabernet Franc. Rivendell has only bottled 50 cases; the remainder still ages. Smoky, chewy, and spicy, it gave us a foretaste of the magnificent wine it will mature into and was an excellent match with manchego cheese.

Three wines were raffled off to lucky guests. And we all left with a sweet taste in our mouths as we savored Celsius, a Chardonnay ice wine from the Finger Lakes.

Many thanks to program hosts Judy Paul, Stephanie Teuwen, Bob Ransom, Susan Wine (co-owner of Vintage), and Lisa Donneson.