East Coast Wines - A Tasting

 American wine production is dominated by California, Washington and to a lesser extent Oregon. Nonetheless, wine is produced in all 50 states, and many of these wines are notable in their own right, offering regional distinctions worthy of further exploration. Indeed, we have previously featured wines of Pennsylvania and the Finger Lakes of New York in previous classes. For this tasting, we expanded the territory for our tasting profiles, delving into wines from states that include New Jersey and Maryland, as well as new ones from Pennsylvania (Philadelphia) and New York State (Long Island). 

Overall, the wines were very well received, even those from Maryland, which hardly springs to mind when considering states with an established wine culture.  However, the real standouts were the two selection from the North Fork region of Long Island, courtesy of my wine geek friend Kevin, who graciously offered to sell off a few of his prize collectibles for the edification of my students.  Cheers and Happy Tasting!

Fiore Traminette

Origin:  Pylesville, MD

Varietal: 100% Traminette

Production/Tasting Notes: Aromas of citrus, pineapple, pear; flavors of apricot, grapefruit; hint of honey

Food Pairing: poultry; seafood; salads; vegetarian fare.

Alcohol:12%

 

Harford Vintage Vidal Blanc

Origin: Forest Hill, MD

Varietals: 100% Vidal Blanc

Production/Tasting Notes: semi-dry; hints of orange zest, grapefruit; floral notes

Food  Pairings: Crab dishes; pear & Roquefort tarts; crepes

Alcohol: 13%

 

 

Mural City Rosé

Origin: Erie County; PA

Varietal: 100% Chambourcin

Production/Tasting Notes: Fresh, dry, fruit forward; snappy; zesty.

Food Pairing: hoagies; grilled chicken; roasted veggies

Alcohol:  12%

 

Lamoreaux Landing Yellow Dog Riesling 2021

Origin: Lodi, Seneca Lake, NY

Varietal: 100% Riesling

Production/Tasting Notes: "Scents of toasted grain, hints of orange and orange zest. Mildly off-dry, [crisp] flavors of apple and citrus, balanced and mannered, with limey acidity and the density of poached tuna." Wine & Spirits Magazine, 91 points.

Food Pairing: Smoked fish; spicy, Asian dishes; Indian curry

Alcohol: 11.1%

 

Ravines  Limestone Springs Vineyard Dry Riesling 2021

Origin: Geneva, Seneca Lake, NY

Varietals: 100% Riesling

Production/Tasting Notes: Limestone soil; skin contact in tank before pressing; low temperature fermentation in stainless steel tank; ages on lighter lees before bottling; dry style, delicate aromatics of tangerine, juicy peach; flinty, distinct minerality, vibrant acidity. (92 points, Wine Spectator)

Food Pairing: Spicy Asian fare; dessert dishes

Alcohol: 13.3%

 

Willam Heritage Outer Coastal Plain Merlot 2022

Origin: Mullica Hill, NJ

Varietal: 100% Merlot

Production/Tasting Notes: 10 months in 15% new French oak; Notes of strawberry; olive; forest floor; herbal hints of fresh thyme, oregano.

Food Pairing: Burgers; roast beef; ratatouille

Alcohol: 13.5%

 

Lenz Cabernet Estate Selection 2019

Origin: North Fork, Long Island, NY

Varietal: 100% Cabernet Franc

Production/Tasting Notes: Barrel-fermented in open-ended barrels; on the nose, woody, earthy, traces of mint, red cherry, violet, cardomom; hint of vanilla; on the palate, soft, velvety mouthfeel; notes of red plum, pomegranate, raspberry; unfined, unfiltered.         

Food Pairing: Lentil soup; herb-crusted lamb rack; pizza

Alcohol: 12.5%

Paumanok Grand Vintage Merlot 2013

Origin: North Fork, Long Island, NY

Varietal: 100% Merlot

Production/Tasting Notes: Aged for 15 months in French oak (30% new; 70% neutral). Delicate aromas of plums, cola, and licorice with hints of black pepper. The palate is lively, with creamy, dark fleshy fruit - black cherry, plum; dried herb, autumn leaves; mushroom. Warm and expansive on the mid-palate, with rustic tannins, leading to a persistent finish tinged with sweet herbs, hinting at dark earth notes. (93 points, Wine Enthusiast; 93 points Wine Advocate.)

Food Pairing: Mushroom dishes; pasta with pesto or herb sauce; roast pork;

Alcohol: 13%

  

Notes on Wineries

Mural City Cellars, Philadelphia's first independently owned urban winery located in Fishtown, produced its first vintage in 2019.  Grapes are sourced from small growers within a 300-mile radius, extending all the way to Erie, Pennsylvania.  The labels are designed by local artists. The wines tend to be low-intervention and therefore, lean toward the "natural" style.  Wines can be purchased  site for take away or enjoyed on site in their cozy, comfortable lounge or in the outside patio.

Lamoureux Landing Wine Cellars, located on Seneca Lake in Lodi, New York, operates on 119 acres of planted vineyards in 20 different vineyard blocks.  Founded in 1990 and powered by 100% solar energy, the winery produces predominantly Riesling, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc, among others including Gewurztraminer, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Gruner Veltliner.

Ravines Wine Cellars, which cultivates grapes on both Seneca and Keuka lakes, offers two separate tasting rooms - one in Hammondsport, the other outside Geneva.  Highly touted for its Rieslings, the winery also produces very find Pinot Noirs and various red blends consisting of such varietals as Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Blaufrankisch. Founded in 2001 by Morton and Lisa Hallgren,  Ravines pioneered the bone-dry, minerally-tinged Riesling which has since become the touchstone of Finger Lakes wine.  Morten grew up on his family's estate winery in the Cotes de Provence and pursued an advanced degree in Enology and Viticulture in at a prestigious Ecole in Montpellier before working at Clos d'Etournel a "Second Growth" winery of great renown in the Medoc region of Bordeaux.  He also served as chief winemaker for Dr. Konstantin Frank's, before branching out on his own beginning with a 17 acre plot on Keuka Lake.  Ravines now possesses 130 acres of estate vineyards.

William Heritage Winery, based in Mullica Hill, also operates a tasting room in Haddonfield.  The winery, located in the heart of the Outer Coastal Plain AVA in Southeastern New Jersey. was established in 2001, after Bill and Penni Heritage began cultivating grapes on their property in 1999. The winery is he family farm on which the grapes are grown dates back six generations of farming.  Winemaker Kevin Bednar served as assistant winemaker at Gallo as well as other wineries in Australia, New Zealand and Austria.

Paumanok Vineyards is a family winery founded in 1983 by Ursula and Charles Massoud in the North Fork area of Long Island, perhaps the most touted wine region on the entire island. The winery specializes in estate grown, vinifera-based wines, including Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot with production limited to about 12,000 cases annually.  Traditionally dense planting at 1100 to 1400 vines per acre produces more concentrated fruit which leads to higher quality wines.

Lenz Winery, also based in the North Fork community, was orginally founded in 1978, then purchased by Peter and Deborah Carroll in 1988, who over the years worked to improve the quality of the wines together with head winemakers Eric Fry, Sam McCullough and Tom until they retired and passed on the reins to Thomas Spotteck and Jerol Bailey.  The winery employs the techniques of hand harvesting, hand-sorting, low intervention, delayed release and full cluster ripening to enhance the overall quality of the wines.