Friday, November 6, 2009

Glenora Wine Cellars

FINGER LAKES REPORT – We had just finished our most disappointing wine tasting on the second day of our Finger Lakes tour. We were on the West side of Seneca Lake and hoping to squeeze in just one more tasting.

We left Shaw Vineyard and made it to Herman J. WiemerViney2004_0401Fingerlakes0084ard. We were in luck, I thought, arriving before the “closing bell” of 5 p.m. with the OPEN sign prominently displayed on the door.

Anticipation quickly changed to dismay as we headed to the tasting bar. The bottles were being quickly gathered up and we were informed that we were welcome to buy whatever we wanted, but we couldn’t have any tastings.

The Wiemer wines apparently are rather high end and we found nothing that we wished to purchase without previewing.
The car awaited and we decided to head to our overnight destination, Seneca Springs bed and breakfast.
Then, like an oasis in the desert, Glenora Wine Cellars2009 10 04 067 appeared with a large marquee proclaiming wine tastings until 7 p.m.

Walking in we were immediately drawn to an attractive wine bottle “tree.” The positive impressions continued in the tasting room.

Glenora is a top flight Finger Lakes destination with a scenic perch overlooking the lake, luxurious housing and a restaurant offering eclectic, gourmet fare.

Glenora was a prime stop on our tour last year, and it did not disappoint. Although not available (to my knowledge) in the Toledo area, Glenora wines are one of the more widely distributed of the Finger Lakes wines.
Our tasting began with dry whites and a sip of Signature, a blend of Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Riesling, a tasty beginning ($17.99).

The Golden Glen Chardonnay is a double gold medal winner that has a creamy body with fruit and melon flavors.

The Pinot Blanc is another double gold winner that was my favorite of the tasting. This is an uncommon grape that exhibited a delicate aroma of pears with an oakiness that enhanced, but didn’t smother the flavors.
We finished the whites with two Rieslings, the Vintner Select Dry Riesling which was fruity. And the Dry Riesling, another winner, that had mineral and citrus flavor notes.

On the red tasting menu we led off with a just released Meritage, a Bordeaux blend with 70 percent Merlot  and 30 percent Cabernet Franc. The grapes come from the award-winning Mason vineyards. Priced at $24.99 this is a stand-out.

Our very full tasting day finished with a sample of Sangiovese, which was full-bodied with flavors of cherries and plums.

During our tasting, our host (who had also served us on our visit last year) generously filled us in on the background of the wines and we also enjoyed chatting with other tasters. It seems like you always have something in common once you start talking. After sharing wine, you are soon fast friends.

Glenora is one of the top rated wineries of our visit. The tasting team of Toledo Wines and Vines salutes you!
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