Standing Stone Vineyards Smokehouse Red

I was introduced to this interesting Finger Lakes red blend during the Fabulous Food Show in Cleveland last month. Green Dragon and I were volunteer pourers at the Finger Lakes Wine Country booth and Smokehouse Red was one of the selections.
Standing Stone Vineyards is just a short walk from Seneca Shores B&B where we usually stay during our trips to the Finger Lakes. Despite that, I’ve never been to the winery. We’re always racing from one lakeshore to the next and have overlooked a gem next door.
Luckily Standing Stone is one of the few Finger Lakes wineries that gets distribution in the Toledo area. They are known for their whites – particularly Riesling and Gerwurztraminer. They are a great winery.
Smokehouse Red is a tasty non-vintage wine. It is primarily Cabernet Sauvignon augmented with Pinot Noir and Petit Verdot. The addition of Pinot Noir is a twist that appealed to me – most blends of this sort would use Merlot instead. The individual grape varieties were aged 18 to 24 months in American oak barrels before the final blend was created.
I found the flavors to be fresh and bright, with a smidgen of smoke. This is a dry wine at less than 1% residual sugar. For $14.99 this is a great casual sipper or tasteful partner for pizza and pasta.