Friday, November 1, 2013

Glenora Wine Cellars: Finger Lakes Winery Visit


Another in our series of Finger Lakes winery reports.
Glenora Wine Cellars is like the Rock of Gibraltar – a solid landmark displaying the strength and virtue of Finger Lakes wines. Since our first visit, when knowledgeable friends told us this was a “must see” winery, we have stopped here each Finger Lakes trip.
We’ve never been disappointed in a visit and I don’t know of a single person who ever visited Glenora and came away without a smile. Glenora offers quality, consistency and a great wine experience.
The setting of the winery is spectacular, spread along a sloping stretch of western Seneca Lake. The Inn at Glenora Wine Cellars is among the top accommodations in the Finger Lakes and the food at Veraisons restaurant is worth the trip by itself.  There is a Glenora wine to please all palates and well trained staff to guide you through your tasting experience while you enjoy the gorgeous views out the window.
We started our tasting with the elegant and very dry 2011 Pinot Blanc before diving into the 2011 Dry Riesling. This has just a smidge of residual sugar at 1.4% and has some nice citrus flavors and minerality. This is a winning Finger Lakes Riesling.
The 2011 Meritage is a dry Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (50%), Cab Franc (42%) and Merlot (8%). This had some strong tannins and could have some aging potential.
We were able to sample a wine not on the tasting list, a 2011 Syrah, which had concentrated dark berry flavors. This has a robust body. It set the stage for my favorite wine of the visit, the Black Diamond Express.
It is a blend of Lemberger, Merlot, Vincent and DeChaunac. Of course I like it because it conjures up the image of the most difficult snowy ski slope – but this wine has it all. We’ve come to love the unique flavors of Lemberger and Vincent is another obscure but winning Finger Lakes grape. This is just a mouthful of jammy goodness.
We closed with another special wine, the 2003 vintage Brut, an off-dry sparkler made with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes.
Glenora is the essence of the Finger Lakes with spectacular scenery, superb wine, great cuisine and friendly, knowledgeable staff. Become a Cellar Dweller on your next Finger Lakes visit!
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