You may have noticed something slightly different in the name of this week’s column. Good Wine has now become Good Wines. We’re expanding the scope so that we can bring you more wines to choose from. We’ll have a theme every other week, including regions that deserve more of your attention, varieties you may not be familiar with, and new standouts among those you know.
This week and in our next column, we’ll explore some of the lesser-known varieties of New York’s Finger Lakes, which is justly famous for its Rieslings but which produces many other grapes, both white and red, that do well in this cool-climate region that’s arguably the most important on the East Coast.
Because of that climate, produced in part by the cooling effect of the 11 Finger Lakes, the wines are generally lower in alcohol, with many in the 11–13 percent range. And they are higher in acidity, which makes them excellent partners with food. The best of them have real character, with a lean elegance and complexity that make them a joy to drink.
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They taste and feel a continent away from the often-hefty wines of California, almost demanding that we suspend our thinking about what is a “good wine” — in the Finger Lakes, less can be more. Beyond the moderate “weight” of the wines, where else in the United States will you find a concentration of Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminers, Grüner Veltliners among the whites, and Cabernet Francs, Blaufränkisches, and even a Saperavi or two among the reds?
For the last few months, I’ve tasted more than 75 non-Riesling Finger Lakes wines gathered from dozens of wineries for me by the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance. Most of them can be ordered directly from the wineries. Here are some of the standouts among the whites:
Glenora Wine Cellars Gewürztraminer 2021
After Riesling, Gewürztraminer may well be the next most important Finger Lakes white variety. And this one from the first winery on Seneca Lake shows off the Alsatian variety superbly, with rose and other floral aromas and quintessential but subtle spice, herb, and mineral notes. Ripe fruit tastes are dominated by pear with a touch of ginger on the finish. A small amount of the Siegerrebe variety is in the blend.
Price $15
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Lakewood Vineyards Pinot Gris 2021
Lakewood has come a long way since the 1950s, when it sold its grapes to the Welch’s Grape Juice Company (as have the Finger Lakes as a whole). Today, among Lakewood’s many wines is this lovely Pinot Gris. With stone fruit and tropical fruit notes, including a touch of pineapple, it has a flinty note and finishes with hints of white pepper and cinnamon. It’s delicate, delicious, and drinks more like an Alsatian Pinot Gris than an Italian Pinot Grigio (they’re the same grape).
Price: $15
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Billsboro Winery Sauvignon Blanc ‘Sawmill Creek Vineyards’ 2021
If you like Sauvignon Blanc, this stellar, cool-climate example from Billsboro is light in mouthfeel but full of dimension, with a tiny bit of Albariño in the blend. Green apple, stone fruit, citrus, and strawberry tastes are accented by a touch of the herbal “grassiness” that’s typical of Sauvignon. There’s a hint of cinnamon on the finish. The tastes really emerge as the wine opens up. Made without oak, it’s great for shellfish, cheeses, and for sipping on its own.
Price: $20
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Dr. Konstantin Frank Rkatsiteli 2021
You might not have heard of Rkatsiteli, but this wine will put it on your radar. The Dr. Konstantin Frank winery is named after its pioneering Ukraine-born founder who revolutionized the Finger Lakes by planting the first European (vinifera) grapes in the region in 1958. Today, it’s among the region’s most celebrated wineries and is known worldwide. Among its many wines, the Rkatsiteli — a variety originally from the country of Georgia — is one of the more intriguing whites in the United States. The 2021 vintage of this aromatic variety shows floral, sage, and green apple skin tastes with hints of gunflint and cumin seed. You’ll want to drink it only moderately chilled to taste its complexity.
Price: $19
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Buttonwood Grove Winery Gewürztraminer 2021
This is a gorgeous wine that shows aromas and tastes of green apple and slightly underripe strawberry punctuated by sage, white flowers, and minerals. The winery on Cayuga Lake in Romulus, N.Y., has been owned since 2014 by David and Melissa Pittard, who grew up in the region.
Price: $18
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Anthony Road Wine Company Pinot Blanc 2021
This light and elegant Pinot Blanc — alcohol is listed at just 11.1 percent — is a great warm-weather, casual sipper with lively acidity and notes of white peach, apricot, lemon-lime, and a touch of cream on the finish. It’s aged in both stainless steel and large oak barrels. Founders John and Ann Martini moved to the Finger Lakes 50 years ago, first selling their grapes to other wineries and opening Anthony Road in 1990.
Price: $25
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Next up: Red wines of the Finger Lakes
