Inexpensive Winners from the Finger Lakes

I’m always struck by how inexpensive Finger Lakes wines can be compared to those from other regions. This was brought home again the other day when shopping for wines that scored highly at the New York State Fair Commercial Wine Competition. The following include a 20% mixed-case discount and exclude 8% New York Tax.

Keuka Springs ’14 Vignoles (Best White) - $10.40
Chateau Lafayette Reneau ’14 Dry Riesling (Best Riesling) - $10.40
Chateau Lafayette Reneau ’14 Pinot Noir Rose (Best Rosé) - $11.20
Glenora ’14 Riesling (Double Gold) - $11.20
Swedish Hill ’14 Cayuga (Double Gold) - $7.20
Goose Watch ‘14 Traminette (Double Gold) - $9.60

We have tasted the Rosé and Traminette. Both could easily fall in the $20 tipping point group of interesting wines.

Thanks Dan! Happily we have some Glenora in the cellar.

Hi Dan -

Agreed.

I write a wine blog and developed a scoring system that matches quality to price.

When visiting upstate New York in March we tasted several and agreed that the best 'values' were:
Salmon Run 2013 Riesling ($11.99), Brotherhood 2013 Riesling ($10.99), and Whitecliff Vineyards 2012 Riesling ($15.99).

Enjoy!

Dan: Did you source these locally? Harbor View?

No, further south.

Thanks for list. Don't see this locally, but BIL just started teaching at Ithaca, expect to visit at some point, more FL options

Great. I did research for a book about wine and visited Ithaca a few years ago. Fun place, though in an academically subdued sort of way. The B&B owner drove me around town in some stylin' old car he had fixed up, and explained that Ithaca was the gateway to the Finger Lakes. The Finger Lakes regions is intriguing because you have these deep, glacially carved lakes (six hundred feet deep, in the case of Lake Seneca) that notably modify local microclimates. The volumes of water retain, and then re-radiate, heat acquired in summer, modifying local temperatures. Wonderful place to visit, and very friendly locals. Enjoy.

The store was geographically challenged Northside which is on the south side of Ithaca. The Finger Lakes selection is one of the best.

Dale: they have a really nice music program at Ithaca..perhaps you can get in a concert while you are visiting..My daughter played in several concerts at their school of Music back in the day....
Northside, as Dan mentioned, is a great spot for FL wines..Also pretty nice selection of German wines last time I visited.

Yup, Northside is pretty good, but also drop into Red Feet, just off Rt. 13 as it goes north out of town. A more boutique selection of FL wines, with somethings you might not find at Northside. While you are there, the Piggery is a couple doors down and offers great pork products.

Yes, BIL is the new violin prof at SoM. Probably won't be visiting till they buy a place. But wine stores and Piggery noted

It has been announced that Northside in Ithaca is being sold to Wegmans. This follows the pattern in Rochester and Syracuse where the grocery giant also acquired popular local wine stores. Wegmans somewhat disingenuously denies the report, pointing out that in New York the holder of a liquor license can own just one store. Fortunately, the Wegmans are a large family so the name of a different member of the family appears on each license. IMHO the prospects for Northside are not good. Before acquisition by Wegmans, Century in Rochester was known for its quirky, inexpensive wines. Now it's pretty much vanilla. The story in Syracuse for Liquor City is much the same, perhaps more so. Step in the door of Marketview in Rochester or Premium in Buffalo and you notice the difference that truly independent ownership can make for wine lovers.

It has been announced that Northside in Ithaca is being sold to Wegmans. This follows the pattern in Rochester and Syracuse where the grocery giant also acquired popular local wine stores. Wegmans somewhat disingenuously denies the report, pointing out that in New York the holder of a liquor license can own just one store. Fortunately, the Wegmans are a large family so the name of a different member of the family appears on each license. IMHO the prospects for Northside are not good. Before acquisition by Wegmans, Century in Rochester was known for its quirky, inexpensive wines. Now it's pretty much vanilla. The story in Syracuse for Liquor City is much the same, perhaps more so. Step in the door of Marketview in Rochester or Premium in Buffalo and you notice the difference that truly independent ownership can make for wine lovers.

Dan:

You are so right about this. Century is a shell of what it once was. I have not been in Liquor Square in years, but I assume it's the same story. Expect the same if North Side becomes a member of the family.

I live 70 miles away from it, but I stock up at Marketview once a month. Best wine selection in the Finger Lakes region. In fact, I'll be going there on Friday.

While Wegman's grocery stores generally remain the best in Western New York, before the bean counters took over, the stores were better. Instead of fresh baked goods on premise, most of the stuff is now sent frozen to the stores from a central location and then baked, and their penchant for buying out large volumes of a product and then after selling it not stocking it again pisses me off to no end. The other thing I hate is that some stores are low rent. They don't have what other stores have and when you ask for an item they lie, saying it's no longer available, only to find it at another store location. This has happened to me dozens of times.

Dan, Thomas:

If Northside is really being taken over by Wegmans it is a shame. At least there are a couple other good shops in Ithaca.
My interest in wine really took off when I lived in Rochester and I was a regular customer at the old Century on Ridge Road near Kodak Park. When I later saw what it became under Wegmans it made me sad. Mind you, I am not a big fan of Wegmans as a grocery store - I find the prepared foods bland and overpriced, the produce, cheese and meats the standard American supermarket stuff (in general), etc. It is a good place if you need the choices inherent in an entire row of pet food or plastic wrap.

Yes, while it exudes a soulless strip mall aura, Marketview in Rochester has a great Finger Lakes section and the prices can't be beat. Wish I could get to Rochester more often.

Dan, Thomas:

If Northside is really being taken over by Wegmans it is a shame. At least there are a couple other good shops in Ithaca.
My interest in wine really took off when I lived in Rochester and I was a regular customer at the old Century on Ridge Road near Kodak Park. When I later saw what it became under Wegmans it made me sad. Mind you, I am not a big fan of Wegmans as a grocery store - I find the prepared foods bland and overpriced, the produce, cheese and meats the standard American supermarket stuff (in general), etc. It is a good place if you need the choices inherent in an entire row of pet food or plastic wrap.

Yes, while it exudes a soulless strip mall aura, Marketview in Rochester has a great Finger Lakes section and the prices can't be beat. Wish I could get to Rochester more often.

Joe:

Wegmans sells a store-branded cave-aged goat cheese that is absolutely fabulous--and maybe one or two interesting items, but that's about all...and as I posted, it depends on the store location. In fact, that cheese is one of the items one of the store managers lied about and told me was unavailable for another year. I found it in Ithaca last week.

Personally, I'm one of the crowd that likes Weggies. Surveys of supermarkets consistently rank it one of the best (CR might even have it #1 this year) and it's also rated one of the best places to work overall. Not bad. Of greatest importance, they always have the NY Times! It's a shame though what they've done in acquiring good wine stores.