i did a quick trip to niagara mainly to see plays but thought i'd catch up on some new stuff and revisit people i hadn't seen for awhile.
creekside - you can't taste there 'mike wier reserve' wines - which i had hoped to do. the new releases of the rest were there though. the grigio '06 needed a couple of hours open before it would have shown its best; but the sauvignon blanc did better without breathing. pleasantly tart and dry and attractive. in an understated french rather than NZ style. The dry rose' '06 was also good - made with cabernets + shiraz! also had a pleasant tart aspect and light flavors. the pinot noir '04 reserve was a rich and rustic wine - very light VA - not at all a 'made' wine. i liked it.
13th street - still only open on saturdays. i now think that overall this may be the best winery in the region. june's riesling (0) '06 had some 'wow' stuff going on including tangerine or some other citrus. pleasantly tart and flavorful. the '06 char musque was a good wine - maybe needs some time in the bottle to be its best; or maybe i should have had it before the riesling. the ETC white - 6 varieties - was very interesting - complex, flavorful and balanced - not oak but plenty of flavor. good wine! the cab franc rose' '06 was really nice and very typically loire - like. it was picked and made to be a rose - not saigne'; and this is important. red wine grapes do NOT make good rose's - sorry. the ETC red '05 was a real winner - cabernets, merlot and gamay. very rich and silky and just delicious. the gamay '05 was a abit lighter but good. the '04 burger blend was all brett - so just couldn't get into that. i hope that the brett doesn't take over the rest of the winery. great job here - knowledgable people too.
flat rock - still really good stuff here. the first release of an oaked chard - called 'unplugged' works super well. everything about this wine is as it should be - even in its youth. loved it. the gravity pinot noir '04 is the real deal - one of the best new world pinots i've had in a long time. integrated oak - lots of fruit and cleanly made. the gewurzt '06 (1) and also a first time wine was also lovely - correct - great balance.
the newest winery up there is calamis - wow is it rustic! the wines are good if not exciting and worth a visit. i esp liked the calamis red '05 a cabernet blend - very flavorful - with some oak and soft tannins.
my overall impression was better than last fall when i was puzzled by the indifferent quality at the wineries i visited then . i guess you have to pick carfefully. i also discovered that indeed the 2005 vintage was not as fantastic there as it was here in MI. the winter damage was plagueing them - and not only was the crop small; but there was uneven ripening in what there was. nevertheless i finallly tasted some '05 reds that reminded me of what we got here.
had an odd experience at one of my favorite restaurants - peller estate. i decided to order 3 apetizers instead of one plus a main course. apparently, this was not satisfactory as i was denied the usual plate of petit fors at the end. that said, the meal itsel was mixed. there was a dish that included game terine layered with foie gras. this was truly wonderful! loved it - except that it came with a sweet compote rather than a sweet tart one - which would have helped. the seared foie gras put atop a mound of barbeque pork worked far less well - not idea what that was all about. the foie gras itself was delice - and so was the pork; but together? NO! anyway, will i go back after being dissed? don't know.