The place for all things wine, focused on serious wine discussions.

WTN: The NiagaraCOOL Sunday Picnic

Moderators: Jenise, Robin Garr, David M. Bueker

no avatar
User

Paul B.

Rank

Hybrid Guru

Posts

2063

Joined

Wed Mar 22, 2006 11:38 pm

Location

Ontario, Canada

WTN: The NiagaraCOOL Sunday Picnic

by Paul B. » Mon Jun 25, 2007 9:57 pm

Finally finished up my notes on the annual NiagaraCOOL Picnic. It was good meeting a number of you folks for the first time and seeing others from previous year's events. I can honestly say that I am already looking forward to next year!

The 2007 NiagaraCOOL Sunday Picnic in North Tonawanda, New York
___________________________________________________________
(Note: For those who may have difficulties opening a PDF file, I've copied just the text of my write-up below. This should also make the core content searchable.)

Sunday, June 24th saw the third annual NiagaraCOOL picnic at West Canal Marina Park in North Tonawanda, New York. As in previous years, participants gathered at the park for a pleasant afternoon of wine tasting, good company, and good eats prepared by our ever genial, ever heroic host and home winemaker, Howie Hart. NiagaraCOOL is a weekend event, and the previous day saw NiagaraCOOLers visit a number of Finger Lakes wineries – a trip that I had previously wanted to join, but had to forego.

As always, it was a pleasure to see old friends – as it was to meet some other WLDGers for the first time in person: Bruce Hayes, James Roscoe and Mark Criden. In addition, the weather was a notable contrast to last year’s, when the “cool” aspect of our gathering really materialized: it was downright chilly last year. This time, though, we had plenty of summer heat – and I remarked at various points during the day that if such weather continues through September, we should have the conditions for some very fine local reds in Ontario and the Northeastern U.S. Time will tell, but I am certainly looking forward to such a year after “the September that wasn’t” in 2006.

No sooner had I arrived than Howie presented me with a glass of bubbly: his very own 2004 Hart Cellars Sparkling Cuvée, a blend of locally sourced Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Rich straw in colour, this was a most fitting refreshment, being crisp and invigorating, beautifully dry and substantive on the mid-palate, with plenty of savoury-biscuit character that was most enjoyable. Based on this excellent sparkler, I have resolved to drink more bubbly over the summer – it is the perfect palate-cleanser and makes for wonderful refreshment in the summer heat, as it did at the picnic. At the time of this writing I still have one of Howie’s “Celebration” dry Cayuga sparklers; I think I’ll open it soon and celebrate the talents of a fine winemaker and host.

Of course, no NiagaraCOOL picnic would be complete without the usual array of unusual vinous suspects – and soon after arriving I was scanning the tables to see what goodies there were. Now, by “unusual” suspects, I’m referring to the vinous underdogs – varieties that, more often than not, have at least one evolutionary foot in the North American continent but that, despite their heirloom status, are rather limited in their distribution and, consequently, in the extent to which they are popularly known. Among these I certainly count Norton (also known as Cynthiana) and Diamond, as these grapes have been around for a long time. I don’t quite count the newer hybrids as underdogs since they have not been on the scene nearly as long and it has yet to be seen what posterity – and history – have in store for them. But more on the newer hybrids in a moment.

It was remarked that the 2001 Horton Norton James brought was oxidized; I have to say, concurring with a couple of other folks that I humbly disagree: I actually thought it was mature, but in no way found it to have the sherry-like aromas of a truly oxidized wine. To my palate, this Norton was comparable to an aged Maréchal Foch, but with more body on the mid-palate. This is no surprise, as I have found this to be the case in the past too: Norton and Foch seem quite similar (you can taste and see their North American “wild grape” origins), though Norton is a denser wine and seems to bespeak its warmer-climate terroir in contrast to the examples of Foch that I’ve tried, which by virtue of where this latter variety is typically grown, have been more medium-bodied (notable exceptions include Malivoire’s inaugural 1998 Old Vines Foch and Quails’ Gate versions from British Columbia). Norton is a perennial favourite of this Canadian; it is an authentically American wine that, unfortunately, isn’t readily available to Canadian wine lovers.

After going back and forth to enjoy the fine cheeses and finger foods laid out on the table, I made a bee-line for the 2006 Salt City Cellars Diamond, made by home winemaker Dan Smothergill (in the picture is Ed). Every time Dan brings this wine, I have this image of him holding a massive diamond his hands – because Dan’s Diamond really is a gem of a wine. I have been consistently impressed by the quality of this grape and its wine – and, by extension, Dan’s knowledge of how to handle it. Crisp and fruity, Dan’s varietal Diamond is reminiscent of both Delaware and Niagara; perhaps more of the latter, though Niagara on its own is an aromatic powerhouse. Crisp, fruity, always clean and dry, Dan’s Diamond is exemplary. I can’t understand why a wine of this quality isn’t being made commercially someplace – it is clearly a grape that works when made into a dry table wine, and could grace many a picnic table in the summer months. What I must mention here is the incredible finish: long after I emptied the glass, there remained in it the most beautiful aroma of linden flowers that I have ever experienced in any wine. Well done again, Dan.

The theme of the blind tasting held at this year’s picnic was Cabernet Franc – and there was a long line of twenty bagged wines on the table, which participants tried in sequence, rating and scoring them as they went along. Due to the timing of my arrival and departure, I had to pace my wine sampling and with considerable regret chose to bypass the Cab Franc tasting, preferring to try the truly rare wines that with reasonable certainty I know I cannot readily get in Ontario. In the accompanying photo we see the blind tasting in action. As I didn’t take any notes on these wines, I humbly defer to those who did, and who will have posted their results on the forum.

Some time back, Howie had mentioned on the forum that he had a varietal Noiret that he was going to bring to the picnic. Now, if you’re wondering what that is, don’t worry – most of us have not yet heard of this variety since although the hybrid crossing was made some 34 years ago, it was only recently released by Cornell University. According to New York’s Food and Life Sciences Bulletin, Number 160, 2006 (ISSN 0362-0069), Noiret is “a complex interspecific hybrid red wine grape resulting from a cross made in 1973 between NY65.0467.08 (NY33277 x ‘Chancellor’) and ‘Steuben’”. To read the entire bulletin with full information on the grape’s development, including its pedigree, varietal character and vineyard performance, I recommend downloading the bulletin, available at this link (note: this is a PDF file).

The 2005 Presque Isle Wine Cellars Noiret from Pennsylvania was a revelation. I fully concur with the official description of the wine: it is very peppery and meaty, and is genuinely a hybrid that makes a completely vinifera-like red wine. Had I not known what I was trying, my first guess would have been Blauer Zweigelt from Austria for the peppery spice and the deep, dark cherry-ruby colour (something that would have ruled out Blaufränkisch – also known as Lemberger – for me, since it doesn’t usually get that dark despite the similarity of aromas). My second guess would have been a locally produced Syrah from an exceptional vintage. Noiret has a fully vinifera-like aromatic and flavour profile and has vinifera-like tannin structure too; this is contrasted by the traditional hybrids, which produce wines with acid-defined structures and minimal tannin. I believe that this grape, once it becomes more widespread in the Northeast (and possibly in Canada, should wineries here take note of its potential) might finally bridge the wide divide between the vinifera and old-line hybrid schools of thought – simply because, although it is a hybrid and amenable to our terroir, it possesses the familiar flavours of classic Old World varieties that don’t require what is an uncomfortable paradigm shift for significant numbers of wine fanciers. This is an exciting development, and I will certainly be eager to try Cornell’s other recent red hybrid release, Corot Noir.

Next up, I tried another of Howie’s wines: the 2006 Hart Cellars Vignoles. Vignoles, of course, has had time to make the vinous rounds across the American heartland, and participants in our inaugural NiagaraCOOL Picnic in 2005 will remember Alan Wolfe’s lineup of Vignoles stickies, which were wonderful. That said, Vignoles clearly makes a most enjoyable table wine too, as evidenced by Howie’s example. I have consistently picked up a strong, pin-point pineapple nose in Vignoles table wines – including those from Michigan – and that same aroma was there in all its glory in Howie’s wine. Vignoles is all about fruit – and that’s what makes it an interesting and versatile variety. We do not have any wineries producing commercial Vignoles in Ontario, and personally I think it is a pity, since this is yet another suitable grape.

Right after trying Howie’s Vignoles, I poured myself a sample of the 2006 Johnson Estate “Freelings Creek” Estate Grown Traminette. This variety, as many already know, is another aromatic white hybrid – and one of its parents is Gewürztraminer. I’ve traditionally had mixed experiences with varietal Traminette; I’ve tried some from Michigan that really didn’t live up to the promise of a fantastic Gewürz-like nose – yet this example from Johnson Estate did yield that aroma in ample measure. However, it wasn’t just the spicy rosewater nose of its Gewürztraminer parent that struck me about this Traminette: there was also a telltale hint of smoky buckwheat (torrefazione) – something that the riparia hybrids provide on occasion. It’s an intriguing blend of aromas that bespeaks the heritage of this grape.

By this time, dinner was served. Earlier, I made sure to take a break to enjoy Howie’s legendary Beans and Greens Soup – and it was superb as always. With lots of greens and plenty of spice, it’s hearty comfort food and tastes great year after year. For dinner, I particularly enjoyed the steaks that Howie cooked up so perfectly on the grill.

The hot weather persisted – and so did the merriment. As I glanced across the park grounds from time to time, it was clear that summer, which had just officially begun some three days earlier, was in full swing. Should this dry heat continue into the fall, I think we can expect some very nice reds across the board in our region. This was a thought that kept coming to me throughout the day.

Later in the day, the results of the Cab Franc blind tasting were revealed. Folks who had been taking notes and scoring the individual wines could now compare their results and see what it was they liked and what they didn’t. There were diverse examples of Cab Franc on the table, with offerings from the Loire to Virginia, to Ontario, to New York – one even being a blend of Cab Franc and Lemberger from the Finger Lakes. I was most inspired to see an example from North Carolina of all places, though I didn’t sample it.

And, so went another NiagaraCOOL Picnic. I extend a big thank-you to Howie and his crew for organizing the day, and to all the fine folks whose acquaintance it was a pleasure to make. This is a tasting that I eagerly look forward to each year, and I can’t understate my pleasure at there being a venue at which wine lovers can gather to learn, compare and contrast a multitude of wines – especially those from our general part of the continent.
Last edited by Paul B. on Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
http://hybridwines.blogspot.ca
no avatar
User

Howie Hart

Rank

The Hart of Buffalo

Posts

6389

Joined

Thu Mar 23, 2006 4:13 pm

Location

Niagara Falls, NY

Re: WTN: The NiagaraCOOL Sunday Picnic

by Howie Hart » Mon Jun 25, 2007 10:44 pm

Paul,
I was very happy to have you join us again. It was a fun day and your notes are great. I'm looking forward to opening your '06 Cayuga (very nice label!) and getting together again, perhaps at MOCOOL, if not before.
Chico - Hey! This Bottle is empty!
Groucho - That's because it's dry Champagne.
no avatar
User

Paul B.

Rank

Hybrid Guru

Posts

2063

Joined

Wed Mar 22, 2006 11:38 pm

Location

Ontario, Canada

Re: WTN: The NiagaraCOOL Sunday Picnic

by Paul B. » Mon Jun 25, 2007 10:57 pm

Thanks again Howie - your work to make the day a success must, as always, be noted and applauded. I, too, hope that we can meet up in the Peninsula sometime to do lunch at one of the wineries. Flat Rock sounds like a good idea, and if Ed joins us it will be that much better.
http://hybridwines.blogspot.ca
no avatar
User

Mark Criden

Rank

Cellar rat

Posts

10

Joined

Fri May 25, 2007 11:56 am

Re: WTN: The NiagaraCOOL Sunday Picnic

by Mark Criden » Mon Jun 25, 2007 11:06 pm

It was a great pleasure to be included and to meet you all.
Mark
no avatar
User

James Roscoe

Rank

Chat Prince

Posts

11012

Joined

Wed Mar 22, 2006 6:43 pm

Location

D.C. Metro Area - Maryland

Re: WTN: The NiagaraCOOL Sunday Picnic

by James Roscoe » Mon Jun 25, 2007 11:13 pm

Nice notes Paul. I forgot how lovely that traminette was. In fact John and I finished it off at Howie's after we unloaded and I wore out Howie's grandson, Drew in a game of tag. It was still singing hours later. John and I both could have downed plenty more if we had had more time. In fact, we stopped at a little winery on the way home and bought there traminette. It's as good as a hybrid gets. I'm glad you enjoyed the Noton, but I think I will drink the other bottle I have sooner rather than waiting for another WLDG get together. Thanks again for the prompt posting of your notes.
Yes, and how many deaths will it take 'til he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind.
no avatar
User

Marc D

Rank

Wine guru

Posts

568

Joined

Wed Mar 29, 2006 6:44 pm

Location

Bellingham WA

Re: WTN: The NiagaraCOOL Sunday Picnic

by Marc D » Tue Jun 26, 2007 12:08 am

Paul,
I enjoyed your write up and the pictures, good job.
I hope someone will write up the results of the Cab Franc tasting, would love to hear how this went.

Best,
Marc
no avatar
User

Ed Draves

Rank

Wine guru

Posts

543

Joined

Wed Mar 29, 2006 11:15 am

Re: WTN: The NiagaraCOOL Sunday Picnic

by Ed Draves » Tue Jun 26, 2007 6:45 am

Great write up, Paul. Would you mind if I saved it and e-mailed it to Jeff Murphy of Johnson?
no avatar
User

Robin Garr

Rank

Forum Janitor

Posts

21612

Joined

Fri Feb 17, 2006 1:44 pm

Location

Louisville, KY

Re: WTN: The NiagaraCOOL Sunday Picnic

by Robin Garr » Tue Jun 26, 2007 8:02 am

Great report as usual, Paul, and it was good to see you.

I'm just a little regretful, though, that you decided to post it as a PDF file off the site. Any chance we could talk you into reposting a simple summary (maybe just the text) on the forum so it will respond to search terms?
no avatar
User

Paul B.

Rank

Hybrid Guru

Posts

2063

Joined

Wed Mar 22, 2006 11:38 pm

Location

Ontario, Canada

Re: WTN: The NiagaraCOOL Sunday Picnic

by Paul B. » Tue Jun 26, 2007 9:49 am

Ed, by all means - please send Jeff a copy. Too bad he couldn't be there in person this year. There are so many wines that Johnson makes that interest me, and it would have been great to chat about hybrids and labrusca with Jeff. Maybe next year!
http://hybridwines.blogspot.ca
no avatar
User

Paul B.

Rank

Hybrid Guru

Posts

2063

Joined

Wed Mar 22, 2006 11:38 pm

Location

Ontario, Canada

Re: WTN: The NiagaraCOOL Sunday Picnic

by Paul B. » Tue Jun 26, 2007 9:51 am

Robin, I could copy the text into a forum post, I suppose, but of course the pictures wouldn't carry over. That said, I chose this time to write my notes in PDF format because in years past, I would manually HTML the pics into the document, upload each of them separately, etc., and it would take forever. With the PDF, it all becomes one integrated file - pics, text and all. I say this now as a recent convert to PDFdom; I used to hate the format for many years.

But sure ... just let me know how you'd like me to post the text and I'll go for it.
http://hybridwines.blogspot.ca
no avatar
User

Robin Garr

Rank

Forum Janitor

Posts

21612

Joined

Fri Feb 17, 2006 1:44 pm

Location

Louisville, KY

Re: WTN: The NiagaraCOOL Sunday Picnic

by Robin Garr » Tue Jun 26, 2007 9:59 am

Paul B. wrote:But sure ... just let me know how you'd like me to post the text and I'll go for it.


Paul, although the text and photos make the article look great, like a magazine, for purposes of getting the hard-core wine-geek stuff in to the forum (and thus searchable in the forum), simply posting the plain text would work fine!

You should be able to get the text by simply using Save As ... text from either your original Word (?) document or the PDF itself.
no avatar
User

Paul B.

Rank

Hybrid Guru

Posts

2063

Joined

Wed Mar 22, 2006 11:38 pm

Location

Ontario, Canada

Re: WTN: The NiagaraCOOL Sunday Picnic

by Paul B. » Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:17 am

Will do ... I'll just edit my original post to keep the link but also include the text underneath.
http://hybridwines.blogspot.ca
no avatar
User

Robin Garr

Rank

Forum Janitor

Posts

21612

Joined

Fri Feb 17, 2006 1:44 pm

Location

Louisville, KY

Re: WTN: The NiagaraCOOL Sunday Picnic

by Robin Garr » Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:24 am

Paul B. wrote:Will do ... I'll just edit my original post to keep the link but also include the text underneath.


Excellent idea! Best of both worlds. Thank you, good sir. :)

You might also enjoy my brief report on the NY State Fair judging, just posted:

Judging New York wines
no avatar
User

Paul B.

Rank

Hybrid Guru

Posts

2063

Joined

Wed Mar 22, 2006 11:38 pm

Location

Ontario, Canada

Re: WTN: The NiagaraCOOL Sunday Picnic

by Paul B. » Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:40 am

Thanks Robin. I was intrigued by the flight of six Niagaras you mention - lucky man! :mrgreen:

Of course, it's no secret that I love a perfumey, floral Niagara. I get all manner of jasmine and acacia flowers in it, coupled with that heavy petrolly note that's so characteristic of the variety.
http://hybridwines.blogspot.ca
no avatar
User

Robin Garr

Rank

Forum Janitor

Posts

21612

Joined

Fri Feb 17, 2006 1:44 pm

Location

Louisville, KY

Re: WTN: The NiagaraCOOL Sunday Picnic

by Robin Garr » Tue Jun 26, 2007 11:07 am

Paul B. wrote:Of course, it's no secret that I love a perfumey, floral Niagara. I get all manner of jasmine and acacia flowers in it, coupled with that heavy petrolly note that's so characteristic of the variety.


Starting with our point of agreement - I actually enjoyed the Niagaras - I have to say that the imagination can be a wonderful thing. ;)

I don't get "petrol" in Niagara at all, certainly not the kind of "petrol" that turns up in Riesling.

I don't really get floral either. My consistent objection to labrusca is that its characteristic aromas are so overwhelming that they defeat all other character in the wine, and that's not a good thing. But in these Niagaras, at least all the sweet white-grape jelly is nicely balanced by mouth-watering acidity, which improves the wine and makes it refreshing.
no avatar
User

OW Holmes

Rank

Wine guru

Posts

729

Joined

Wed Mar 29, 2006 3:57 pm

Location

Grand Rapids, MI

Re: WTN: The NiagaraCOOL Sunday Picnic

by OW Holmes » Tue Jun 26, 2007 11:19 am

Sorry I had to miss this year's picnic, but it sounds just great. Thanks for the notes, Paul. Any way (or place) I can see the photos, now that they have been removed?
-w
-OW
no avatar
User

Paul B.

Rank

Hybrid Guru

Posts

2063

Joined

Wed Mar 22, 2006 11:38 pm

Location

Ontario, Canada

Re: WTN: The NiagaraCOOL Sunday Picnic

by Paul B. » Tue Jun 26, 2007 11:21 am

Robin, Niagara normally should have plenty of crisp acidity to begin with. My objection to the "traditional" style in which the wines have been made rests with an objectionable amount of sugar basically snuffing out whatever natural verve the grapes offer. I'm glad that finally some winemakers are turning to a more balanced approach, which is surely doable with reasonable amounts of sweetness (I actually enjoyed the Niagara that Paulo brought last year; I thought it was a great example of a well made off-dry Niagara).

I may have been a bit euphemistic with my "petrol" descriptor: indeed, it isn't like that found in Riesling; it's decidedly heavier - more like petroleum jelly or home-heating oil. Some have termed it "fusel", but I'm not entirely certain that this is spot-on.

I do get big-time acacia flowers on the nose of Niagara. I guess we process that big aromatic nose differently, you and I! :o
http://hybridwines.blogspot.ca
no avatar
User

Paul B.

Rank

Hybrid Guru

Posts

2063

Joined

Wed Mar 22, 2006 11:38 pm

Location

Ontario, Canada

Re: WTN: The NiagaraCOOL Sunday Picnic

by Paul B. » Tue Jun 26, 2007 11:21 am

OW Holmes wrote:Any way (or place) I can see the photos, now that they have been removed?
-w

OW, if you click on the link in my original post, it'll open up the PDF version and the photos are still very much there. Enjoy!

And we did miss your presence this year.
http://hybridwines.blogspot.ca
no avatar
User

OW Holmes

Rank

Wine guru

Posts

729

Joined

Wed Mar 29, 2006 3:57 pm

Location

Grand Rapids, MI

Re: WTN: The NiagaraCOOL Sunday Picnic

by OW Holmes » Tue Jun 26, 2007 11:23 am

Paul B. wrote:
OW Holmes wrote:Any way (or place) I can see the photos, now that they have been removed?
-w

OW, if you click on the link in my original post, it'll open up the PDF version and the photos are still very much there. Enjoy!


Thanks Paul
-OW
no avatar
User

Howie Hart

Rank

The Hart of Buffalo

Posts

6389

Joined

Thu Mar 23, 2006 4:13 pm

Location

Niagara Falls, NY

Re: WTN: The NiagaraCOOL Sunday Picnic

by Howie Hart » Tue Jun 26, 2007 9:00 pm

OW Holmes wrote:Sorry I had to miss this year's picnic, but it sounds just great...
We missed you too OW. Maybe next year. :wink:
Chico - Hey! This Bottle is empty!
Groucho - That's because it's dry Champagne.
no avatar
User

Victorwine

Rank

Wine guru

Posts

2031

Joined

Thu May 18, 2006 9:51 pm

Re: WTN: The NiagaraCOOL Sunday Picnic

by Victorwine » Wed Jun 27, 2007 1:01 pm

Excellent report Paul sounds like it was a great weekend!

Salute

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: AhrefsBot, ClaudeBot and 4 guests

Powered by phpBB ® | phpBB3 Style by KomiDesign