ONLINE FINE WINE TASTING: Meet the Winemakers - New York's Finger Lakes AVA

We are delighted to be working with New York Wines to release the first of two tastings focussing on this emerging and exciting wine state. On this special evening we welcome a trio of winemakers* from the upstate New York wine region of the Finger Lakes who will expertly guide us through the history, geology, climate, geography, grape growing and winemaking of this leading east coast AVA.

The evening will be hosted by wine school founder Jimmy Smith who has experience travelling to and discovering the Finger Lakes. Jimmy was particularly excited by the beautiful Rieslings made in this cool climate wine region.

*Our trio of winemakers are Dr Konstantin Frank, Hosmer Winery and Fox Run Vineyards.

The Finger Lakes AVA

Established as an AVA in 1982, the history of winemaking in Finger Lakes dates back to the first half of the nineteenth century. However, it wasn’t until more than one-hundred years later, in the early 1960s, that the region’s wine industry really began to flourish following the successful introduction of European Vitis Vinifera varieties grafted onto hardy, native rootstock. Today the appellation is New York’s largest and most prestigious winemaking region, receiving both domestic and international acclaim for its cool climate varietals. It is home to more than one-hundred wineries / winemakers whose collective passion and innovation have helped to establish it as a high quality viticultural region.

Despite the often harsh conditions and the difficulties they pose for growers and winemakers, a huge number of different grapes are successfully cultivated in Finger Lakes. These include European Vitis Vinifera varieties such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc, French-American hybrids and indigenous grapes. But the standout variety is undoubtedly Riesling, which accounts for more than one quarter of total production and delivers a wide range of celebrated wines. Vinified dry, sweet and even as an ice wine, Finger Lakes’ Rieslings - across the full spectrum of styles - are flavoursome and well-balanced with the inherent acidity for which the variety is known.

Tasting Date: Monday 22nd November 2021 at 6:30pm (the tasting will last approximately 2 hours).

TASTING FEE STRUCTURE:

For this special two-hour tasting, an exclusive tasting kit is included in the listed price which includes a 75ml tasting sample of each wine, as well as tasting mat, tasting note paper and pen. Note: Tasting kits will be despatched to attendees within the week leading up to the tasting. Upon placing your order, you will receive a link to confirm all delivery details in your booking confirmation email.

Currently, we are only able to deliver tasting kits within the UK.

DON'T WANT TO RECEIVE A TASTING KIT? We understand that not everyone will want to receive the wine samples, and would rather just register to participate in the online evening without the wines. That is absolutely fine! The fee to just register for this evening without receiving a tasting kit is £10. Just enter the promotional code: 60REGONLY when checking out to ensure you just pay the registration cost. 

Tasting Kit: What's Included:

• 75ml tasting sample of each wine (6 in total) contained in a sterilised glass bottle and preserved with an inert gas (designed specifically for wine preservation)
• Tasting mat
• Tasting note sheet
• West London Wine School pen

Wines Included in Tasting Kit (6 in total): 

• Dr Konstantin Frank Dry Riesling 2020
• Dr Konstantin Frank Gruner Veltiner 2019
• Fox Run Vineyards Dry Riesling 2019
• Fox Run Vineyards Traminette 2019
• Hosmer Winery Dry Riesling 2020
• Hosmer Winery Cabernet Franc 2020

TASTING FORMAT:

Jimmy Smith will host this exclusive tasting live at 6:30pm on Monday 22nd November 2021 and will be joined by three winemakers from New York's Finger Lakes region. This single-evening tasting will be approximately 2 hours in length. 

Unable to commit on the evening? No problem! Anyone registered for this tasting will gain access to the video recording of the live event, so you can always watch it at anytime in the future - whether its because you missed participating in the live evening or if you want to revisit the presentation at a later date.