TN: 2008 Ravines Wine Cellars Dry Riesling (Finger Lakes)

[Peter_C]

I was more than pleasantly surprised by this bottle, I believe it was $14 here in MA.

Dry as a bone with precise lemon, lime and pink grapefruit (sans bitterness) notes, a very refreshing and bracing wine, if lacking depth/complexity.

Certainly worth a pickup under $15, it’s probably a $9 wine in the free world.

[Peter_Tryba]

Fantastic FL Riesling for a reasonable price.

MA $12-17
The “free world” $12-17

$16.95 at the winery (part of the “free world” or not?)
http://ravineswine.com/welcome/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=1&Itemid=62&vmcchk=1&Itemid=62

PMC, you need to get out more if you still think MA pricing is substantially out of whack with the other 49 states of the Union.

[Peter_C]

@Peter Tryba

Fantastic FL Riesling for a reasonable price.

MA $12-17
The “free world” $12-17

$16.95 at the winery (part of the “free world” or not?)
http://ravineswine.com/welcome/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=1&Itemid=62&vmcchk=1&Itemid=62

PMC, you need to get out more if you still think MA pricing is substantially out of whack with the other 49 states of the Union.

From WineSearcher Pro:

Lowest NY price - $12.95
Lowest MA price - $16.50

I think 27% is a substantial discount to MA pricing, don’t you?

Let me put it to you another way. If you’re seeking a toy for the kiddo, you paying $16.50 or $12.95 for the same toy?

[Peter_Tryba]

Wine-Searcher Pro is a crutch. You’re limited to the stores who post Ravines Riesling to their websites. Nor can you immediately ascertain if the price listed is net or discountable.

It’s all good, dude. Keep tilting with those windmills.

[Peter_C]

Don’t go chasing waterfalls.

[Peter_C]

Back to the wine, I’m curious what others who attended Sunday’s poker game thought.

[Peter_Tryba]

@Peter C.

Don’t go chasing waterfalls.

lolz

I’m just bustin’ yer ballz, Papa!

[Michael_Malinoski]

Peter, I enjoyed the wine, thanks. It has a sort of airy bouquet that comes at you in light puffs of lime, white flower, mineral, slate and chalk aromas. Tangy, dry, occasionally a bit sour-fruited on the palate-with lemon, grapefruit, pineapple and stone flavors. Light and lacy, easy to drink. I like it even better knowing it costs around $15 or less.

-Michael

[Peter_C]

@Michael Malinoski

Peter, I enjoyed the wine, thanks. It has a sort of airy bouquet that comes at you in light puffs of lime, white flower, mineral, slate and chalk aromas. Tangy, dry, occasionally a bit sour-fruited on the palate-with lemon, grapefruit, pineapple and stone flavors. Light and lacy, easy to drink. I like it even better knowing it costs around $15 or less.

-Michael

$15 or less in ‘the free world,’ or are you tilting, too

[Evan_Dawson]

That wine is a bit of a buzzsaw, and is designed to be. The winemaker prefers a nervy and mouthwatering profile for his Riesling. Other imitators end up with what we call “acid water.”

A truly adventurous type would order the following wines, which are remarkable for their balance, texture, and character:

Hermann J. Wiemer 2009 Late Harvest Riesling
Wiemer 2008 Dry Reserve
Damiani 2009 Riesling
Bloomer Creek 2009 Auten Vineyard First Harvest Riesling
Standing Stone 2009 Riesling

I’m not a cheerleader, and yet I’d put this group up with Rieslings from anywhere in the world in terms of quality and character. There are some excellent strides happening in Finger Lakes Riesling, if less so for other varieties.

[Peter_Tryba]

Evan,
I’ve tasted a couple of those and they’re delicious! However, PMC does have a point about “the free world” even though it’s misdirected at pricing when availability and shipping are the two most serious issues wine collectors face by living in MA. There are two ways to get those FL wines in MA: a long drive to NY or a shorter drive to NH or RI.

[Peter_C]

@Peter Tryba

Evan,
I’ve tasted a couple of those and they’re delicious! However, PMC does have a point about “the free world” even though it’s misdirected at pricing when availability and shipping are the two most serious issues wine collectors face by living in MA. There are two ways to get those FL wines in MA: a long drive to NY or a shorter drive to NH or RI.

Getting rid of the antiquated and anti-consumer 3-tier system in MA where distributors are in the politicians pockets is the solution.

Let’s keep this focused on the wine itself Tryba, not your business interests.

[Peter_C]

@Evan Dawson

That wine is a bit of a buzzsaw, and is designed to be. The winemaker prefers a nervy and mouthwatering profile for his Riesling. Other imitators end up with what we call “acid water.”

A truly adventurous type would order the following wines, which are remarkable for their balance, texture, and character:

Hermann J. Wiemer 2009 Late Harvest Riesling
Wiemer 2008 Dry Reserve
Damiani 2009 Riesling
Bloomer Creek 2009 Auten Vineyard First Harvest Riesling
Standing Stone 2009 Riesling

I’m not a cheerleader, and yet I’d put this group up with Rieslings from anywhere in the world in terms of quality and character. There are some excellent strides happening in Finger Lakes Riesling, if less so for other varieties.

Evan - what do the wines you suggested above generally sell for? I would probably buy more wine from local wineries, especially Westport Rivers in MA if they were cheaper. Their 2000 BdB is on offer for $30, twice as much as I’d be willing to pay.

Do you run into that situation at all with FL wineries and Rieslings? Or do you feel the majority match up to their French/German counterparts? (I’ve had exactly one FL wine which is why I ask.)

[Joe_Czerwinski]

Peter,

I’m not familiar with the Bloomer Creek Riesling, but the others max out in the low $20s for the Wiemer Late Harvest, with the rest probably under $20.

As for quality, the best thing is to try the wines yourself. I find them a bit different from German Rieslings and not always substitutable. But they do seem to have more minerality than I find in most other New World examples. It’s a great region to visit if you have any outdoor interests–hiking, fishing, boating, birdwatching etc. I grew up there and even though I love the Hudson Valley where I live now, I still miss the FL sometimes.

[Evan_Dawson]

@Peter C.

@Evan Dawson

That wine is a bit of a buzzsaw, and is designed to be. The winemaker prefers a nervy and mouthwatering profile for his Riesling. Other imitators end up with what we call “acid water.”

A truly adventurous type would order the following wines, which are remarkable for their balance, texture, and character:

Hermann J. Wiemer 2009 Late Harvest Riesling
Wiemer 2008 Dry Reserve
Damiani 2009 Riesling
Bloomer Creek 2009 Auten Vineyard First Harvest Riesling
Standing Stone 2009 Riesling

I’m not a cheerleader, and yet I’d put this group up with Rieslings from anywhere in the world in terms of quality and character. There are some excellent strides happening in Finger Lakes Riesling, if less so for other varieties.

Evan - what do the wines you suggested above generally sell for? I would probably buy more wine from local wineries, especially Westport Rivers in MA if they were cheaper. Their 2000 BdB is on offer for $30, twice as much as I’d be willing to pay.

Do you run into that situation at all with FL wineries and Rieslings? Or do you feel the majority match up to their French/German counterparts? (I’ve had exactly one FL wine which is why I ask.)

It’s absolutely right to say that they’re different than their German counterparts. This region has finally gotten to a point of proudly and consistently promoting its own identity with no apologies. You just don’t hear “just like Germany” in the tasting rooms anymore, thank goodness.

Off the top of my head: Damiani is $16, Standing Stone is $13, Bloomer Creek is $18, Wiemer Reserve is $23, Wiemer Late Harvest is generally found for $18. (Late Harvest has proven to be a bit of a fooler for consumers, because this is not a dessert wine. Wiemer makes a TBA-style that is marvelous but considerably pricier.)