South Carolina - Wadmalaw Island (Charleston) - Firefly Distllery

Firefly Distillery -(July 2017) We had to walk in the back door, so to speak. All the products are made from local grown, on St Johns Island, sugar cane.

My wife started with the Firefly Southern Lemonade (vodka), with mild lemon flavor, was smooth tasting exactly like Country Time lemonade without the sour pucker. The fresh lemons are added at the end of the process so this has a short shelf life if not refrigerated or frozen; it is not a keeper so to speak. The Firefly Sweet Tea vodka smelled of mild fresh-brewed tea and tasted as a glass of iced tea, but not as sweet as sweet tea. Maybe adding the two together would be equivalent to a Long Island Iced Tea. The Firefly peach moonshine was served from a mason jar and the aroma was as if sniffing the peach itself, fuzz too. It was balanced with yellow peach flavor.

She then went to the whisky’s starting with the Firefly Sweet Tea Whiskey. Aged three years in the barrel, the whiskey flavor came first followed by a mild tea finish. The Whiskey Jam started as whiskey with a mild strawberry flavor finish. but we would not call it jam; missing a sense of sweetness. She ended her tasting with Southern Accents Banana Pudding Liqueur, with the right amount of banana and a creamy finish. It was immediately thought of being used for an adult milkshake.

I started with the Firefly Classic vodka, clean, smooth, and dangerous. Distilled six times, it did not have the sting some vodkas have. I then tried the Firefly Blackberry moonshine. I'd compared it to Chambourd; smooth, starting with the berry aroma and the berry finish. The Firefly Apple Pie moonshine name said it all. A nice mild spicy apple aroma followed by the taste of baked apple pie filling. After tasting this one, we agreed this could be one of the versatile spirits.

I continued with the Southern Accents Coconut Cake liqueur. The initial aroma reminded me of a candle. The flavors brought out the coconut taste, including the crème icing, with the coconut texture. The Sea Island Spice rum had the same aroma as the coconut cake liqueur, but not spicy. The Sea Island Java liqueur had a mild coffee aroma, but tasted more like brewed coffee that was allowed to cool.

Virginia - Shenandoah Valley - North Mountain

North Mountain Vineyard - (July 2017) We started off with the 2015 vidal blanc, with a light taste and hints of tropical fruits. The 2015 chardonnay, a 50/50 blend of neutral oak aged and stainless steel aged, finished as if you were actually making caramel, the process, from the buttery start to the sweet finish. The 2016 riesling has a nice crisp, sweet beginning with a green apple finish. The Oktoberfest is a 60% traminette, 35% vidal blanc, 5% Riesling blend with a honeysuckle beginning and a spun candy finish.

The Mountain Sunset, a blush of apples with some cabernet franc to give color had some spice from the grapes to a nicely apple finish. It reminded you of baked apple pie. The Virginia Apple wine was as if drinking apple juice.

The claret, their version of a Meritage, is an equal blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and petit verdot. Aged in French and American oak, the blend was well balanced with all the characteristics of a Bordeaux blend. The 2015 cabernet franc reserve had nice mild red and white pepper spice notes with nice tannic ending. The 2015 cabernet sauvignon had nice cherry notes.

The surprise was the 2015 chambourcin. Served after all other dry reds, this was deep in color, which I had not seen before, and had been aged in neutral bourbon barrels. The spiced plum flavors were offset by the nice char from the bourbon barrel. Tom’s Brook Red is a sweetened blend of cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon. It had more spice quality to it compared to the individual variety.

We were treated to a 2007 vidal blanc. It had aged well with notes of apricot and tangerine.

Texas - Ivanhoe - Homestead Winery

Homestead Winery - A friend went to Texas and visited the tasting room in Grapevine and brought back a Tempranillo for me. The wine was well balanced with initial aromas of fresh tobacco, plum flavors and a black pepper and charred oak finish. I will have to admit, I liked it as it aged over the four days I drank the bottle

South Carolina - Wadmalaw Island (Charleston) - Deep Water Vineyards

Deep Water Vineyard - (July 2017) All the wines are made from the muscadine grape variety

We started with the whites, the first of which, called Low Tide, made from the scuppernong variety Tara, was dry like a pinot Grigio with a nice grape aroma, similar to a Riesling with a mild fresh-brewed tea taste. The Magnolia, made from the scuppernong variety Carlos, was supposed to be the sweetest of all the wines. It is Jesse’s, the new winemaker and owner, first wine to be bottled (all others are from the previous winery owners). It started off with a nice peach aroma and tasted liked it was fortified with brandy. As it warmed up, I got notes of apricot, but I think the alcohol amount is higher than expected.

The red wines started with the Deepwater Blend, a blend of the Noble and Ison varieties of muscadine. The initial aroma reminded me of church wine, but it changed to bing cherry as in aerated. It also started with a mild fruit flavor and changed to bing cherry flavors over time. I also thought this one had more alcohol than expected. The Lowcountry Red, made from the Ison variety, was the drier of the red wines. It was balanced with a nice mild color and plum flavors. High Tide, made from the Noble variety, was darker in color and tasted more like church wine though not as sweet with plum and dark fruit flavors.

After tasting the wine, we were able to taste the juice that starts the entire process. We were able to try Tara for the white, which also had the fresh-brewed tea flavor, and Noble for the red.

New York - Seneca Lake (east) - Bloomer Creek Vineyard

Bloomer Creek Vineyard - Feb 2017 - We saw the Kimberton Inn had wine and food pairing dinners and decided to try this one with US wines. The first course was linguini with clam sauce and guanciale, cured pork cheek served with Bloomer Creek (NY) Pet Nat Chardonnay. Ah, what memories of the Finger Lakes - with honeysuckle and pineapple flavors.

August 2016 - This must be a good place if a you meet a former colleague here.There were two types of tasting - regular and reserve. We decided to split one of each. The winemaker suggested they do regular tasting first, then the reserve.

We started with the 2013 Tanzen Dame Edelzwicker, a blend of Riesling, gewürztraminer, and Cayuga. This German‐style wine had just the right hint of Cayuga sweetness, followed by the 2014 Tanzen Dame dry Riesling, with the right amount of tartness. The 2013 Tanzen Dame dry Gewürztraminer, with its two‐day skin contact was floral and hoppy. My wife thought of having gruyere cheese with it and the winemaker agreed. They finished the first tasting with the Café Red, a blend of cabernet franc, merlot and two hybrids, Corot noir and noiret. It had a fruity, berry forward, but high in tannins.

We started the second tasting with the 2014 Tanzen Dame Auten Vineyard dry Riesling. I picked up on the tart lime flavor. we were able to compare it to the 2013 Tanzen Dame dry Riesling, from the
second harvest; it was better than the first Riesling we tried. The 2012 pinot noir followed; it was light‐bodied with high tannins. We finished this tasting, with the 2012 White Horse, a cabernet franc and merlot blend. It was kept on the lees for over a year without stirring and its aroma, flavor and tannins were well‐balanced.

New York - Seneca Lake (east) - Hazlitt Vineyards

Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards - (August 2016)

My wife chose the sweet wines: Cabin Fever, a blend of Cayuga and Catawba grapes, was as blush as a white zinfandel. The White Cat, pure Niagara grape wine was adult Welch’s grape juice, while the White Cat Sangria, did not do the wine justice; it was too sweet. The Red Cat Sangria, a blend of concord and Catawba grapes was better suited for the sangria, but as Red Cat, it did not have the concord tartness. The Bramble Berry was made with Catawba infused with berry flavors. She got to try it with chocolate and it reminded her of a dessert wine.

I chose the 2013 Gewürztraminer, was floral on the palate and its flavor was reminiscent of a
traminette. The 2013 barrel fermented chardonnay, fermented in French oak, had a subtle oak start and a buttery oak finish. The Schooner White, a blend of Riesling, sauvignon blanc and gewürztraminer, was all over the place from aromas, palate and finish, but this is what made it an interesting wine.; my wife liked it. I was able to try the 2013 Riesling and the 2014 Riesling side by side, as a treat. The 2013 had orange undertones and the 2014 had a crispier finish. I then moved to their only reds: the 2012 pinot noir was high in tannins and the 2012 cabernet franc lost its aroma and palate to the heavy tannins. Tasting it with chocolate did not alter my opinion.

New York - Seneca Lake (east) - Shalestone Vineyards

Shalestone Vineyards - (August 2016) I wanted to stop here because of the zweigelt wine. All dry wines.

We walked to the tasting room and were served by the owner and winemaker. He explained that he only did dry reds, which he likes, and that was the reason for his winery.

I started with the 2014 zweigelt, a medium‐bodied Austrian grape wine that was fruit forward and
a mellow tannic structure. It was different and I didn’t know what to expect. The Harmony, a blend
of cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and merlot, was fruit forward, more mellow than the zweigelt,
but higher in tannins. The 2014 cabernet franc was fruity and full‐bodied with a black pepper aroma;
heavy tannins, while the 2013 Cross‐Rows, a blend of merlot, syrah and lemberger, which are
interplanted in the vineyard, lost its forward fruit flavors to the heavy tannic finish.I finished with Red Legend, a blend of cabernet franc, lemberger and merlot, which again, lost the fruit forward with the heaviest tannic finish.

New York - Seneca Lake (east) - Dano's Heuriger

Dano's Heuriger - (August 2016) We stopped at this Viennese restaurant to experiencing their tradition of enjoying food and wine.

We decided to have a glass of Riesling wine with our meal. We shared the mixed plate appetizer, which had liptauer, an Austrian specialty, smoked white fish spread, horseradish beet salad, fresh bread, cucumber dill salad, poached salmon with a creamy horseradish dill spread, Viennese herring salad, and smoked trout. For the entree, we shared the Viennese bento box, which had bockwurst, roasted pork, cucumber salad, knodel, a potato salad, spatzle, braised red cabbage, and a spicy mustard. All the food was delicious.

New York - Seneca Lake (east) - Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars

Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars - (August 2016)

My wife decided to start with the 2014 semi‐dry Riesling, which had pronounced movement on the
palate and a better, sweeter, finish than the Red Oak Vineyard version and continued with the
comparison of the 2015 Gewürztraminer, subtle floral nose and a crisp finish and the 2015 semi‐dry
Gewürztraminer, having more floral on the nose and a smooth finish, at one time. She liked the dry
version better. She also tried the 2014 42 North, a blend of Muscat, chardonnay and Riesling, a good
sipping wine, the Estate White Cuvee, their everyday house proprietor’s blend, and the 2015 Moscato; say no more.


I started with the 2014 Red Oak Vineyard Riesling, with smooth grape movement from beginning to end with a crisp finish. U then moved to the reds starting with the 2013 pinot noir, light color and body, but high in tannins. The 2011 merlot, block 137, had a light smoke aroma and an oaky finish. I try the 2014 T23 unoaked cabernet franc, light‐bodied with a white and black pepper aroma, and 2012 Cabernet franc, with more body, a smoky finish and a hint of oak, side by side. As a surprise, I was given a taste of the 2007 T23 unoaked cabernet franc, which over time has become a full‐bodied, fruity, mellow, wine. I finished with the 2012 76 West, their Meritage blend of cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and merlot, with berry and coffee notes. Nothing compared to the 2007 unoaked cabernet franc.

The 2007 cabernet franc had a different type of nozzle on it, the Coravin system. It is a stainless steel needle that goes into the cork and comes with an argon canister which displaces the air in the bottle to prevent oxidation.

New York - Seneca Lake (east) - King's Garden Vineyards

Kings Garden Vineyards - (August 2016) They are about dry wines.

I started with the 2013 chardonnay, which was barrel fermented. It had a soft oak aroma, a hint of sweetness, possible from a fruit, and a subtle buttery finish. My wife liked it but was not thrilled
as she tasted the oak. While I tried the reds, she was given a taste of Royal Pain, a sweet white
blend (not part of the tasting menu).

As a treat, I was given a taste of the 2012 Merlot, deep in color, soft oak aroma, berry flavor on the
palate and a smooth finish which lingered. I asked my wife to try it and she liked it. I was then able to try, side‐by‐side, the 2011 and 2012 cabernet franc. The 2011 was full‐bodied while the 2012 was similar, but less tannic; it still had bite. I finished off with the 2011 cabernet sauvignon and the 2013 syrah.

New York - Seneca Lake (east) - Idol Ridge Winery

Idol Ridge Winery - (August 2016) We decided to forego the distilled spirits and stay with the wine tasting.

My wife started with the 2012 Gewürztraminer, which had no floral aroma and a light floral taste with a crisp finish. The sparkling Riesling was a disappointment; the effervescence lost all the flavor and aroma. The Deep Lake White, a blend of Riesling, traminette, velvin Muscat and gewürztraminer, was sweet on the tongue at first, but then had a tart, crisp finish; it’s a good sipping wine that can catch up with you if you are not careful. The sparkling moscato was better than the Riesling; my wife was happy. The Timber Lodge white, a Cayuga and Niagara blend, was the sweetest table wine they offered. My wife finished with the Timber Lodge red, a blend of Chancellor, marechal focht, pinot noir and Cayuga. It had a sweet taste to it, but there was something about it they couldn’t be described.

I started with the Big Timber white, a blend of Chardonnay, Riesling and pinot Gris. I was able to
pick out some tartness. The tasting guide said there was oak, but I could not find hints of it. I then
went right for the reds. I started with the 2013 syrah, medium‐bodied with tannins. The noiret, a
Cornell hybrid, aroma reminded him of peanut butter and jelly or the cake around fig Newton’s. I got
white pepper on the palate and the tannins were balanced. The 2012 cabernet franc was fruity and has
a nice lingering oak finish. I finished with the Big Timber Red, a blend of just about every red grape they have, which had a pleasing fruity palate, medium tannins and a lingering subtle oak finish, and the 2013 Meritage, a blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot; it was fruiter than the cabernet franc.

As part of the tasting, we were treated to a complimentary taste of Deep Lake White. My wife got an
extra pour while I got a pour of the same wine.

New York - Rochester - Three Brothers Winery

Three Brothers Winery - (August 2016) Located in the Eastview Mall in  a home brew store.

I decided to do the semi‐dry Riesling, which I enjoyed, but my wife did not. The semi‐dry Gruner veltliner, which was dry and crisp, was not liked by my wife at all. The pinot noir was medium bodied and heavy in tannins. The Jazz Infusion, a blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir and barbera, was full bodied and balanced with flavor and tannins. The barbera was uneventful.

My wife had Poor Limp Richard’s, a sweet muscat and Niagara blend, the Skirt Lifter, a sweet Catawba and noiret blend, the Two Banger, a sweet gewürztraminer and merlot blend, and the white merlot. She liked Two Banger's the best.

A friend joined us and sampled Lieutenant Dan’s IPA, which her husband has turned her to
liking, which was good, the chardonnay, which was okay, the pinot noir, the merlot and the Jazz Infusion. Of the reds, she liked the Jazz Infusion best.

New York - Fairport (Rochester) - Casa Larga Vineyard and Winery

Casa Larga Vineyard and Winery - (August 2016) We were on our way to visit friends and stopped here on the way.

My wife chose sweets while I went with dry wines. My wife started with the 2013 muscat d’ottonel, not moscato, which was a semi‐dry. She did not care for it, but I liked the crisp finish. She then tried the Lilac Hill, a mostly Riesling blend, but similar to a Gewürztraminer or traminette. The dolci bianco, was a clean refreshing wine. When comparing the white to the red sangria, she liked the white the best, with its lime and pineapple flavors.

I started off with the semi‐dry Riesling and thought my wife would like it because it was crisp and
had sweetness on the tongue, but she didn’t. The Chard‐Riesling, a 50/50 blend, was more refreshing
that the previous winery. But the reds were better. The tasting host, because of all the discussion we
had to this point, gave me an extra tasting of the cabernet sauvignon. It was lightly oaked. The
pinot noir was medium bodied and had hints of cassis. The Tramonto, a red blend, was well balanced
and had the aroma of fresh green pepper and tart cherries. It is their number one seller and I can see why. The petite noir was more of a rose than a red.

As another treat, the tasting host gave me a taste of the Meritage, their blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot. The full‐bodied wine was well balanced with berry notes and a lingering oaky finish. It was definitely better than the Tramonto. My wife was treated to the wild fermented Riesling, which was at first a concern, but after being described, was a welcome treat. The subtle hints of apple and lime helped balance the acidic finish.

Ontario - Niagara on the Lake - Lailey Winery

Lailey Winery - (August 2016) We looked at the wine selections before deciding. My wife had the Riesling, the late harvest Riesling, which was typically available by purchase only, but there was an opened bottle so she was able to try it, and the red ice wine, a blend of cabernet franc, merlot and cabernet sauvignon.

I had the pinot noir, which I got the maraschino cherry aroma and taste, the unfiltered cabernet
franc and the syrah. The syrah was lighter than expected. There was a zweigelt, a grape I had not heard of until coming to New York, available by purchase only, but I decided not to purchase it without tasting.

Nothing stood out.

Ontario - Niagara on the Lake - Riverview Cellars

Riverview Cellars - (August 2016)

We entered a crowded tasting room. We saw another tasting room in the back of the building (for food pairing by reservation) but walked into the retail shop and browsed while waiting. When it was our turn, the tasting host apologized for the wait and explained that each taste was two dollars unless we did a flight for five dollars. The flight did not include the ice wines.

My wife decided to try the Gewürztraminer, but it was more floral than what she was use to. She also had the Fontana Dolce, a sweet white wine, and the Fontana Rose, a wine similar to white zinfandel.
I tried the baco noir, which was very mellow, the syrah, bolder than the baco noir, but its tannic
structure was more bitter, and the cabernet franc, which had no taste or finish. Nothing impressed us.

Ontario - Niagara on the Lake - Two Sisters Vineyards

Two Sisters Vineyards - (August 2016) Due to some Canadian Law, we could not start tasting until 11 am.

My wife started with Lush, their sparkling wine made from chardonnay, but having a rose color due to the process. It was explained that when the fermentation was completed, the bottle is allowed to settle and when the sediment is removed, the winemaker adds in wine, usually a red, to top off the bottle. Each bottle is different based on the amount removed, amount added and which wine is added. My wife's glass fizzed a pale pink color. I started with the Riesling. The dry version was crisp and had the faint Granny Smith apple aroma.

My wife then had the Vidal ice wine. Similar to Inniskillin, there was something about the taste that she did not like. I tried the Eleventh Post, a 50% merlot, 25% cabernet sauvignon, 25% cabernet franc
blend. This was done old‐world style where the wine is blended prior to fermentation and aging. It was well‐balanced and fruit flavorful.

Our last wine tastes were the cabernet sauvignon ice wine for my wife and the cabernet franc for
me. My wife enjoyed the ice wine as it did not have the characteristics of a typical cabernet
sauvignon, but was not as sweet as she expected. I enjoyed the cabernet franc. It had a fresh, right
out of the garden pepper aroma and the same for the finish, which lingered just as it does on your
palate when eating the real thing. (After some wine classes, this is not something you want in your wine, but it was still good.)

While we were there, we decided to have lunch. The entire menu was interesting. My wife decided on the heirloom beet carpaccio while I got the grilled octopus. For an entrée, we would share the
prosciutto and arugula pizza. I asked to have a glass of the unoaked chardonnay, as suggested,
with the octopus. The beets were good, but I still think they taste like dirt. The octopus was a surprise in that it was definitely larger than squid, but its tentacle texture was like lobster. The various radishes that were an accompaniment added the crunch and spice to go with the sweetness of the octopus. Shaved celery also came as part of the dish, but it did do the same for the octopus.

By the time the entree came, our table was entirely in the sun and the silverware hot. We each ate two pieces of our pizza and decided to take the remainder with us. Our server asked if we wanted to move, but we asked to take the pizza with us. As part of their lunch purchase, we were able to go back to the tasting room and try one addition taste at no charge.

Our tasting host recognized us from earlier and asked how lunch was. We explained what we had for lunch and they were not familiar with the octopus; we sold them on it. I decided to try the merlot and my wife the Riesling ice wine. The merlot was full‐bodied, but not as good as the cabernet franc. She liked the ice wine.

Ontario - Niagara on the Lake - Inniskillin

Inniskillin - (August 2016) There are two types of tastings - table wines and ice-style wines. We would share one of each.

We started the table wine tasting with the Riesling. It was a dry to semi‐dry version, with a crisp finish. I liked it, but my wife was not crazy about it. We then tried the Chardonnay. The bar host, Donald, put it in its own glass. I liked the subtle oak hints and the rich mellow buttery finish; my wife enjoyed this one too. The last white wine was the viognier which was not as sweet as expected. Donald also put this in its own glass. We noticed a trend that each taste would be in its own
glass. (No wonder the tasting fees are higher as they have lots of glassware to wash.)

For the red wines, I tried the pinot noir, which was full‐bodied, but high in tannic structure. The syrah cabernet franc blend, which was bold, seemed to be missing something, and the cabernet franc, which was the best of the three wines with its finish.

My wife chose the basic ice wine flight so we got to taste the most varieties. The tasting host poured the four wines, each in their own glass. We tried the chardonnay first. Although it was sweet, it was missing characteristics of a typical chardonnay. I asked if it was aged in stainless steel so it would be missing traditional notes similar to the table wine; it is. We then tried the Vidal, which had a weird taste. It may have also been that this was the thickest of the four wines, like syrup. The Riesling was the lightest of the whites but did not impress us. The cabernet franc had a mild flavor, but I liked it best without the chocolate. The chocolate did not elevate the wine to a different level like most wines do when paired with chocolate.

New York - Seneca Lake (west) - Pompous Ass Winery

Pompous Ass Winery - (August 2016) Yes, this is the name of the winery. We drove past in northward and decided to see what it was about. We pulled in the parking lot and walked into the crowded tasting room; the name must be the reason.

We walked up to the bar and although it took awhile for a tasting host to greet us, she apologized
for the wait. She explained the tasting policy and took our payment. We tasted all the available wines. 

We would both try the Highfalutin Red, a blend of marechal focht and cabernet franc. They posted notes of butterscotch but I got plum. The Chardonnay had no aroma or taste, but was dry and crisp. Pure Arrogance, made from traminette, has several sweet aromas and flavors going on, but none were overpowering or stood out.. The 2013 Riesling had honey sweetness on the nose. Their Big Ass Red is a blend of cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc, but the cherry overtones as stated were undertoned.

The Kick My Ass white was a blend of Cayuga and Vidal blanc, with a honey aroma. The Kick My Ass blush was a blend of cayuga, vidal blanc and concord; tast. The Kick My Ass red was the Highfalutin red with concord added; the concord overpowered the other grapes. The Pretentious port, the same as the KMA red, was fortified with brandy; the alcohol was over powering.

New York - Seneca Lake (west) - Shaw Vineyards

Shaw Vineyards - (August 2016) At the recommendation of a couple who were doing a tasting with us at Hermann J Weimer, we made this a stop on our vacation trip. I'm glad we did. Since these were dry wines, we decided to share a tasting.

We started off with a 2003 Chardonnay, which at first, I thought would not be good, but surprisingly, it was flavorful, yet slightly acidic. We then tried the 2014 Road Block Riesling, named so because the grapes which make this wine form the road block for the remainder of the vineyard. I enjoyed it but it was too dry for my wife. We also tried the 2010 pinot noir, 2006 merlot and the 2008 Keuka Hill reserve, a blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot. All three red wines were heavy on the tannins which in my opinion masked the fruit flavors; maybe they were past their prime. We decided to purchase the chardonnay as something different.

New York - Seneca Lake (west) - Hernamm J Weimer

Hermann J Weimer Vineyard - (August 2016) We enjoyed our tasting in the nicely restored barn.

I decided on the 2014 Chardonnay, because it was aged in neutral oak barrels, to see how it would
taste against similar wines. The taste and finish of the oak was not like I had tasted before. I asked
my wife to try it and surprisingly, she liked it. I then had the gewürztraminer, which had heavy floral notes on the nose and continued to the palate. The reserve dry and semi‐dry Rieslings were each in their right flavorful and balanced. I finished my tasting with the cabernet franc, which was mellow
compared to others.

My wife also tried the gewürztraminer, reserve dry and semi‐dry Rieslings, but she added the late harvest Riesling, which she enjoyed the most.

New York - Seneca Lake (west) - Villa Bellangelo

Villa Bellangelo - (August 2016)  When we walked in, we were instructed by the cashier to go to the back tasting bar to do our tasting. The bar was crowded so we waited our turn, but after awhile, no one acknowledged us. There was activity in the side tasting room so we walked in and looked around. The tasting bar host greeted us and explained that they were in the group tasting room and that he did not have the entire selection that was available at the other tasting bar. We were welcome to do our tasting there, but we would be limited to what he could offer. We decided to go back to the other
tasting room. It had cleared out a bit and when there was a hole at the bar, we stepped up. The attendant explained the tasting policy and after taking our payment, allowed us to choose our wines.

I started off with the dry Riesling followed by the Tuller Vineyard Riesling, more a semi‐sweet wine. I then had the cabernet franc, merlot and Meritage, a blend of merlot, cabernet franc, and cabernet sauvignon.

My wife had the Bella Fresca, their house wine, moscato, and their scooter series: white – made from
Niagara, pink – made from Catawba, and red – made from concord.

The wines were not exciting.

New York - Seneca Lake (west) - Glenora Wine Cellars

Glenora Wine Cellars - (August 2016) We were there at a busy time and were lead to our tasting table; we could select six wines from a vast list.

I decided to try the pinot blanc since I had not heard of it before. The first was a blend of
stainless steel aged and barrel‐aged. There was a taste to it that I could not determine, but after
tasting the stainless steel by itself, the stainless steel was better without the oak aging. The stainless
steel had a hint of pear and a crisp finish. It may have also been that I was able to taste it with a
smoked cheese. I would compare the finish to something I have had with a dry Riesling. Since I had the merlot at Versiaon's, I had the Meritage, a blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot. The blend was better than the merlot by itself; the tannic structure was balanced by the dry palate and spicy aromas and finish. There were two cabernet francs to choose from and since one was without oak, I decided to try both of them. The oaked cabernet franc was flavorful with its peppery notes, but it was unoaked version that brought out the natural flavors of the grape and wine. My last tasting was the Black Diamond Express, a blend of cabernet franc, noiret, merlot and baco noir. This blend was much better in flavor and tannic structure.

My wife's tastings consisted of the Willow White, a while blend, the Bobsled Red, a sweet like jam wine with peppery notes, which she was able to taste with a smoked cheese. The Audacious Apple, with its blend of apples, was pleasing to the palate. She also had the select harvest Riesling, Jammin Red, a strawberry wine, and the Glenora port, which was overpowered with brandy.

While we were doing our tasting, we were able to sample some small bites of other various cheeses, but I did not write them down in the tasting notes. The only thing that comes to mind was the one
cheese had too much garlic and took away from the flavor of the wine.

New York - Seneca Lake (west) - Veraison's (at Inn at Glenora)

Veraison's at the Inn at Glenora - (August 2016) We decided to stop here for lunch while we did thr west side of Seneca Lake. We were seated at a table, not near a window, but with a view of the vineyards and Seneca Lake. The menu was not extensive, but gave many choices. My wife decided on the apricot chicken croissant, and I decided to start with the coconut corn soup and have the summer flatbread. We also decided to have the wine suggested pairing for each of our entrees, Goose Watch rose brut for my wife and merlot for me. The rose brut was a champagne‐style wine and the merlot had spicy hints, but was not one of the better he has had.

The coconut corn soup was not bright yellow, like sweet corn, but an off‐white, similar to using the color of the milk that comes from the corn. I did not get the hint of coconut, but did get the peppery taste of cilantro. The lime oil added a different element to the soup allowing the citrus tartness contrast to the sweet corn soup.

The apricot chicken croissant came with sweet potato fries. The croissant was layered with a chicken salad mixture of grilled chicken, apricots and pistachios mixed with crème fraiche instead of mayonnaise and topped with a sweet onion sauce. A bit messy since it fell out of the croissant when you bit into it. The summer flatbread came on a long plate. The bread was spread with an herbed jam, most likely made from sweet and purple onions, topped with jamon Iberico, similar to prosciutto, primo sale, a mild cheese, and blood orange oil. The arugula sprouts on top gave it the right amount of crispness and bite.

When the entrees were finished, the server was able to entice my wife into have a fresh fig dessert. It
came with fresh figs, figs mixed with crème fraiche, fig ice cream all of which had salted caramel chips sprinkled on top. A nice ending to an enjoyable meal.

New York - Seneca Lake (east) - Wagner Vineyards

Wagner Vineyards - (August 2016) This was the first winery we went to on the eastern shore of Seneca Lake. They have a nice sizeable menu and allowed four tastings.

I tried one white, their 2013 semi-dry Gewurztraimer. It had a light floral aroma, but had more earth on the palette. The 2012 Cabernet Franc was mellow. Aged in American oak for fourteen months, it imparted vanilla on the palette and had a lingering oak finish. Their reserve 2011 pinot noir, aged in American oak for a year, had an oakey aroma, with little taste and lots of tannins. The 2012 Meritage, made only two or three times a decade, was an enjoyable wine, but not what I was expecting - more complexity.

My wife tried two whites,  the 2013 semi-dry Riesling with a nice crisp finish, the 2013 Riesling Select, from 40 year old vines, was sweeter on the palette but had a harsh finish. She tried the Sunset Red, a concord based wine, which had a fresh-brewed tea aroma and tea flavor as it sat in the glass. The Alta B Red, a blend of concord, deChaunac ab chancellor, was a nice blend, but not impressive.

South Carolina - Hilton Head - Island Winery

Island Winery - (July 2017) You can choose six of the available wines for a complimentary tasting; there were twelve on the available menu while we were there.

I started with the 2015 dry Riesling, grapes from Washington state, with an apple aroma and a light lemon flavor, it was not until the third taste that the honeysuckle entered the finish. The American Riesling, done in a German style, had the sweet Riesling grape aroma with a clean tart finish. The 2016 Carmenere, from Chile, with hints of blackberries and mild oak was nice, but it was the 2016 Malbec, also from Chile, with its dark cherry notes, more balanced with even softer tannins and oaking. The 2015 cabernet sauvignon, from California, had notes of plum, higher tannins, but a nice mild oak finish. The 2015 petit sirah, also from California, was deep with higher tannins, blackberry on the nose and notes of plum and currants.

My wife started with the Sea Island white, a blend of vidal blanc, seyval blanc and pinot gris from Michigan, with its faint pear-skin finish. The harvest white sweet muscadine was balanced and at a 4% residual sugar, was not overly sweet. Peach on the Beach, had good aroma, but reminded us of cling peaches in syrup, without the thickness. Southern Passion, their southern style sangria was bland except for the hint of orange at the end. The margarita wine had it all there, minus the salt rimmed glass; refreshing. She chose not to do the elderberry mead as she felt she had too much to drink at that point.

South Carolina - Hilton Head - Hilton Head Distillery

Hilton Head Distillery - (July 2017) There are two tastings, the neat version with one mixed drink, or choose three mixed drinks to try. We chose the neat version.

Jane, our tour guide, took us and several other people on the tour of the distillery. Long story short, slide presentation of rum history, tour of distillation facility from the rum making process to the distillation of the finished product. It’s amazing how 2500 gallons of initial product becomes 500 gallons of finished product.

Pinny was prepared to assist Jane. They gave each of us a tasting cup and before we started, Jane explained how to taste the spirits; similar to what we were taught in Mexico with our tequila experience. We started with the Aermoor vodka. It was smooth and went down nicely with a hint of citrus. The Two Traditions platinum white rum, the base rum, was just as smooth as the vodka. The Two Traditions toasted coconut rum smelled like fresh coconut and started off nicely, but the after taste told you it was an extract and not the real thing.

The Mountain Peak espresso rum, made with coffee beans from South America, was smooth and tasted as if it was a brewed coffee. The Redlock spiced rum was not over powering. My wife was able to pick out the cinnamon and nutmeg, but it was the anise, licorice, as one of the spices that took us by surprise. The last of the rums, the Two Traditions dark 23, named for the twenty-three barrels that are made, was a teasing since it is not available for sale. It will still age in whisky barrels from California until later, if not the end of the year. It was the best of them all. After finishing the neat versions, Jane and Pinny served the mixed cocktails. They were not just a taste, but the entire glass. My wife's drink reminded her of the bay breeze she had the night before and mine an iced coffee; both are dangerous.

South Carolina - Hilton Head - Carolina Tasting Room

Carolina Tasting Room - (July 2017) This venue is a place to try regional wines. The wines for the Carolina Tasting Room are produced and bottled by the Murielle Winery in Clearwater Florida for the tasting room. You get to choose four and the house picks two (in bold below) based on the four choices made. My wife chose sweet(er) wines and I the drier wines.

I started with the Carolina Tasting Room live oak chardonnay, with hints of pineapple and green apple, then the Hilton Head Sea Island White, which tasted similar to a vidal blanc, the Carolina Tasting Room Hurricane Matthew Pinot Grigio (portion of the proceeds goes to help those impacted by the storm, with hints of pear, the Carolina Tasting Room Carolina Merlot, oak on the nose and good balance, the Island Winery 2103 merlot, which was uneventful, and the Island Winery 2015 petite sirah, light on the oak, which got better by the time I had my fourth and last sip.

My wife had, all by the Carolina Tasting Room, the Coco Polada, a dangerous mix that is reminiscent of a Pina Colada, the Coligny Beach Blush, white shiraz blended with dragon fruit, it was fruity, the Southern Night shiraz, a berry shiraz of boysenberry, raspberry and blackberry, the Marshside Raspberry, a black raspberry infused light merlot, the Dafuskie Time Key Lime, not so tart and not so good, and On the Green Apple, similar to a Riesling, but made with apples.