Rooster Hill

Keuka Lake (West - Penn Yan)
489 Route 54 South
Penn Yan, NY 14527

315-536-4773
roosterhill.com
info@roosterhill.com

Hours: 10am-5pm Mon-Sat, 11-5 Sun
Tasting Fee: $6









Our last winery! We drove out of the way late Sunday afternoon to reach Rooster Hill. A friend's mother had been a year before and recommended it. Heck, after the last winery, I was determined to leave on a positive note.

The Rooster Hill tasting room sits halfway up the steep hillside with views of Keuka Lake. Homey, comfortable tasting room with helpful, knowledgeable staff. Our wine pourer guided us in the right direction with suggestions from the tasting menu. Overall, it was a positive experience with average wines. It was such a hike from our temporary home base that only out of my stubbornness and a desire to visit as many wineries as possible did it make it onto the itinerary.









Selections from tasting menu (purchases in bold):
Dry Riesling 2008 - $15.99. Crisp, lime and light apple. Light body, high acid. Smooth. Prefer the Gewurzt. "Luscious, dry crisp wine... flavors of tangerine, lemon and white pepper. Dusty hint of slate and minerals. Citrus fruit keeps it fresh and vibrant."
Estate Gewurztraminer 2007 - $19.99. Delicate, dry style with solid acid to bring it through to finish. "Ripe with intense spice... floral bouquet is prominent. Layered with fruit."
Estate Pinot Noir 2007 - $15.99. Tannins and spice without a lot of fruit; still tight. "Delicate... cherry fruit and strawberry... soft tannins. Finish is crisp and clean."
Estate Cabernet Franc-Lemberger 2007 -$19.99. Blend of 70% Cab Franc, 30% Lemberger. Lovely nose of herbal fruit, vanilla finish; nice tannins. "Lush wine... bold blackberry, cherry... complexity and depth... layers of spice, hint of mint. Oak adds touch of vanilla and smoky bacon."
Estate Cabernet Franc 2007 - $19.99. Smoky and meaty. Nice weight and balanced tannins. "Open and easy-going, medium-weight mix of tobacco, black cherry and spice notes."
NV Port - $15.99. Cab Franc blended with brandy. Chocolate-y, sweeter than expected and a touch hot. "Dark fruit aroma... plum and black cherry."












Other wines from the tasting menu:
Chardonnay 2008
Estate Gewurztraminer 2008
Estate Semi-Dry Riesling 2007
Silver Pencil 2008
Traminette 2007
Rosecomb Red
Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
Meritage 2005

Glenora

Seneca Lake (West - Dundee)
5435 Route 14
Dundee, NY 14837

800-243-5513
info@glenora.com
glenora.com

Hours: 10am-6pm Sun-Thurs, 10-7 Fri & Sat
Fee: $1, Reservations: not required

Let me set the tone for our Glenora experience. Driving up, we could see the noteworthy location on the lake. Great views. Someone was even getting married at the gazebo in the distance. The tasting room is perched on the top of the hill, which has even better views. It's too bad the experience went downhill once we walked inside.









An employee breaking down boxes at the front bar greets us and directs us to the cash register area. Look toward register area. It is a rickety card table festooned with seasonal tablecloth (think pumpkins) sectioned off from the rest of the room with a red velvet rope. We pay our $1 tasting fee and are instructed to stick out our hand to be stamped. Huh? Realizing the hand-stamping is not optional, I dutifully obey and walk through the busy, touristy gift room into the slightly less busy and touristy tasting room. I see small children and adults milling about and realize they have good reason for the hand stamps. It's so the kids and cheap adults don't con them into pouring wine.

It's only once we pass the circus in the main room that I realize something. I hear country music. And feel it, for it is being played at an unnecessarily loud level. Because it is country music I recognize, I know it is at least 15 years old. Our young host (May I see some ID? Seriously.) is unfazed and explains the tasting menu. We choose six wines, leaning heavily toward the reds... assuming based on our experience so far that the whites will be sweeter than what we prefer. At the start of our tasting, a roving cheese-tray employee appears with wasabi-horseradish something. I pass because I foolishly think wasabi would ruin my palate (should've gone with the cheese). But the group next to us dives fingers first into the tray, by-passing the toothpicks at the height of the Swine Flu scare. More cheeses came around; this time they were fruit-infused (raspberry, grape?). No thanks, I'm good.

Glenora's tasting experience allowed us to gain perspective. We could now truly appreciate the quality wine and tastings, elsewhere. It did get my first ever "Bottom of the Barrel" award. Overall, the wines were not so flawed that a newcomer to wines would be distressed. They were safe, mellow wines designed to appeal to the tastes of the masses. And our favorite wineries will be less crowded because of that.









Selections from tasting menu (purchases in bold):
Dry Riesling 2008 - $17.99. Though watery, this wine had good flavors. The value isn't there, especially when we had just come from a fantastic sampling of Rieslings at Wiemer.
Meritage - $24.99. Bordeaux blend dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon. Found it to be "just meh".
Sangiovese - $16.99. Definitely one we wanted to sample since no one else had it on the tasting menu. It had a pleasing aromas but not enough complexity. This was one of the two better wines.
Syrah - $16.99. A Double Gold winner. Average, not a lot of flavor; good tannins. For this price, I really expect more personality. The second of the better wines.
Cabernet Franc - $15.99. A Gold Medal winner. Did not like this one. Oaky and a lot more fruit present than needed to be.
Brut 2002 - $24.99. Another Gold Medal winner. (Who are these judges? Not that I'm passing judgement, just curious.) Blend of Pinot Noir and Concord, excuse me... I meant Chardonnay. Couldn't get past the Concord grape smell and taste. Not recommended.
Glenora Port - $16.99. Hey, look. They have port on their menu. This is different. And it uses 8 year old brandy from their sister winery. Let's try it. Tasting notes just read "NO." I was idiotically hopeful.

Other wines on the tasting menu:
Whites & blends: Chardonnay, Seyval Blanc, Pinot Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Dry Riesling, Lake Series.
Pinot Noir Rose
Semi-Dry & Sweet: Cayuga, Chardonnay and Niagara. Classic Blush. Bobsled Red and Jammin' Red. (I wish I were making this up.)
Reds & blends: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Yellow Cab.
Fruit Series: Blueberry Breeze, Raspberry Rose, Cranberry Chablis and Peach Passion.
Sparkling, Port and Ice Wine

Rombauer

We stopped at Oakville Grocery for picnic provisions before headed up the road for our AM tasting at Rombauer. This was the first stop on day two. This winery made it on the list because a group member loves their Chardonnays. Rombauer has an excellent picnic site with valley views.

Rombauer Carneros Chardonnay 2006
Napa Valley, California - $29
Up to quality of previous vintages, excellent, toasty, vanilla and oaky. Had with picnic lunch. From the winemaker: Rich wine with layers of tropical fruit, peaches, & pears. Creamy textres of apples, pears. Hint of citrus & light oak, lingering finish.

Rombauer Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley, California - $38
Okay, weak. From the winemaker: Aromas of violet, black currant, cherry, plum, wild berry backed by spice. Flavor burst lingers, adds complexity.



Rombauer Diamond Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2001
Napa Valley, California - $60
Earthy on nose, very drying tannins. From the winemaker: Rich, ripe plum & blackberry, vibrant & intense without overpowering. Finesse and polish on finish with ripe, integrated tannins.

Rombauer Napa Valley Zinfandel 2005
Napa Valley, California - $28
Sweet, jammy. From the winemaker: Ripe & luscious w/vivid aromas of boysenberry & wild berry, layered flavors of raspberry, blackberry & boysenberry. Fruit explosion, berry flavors linger on palate. Hint of oak, spice on finish.

Rombauer Zinfandel Port
Napa Valley, California - $45
Not raisin-y for a port. Vanilla, hint of pepper on aftertaste. From the winemaker: Chocolate, plum berry aroma. Long lingering finish of fruit & vanilla.


More at Rombauer.com

Rosenblum Desiree Chocolate Port
California - $20
Zinfandel dessert wine. Intrigued and gave it a try, because at the time, I was not a fan of port. Chocolate and vanilla nose. Smooth and balanced with the right amount of sweetness. One nitpicky bit is that I would have preferred a fuller body. Chocolate aroma sticks to the glass! Impossible to get rid of and clouded next tasting so glass was swapped out. Would buy and pair with... chocolate. Tasted at a Harry's Savoy wine event. 3/5