Riesling from Red Tail Ridge, Finger Lakes

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In the Finger Lakes Region of New York, Red Tail Ridge Winery has been growing in quality since 2004 offering unusual red varieties with a focus on Riesling.

The Finger Lakes Region of New York is known for its challenging climate that can bring serious growing difficulties in the vineyard including excess rain or moisture, and a genuinely cool climate. The area, however, has a long history of grape growing focusing on Concord grapes, and hybrids. More recently, some smaller growers have reached to International varieties with a strength for the cooler climate. In the last decade, these growers have successfully proven the region’s worth for quality Riesling.

Red Tail Ridge appears as an interesting winery for its focus on bringing together value-quality wines with both environmental and social commitment. Theirs is the first LEED gold certified green winery in New York State. Their Good Karma wine (labeled with the winery name on the back, it’s name, Good Karma, on the front) generates 10% of its profits for the region’s food bank, Foodlink.

The Wines

The Finger Lakes region produces Riesling presentation unique to the area. It succeeds at bringing together a cross section of fruits reaching out of citrus linearity into stone fruits and even light tropical freshness while maintaining acidity.

Red Tail Ridge offers Rieslings across a range of styles from dry to sticky. The three tasted here include the lighter side of their arc with a dry and to semi-drys. Each of the wines offers a strong focus on value with quality coming in well below the $20 mark. I am impressed by how much they are able to offer for their price.

The Dry Riesling is my favorite of the three giving clean fruit and flower across the full range of fruit characteristics showing a nice balance of citrus, stone, and tropical elements all with light feet and good focus. There are nice accents of mineral crunch and white rock here moving through a long finish. This wine retails for $18.95.

Good Karma brings together off-dry Riesling with unoaked Chardonnay for an accessible palate. The mineral elements on this wine range from crushed quartz to rock salt and bring another layer of interest to the nutty, lime blossom, and lychee combination. This wine retails for $13.95.

The Red Tail Ridge RTR Estate gives an off-dry presentation moving into more floral elements with its tropical notes giving jasmine and white tea alongside citrus and lychee, also retaining the mineral crunch. The light touch of sweetness here puts it alongside spicy food beautifully. The RTR Estate retails for $15.95.

Red Tail Ridge has also just released a new band of Rieslings, including their first dessert wine, and a late harvest presentation.

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To read more on Finger Lakes Wines check out this article from Eric Asimov: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/12/dining/from-the-finger-lakes-seriously-good-wines.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

These wines were received as samples.

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