Skip to content, or skip to search. Skip to content, or skip to search. Best of New York 2012 • Fun 13 E. 13th St., nr. Master sommelier Laura Maniec had the notion that her wine bar and workshop would offer classes in the manner of a yoga studio: affordable (as low as $50 a pop), commitment-free (no need to sign up for a multi-class series), and unintimidating (subjects like Bubbles Before Brunch). On Friday afternoons, blind tastings are an even more �accessible wine-education alternative: $15 buys a flight of reds or whites and a knowledgeable �barkeep to quiz you on the particulars of taste. But Corkbuzz isn’t only for novices. Once you get initiated, you can dig into more advanced seminars on French Burgundies, �seasonal pairings, and �the technique of wine enjoyment.� From the 2012 Best of New York issue of New York Magazine So what exactly does �best� mean in a city with thousands of pizza joints, hundreds of celebrity masseuses, and museum-worthy concept shops on every corner?

Well, in the case of this, our annual �Best of New York� roundup, there’s a heavy emphasis on what’s new or what has somehow remained virtually unheard of (until now, of course). on August 14, 2015 at 11:11 AM A 2011 Lemberger red wine from Ventosa Vineyards near Geneva won this year's Governor's Cup for the top wine in New York state. The award is top honor given each year at the New York Wine & Food Classic in Watkins Glen, considered the "Oscars" of state wine competitions. Medals and awards are given in a variety of wine categories, along with separate entries for spirits and ciders. Paumanok Vineyards on Long Island's North Fork won the award as "Winery of the Year," given to the winery with the best showing across all categories. The Ventosa Lemberger, like all that winery's offerings, is estate grown, meaning all the grapes come from its own vineyards. Ventosa is at 3440 Route 96A, on the east side of Seneca Lake south of Geneva. It specializes in older vintage dry red wines.

The winery's tasting notes describe the Lemberger as having a "powerful spicy oak nose, botanical notes of juniper and eucalyptus on the immediate palate. Sharp tannins, under-ripe blackberries, fiery pepper lingering on the finish." Lemberger is an Austrian grape variety, also known as Blaufrankisch, that grows well in cool climates like Upstate New York. It is one of the red varieties that Finger Lakes winemakers have been increasingly turning to in their search for a signature red. The New York Wine & Food Classic competition was held Aug. 11 and 12 at the Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel in Watkins Glen. The Governor's Cup itself is a large silver chalice, awarded to Ventosa by Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul. This year, there were 910 entries in all categories: 858 New York wines, 20 hard ciders and 32 craft spirits. Entries came from across New York, including Long Island, Hudson Valley, Finger Lakes, Niagara Escarpment and Lake Erie. The Ventosa Vineyards 2011 Lemberger, Estate Grown was also voted Best Red Wine and Best Lemberger on its way to the top award.

Paumanok Vineyards won Best White Wine and Best Overall Riesling on its way to the Winery of the Year. The awards were based on blind tastings by 21 expert judges. This is the event's 30oth year. Here are the top awards, or the "best of category" winners: Goose Watch Winery Pinot Noir Brut Rosebest bottle of wine under 5 Paumanok Vineyards 2014 Semi-Dry Rieslingcheap wine in a box Lime Berry Winery Bunny Bunny Blushbest wine and beer offers Ventosa Vineyards 2011 Lemberger, Estate Growncat wine where to buy Sheldrake Point Winery 2014 Riesling Ice Winebest red wine 100 dollars

These are the "Best of Class" awards, given to Double Gold or Gold medal wines in classes of at least 10 wines:. McCall Wines 2013 Chardonnay Reserve Glenora Wine Cellars 2014 Chardonnay Mazza Chautauqua Cellars 2014 Gewurztraminer Dr. Konstantin Frank 2013 Dry Rieslingbest full bodied red wine uk Best Medium Dry Rieslingbest wine for camping Dr. Konstantin Frank 2013 Riesling, Semi-Drybest wine in the world 2011 Best Medium Sweet Rieslingbest quotes on wine Glenora Wine Cellars 2014 Riesling Martha Clara Vineyards 2014 Sauvignon Blanc, Estate Reserve Dr. Konstantin Frank 2013 Pinot Gris Best Other Vinifera White Varietal

Inspire Moore Winery 2014 Rhythm Best Vinifera White Blend Casa Larga Vineyard 2014 Chard-Riesling Goose Watch Winery 2014 Traminette Best Hybrid White Blend Tug Hill Vineyards 43deg Lat White Americana Vineyards Crystal Lake Kontokosta Winery 2014 Rose Osprey's Dominion Vineyards 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Harbes Vineyard 2013 Hallock Lane Merlot Martha Clara Vineyards 2013 Pinot Noir, Estate Reserve Idol Ridge Winery 2012 Cabernet Franc Best Other Red Vinifera Varietal Standing Stone Vineyards 2013 Saperavi Best Vinifera Red Blend Fox Run Vineyards 2013 Cabernet Franc/Lemberger Best Hybrid Red Blend Raymor Estate Cellars Sunset Red Baldwin Vineyards Strawberry Wine Kaneb Orchards St. Lawrence Cider Black Button Distilling Citrus Forward Gin Swedish Hill Winery 2014 Late Harvest Vignoles Best Vinifera Sparkling White Sparkling Pointe Vineyards & Winery 2005 Brut Seduction, Methode Champenoise