Niagara Escarpment

Schulze Vineyards Vidal Blanc

Schulze Vineyards Vidal Blanc Dry 2006
Niagara County, New York ($14)

In the game of baseball there are some players that you can just always count on. They might be starters but more likely they are substitutes who can play several positions. Sometimes they're called utility players, filling any gaps a team might have on defense. They are usually consistent at the plate and can always be counted on to have a good at bat when called upon to pinch hit. In many ways I think the Vidal grape is just like one of those utility players. This grape may not have the superstar recognition of a Napa Cabernet or a Barolo, but don't sell it short, it can hold its own with the big guys.

Vidal, a grape created by Frenchman Albert Seibel, is a cross of Ugni Blanc, or Trebbiano, and Rayon d'Or. It's very cold hardy, meaning it is suited to growing in cold climates and it can be found mainly in Canada, the Finger Lakes and other cold climate viticultural areas. Vidal really shines when it is used as an ice wine grape as they do on the Niagara Peninsula in Ontario, Canada, where you can also find several dry and semi dry versions. Vidal is a grape you can count on in the vineyard and it gives the winemaker several options.

Schulze Vineyards and Winery in Burt, NY makes the most of this grape's potential in many ways. This one I am tasting is a dry still wine version, but they also make a semi-dry and a champagne-style sparkler with Vidal. This wine is a pale straw color with aromas of melon, peach, and a bit of fresh cut grass scent thrown in as well. Medium body texture with a zesty quality reminiscent of a first-rate Sauvignon Blanc. This crispness combined with and the fact that it's bone dry and refreshing makes it a summer go-to wine in my book. This wine stands out as one of the best white wines I've tasted from the region. It pairs well with seafood, chicken, pork and lighter summer eats. Cheers to that!

Eveningside Vineyards and Winery

Anyone who has read my blogs for more than ten minutes probably recognizes my fondness for Cabernet Franc. Last year my girlfriend and I escaped a power outage in Queens to stay with family in Niagara Falls for a few days before a trip to Northern Michigan wine country. Since we were heading to a cookout at a relative's house in "the country" -- Cambria more specifically -- we decided to stop at a few of the wineries on the Niagara Escarpment. On a previous trip to the area I purchased a Cabernet blend of Cab Sauv and Cab Franc from Eveningside Vineyards, a new winery in that area. So I was looking forward to visiting, tasting, and maybe purchasing a bottle or two.

Eveningside Vineyards is the result of owner Randy Biehl's desire to create a winery where vinifera grapes would benefit from the location between the escarpment and Lake Ontario. In January of 2000 he befriended Kevin Latter, vineyard manager at Cave Spring Cellars in Ontario, and volunteered at his vineyard. In the meantime, Randy searched for 18 months for a proper location for his own vines before finding an old fruit tree and concord grape vineyard on 21 acres in Cambria. In 2001 he began planting Chardonnay, Riesling, and Cabernet Franc grapes. Kevin Latter provides guidance to Eveningside as well as fellow Cave Springer and winemaker Angelo Pavan who contributes as the consultant wine maker.

Our visit to the vineyard was extremely positive. Tasting in a barn as opposed to a building that looks like a banquet hall is always better in my opinion. Although there's only a few varieties to taste there, unlike most of the wineries in the area where native grapes and hybrids join vinifera selections, each was enjoyable. I'm a fan of the Cave Spring wines, especially their Riesling and Gamay, and Eveningside's wines do seem like they have the same care put into them. We ended up buying the Chardonnay and leaving somewhat disappointed that the Cab Franc is not available for tasting yet. There was a 2004 Cabernet that was light in body with berry fruit flavors and a clean finish that I liked, but since I had the 2003 I choose to wait to purchase the 2004, a mistake in hindsight.

Eveningside Vineyards Cabernet 2003
Niagara Escarpment, New York ($18)

I decided to open the 2003 Cabernet to drink on its own to just sit back and ponder how my favorite varietal does in my hometown area. This wine is 57% Franc and 43% Sauv. With its light purple color and silky body it looked delicious. It sure had the bell pepper smell of a Cab Franc with hints of cedar and pepper. It had cherries on the nose but not overwhelming as it almost took a backseat to the pepper. Most people tend to find the green aroma or flavor of this grape to be negative, but I find it to be another contributing piece of the puzzle I have become a fan of. Anyway, the wine had a great silky mouth feel and a crisp finish. I believe that this wine is a good omen as to how Cab Franc can grow in this area when done right. Since I've enjoyed this grape grown in the Finger Lakes and Ontario, I've been hoping that it could find a home in the Escarpment too. The grapes from this bottle were grown in Burt, NY at Schulze Vineyards. Eveningside is currently selling their 2005 Cabernet Franc from there own vines. You can be sure that I am going to get my hands on a bottle soon.