Despite the intermittent storms, we ventured out to our first broad tasting of NY state wines at this past weekend's gathering. We were glad that (i) it was raining and (ii) we went on the Sunday, as the marquee was full and hot but not impossibly so; the previous day, when the sun had shone, must have been horrible!
The basic result, though, was that there were very, very few offerings from the ~40 wineries that were worth drinking, much less at their price (generally ~$13 for varietals, $6-7 for the ubiquitous fruit/sweet offerings). Jenny and I tasted maybe 80 wines over the course of the day; dissappointingly undistinctive, with a general lack of complexity, character, finish... you get the message. Even the 'picnic wines' did not show well for their class. So, hence, not vast notes because they just weren't worth it. Long way to go for the state's industry if this was representative.
There were two (and a half) bright spots for us. The one wine we bought was Fox Run's 2001 Meritage. This was noted by the server as 'probably the best thing you'll drink here' and he was quite right. Granted, it's priced accordingly ($35) but this had some structure, depth, and a very pleasant aftertaste; worthwhile. The other thing we bought was a cream sherry from Hunt Country Vineyards, which was the pick of the assortment of liqueurs etc. on offer; smooth, nutty, rounded ($13 I think).
The half was a cider, but I seem to have lost the maker. Welcomingly clean and refreshing, but with absolutely no follow-through, so not enough to tempt us. Useful set of notes there, huh?!
Anyway, it was probably worthwhile to do once, but we would not go back. $18 per head felt pretty steep for admission at the end, too.