On June 23, DZ Restaurants held a Wine & Food Tasting event called “New York Corks” at Boca Bistro The event highlighted ten New York Vineyards, nearly 50 wines, and a variety of menu samplings. We are grateful for the participation of the 10 wineries including Hermann J. Weimer, Brotherhood Winery, Casa Larga Vineyards, Sheldrake Point Winery, Thirsty Owl Wine Company, Swedish Hill, Amorici Vineyards, Lieb Family Cellars, Channing, and Glenora Wine.
Through the generosity of the guests in attendance New York Corks raised $900 that will go to help Saratoga Center for the Family rebuild after a devastating fire destroyed the basement at the center, which houses the Child Advocacy Center.
During the event, the guests were also asked to vote on their favorite wines from which Boca Bistro now features an entire section of seven New York wines on their wine list.
We had a chance to sit down with Boca Bistro Manager Alex Miller to find out a little more about these New York additions to Boca Bistro’s Wine List:
Swedish Hill 20 to 1, 2012 (Cayuga Lake, NY): “It’s a fruit driven, off dry white blend with a floral grapiness not too unlike muscat. I would drink it with our Ensalada Mixta. It wants something fresh with a bit of crunch to it and the fruit in the wine will play nicely with the sherry vinaigrette.”
Casa Larga Vidal Blanc, 2011 (Fairport, NY): “Not too dissimilar from the “20 to 1” The industry saying is “talk dry, drink sweet”. This wine got my vote because Vidal Blanc actually has its home in NY and this is a very nice expression of what the grape can do with good winemaking. While it is off dry, it is less so than the Swedish Hill and has a stone fruit subtlety that’s well matched with good acidity. I would drink this with our Scallops. I think it has enough acid to cut through the saffron butter and the fruit in the wine will really ring with the sweetness inherent to scallops.”
Glenora Sparkling Brut, NV (Dundee, NY): “One of the most pervasive misconceptions is that sparkling wine or “Champagne” is good only for toasts and as an aperitif. The truth of the matter is that good sparkling wine plays better with a wider variety of food than pretty much anything else you may be able to think of. It is almost always high in acid (a plus against fat), low in alcohol (a plus against spice), and obviously, it is bubbly (which piques your taste buds and cleans the palate, leaving you wanting more). I would drink this with any of our meats and cheeses and again with the Gambas Grandes. The play between the sweetness of the shrimp, the creaminess of the aioli and the freshness of the wine will be really very nice.”
Thirsty Owl Pinot Gris, 2012 (Cayuga Lake, NY): “The good people at Thirsty Owl show a lot by choosing to call their wine Pinot Gris and not Pinot Grigio. While they are the same grape in different languages there is a large stylistic implication in choosing to use the French that they do indeed follow through with. It is the most elegant of the whites we offer from New York and carries the richness and spice that one finds in the Alsatian examples of this grape. I would go the other way with the food and pair this with the Pork Croquettes or the Longaniza sausage. It has the body and the character to stand up to these rich dishes and would be especially good with the smoked tomato aioli on the croquettes.”
Amorici Cabernet Franc, 2001 (Valley Falls, NY): “This is a typical cold climate Cabernet Franc; it shows tart red fruits (red raspberry) with a definite vegetal character (similar to bell pepper or tomato leaf). Fresh and simple, the best of this sort of cab is from the Loire and comes from Chinon and Bourgueil; it is the epitome of bistro wine. I would drink this all day with our flat iron steak.” (Also available at Forno Bistro)
Sheldrake Point Riesling, 2011 (Cayuga Lake, NY): “Slightly off dry and with the character of green apples and chalky minerality this is a great aperitif wine. I think I would do this with our cured meats, especially the Fuet.” (Also available at Forno Bistro)
Hermann J Wiemer Cabernet Franc, 2010 (Seneca Lake, NY): In this wine I found more fruit and less of the peppiness inherent to the grape found in other Cabernet Francs. I would drink this as I would the Amorici with the steak, but I think it also has the versatility to play well with the Fisherman’s Soup. The fact that it is structurally sound, has strong character, and low in alcohol would make it friends with the broth which I think might overpower a lot of other wines.”
One also need not drive to the Finger Lakes to try a wider selection of these wines as Swedish Hill and Thirsty Owl have Tasting Rooms right here in Saratoga; although the short drive to the Finger Lakes Region is certainly worth it.
Thank you to all the guests who helped us select the New York Wines section of the Boca Bistro wine list and we hope all our guests have the opportunity to experience one or more of these sensational New York wines the next time they visit Boca Bistro.
