Glenora's newest wine is in the bag

DUNDEE, NY -- Glenora Wine Cellars likes to rack up firsts.

It was the first winery founded on Seneca Lake and, on the Fourth of July, will be the first winery in the U.S. to adopt the environmentally friendly AstraPouch package.

Glenora will sell its new Trestle Creek Riesling in 1.5-liter pouches. They are manufactured in Penfield, Monroe County, by AstraPouch North America.

The pouches, which take the place of wine boxes, are made of multi-playered plastic and have a one-way spigot to prevent oxygen from seeping in. They measure about 7-by-10 inches, and are two inches thick when filled with the equivalent of two standard 750ml bottles.

Glenora is in the process of bagging the equivalent of 4,000 cases of Riesling at the winery. The first release will be in New York State by Empire Merchants North, as well as in the Glenora tasting room.

“Our next product will be a Chardonnay,” Glenora President Glen Pierce told Wines & Vines.com. “We have limited distribution in two or three other states, and we’re looking for interest. If it turns out as we hope, we’ll be looking for broader distribution.”

Glenora was opened in 1977 by Pierce, Eastman Beers, Edward Dalrymple and Howard Kimball. It now is owned by Pierce and Scott Welliver. The complex has expanded over the years to include a 30-room inn, a restaurant, and expanded tasting facilities. It was named the Tasters Guild International's "Winery of the Year" in 2009.

The complex is located at 5435 Route 14. Phone: (800) 243-5513. The retail shop is open every day except Christmas.

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Chardonnay is king in Washington state

• From the Seattle PI:

Once again, Chardonnay is the king of Washington wine -- at least for now.

Last fall, grape growers crushed 33,400 tons of Chardonnay, the most ever in Washington. This pushed the famous white wine grape ahead of Riesling, which was the top Washington grape in 2008.

Chardonnay, made famous in France's Burgundy region, is the No. 1 white grape in California, too, where it often is made in a big, bold, buttery style.

Washington Chardonnay cannot necessarily be defined in any particular way. It can be rich like California or bright and crisp like Chablis (the French version, not the faux California plonk that isn't actually Chardonnay).

Buttery styles of Chardonnay typically are fermented in oak barrels and aged sur lie, meaning the spent yeast and other sediment are left in the barrel and periodically stirred. This provides a certain level of richness on the palate.

Brighter, crisper styles of chardonnay now are in fashion because of a consumer backlash to the buttery versions. Often, these are aged in stainless steel tanks for just a few months before being bottled and sent to store shelves.

[Go here for the blog's recommended Washington Chardonnays.]

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NY's first 'wine Automat' a new treat

Those of us of a certain image fondly remember the chain of Horn & Hardart Automats, those wonderful food-vending cafeterias that allowed us to pop a handful of coins in a slot and get treats dispensed to us in return.

I was reminded of them by the new wine vending machines at Corks & More, 708 West Buffalo Street on the West End Waterfront in Ithaca, NY.

Customers pop in a debit card in and get wine — by the taste, by the half-glass or the full glass. It is the only such operation in New York State.

Ten vending machines dispense 40 different wines, ranging from Opus One ($50 a glass) to local Red Cat (75 cents a taste) from Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards. The devices are made by Napa Technology.

The California company also offers a scaled-down version for home use at about $5,000. You can get the details online.

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