Well, it is February and the wintry weather this year has not been too harsh. When checking on Keuka Lake this past weekend, it appeared that only the very end of the lake is frozen, when normally it would be extending several miles south. This is bad news for the ice fisher man, but great for the vinifera plantings on the surrounding hillsides. Grapes are deciduous plants which require a cool period between growing seasons, but when temperatures plunge in the single digits and below some varietals will die. This can be devastating to wineries, as it can take 3 to 4 years to get the land back in production, not to mention the cost of replanting the vineyards. So let’s hope for more continued mild weather this winter!
The winter is also a great time to visit the wineries. Without the crowds, you will receive more personal attention from the staff and you will be able to take your time as you taste throughout their offerings. Also, the views of the lake from many of the tasting rooms can be quite breath taking with the striking contrast between the snow covered hills and the shimmering black lake.
Keeping with the theme of winter and cold weather, I thought discussing my tasting of McGregor’s 2005 Rob Roy Red would be appropriate. This is a Bordeaux blend made up of two-thirds Cabernet Franc and the remaining one-third is a mix of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Though not a common blending percentage in Bordeaux, it is one that seems very appropriate here in the Finger Lakes. Of the three grapes, Cabernet Franc seems to do the best here so it would make sense that it occupies the largest percentage of the blend. 2005 was a very good year for the Finger Lakes and especially for red wine. The climate was warm and dry providing ideal conditions for red grapes that are only seen in the Finger Lakes every 4 to 5 years.
McGregor’s, located on the east side of Keuka Lake, is consistently one of the leading producers of red wine in the area. I believe all of their red wines are estate grown which is remarkable considering that Keuka Lake generally has less growing days than Seneca Lake. Growing days are much more significant for red vinifera as they generally require longer hang times to fully develop properly.
The Rob Roy Red is very approachable now with surprisingly soft tannins, but also has the potential to age agreeably for 5 to-10 years. The nose is filled with a nice combination of blackberry, black cherry and spice, as well as a prominent aroma of cinnamon. On the palate, this medium to full bodied wine expresses notes of leather and tobacco offset by a nice presences of cherry on the mid- palate.
McGregor’s Rob Roy Red is particularly well suited for fire side sipping, but also pairs well with many rich dishes. I found it complimented the beef pinwheel receipt below, and paired well with twice baked potatoes and a side of wilted spinach.
Beef Pinwheels:
-2 lb flank steak
-1/2 lb provolone cheese
-1/3 lb Prosciutto
-1 bag of spinach
-Salt
-Pepper
-carefully butterfly the flank steak or have your butcher do it.
-pound the flank steak with a meat mallet
-season both sides with salt and pepper
-layer the Prosciutto
-layer the provolone cheese
-lightly sauté the spinach
-spread evenly
-roll flank stake to great a long roll
-secure with skewers every 1 inch
-cut in between skewers to create the pinwheels
-grill or broil until desired doneness
Twice Baked Potatoes:
4 Russet potatoes
1/3 C Prosciutto diced
½ C sour cream
¼ C heavy cream
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 C parmesan cheese
½ C
¼ C scallions
2 tbsp butter
Salt
Pepper
-preheat oven to 400 degrees
-wash and bake potatoes
-allow to cool
-cut in half and scoop out the flesh and retain the skins
-mix the potato with the above ingredients
-place the mixture back into the skins
-bake for 20-25 minutes until heated through
