Today we are back on the wine trail. Our first stop on our Keuka Wine Trail Passport is Hunt County Vineyards. This vineyard is like a nice relaxing country farm. They are a sixth-generation winery. When you enter inside you will be pleasantly surprised with the view of vineyards and the feel of the place.
Since it was during the week there was no wait for our wine tasting. This is actually the “best” time to go if you can. We feel like you get better service and more one on one attention. Really makes your wine tasting experience much better than the weekend tastings. We got to select 5 wines. They were as follows.
WHITES
- Dry Riesling 2013 – Very dry and crisp. I picked up on slight apple notes and the finish was really nice. This was a very nice Riesling.
- Pinot Gris 2013 – This was a really nice, dry and easy Gris. I picked up on a slight mineral note. It was rather refreshing also. We left with a bottle of this.
- Seyval Blanc 2013 – A new vintage for them. I thought it would make a great all-around table wine. A slight sweet taste but not too much to interfere with food.
- Pearl – A blend of unoaked Chardonnay, Cayuga white, and Pinot Gris. This was a nice smooth wine and would make a great wine to pair with a cheese and cracker board or just to have a glass of.
- Semi-Dry Riesling 2012 – I thought this would be way too sweet being 1.8% RS but I was pleasantly surprised. I did pick up on the sweetness but the balance is really nice. This would make a great wine at Thanksgiving that should appeal to everyone.
- Dolce di Moscato – At 5.5% RS this was a really sweet wine but we wanted to try it because it has been the winner of 5 awards. The taste was really lovely but way too sweet. Not something we would ever drink but hey congratulations on winning 5 awards!
REDS
- Cabernet Franc 2012 – This was a new wine they had just put out this year. It was pretty dry and you do pick up on the oak. Really had a nice flavor Chip thought.
- Alchemy – Their best selling red. After you taste it you can see why. Has a really nice bouquet with a hint of spice. This wine has a blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Lemberger, and Cabernet Sauvignon. They did mention all these grapes are grown, vinified, and bottled in the Finger Lakes. Hey that is as local as it gets. This was one of Chip’s favorites. We left with a bottle of this too.
- Classic Red – Would make a great table wine with a lightly oaked taste. Not too overpowering.
- Hunter’s Red – More of a sweeter wine which really isn’t our thing. It reminded us of communion wine. Had a deep burgundy color and was aged in stainless steel.
Our visit to Hunt Country Vineyards was very pleasant. The winery has a nice relaxed feel. They have one of the largest gift shops we have seen so far and prices seemed pretty good. This winery is definitely worth a visit.
