FINGER LAKES WINE TASTING TRIP, DISCOVER DRY ROSÉ - SENECA & KEUKA LAKES - DAY 1
This month my husband and I spent a long weekend in the Finger Lakes wine region in Upstate New York with one mission, discover Dry Rosé. The Finger Lakes wine region is known primarily for their world class Rieslings and amazing lakes, however, it has much more to offer, and the list continues to grow, seemingly daily.
I am a long-time admirer of Provence Rosés with their lovely light pink hues, and they're my go-to drink in the summer. With the combination of a crisp dry white while still maintaining the fruit flavors of a red, it pairs perfectly with all different types of food, or it can standalone as a refreshing libation. So when I started seeing Dry Rosés showing up more and more over my last few trips to the Finger Lakes, I was excited to watch it evolve.
Last month, while planning my trip, I found a website completely dedicated to Finger Lakes Dry Rosé and immediately was intrigued. The purpose of the website is in part to promote Dry Rosé produced in the Finger Lakes, but also to help the American culture get over the perception that a pink wine is sweet and fruity. While it may look similar, it’s not the White Zinfandel my mother use to pour from a box.
Discover Dry Rosé has 30 participating wineries and their website states, “Each winery that is represented by Discover Dry Rosé is dedicated to the quality and passion that goes into each bottle of Dry Rosé that gets produced in their facilities.” With this list in hand, I began my 3-day journey to discover Dry Rosé, Finger Lakes style.
Day 1 - Seneca and Keuka Lakes
*Billsboro Winery – TOP PICK OF THE DAY
2015 Rosé of Pinot Noir
Get it while you can, only 154 cases produced. With only 6 hours on the skins, this 100% Pinot Noir light pink beauty was my top pick of the day. The wine was crisp without too much acidity, and the fruit of the Pinot Noir came through in a soft strawberry flavor.
Price $17.00
Fruit Source: Sawmill Creek Vineyards, Hector NY
154 Cases Produced
*Fox Run Vineyards
2015 Dry Rosé
Another crisp, dry, strawberry fruit-forward Dry Rosé. The wine is a blend of 41% Lemberger, 39% Pinot Noir, and 20% Cayuga. I could sit on their deck enjoying their amazing view of Seneca Lake all day while sipping this wine.
Price $18
250 cases produced
Red Tail Ridge Winery
2015 Dry Rosé “Christmas Berry Blend”
A blend of all the red grapes on the estate, Pinot Noir, Dornfelder, Lagrein, Teroldego and Blaufränksich. Notes of white pepper, orange peel, cranberry were prominent.
Price: $22.95
49 cases produced
Fruit Source: RTR Estate Vineyard
*Anthony Road Wine Company
2015 Rosé of Cabernet Franc
Anthony Road is always a go-to for me and home of an “Official Wine of the NY Yankees”. They have several Dry Rosés to choose from, but this one was my top pick. The wine has notes of cranberries and tart cherries with a clean finish, and is a blend of 94% Cabernet Franc and 6% Lemberger.
Price $16.99
1,110 cases produced
Fruit Source: Martini Family and Nutt Road Vineyards
Rooster Hill Vineyards
2015 Dry Rosé
Rooster Hill is one of my favorite Finger Lakes wineries and I am a wine club member. I am in love with their smoky Cabernet Franc-Lemberger blend. But today my focus was on their Dry Rosé (a bottle also had just arrived in my spring wine club shipment). The fruit is softer with a little bit of herbal notes. It is different than many of the other Dry Rosés of the day, using primarily Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and also 10% Chardonnay
Price: $16.99
Domaine LeSeurre – MOST UNIQUE
2014 Rosé Cabernet Franc
A sixth generation winemaker from France, Sébastien LeSeurre and his wife Céline are bringing their great talents to the Finger Lakes. Their Dry Rosé is made up of 100% Cabernet Franc, and has an orange tint. The fruit brought out a little sugar and orange peel in the taste, but it is a completely dry wine. It was the most unique Dry Rosé we tried.
Price - $22.99
Finger Lakes Wine Trail Map
Overall, it was a very successful day for discovering Dry Rosé.
Note – I tried several Dry Rosés that are not listed above, but I tried to keep my review specific to my favorite at each location. Also, some of the Dry Rosés reviewed are not part of Discover Dry Rosé from the website. The * indicates it is a participating winery.