Finger Lakes Wine of the Week: Shalestone Harmony 2008, and a Sangria to Fool the Flood
So quickly this week shifted us from sunshine to fall and flood, so we’re adding a twist to this week’s wine, a send-up to summer and a consolation for the moat we find ourselves surrounded by, in hopes of at least fooling our tongues: sangria.
Shalestone Vineyard is known for their focus on reds and we’re looking to their Harmony 2008—a predominately Cab Franc blend with a little Merlot and some Cab Sauvignon.
They were featured in our wine issue as one of our region’s “artists” and in the piece “The Art of Blending In”, where Rob Thomas—co-owner with wife Kate—told us that with blending, “you have the freedom to make the best wine you can, rather than just a wine limited to the appropriate varietal characteristics.” Kind of like fusion cooking.
But like any artistic deviation, one must first know the classics. Thomas is working off more than 25 years of red varietal knowledge to make his blends. We think Harmony is great on its own, or work in a peach, some honey, one of these and some ice to let the summer linger.
