For our current March/April 2015 issue’s Wines of the Season column, we asked local winemakers to send us wines that fit into the category of light, fresh varietals that they’re excited about for spring. Hosted at Coltivare in Downtown Ithaca, the EFL staff and a number of other wine professionals and enthusiasts tasted the submitted wines. Below is one of the wines that made our final list of favorites. For the full list, be sure to pick up a copy of the issue!

Finger Lakes Wine of the Week:

Hunt Country Vineyards Dolce di Moscato

By Nicholas Baldwin

Hunt Country Vineyards produces a wide range of wines from bone dry reds, to sweet whites, and the Dolce di Moscato leans towards the latter. This dolce is made from a blend of two estate grown grapes, Valvin Muscat and Vignoles, both of which grow well in the Finger Lakes. It has 5.5-percent residual sugar that you can feel on the tip of your tongue–but with a slightly higher alcohol level than expected, it’s balanced nicely so as not to fall into the sticky sweet dessert wine range.

With an array of awards, such as the double gold medal at the San Francisco Wine Competition and a 94-point rating from Tastings.com, this wine is like sipping a flower garden out of a glass. It has aromas of lychee, rose water, peaches, sweet lemon and kiwi. It has great acidity and a long unctuous finish.

This wine is perfect for a sweet Riesling lover, chilled and served on a hot summer’s day, and would make a great pairing for fruits dishes, desserts, and even as a contrast to strong salty aged cheeses, like New York-made Old Chatham Farms Ewe’s Blue. Give this one a try this spring.

Nicholas Baldwin has worked in the wine and spirits business for more than 12 years and traveled the world visiting vineyards. He holds numerous wine certifications. 

For more Wines of the Season tasting notes from our March/April 2015 issue, click here!