Wine Situation Final Five (Now With Drunk Dialing!)

The Wine Situation hosts everyone from winemakers to writers to find out what a person’s situation is…with wine. It’s the solo season, as host Ellen Clifford is in quarantine, but listen in with a glass, and nobody is drinking alone! You can play along with the WhoWhatWhereWhenWhyWine quiz, weigh in on a poll and just join in with Ellen drinking a lovely Jules Taylor OTQ Rosé…In lieu of guests, at the end of every action packed episode, Ellen is phoning a friend with her Final Five questions. This week she has wine writer Carrie Dykes on the phone! They became fast friends at the Wine Writers Symposium at the Meadowood and recount some memories from it during this Final Five. Click here for the full episode. THE FINAL FIVE (edited for length): QUESTION ONE Ellen: Whatcha drinking these days? Carrie: Um, anything…haha. I have kind of been vacillating between cheap and cheerful, keep it easy and, you know, diving into my reserves. I think that this is the time that we’re needing some good stuff, you know? QUESTION TWO Ellen: I totally hear that. Question number two, what’s the best pairing you’ve ever had? Carrie: Classic pairings are classic, I know that we’ve had Champagne and potato chips together— Ellen: Oh yeah! Carrie: That’s never gonna fail. I was just in the Loire Valley and I was drinking some Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc with their local goat cheese and that was pretty perfect. QUESTION THREE Ellen: Question number three: name three—Carrie’s based in Hudson Valley for those of you who don’t know—what are your top three New York wineries you’d like to recommend? Carrie: Ooh! I love Wild Arc , they’re in the Hudson Valley and they’re a very small, family owned, biodynamic farm and winery. They just make really cool stuff and they’re lovely people. You know, Piquette got really big, and they are one of the pioneers of that. Lieb , in Long Island, they’re just classically good and were kind of ahead of the game putting wine into cans and on tap. Love Finger Lakes wine— Heart and Hands is one of my favorites. They are organic, maybe biodynamic, but delicious Pinot, just super small scale and delicious wines. QUESTION FOUR Ellen: Question four—what’s your fondest memory from The Wine Writers Symposium? Carrie: Oh, I don’t know there’s so many things! The whole time there was so nice. Some things that kind of stick out—I love Ali Bouzari’s whole class—amazing. I talk about it to this day, just the science behind everything. The science of why you smell and taste certain things in wine; it’s not just a hoax, there are reasons behind everything, and it’s the same thing with food. So that was really interesting. But I also just liked drinking rosé with you. Ellen: I still look at that picture of us—that was such a fun day. Question number five: what’s bringing you some joy? QUESTION FIVE Carrie: It’s hard to find these days, but I would say Tiger King. It is literally the only thing as crazy as what we are dealing with in the world. It has kept rapt attention for me. It’s a Netflix series about the big cat world—people who breed and show big cats and each one is crazier than the next. But there’s also murder. Other than that I would say family of course. Tiger King and family. Check out the previous Wine Situation podcast with Matt Hirscheld here .

Château La Gravière

Entre-Deux-Mers Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend 2019

Ellen Clifford

8.9

Quite nice. For the price. Say it once. Say it thrice. I drank this as I a) tried to avoid eating everything in my kitchen for the what-day-of-quarantine-are-we? day and b) tried to learn to appreciate Fiona Apple. I want to like her so much more but I feel she’ll be like Mars Volta. It’ll be an “okay I’ll let that shuffle choice play” until one day it hits and I’M IN. Maybe.
Ahem.
So lots of citrus and vanilla. Maybe some fake oak things I didn’t like up front but given time and air I appreciated the weight against the punchy greens and acid. Much as I’ll appreciate the slow cords against Fiona’s spoken-word-esque lyrics someday maybe.
But in all truth yeah I like this wine. It coats the mouth and ballasts they soul and has a lot going on for the price. And takes a minute to appreciate but it’s good for an evening. — 5 years ago

Daniel, Severn and 18 others liked this

Marie Courtin

Efflorescence Extra Brut Champagne Pinot Noir 2014

Josh Morgenthau

9.3

Biscuits, rye, miso, whoa. Delicious. Green (unripe) fruit notes. Pleasant acid snap and some primary yeastiness plus a little bitter tannin in the finish that I think will all develop beautifully in bottle. Love this producer and cuvee, though I may prefer the more basic Resonance cuvee, at least for early drinking. — 5 years ago

Ira, Eric and 24 others liked this

Heart & Hands Wine Company

Dry Finger Lakes Riesling 2017

S.S. Mandani

9.0

Intensely aromatic, pears, lychees, mangoes, eucalyptus.

Good overall structure. Fresh green leaves rustling in the spring breeze. Meadows of lush pears. Silk river on the tongue.

Refreshing.

On a Riesling kick as of recent. Especially FLX. — 5 years ago

Eric, Neil and 2 others liked this

Wild Arc Farm

Piquette Traminette

Deanna Urciuoli

9.4

Dangerously drinkable, this Traminette piquette is light and fruity. Perfect for summer days, warm nights and breakfast. — 5 years ago

Rob liked this

Patient Cottat

Anciennes Vignes Sancerre Sauvignon Blanc 2018

Ellen Clifford

9.0

Oh yeah Sancerre being tricky in a blind tasting I’d call this...I don’t know it’s so ripe. But that doesn’t mean it ain’t a tasty treat. More stone fruit. Some grass. White pepper and haunting white flower.its skinny fat. Good acid but voluptuous. — 5 years ago

Paul, Serge and 25 others liked this

Thibaud Boudignon

Anjou Chenin Blanc 2017

Ellen Clifford

9.4

Wine as art. Wine like the book you reread or the movie you rewatch and find something new each time, except with sips. I will restrain myself so I can try it over a couple days but ohhhh Boudignan how I love your work. Acid lasers cutting honeycomb onto beds of greens like lemon verbena composed in sheepskins (lanolin!) in a pear orchard. Rich complex and every sip is a new season in the orchard revealing new things. Omg this wine. It makes me MAD. Because I only got one bottle of it. — 5 years ago

Paul, Bob and 34 others liked this

Ellen Clifford

@Trixie thank you! Hope you can try this wine sometime, it’s truly one of the best!

Peter van den Besselaar

Great choice 👌

Ellen Clifford

@Peter van den Besselaar i love it!

Wild Arc Farm

Luca Hudson River Traminette

Stephani Nelson

9.1

Bought online. Drank at the cabin November 2019. Very tart, similar to a sour beer. I like it but I’m waiting to see how it opens up. — 5 years ago

Bollinger

Special Cuvée Brut Champagne Blend

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

With Covid-19 and the country in extended lockdown, mass economic shutdown & unemployment, one has extra time to enjoy some extra bottles, explore their creative side & dabble in a third career.

You can now not only follow my notes but, also my wine inspired landscape design. Here are some of my first creations. Strong beginning huh? I think I have a bright future after this is all over.

The nose reveals; lemon chiffon/meringue, lemons, lime zest, green apple, just ripe pineapple, grapefruit, green melon, some slightly bruised golden apple, lychees, cream, vanillin, very light caramel, elegant, soft chalkiness, volcanics, sea fossils/spray, bread dough to baguette with yellow florals, spring flowers & jasmine.

The body is rich with beautiful mousse & excellent micro-oxygenation. lemon chiffon/meringue, lemons, lime zest, green apple, just ripe pineapple, grapefruit, green melon, some slightly bruised golden apple, lychees, white peach, cream, cream soda, vanillin, very more caramel, elegant, soft chalkiness, volcanics, sea fossils/spray, medium white spice (ginger)with just a touch of palate heat, bread dough to baguette with yellow florals, spring flowers & jasmine. The lively, delicate acidity is excellent. The rich, well polished & balanced finish delicious & even throughout with nice, delicate, palate penetrating white spice that persists minutes.

Photos of; David’s Wine Inspired Landscape Designs, LCC. All rights reserved. TM. 😂 — 5 years ago

Sofia, Severn and 35 others liked this

Paul T HB

You need to make a dolphin shaped fountain with those bottles
Can’t believe all the Austin Hope I see mixed in that pile,is that metaphorical for Austin hope being a pile of 💩

Dawn E.

@David T Absolutely great! 😁

David T

@Dawn E. Thank you. It was fun putting it together. Lots of time with lockdown. Cheers & Happy Easter.

Ployez-Jacquemart

Extra Brut Champagne Rosé

Michael Herzog

9.3

Love this linear, focused Rosé. It never disappoints. I love these Extra Bruts. Drank with some pasta and blistered tomatoes and it was a great pairing, but just a great night with parents and social distancing on the porch. I’ll keep going back to this well. — 5 years ago

with Judy

Byron, P and 16 others liked this

Heart & Hands Wine Company

Finger Lakes Pinot Noir 2015

Mike Pietro

9.2

Not only the best red I've had from the finger lakes, but a Pinot I would seek out. Great structure and depth/complexity. Balance of soft acidity, medium tannins, and ripe vibrant fruit, all with a light body without being flabby and gentle alcohol. I seriously love this and am so excited for the finger lakes. — 7 years ago