Continuing on in our series on New York State wines, we find ourselves in the Finger Lakes.

While Brotherhood claims the title of America’s oldest winery, the Finger Lakes have a fairly strong claim with wine production beginning in the 1820s.  Unlike the Hudson River Valley, which depends on the Hudson River, the Finger Lakes are made up of four distinct bodies of water (Canandaigua, Keuka, Seneca, Cayuga), resulting in two American Viticulture Areas.  The first established was the Finger Lakes established in 1982, while Cayuga was granted it’s own in 1988.  Both areas tend to be strong at producing world class Riesling, but that’s not all that they produce well.

While in recent years, the Finger Lakes have been making strides in popular reds like Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon, they still are one of the biggest producers of native American varietals.  These varietals don’t just include the dark skinned Concord that’s best known for jelly and grape juice, but also grapes like Catawba, Niagara, and Cayuga (not the lake). While you might be hard pressed to find these wines labeled as such, they frequently sneak into the wine scene, making foxy, spicy wines ranging from off-dry to dessert like in sweetness.

Hazlitt Red Cat is one of those wines that gets kicked around a lot when it comes to quality, but then Hazlitt Red Cat isn’t your ordinary red.  Make from Catawba grapes, the flavor is bound to be more foxy than a hybrid or European varietal, but is it worth drinking?

Sight:  Bright, rose red, transparent, edge to edge.  Tiny bubbles show up at the bottom of the glass.

Smell:  Concord grapes drive it out of the park, left in the after glow are some vaguely berry notes are present, along with cranberry and currant.

Sip:  It starts bright, sweet, and round.   It lightens up, pulling in concord grape and foxy notes.  There are some elements of spice, but mainly things are grape based.  It moves slightly flabby before it finishes.

Savor:  The ending maintains that foxy nature, gets a little earthy, and fades.

Hazlitt Red Cat is another one of those foxy expressions that the Finger Lakes can end up producing.  While the grape flavor can be charming,  it also also goes hand in hand with the foxy flavors.  The touches of bitterness leaves a coarseness to the wine that makes it seem more aggressive.  If you happen to get past the strong foxy and grape natures, then Hazlitt Red Cat could make an enjoyably refreshing semi-sweet sipper.

Verdict:  Foxy, Grape, Sweet, Round
Rating: 74
Price: $7.99
Finger Lakes, New York