Eagle Crest Vineyards Niagara - Native New York State Wine Review!

We've written before about Eagle Crest Vineyards, and there's a reason we keep coming back to them. They offer quality wines with something to suit a variety of tastes, and all at a great value.  We haven't had a chance to purchase any Eagle Crest wines this year, as they weren't at Oswego Harborfest and our trip to wine country was limited to Cayuga Lake - they're located on Keuka lake.  Luckily, after buying more than a couple cases last year, we still have plenty to write about :)

Eagle Crest Vineyards makes this delicious Niagara wine.  If you like grapes and grape juice, this is for you!

Many New York vineyards offer a Niagara wine. It's a variety of Vitis Labrusca (commonly known as "fox" grapes) and is a cross-breed created in Niagara County in New York State. You may already be familiar with the flavor of it if you've ever drank white grape juice. Niagara wine is this juice all grown up.

No need to be a wine snob to appreciate
this sweet and tasty white wine!

This wine has a light, sweet flavor that can only be described as "grapey," like the purple grape juice you grew up on but without the bite-back. It has a lovely golden color and a fruity nose. It's not a complex wine, not one of those you'd swish around and speak about in haughty terms. Rather, it's a wine for real-life kind of people, something to serve up nicely chilled with a fruit and cheese plate for a night with the girls (or the guys!) and is a good wine for people who think they don't like wine. Think picnic in the park or hanging out on the back deck at home, or on the couch!

We previously reviewed a wine from Eagle Crest that looks quite different but tastes quite similar; Eagle Crest Vineyard's Concord Wine.  To me, the difference is in the nose, and the mouth feel of the two wines.  Being that they share similar genetics, it's not surprising that the flavors are so related - however the Niagara has a bit less of a bite to it, and is "smoother" if you will - it also doesn't have as much body as the the Concord.  While both the Niagara and Concord are sweet, and have virtually nothing in the way of tannins, the Niagara seems to have a lower acidity, which would account for it seeming less "biting" or tart. 

The smell is of pure "grapes" as an American consumer would recognize it, and the Niagara has the advantage of smelling "sweet" in addition to it's very standard (and very delicious) grape flavor.  Very similar to the Concord though, so if like Concord, you most definitely owe it to yourself to try to the Niagara.  

Eagle Crest Vineyards is located in Conesus, New York. This winery does its own distribution so their products are only available in stores that are a reasonable drive from the winery, but they're also available on their website and the websites for several wine stores. Check out their website and if you can, you should meet up with them at one of their shows. Niagara retails for $12.99 on their website, but as most wineries do, Eagle Crest offers quantity discounts at wine shows and fests.

I hope you've enjoyed reading about another one of Eagle Crest Vineyard's tasty wines are perhaps are even moved to go purchase some yourself!  Of course, if you're local, you're always invited to come over and try some - any excuse to open a bottle of wine of course :)

Cheers!