Magazine rates Finger Lakes Rieslings highly

Ten Finger Lakes Rieslings received scores of 90 or above from Wine & Spirits magazine last week.

The 90 or above scores went to Hermann J. Wiemer (Dry, Dry HJW Vineyard, and Dry Magdalena Vineyard), Dr. Konstantin Frank (Dry, and Semi-Dry), Sheldrake Point (Dry, and Riesling), Hosmer (Dry, and Riesling), and Rooster Hill, according to Wine Press,the newsletter of the New York Wine and Grape Foundation.

Jim Trevise, the head of the foundation, called Wine & Spirits "the only major consumer wine magazine where the 90-point 'glass ceiling' has truly been broken, and in this case shattered, for Finger Lakes Rieslings."

He added, "In the past, there have been a few sporadic 90 or better ratings for these wines in other publications, but generally 89 has been tops. For ex ample, the December 15 Wine Spectator rates many of the same wines, with noticeably lower scores, like an 88 (the top score) for the Dr. Frank Dry Riesling that got 93 in Wine & Spirits, and an 87 for the Sheldrake Point Dry Riesling which received a 91."

The reason for the difference in ratings is uncertain, he said.