In Boston, the name Cohoes is synonymous with a failed clothing store that opened in the ‘burbs and closed in less than two years.  Little did we know that Cohoes, the store, was named after Cohoes, the mill town just outside Albany, NY. After visiting downtown Cohoes on a pilgrimage to the New York State Wine Seller—a wonderful shop selling New York-only wines—we expect the town to have a brighter future than the now-bankrupt retailer.

In fact, down-on-its-luck Cohoes has been working hard to stage a comeback for more than a decade.  Boosters are sprucing up the turn-of-the-century (the last one) downtown, converting empty mills into chic lofts for Albany-area yuppies, and enticing entrepreneurs to open shops. Three such go-getters are cousins Diane Conroy-LaCivita and Jane LaCivita Clemente, and Diane’s husband Joe, who invested $185,000 in three century-old buildings on Cohoe’s main drag, Remsen Street. After a serious remodel, they opened New York State Wine Seller at the Harmony House Marketplace in November 2006.

Now, we love sampling wine from small, local producers. But not even VinoDuo would drive 2.5 hours just to go to a wine shop. What brought us to the New York State Wine Seller was a well-timed article in the Albany Times Union on the day of a business meeting in Albany.  After a successful morning, Gary and Lisa MapQuested the Wine Seller and took a brief 15 minute ride to Cohoes. We stopped for lunch at the popular Black Cat Ale House then walked a few blocks to the wine shop.  

Owner Jane LaCivita Clemente bounded into the Wine Seller shortly after we did and took us on an extensive tour of her small but comfortable shop. She stocks close to 300 labels from every New York wine region, but her heart clearly lies with the Finger Lakes. We were disappointed in the thin selection of Long Island wine (aside from Pindar and a few other better-known producers), but Jane eagerly wrote down our recommendations and vowed to expand her selection. If all goes well with our Albany client-to-be, we’ll hold Jane to her word on our next visit!

What We Bought
With a limited knowledge of New York state wines, we challenged Jane: pick out four great bottles under $25 for us to take home. Here’s what she picked, and our take—so far—on her selections.

Long Point Winery Zinfandel 2004  $14.99           THE WINNER!
We were skeptical…Zin from New York?  How does this quintessentially California grape (by way of Italy, Croatia, et al) flourish on the banks of Cayuga Lake? Quite well, actually. Gary and Lisa are Zin lovers, so we uncorked this bottle the day after we bought it. What it lacks in sophistication (not as well structured as a typical California Zin) it makes up for in deeply satisfying flavor and smooth finish. Full of berries and licorice, with that great Zin pepper.

White Springs Chardonnay-Pinot Grigio 2005   $14.99
We have embraced several white blends recently, like the St. Supery Virtu, but the White Springs meritage left us cold. According to Gary, “It’s more Pinot Grigio than Chardonnay and I hate Pinot Grigio.” Lisa was a bit more charitable, saying, “It tastes like a drinkable $10 wine.”  Unfortunately, White Springs (which also hails from the Finger Lakes) retails for $15. It was citrusy, with a slight metallic overtone, and reminded us of a basic house white. Clearly we will not return to Cohoes just to purchase this wine again.

Brotherhood Pinot Noir 2005      $13.00  Brotherhood was founded in 1839, which makes it, apparently, America’s oldest winery. The Pinot was pleasant: light and elegantly styled. It’s closer to the “old world” French Pinots, rather than the CA or Oregon fruit-forward style. Beautiful color; hints of vanilla and oak on the nose. Smooth and soft berry flavors, with a lovely finish.  A good Pinot—not a great one—that we would buy again if the occasion arose.

Swedish Hill Late Harvest Vignoles 2005    $21.00 
A fruity dessert wine that really makes its presence known.  Not a subtle charmer, this hits you with peaches and pineapple. The label suggests a pairing with cheesecake.  Lisa enjoyed it with her nightly sugar-free Jello and Light Cool Whip (the South Beach Diet lives.) Gary sipped it solo, with a multi-grain cereal chaser.  Ah, the exciting life of two wine bloggers in love.