<![CDATA[Designs By Nishy | Weddings & Special Events | Jamaica, Barbados, Cayman Islands - Blog]]>Tue, 02 Dec 2025 08:21:12 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[Wine Flights in the Finger Lakes, NY]]>Sun, 26 Feb 2023 17:26:23 GMThttps://www.designsbynishy.com/blog/wine-flights-in-the-finger-lakes-ny
Picture
I love discovering wines and wine regions and sharing my takeaways with anyone who will take the time to indulge me.
I hope you have the time for another wine adventure. This time, to the Finger Lakes in New York State.
Why the Finger Lakes? The wine of course!

The Finger Lakes is a group of 11 beautiful lakes - (Seneca, Keuka & Cayuga will be the focus for now), that are surrounded by vineyards.
It's about a 5-hour drive from JFK Airport.

The Mission: to visit the Finger Lakes, drink the wine and watch the snowfall...that's it!
We got an early flight in, drove the 5-hour scenic route and detoured a couple times (the nature of our travel for the most part...where's the fun otherwise?).
All the detours made us slightly late for our first winery visit at Wagner Vineyards but we made it and saw our first bit of snow!

Wagner was a very "chill" tasting session. We were able to taste a few wines then we ended up purchasing a couple of bottles from the gift shop to hold us for the night.
My favorite was the Dry Bubbly Rosé which is made from Cabernet Franc. It has delicate red berry notes with gentle bubbles.
We stopped by a friendly neighborhood pizzeria then went to our airbnb to relax and have our wine.
Can you imagine...all that in one day? Okay so we have 3 more wineries to go and 1 wine bar.

Day 2:
We visited Dr Konstantin Frank - the Pioneers in winemaking in the Finger Lakes. Like many of the wineries in the region, expect to see grape varietals such as Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and unique varietals like Blaufrankisch, Saperavi, Rkatsiteli, Lagrien, Teroldego, among others.

Not getting ahead of myself and back to the experience at Dr Konstantin Frank...nothing short of personal, relaxed, informative and engaging. They offer customized wine flights - which are samples of different wines, which allows guests to taste smaller portions of what they prefer.
We did a flight of 5 wines each and the Tasting Room Manager was kind enough to offer us some very special wines that he thought we would enjoy.
Let's just say, this converted to a LOT of sales for them (cha-ching)

The highlights for me:
  1. 2021 Rkatsiteli which is a refreshing white, super floral and peachy, almost like a Vinho-verde minus the effervescence.
  2. 2020 Meritage, this is like your Bordeaux-blend aged in French oak barrels. It has plenty black fruits (plums & berries) with violets, leather, chocolate and spice.

Our next wine stop was this Wine store/Speak-easy. 
Vinifera was an unexpected gem! We did a wine flight and I discovered how much I love Pinot Blanc (it's my new white grape obsession). Scout Vineyards Pinot Blanc was a hit, fruity and floral with a slight nuttiness.
We enjoyed our wine flights in this underground lounge with cool music and retro decor elements #love

The next stop was dinner...but our car battery died WOWZERS!
Our kind friends at Vinifera helped us by calling the local police to give us a jumpstart (especially since Avis Roadside Assistance failed us, but that's another story for another time)
While we waited, we enjoyed another relaxing glass of wine, in their tasting room...I had to go back for another glass of that Pinot Blanc, yes it's that good.

We finally made it to Kindred Fare for dinner a couple of hours later and it was a lovely restaurant with an extensive selection of beverages - wines and spirits.
My favorite part of the meal was dessert (primarily because I don't have it often), that coconut chocolate torte was AMAZING!
All in all, an adventurous day was had and we sipped on some great wines.

Day 3:
Did I mention how cold it was? I'm from the Caribbean, we consider 70F to be cold...it was 35F on average.
Despite the cold temperature and activities from Day 2, we made it on time to Red Tail Ridge Winery!
Erin at Red Tail Ridge is awesome, she is so passionate about the wines, their viticulture and winemaking. 
As we learned about the wines and winery, we exchanged wine, food and travel experiences and tasted through our wine flight.
All the wines were great, there was maybe one that I wouldn't have an entire bottle of :D but I would absolutely drink another glass.
Among my favorites, 2016 The Farmer's Muse- Dry Riesling and 2013 Block 907 Riesling - which showcased 2 ends of the spectrum in terms of sweetness but very unique in style and flavor due to the former having been exposed to oak and the latter being an Auslese (late harvest) style.

We spent more time at Red Tail than we scheduled for, so we quickly hurried to our next stop which was Hermann J Wiemer.
While the experience wasn't quite as engaging as the other wineries, the wines were still delicious.
We enjoyed some lovely Rieslings, a Gewurztraminer and my new red grape obsession, Blaufrankisch - It is reminiscent of a Beaujolais (but with some black fruit notes) because its parent grapes are Gamay (the grape used to make Beaujolais) and Zweigelt.

We ended the night with a wine I thoroughly enjoyed while watching the snowfall from my balcony- Keuka Lake Vineyards Blaufrankisch 2019 with its delicate notes of black cherries, plums, spice, sweet tobacco and violets. It paired lovely with a Ribeye steak, sauteed onions and fresh green salad.

The Takeaway:
The Finger Lakes has some great wines, it's easily accessible and each little town is so close-knitted. About the wines, be open-minded, maybe lighter style reds or even whites are not your preference but give them a try. You will be pleasantly surprised.
You will be seeing some of my picks in Barbados soon...I can't wait to share them with you!

Can you say Mission Accomplished? Finger Lakes, you were breath-taking, hospitable and a memory that will never be forgotten.

I look forward to visiting again in the future...maybe still in the Winter when it's quiet and snowy.

What has your experience been with wines from the Finger Lakes? What do you like most and least about them?
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Don't forget to Follow @designsbynishy on IG and look me up on LinkedIn!
Cheers,
​Nichelle
]]><![CDATA[Wine & Chocolate Pairings for National Chocolate Day]]>Wed, 27 Oct 2021 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.designsbynishy.com/blog/wine-chocolate-pairings-for-national-chocolate-day
Chocolate & Wine Pairings by Designs By Nishy
Chocolate & Wine Pairings Designs By Nishy
National Chocolate Day is October 28th!
Whether or not you are a fan of chocolate, there is always one exception - maybe it's birthday cake, ice cream, Halloween candy or perhaps a Monday? (Yes, we know how brutal Mondays can be!)
To celebrate Chocolate Day, we have some recommendations for Wines that pair perfectly with Chocolate.

The general rule when it comes to Wine and Food pairing is that the wine should always be sweeter than the food.
Why is this so?
Well, it is a really fun experiment. But we will spare you the time (and calories), so here goes:
​
The sugar in food does a few things to the taste of the wine:
1. It reduces the taste of sugar in the wine
2. It makes the body of the wine seemingly less than it really is
3. It reduces the fruity flavors of the wine
4. Sugar in food, increases the bitterness of the wine
5. Amplifies the burning effect of alcohol
6. Sugar in food, makes the acidity of the wine taste higher
7. It increases the astringency of the wine

It's controversial, but not all Red wines pair well with Milk or Dark Chocolate for that reason.​
Let's start with the popular Milk Chocolate.
It's one of the easiest chocolates to pair with Wine because of the high fat content.
The wine should of course be sweet and Reds would absolutely be best.
Recommendations:
1. Recioto della Valpolicella - a sweet red wine that comes from Verona, Italy. (Imagine chocolate covered cherries)
2. Ruby Port - simple, youthful blended ports that are fruit-forward
3. Lambrusco - a gentle sparkling fruity light red wine from Italy
Dark Chocolate has more tannins and tends to be more bitter due to the higher cocoa content.
The bitterness in the chocolate will amplify the bitterness in the wine, so you want to aim for a sweet wine with lower tannins.
Recommendations:
1. Vin Santo - popular in the Chianti region and traditionally served with Biscotti (it would be lovely with a dark chocolate biscotti), due to the presence of cherries, spices and nuts.
2. Pedro Ximenez (PX) - a very sweet fortified (white) wine that is usually used in Sherry production. It has pronounced raisin and nutty flavors
3. Tawny Port - complex, aged caramel and nutty fortified sweet (red) wine.
White chocolate doesn't contain the cocoa solids as milk or dark chocolate does. Instead, it's made from cocoa butter. This allows for white chocolate to be paired with a number of wines.
Recommendations:
1. Moscato d'Asti - a gentle sparkle with floral & peachy flavors that adds to the creaminess of the chocolate
2. Ice wine (or Eiswein) - made from Riesling (Germany/USA) or Vidal (Canada), it is a sweet white wine with lemon, pineapple, candied citrus peel and orange marmalade flavors
3. Rosé d'Anjou - a rosé wine bursting with rose petals, raspberry and strawberry flavors that works beautifully with creamy white chocolate. Think white chocolate mousse topped with raspberry coulis.
What are some of your favorite chocolate and wine pairings?
Have you tried our suggestions?
Let us know what you think:
​Leave a comment below or connect with us on Instagram
]]><![CDATA[From Wine Enthusiast to Certified Specialist]]>Wed, 20 Oct 2021 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.designsbynishy.com/blog/from-wine-enthusiast-to-certified-specialistA few years ago, I had no clue that a career in the Wine industry could have been possible or of the steps that were required to get there.
Thanks to my love for travel and to the best Travel Partner (and Partner in all things), I got the inspiration and motivation I needed.

How it started

At a (very) young age, I was introduced to wine (thanks to my parents) - Black Tower (German) Riesling (quite sophisticated for my young palate) and (California) White Zinfandel!
They were both off-dry or medium sweet and fruity. Who wouldn't like it, right?

My first major Chemistry project in High School was making "Orange wine".
Yes it's in quotes because it wasn't actually Orange Wine (white wine that has been left in contact with it's skins and seeds) but rather fermented orange juice.

Over the years, my interest developed and reds became my preferred choice; primarily Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and blends of the two. Quite limited don't you think?

A 2017 trip to Napa & Sonoma Valley opened my eyes to Wines! Michael & I learned about wines we never heard of or tried before like Petit Syrah, Zinfandel (not White Zinfandel but the actual red wine) and got to experience the vineyards, production and learn general wine etiquette. 
We visited Hall Wines, Judd's Hill and Spelletich Family Wine Company.

That trip left us wanting more and so in 2018, we visited Italy.
My life changed. (FULL STOP!)
The entire trip was centered around Wine and Food.
At that point I realized, Wine was no longer just wine...if you understand what I mean.
It was more about the culture, history and terroir (pronounced tehr-waar) - which speaks to the influence of environment (soil, climate, weather etc) on the wine.
Enjoying premium wines at a minimal cost (comparative to the Caribbean) while devouring authentic, farm-to-table cuisine in the most relaxing setting...it could not get better.
But wait it does! Click on the video below
Add Panzano Wine Festival, shopping at the Il Palagio in Tuscany for wines, wine salt and olive oil, winery experiences at Poggio Rubino, Azienda Agricola Poliziano, Cantina Sociale Colli Fiorentini, Azienda Agricola Montefioralle, Azienda Toni Doro, Montesel Azienda Agricola and Col Vetoraz

Did I mention the Prosecco vending machine, Wine pump (gas station-like fuel pumps), grape harvesting and that one of our vacation rentals was smack in the middle of a vineyard?

During this trip, I learned so much, including the existence of actual wine schools (yes, it's embarrassing to admit!)

Professional training

I knew I had to pursue this love, I needed to know more and I wanted to share the Wines of the World with others!

I started my educational journey with the Wine & Spirit Education Trust Level 2 in Wines & Spirits which I received Distinction (provided by Florida Wine Academy), then the Comite Champagne certificate, Napa Valley Wine Academy: Business of Wine and I am eagerly awaiting my results for Wine & Spirit Education Trust  Level 3 in Wines.

What's Next?

Hopefully, my next challenge will be the WSET Level 4 in Wines and perhaps the Wine Scholar Guild Italian/Spanish Wine Scholar.

As I continue to educate myself, be prepared to learn something new as well.
​Are you cool with that?

My favorite wine quote:
"He who knows how to taste wine does not drink wine, but savors secrets" - Salvador Dali
p.s. I hope you enjoyed the photos
​
Follow @designsbynishy on Instagram
Connect with me on LinkedIn
Purchase Wine Apparel & Accessories HERE
]]>