Listen up: if you’re not currently drinking wine from the Finger Lakes, you’re missing out. And if you’re not drinking Red Tail Ridge, well, I feel sorry for you, your kids and your future grandkids.

Red Tail Ridge first came on my radar a few months back, when I doing research for an endangered grapes story I wrote. Winemaker Nancy Irelan was a peach via email (and sadly, some of her sage wisdom was left on the cutting room floor). When I finally got to try her Dry Riesling, I was hooked. Crystal-focused, light and dry, the wine is everything I love in a Riesling.

Fast-forward a few months (and bottles), when a few weeks ago, I got to meet Nancy IRL and sipped the fruits of her labor, paired with delicious bites from talented young-gun chef Kwame Onwuachi. While chef Kwame served up knock-out food (taste explosion!), I kept returning to the glass for more of Nancy’s wine. Specifically, her Teroldego.

Surprise, surprise: I love obscure grapes. Wine discovery is huge for me, and while I’ve had Teroldego before, Red Tail’s is entirely singular. Firstly, the grape usually goes into still wines. To make a sparkling is a lovely stroke of whimsy. Not unlike Lambrusco, it’s a delightful froth of bubbles on the palate, which is kicky with ripe black cherry flavors and a peppery, dry finish. Hints of savory earth notes made it a perfect match for Chef Kwame’s hamachi with yuzu.

Frankly, I’d eat it with bacon. Then again, what wouldn’t I pair with the stuff?

Red Tail Ridge 2011 Sparkling Teroldego, $39.95