Pellegrini Vineyards: Perks of Being in a Club

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

March 17, 2023

Perhaps because everyone else was elsewhere drinking green beer, we had the tasting room to ourselves.

No St. Patrick Day parades for us and our friends; instead, we were off to do a wine tasting at Pellegrini, where we are members of the wine club.  Many wineries offer clubs, with varying perks and policies.  We have only opted for two:  Pellegrini and Channing Daughters.  Both of them offer special prices for their wines, quarterly releases of wines for club members, special events, and free tastings.  Our friends are members of some wine clubs, but not Pellegrini, so they were curious about what would be on offer.

Unlike more and more local wineries, Pellegrini does not offer much in the way of snacks (You can buy NOFO potato chips.), though a little bag of oyster crackers comes with each tasting.  However, the advantage is you can bring your own snacks, and I offered to supply some.  Well, I got a bit carried away, but we all enjoyed the cheese, crackers, prosciutto, and Marcona almonds from Village Cheese Shop and the charcuterie from 8 Hands Farm.  Since I brought a nice slab of 8 Hands pâté, I felt obliged to also pack Dijon mustard and cornichons.  To continue the theme of local goodies, I also opened a bag of North Fork potato chips.  Lunch accomplished!

Most of the goodies I brought, including a little jar of truffled honey. The cheeses are an aged gouda, Village Cheese Shop’s homemade truffled brie (So good!), and Humboldt Fog.

We had so much fun eating and talking that my wine notes are a bit sketchy, but I will say we all liked every taste, though to different degrees.  We got four tastings, of four wines each, with some overlap.  The tasting room felt like our own private space, since the only party that entered quickly decided to sit up in the little balcony. I also recommended that our friends try the North Fork Project Merlot, a bargain at three one liter bottles for $30, which we both bought before we left, sated and happy.

In no particular order (though our lovely server Kasey carefully informed us of the recommended order of tastes for each flight), here are the wines I took at least a note or two on, some based on the flights my husband and I got, and others on the flights our friends chose.

This flight includes the ice wine, the almost orange wine on the right.
  • 2020 Stainless Steel Chardonnay                $22.99

This was my first taste, and I quite enjoyed it.  In the car on the way to the winery we had discussed the merits of steel vs. oaked chardonnays, with one friend very much preferring oaked, and me…not.  As they say, in wine there are no wrong answers.  This is a light, fruity, minerally wine, with tastes of pear and apple.

  •  2019 Vintner’s Pride Chardonnay              $34.99

Our friend ordered this, and characterized it as smooth and buttery, but not overly oaky—the latter a term he actually refuses to use, since he denies tasting oak in any oaked chard.  This one is aged 100% in French oak puncheons for 18 months, and for contrast his wife ordered the next chard on this list.

  • 2019 Pellegrini Vineyards Chardonnay      $24.99

Not that different from the VP chard, opined our friend, though this one is aged 90% in oak barrels and 10% in stainless steel, 9 months in French oak puncheons.  Is stainless steel chardonnay a plot by wine makers to make less expensive wine they can sell for a higher price, or is it a way to accommodate differing tastes?  The world may never know… 

  • 2021 Pellegrini Vineyards Rosé                   $24.99

If you like a very light, almost tasteless rosé, this is the rosé for you.  I continue to prefer Croteaux rosés.

  • 2017 PV Cabernet Franc                $32.99

Although this is simply called cab franc, it is actually a blend: 85% cab franc, 4% cab sauvignon, 8% merlot, and 2% petit verdot.  In any event, it is a rather light red—Kasey had recommended we drink this before the other reds—with some cherry and spice flavors.  Our friend thinks one might even serve this lightly chilled, like in the summer.  It goes well with the charcuterie.

  • PV Steakhouse Red          $21.99

One feature of Pellegrini we like is that they have some reds that are not too pricy yet drink very well, and this is one of them.  A blend of 72% cabernet sauvignon and 28% merlot, this has a nice minerality with soft tannins and some dark fruit tastes, and would, indeed, go well with a steak.   

  • 2017 Merlot       $32.99

Another blend, this is 85% merlot, plus 10% cabernet sauvignon and 5% petit verdot, though it basically tastes like a merlot.  It’s fine, but I actually prefer the—much cheaper—North Fork Project Merlot.  This, however, could be characterized as more sophisticated.

  • 2020 PV Gewürztraminer              $24.99

My recollection from past tastings is that the gewürztraminer is not overly sweet, and our amiga confirms that this is so.  Easy to drink.

  • 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon             $24.99

Our friend likes this blend of 94% cabernet sauvignon, 4% merlot, and 2% cabernet franc better than the merlot.

  • 2015 Regalo                       $49.99

Pricey, but really good, is my verdict on this wine, which is the last in my tasting.  Regalo means gift, and this is a gift reserved for wine club members. A blend of 50% petit verdot, 30% cabernet sauvignon, 15% merlot, and 5% cabernet franc, this is a complex, delicious wine, with lots of blackberry, plum, and other dark fruit flavors and aromas. 

  • 2021 East End Select BBQ Red                    $26.99

Although this doesn’t have a varietal designation, this iteration of their steel-fermented red is 100% petit verdot.  I have a sip, as it is in my husband’s tasting, and note that it has more sweetness than, say, the Steakhouse Red.  I guess it would go well with ribs or pulled pork, though my wine of choice with barbeque (like from Meats Meat) is beer.

  • Finale Ice Wine                 $39.99 (375 ml)

Time for dessert!  A blend of gewürztraminer and sauvignon blanc, ice wine is made by freezing and then pressing the grapes, resulting in a sweet taste.  The vineyard web site notes it pairs well with nuts, so I am glad I provided Marcona almonds for our friend.  She likes it, and compares it to savoring one’s platonic ideal of a fruity sucking candy, with some notes of honey.

I love the comfy chairs!

Reasons to visit:  pleasant tasting room where buses and limos are verboten; you can bring your own snacks; dogs are allowed; the comfy chairs are conducive to lingering; with fourteen wines to choose from (twelve of which I’ve mentioned), there are wines for every taste; my favorites are the steel chardonnay, the Steakhouse Red, and Regalo; one friend likes the gewürztraminer and the ice wine, the other the VP chardonnay and the cabernet sauvignon, plus the North Fork Project Merlot. 

Macari Vineyards: Time to Book a Table

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , ,

www.Macariwines.com   

February 23, 2023

I’ve become quite familiar with Macari’s tasting room this year, since I now belong to a book club that meets there.  What’s better than sitting around a table with a group of bright people, discussing books and sipping wine?  Oh, and let’s not forget nibbling on truffled potato chips.  However, the book group has settled on one favorite wine—the Life Force Sauvignon Blanc—so when friends who belong to the Macari wine club offered to take us there for a tasting, we accepted with alacrity.  They made the reservation, which, by the way, is required.

Not sure what this is, but it is impressive.

To get to the entrance, you have to wend your way around the wrap-around porch.  The room you enter is dominated by a decorative structure which I think is beautiful, but which defies categorization.  We were shown to a table overlooking the vineyards on a plastic-windowed porch, cozily warm, with chairs decorated with soft furry drapes.  In front of us were place mats with three glasses, and the names of the three wines in the standard tasting.  However, as our cheery server informed us, as wine club members we could choose the special wine club trio of tastes.  It took my husband and me only a moment to decide that he would get the standard group and I would opt for the wine club tastes.  One friend also got the wine club trio, while her husband opted for a glass of his current favorite, the Dos Aguas Red, a blend of 48% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc, and 7% Petit Verdot. ($35 per bottle) The Dos Aguas refers to the North Fork’s two waters—the Long Island Sound and Great Peconic Bay—which moderate the climate. 

The tables were set like this. If you didn’t want the three wines on offer, you could substitute others from the list.

As we discussed what to get, the server brought us chilled bottles of water.  We also ordered a charcuterie board for four, which had enough meat, cheese, almonds, olives, bread, hummus, and chips for at least six. ($50)  Yum.  We all agreed that this was a very civilized way to spend a damp, chilly February afternoon.

No outside food allowed, but they have plenty of snacks to choose from.
  •  2020 Dos Aguas White  $24

This was the first of the wine club trio, and a very good way to begin.  It is a light, dry, lemony white blend, half grüner veltliner, blended with pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc, and a touch of chardonnay.  The grüner can tend to be a bit sweet, but in this case it was nicely balanced with the other grapes.  It would go well with seafood in a cream sauce.

  • 2022 Life Force Sauvignon Blanc $28

As I noted, this is the book club favorite, and for a good reason.  It is aged in a combination of a concrete “egg,” and stainless steel, which makes it both more complex and smoother than a typical sauvignon blanc.  One time, years ago, we were at Macari and happened to get into a discussion with the winemaker about the concrete egg, and he gave us a long explanation of the benefits of this way of aging wines.  I’ll just say, it seems to work really well.  This is dry but fruity, very easy to drink.

I believe these are the wine club prices.
  • 2019 Life Force Cabernet Franc  $30

My favorite of the day, this is a yummy red, with tastes of berries and plums.  Again, this is aged in concrete.  It was the second of the wine club trio.

  • 2021 Rosé                          $24

On the other hand, this was my least favorite, a very light rosé, tart, with not much fruit.

We had made some serious inroads on the charcuterie platter before I remembered to take a photo.
  • 2019 Malbec                     $50

We had made some inroads on the charcuterie platter by the time I got to the malbec, and I noted that it went very well with the cheese and other snacks in front of us.  Despite its high price, I did not like it as well as the Life Force Cab Franc, though it is a perfectly good wine.  I got some cherry taste, and nice tannins.  Perhaps it needs to age a bit more.

By the time we left, the room had emptied out quite a bit.
  • 2020 Cabernet Franc                      $38

One problem with this red was that it was served too cold, a common problem.  I think if it had had time to warm up, I might have liked it better.  I found it somewhat light for a cab franc, with notes of berries and herbs.  Very drinkable.

Reasons to visit:  pleasant tasting room overlooking the vineyard; excellent service; I liked all the wines, but especially the Life Force Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc; ample charcuterie board (no outside food).  One unfortunate note—when the room is crowded, it tends to become very noisy, as it was during this holiday week.

I really like these furry throws!

Übergeek Brewery: You Have Arrived

Posted by nofowineaux in Brewery and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

www.Ubergeekbrewing.com

February 19, 2023

Your GPS says, “You have arrived,” but as you look around you are thinking, “Where?”  Never fear, you are near.  Just turn off the road you are on into what looks like an alley, and a few yards down the road you will see the sign for Übergeek Brewery.  In a past life, this warehouse-looking building was home to Moustache Brewing Company, and apparently nothing has been changed on the outside, except for the sign, and the only change on the inside is the painting of a large and rather geeky mural. Yes, they take the geek theme seriously.

The taps look exactly the same as the taps when this was Moustache.

We entered on this President’s Day weekend with our guests to find the small room fairly full, with what seemed to be mainly locals, enjoying pints and chats with friends, or playing a board game from the selection on a shelf off to one side.  We managed to find seats—uncomfortable metal stools—for our group of six at a long table, and sent a delegation to the bar to find out if they had flights.  Though there were plenty of signs on the walls—describing the beers, giving notice of upcoming events of various sorts—nothing said anything about flights.  However, the sole server came over to tell us that yes, they do flights, four of any of their ten beers for $13.  So we discussed our options with each other, and decided to get two flights, careful not to overlap, so we could sample eight of their brews.  The server then gave us little cards on which to write our selections.

The stools were rather uncomfortable, but no one else seemed to mind.

In addition to beer, they have a few snacks for sale, and a cooler with juices and such, so we got apple and cranberry juice for the youngsters in our party (who had already discovered the arcade machine in one corner) and ordered a pretzel.  We think the server forgot the pretzel, because we had to remind him of it when we were almost done with our tasting.  In recompense, he brought us two pretzels (with some honey mustard) and a bag of chips.  Nice.

As we sipped and compared notes, we found ourselves often thinking of food pairings—maybe we were just hungry for that pretzel, or maybe these are just beers that demand food.  The names of the brews are…creative.  No idea if they have anything to do with the beers themselves!  Maybe they name the beers the way the Surrealists titled their paintings, at random.

This flight includes the peanut butter porter, the dark beer on the right.
  • Rockets Don’t Fuel Themselves                  Pilsner, 4.1% ABV (alcohol by volume)

This is a very light, almost watery beer.  To me, it’s a beer to chug at a ballpark, after a salty hot dog, but one friend says he likes these crisp, refreshing beers.

  • All the things, all the time                            Amber lager, 4.5%

I like this one better than the pilsner, as it had a nice well-rounded toasty taste.  One friend proposes it would go well with tacos.  Yes, I can see that.

The mural enforces the geek idea.
  • Now we’re just making stuff up                 Cold IPA, 5.6%

Fresh cut grass under pine trees, I say, as I take a sniff.  This is a refreshing, piney but not too piney, IPA.  Good with barbeque, suggests the hungry member of the party.

Yes, that’s a very blue beer there, not a glass of ink!
  • Blue beer, don’t care                     Blue raspberry soured, 5.2%

Well, at least this name makes some sense, as this beer is VERY blue.  Very.  Although I am not a fan of sour beers, this one is at least potable, though I find it sets my teeth on edge.  It does have a bit of sweetness that balances the sour.  One friend imagines a hot day at the beach, and adding a squeeze of lemon to this.  Meh.

  • I never asked to be here                              Winter lager, 6.5%

If you were at a party and didn’t want to pay attention to the beer, but just drink one that’s easy to drink, this would be my choice, says one guest.  I could see this as a generally acceptable beer—and I’m not damning with faint praise, as it is quite pleasant to drink, with a slight citrus note.

  • You call that a calculator?                            Doppelbock, 7.5%

This was my favorite so far, a good sit-in-a-pub-and-sip beer.  It’s not too heavy, but does have texture and classic bock flavor.

  • All these quarters, still no dollars              Peanut Butter Porter, 6.5%

Don’t get this one if you’re allergic to peanuts, as it is actually brewed with that legume.  This is the only really dark beer of our flights, and I like it, but less than I thought I would.  It tastes and smells strongly of coffee, with some umami nuttiness and an aftertaste of, yes, peanut butter.

  • Only when we suffer can we be great                     Marzen lager, 5%

No suffering necessary when drinking this brew, as it is a light, slightly fruity lager, very easy to drink.

Clearly, geeks like to learn!

Reasons to visit:  casual, relaxed brewery, with easy to drink beers; dogs allowed; you call that a calculator? and now we’re just making stuff up (the two beers we bought in cans to bring home); they also had warm hard cider and some wines available; lots of events, including “Geek Talks,” Stand-up Night, and live music.

Jason’s Vineyard: Ahoy, Matey!

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting, Uncategorized and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

December 7, 2022

The nautical theme begins outside; note the roped pilings.

As we settled ourselves around Jason’s ship-shaped bar (mast and all), I joked, “And it’s not a pirate ship!”  I expected the server to agree, and explain that its design is a reference to the famous Greek ship, the Argo, whose captain was the hero, Jason.  Instead, he offered, “It’s a Viking ship.”  Assuming he was kidding, I laughed—but he wasn’t.  Though he’s worked for the Damianos family for years (They also own Pindar and the two Duck Walk tasting rooms.), no one had ever explained to him the mythological inspiration for the bar.  Jason Damianos, sadly, died in an auto accident not long after opening the tasting room, but the family continues to run it.  Though pleasant and attentive, our server was similarly not informed about the wines.  I hope after our gentle teasing he will be better informed for the next visitors.

The mast is designed like a classic Greek sailing ship‘s mast.

We had chosen to go to Jason’s because our visitors brought with them their very well-behaved pooch, and, according to the web site, they welcome dogs.  Then the sign on the door said, “No Pets.”  What to do?  I poked my head into the empty room, and asked, and the server welcomed us in, doggie and all. Whew. 

Our visiting pup.

We hadn’t been to Jason’s since February 2019, both due to the pandemic and because we had found the wines overall too sweet for our taste.  They seem to have partially corrected that, although Golden Fleece (a reference to the object of Jason’s quest), their most popular wine, is still much too sweet.  By the way, if you like to look at animals, you can stop outside to see the sheep and alpacas, another reference to the famous quest.  Oh, and the rest rooms are labeled Gods and Goddesses, reinforcing the mythological theme.

A tasting consists of four wines for $15, chosen from the list of eleven, served in little plastic cups on a labeled tray.  The servings were adequate for each couple to share a tasting.  We decided to mostly have the same wines, so we could compare notes, and all decided not to buy any wines to take home. They allow you to bring in snacks, and also sell a selection of crackers and cheeses.  Our guests bought a package of crackers as palate cleansers.

  • 2020 Viognier   $27.95

I often find viogniers quite pleasant, and this one was okay.  The aroma reminded me of fresh-cut grass, and the taste was somewhat grassy as well, with some herbal notes.  However, one guest found it somewhat vinegary, and too sharp for her taste.

The plate has an insert of numbers, and our server explained to taste them in a clockwise order.
  • 2021 Sauvignon Blanc    $24.95

Consulting my notes, I see that the last time we were here I characterized the sauvignon blanc as watery, and it still is.  It’s a very light white, with some notes of melon with lemon squeezed over it.

  • Golden Fleece    $18.95

Our guests ordered this one, and gave us a sip to taste as well.  A blend of chardonnay, seyval blanc, Cayuga, vidal blanc, and riesling—according to the tasting menu, though our server was unable to tell us in what proportions—this tasted mostly like a rather sweet riesling.  Not my type, though, as I mentioned above, this is apparently their most popular wine.

There’s an outside porch area, though not for a chilly rainy day.
  • 2019 Merlot       $34.95

“This is a competent merlot,” opined one guest, and I agree.  It is dry, with some cherry taste and aroma, somewhat light, with some notes of oak and smoke.  As we were sipping, we got into a discussion with our server, who by this time had exactly one other group to attend to, about how the Damianos family run three separate wineries.  He explained that, in addition to the eleven wines at Jason’s, the other two places offer thirty different wines each, with each meeting different requirements as to taste.  However, the same winemaker does them all.  That’s impressive, and part of why I find wine so fascinating.  The same grape, grown in the same area and type of soil, can end up tasting quite different, depending on time of harvest and after harvest treatment.

The bottles are adorned with an image of the Argo. It was manned by a group of heroes dubbed the Argonauts.
  • 2019 Meritage   $36.95

Although this is their Bordeaux blend (again, I don’t know proportions or grapes), it is thin, almost watery, with a slight taste of black olives.  Meh.

Reasons to visit:  you like to look at sheep and alpacas; you are fascinated by Greek mythology; you need to bring a dog with you (despite the sign on the door, the website does say, “Pets are welcome!”); you like sweet wine.

This alpaca seemed quite curious about us.

Suhru Wines: Early Return (Not Election Related)

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with , , , , , , , , , ,

November 12, 2022

This photo was taken in February, the last time I was here.

Because there are so many wineries on the North Fork, I generally don’t return to one more often than once a year.  However, my daughter and a group of her friends were having a little reunion of their group, and invited me to meet them at Suhru, which I had last been to in February.  How could I resist? 

Suhru was a perfect venue for the six of them (plus me) to get together, since they were able to sit comfortably at a table, the room was cozy and quiet, and the server combined just the right amount of service and letting be.  She started the afternoon off right by bringing us chilled bottles of water and glasses.

I still wasn’t going to blog this visit, but then I saw that the menus, both for drinks and food, had changed, so I fished some scrap paper out of my purse and jotted down a few notes.

The menu of flights has four possibilities:  Holiday Favorites ($19), Whites & Rosé ($14), and Red Wines ($19), each consisting of four tastes.  You could also put together your own four tastes for $19.  As it happened, everyone opted for the Holiday Favorites, with much discussion about who was hosting Thanksgiving and what wines would go with turkey.  We all agreed, as my daughter learned when she and her husband toured the Champagne region of France, that sparkling wines go with everything. 

The snack menu has also changed.  I was glad to see they no longer offered the measly portion of marcona almonds for $2.  The group, wanting to try local products, ordered the North Fork Cheese Plate, which, for $32, included a good-sized scoop of Goodale Farms herb chevre and a small slab of goat gouda, plus crackers, honey, and candied orange rind (all out of apricots).  They also got artichoke and lemon spread, a small container whose label we read to be sure it was okay for the lactose intolerant in the group, which came with (at least a dollar’s worth of) marcona almonds and crackers.  Plus two bags of North Fork potato chips.  It was plenty.

  •  NV Brut               $29

According to the tasting notes, this has won a number of medals, and I can see why.  It has a lovely bready aroma and tastes of ripe apple and minerals. Lots of tiny bubbles.  Everyone likes it.

  • 2020 Sauvignon Blanc                   $21

“Grassy,” says my daughter as she sniffs and sips this one, and I agree.  It reminds me of the smell of fresh-cut grass.  I also taste green apple and some minerality, and smell thyme honey.  Very nice.

  • 2021 Riesling                     $19

Our server explains that Suhru is a winery without a vineyard, and they buy all their grapes from various North Fork vineyards—except the riesling, which they buy from the Finger Lakes, a region famous for its rieslings.  I was glad this was a dry riesling, since I often find sweet rieslings undrinkable (except for dessert, or with very spicy food).  I explain the aroma, which some describe as “cat pee,” but for me reminds me of the smell of water that has had flowers in it for a bit too long.  Fortunately, it tastes better than it smells, with some stone fruit and flower notes.

  • 2021 Teroldego                $30

This and the sauvignon blanc are both new releases.  (The emphasis, by the way, is on the second syllable.)  This is an easy-to-drink red, and could go with turkey (as could all of the wines we tasted!).  It has notes of cherry and tobacco (from aging in oak), and is dry, with a touch of tannins. 

You can see how distracted I was by the lively conversation–I forgot to take a photo of the tasting until it was gone!

Reasons to Visit:  cozy, intimate tasting room with a beachy vibe; all the wines, including one I did not taste but others in the group tried, Ember; nice menu of snacks.

Bedell Cellars: Varied Factors

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , ,

October 21, 2022

The experience of doing a wine tasting can be affected by many factors, not all of them related to the wines themselves.  For example, the last time we went to Palmer the lackadaisical service made the experience less pleasant than in the past.  On the other hand, the lively presence of Laura Klahre makes every visit to Coffee Pot Cellars a pleasure.  In this case, our feelings about Bedell were colored by the fact that it was a beautiful warm fall day, we had a great seat on the porch looking out at the vines, and we had one of our favorite people in the world with us.  We also had the capacious porch almost entirely to ourselves (no worries about having to vacate our seats, as the sign on the table warned).

Even the parking lot is nicely landscaped.
The walkway leads directly to the porch.
Plenty of room today. Our friend noted it would be a nice venue for a big party or wedding.

We entered the porch from the prettily landscaped parking area, and were greeted by a young man behind the bar, who provided us with menus.  Bedell offers a basic flight of three of their wines for $15, or you can assemble your own flight from their menu of 19 wines for $6-$10 per taste.  Since we wanted to compare notes, we decided to each get the basic flight (with my husband and me sharing, since I was the designated driver), with the idea of getting an additional taste of something else if we wanted it.  The server poured our three tastes, and we carried them to a corner table where the afternoon sun made a nice warm spot.  We hadn’t had lunch, so we ordered a cheese and one of the salumi and some crackers, which were brought to our table.

The snacks came wrapped, with plates and those little wooden knives—which were quite inadequate for slicing the cheese, a nice wedge of Beemster.  It would be helpful to get a real knife.  We also were given little wooden picks for picking up the slices of Napoli salami, which fortunately came pre-sliced.  The crackers were…inoffensive.

As we sipped and chatted and enjoyed the view, soft rock of the Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel variety played in the background.  The pour, by the way, was fairly generous, and we felt no need for more wine.

  •  2021 Rosé          $25

The weather was doing a pretty good imitation of late summer rather than early fall, so the rosé felt quite appropriate.  It has an interesting aroma of tropical fruit and minerals, with tastes of guava and minerals.  Nice, dry, and light; our friend notes it would be “nice on an August afternoon,” to sip on its own.

  • 2020 Pinot Gris                 $30

Like the rosé, this has a more interesting aroma than many wines of this variety.  I say mossy and a bit funky, and no one disagrees with me.  The taste is also more complex than many North Fork whites, with some tart Granny Smith apple taste.  We decide that it is best with food, and make some inroads on the cheese and salami.

I noticed the plastic curtains, which should make the porch usable even on not so nice days.
  • 2019 Malbec      $45

But the cheese goes best with this wine, an intense red with crushed berry taste which our friend compares to her favorite soda, Dr. Brown’s Black Cherry, except not sweet.  She starts fantasizing about drinking it with some matzo ball soup, a knish, and a pastrami sandwich.  Maybe!  It is good, though not $45 good, we agree, and I remember that one time when I wrote about Bedell I discussed the issues of price and value in wines.  They still have some very pricey wines, including Musée, at $125 per bottle.  Wow.

We made friends with Barney, who was focused on a crumb I had dropped.

Reasons to visit:  in warm weather, a pleasant outdoor covered porch with a view looking out over the vines; all three of the wines were good, though not good enough that we bought any; they allow dogs, at least on the porch, since as we were getting ready to leave we had a little visit with Barney; you can build your own tasting from their extensive menu of wines.

Roanoke Wine Shop: Four for Four

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting, Uncategorized and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

October 13, 2022

The entrance to the patio from the parking lot is well-shaded.

The sky was threatening rain, so I was glad I was able to park just steps from the back door of Roanoke’s Love Lane wine shop in the roomy parking lot off Pike Street.  Roanoke has two tasting rooms, but the one at the vineyard is for members only.  However, all are welcome to their Love Lane venue, a small but pleasant store front in the midst of Love Lane’s shops.  Love Lane, by the way, is a great destination for foodies, since in one small block you have the terrific Village Cheese Shop, the Sweet Shoppe and its gourmet chocolates, Ammirati’s sandwich restaurant with its many choices, Lombardi’s Italian market, North Fork Donut Company, and Love Lane Kitchen, where the lines outside prove its popularity.  Not to mention, just around the corner, Agora, a Greek market, and Good Food, where I get empanadas.

The view out the front window, where you can see Lombardi’s market, which has all sorts of prepared foods and pizza, as well as meats, etc.

Despite all these offerings on Love Lane, we and our guests had just had lunch at CJ’s Grill, in the Mattituck Marketplace, where the service was a bit slow, but the food was delicious and the servings were generous.  This was fortunate, since the pour at Roanoke is also generous, and it was good to have a well-lined stomach.  The tasting menu just has one flight listed for non-club members, of four wines for $16.  We liked them all so much, and the price was so reasonable, that I bought one each of all four wines, something I have never done before.

Roanoke does have a well-shaded patio in back, where we would have sat if the weather had cooperated.  However, it had turned chilly, so our party of five voted to sit inside.  We had the room to ourselves, which was nice, and our server and a friend of his who was hanging out at the bar helped us push two small tables together and rearrange the chairs so we were quite comfortable.  Each couple shared a tasting, with the designated driver supplied with a glass of water (which we all also got). 

Though we didn’t need any snacks, one of our guests asked for a cracker or two, and got a nice little basket of crackers.

As I was paying for our tastings and bottles, I noticed a small list of cheeses and snacks, but I forgot to ask about their policy for bringing in food.  I’ll assume dogs are probably allowed on the outside patio, but I would call and ask before coming.  By the way, Roanoke also carries Wölffer Estate wines, including their very popular rosé, Summer in a Bottle. 

As we sipped, one of our guests asked how this year had been, and our server told us that it looked likely to be a very good year for the harvest, as grapes enjoy the hot dry weather we had for most of the summer.  Something to look forward to!

The labels are quite attractive.
  •  2021 Sauvignon Blanc   $26

This is a steel fermented wine, with a bit of that mineral aroma steel-fermented wines get, plus a lovely floral scent.  We all like the crisp, lemon-lime taste, with more depth than many sauvignon blancs.  This is a very drinkable wine, and would be good with food, like a lobster roll.

  • 2021 The Wild                   $23

What’s so wild about this?  It uses wild yeast, which cedes some control over the result to nature, rather than using commercial yeasts.  Channing Daughters also uses wild yeasts—those occurring naturally in the air and soil—for their L’Enfant Sauvage.  As a result, the taste of the wine can vary from year to year.  This one worked out well.  A clone of chardonnay, with some muscat, it is steel-fermented, but is softer than some steel chards.  Instead of citrus, it has a toasted nut flavor and a long finish. Our guests buy two bottles.

  • 2020 > (Greater Than)                   $25

Why is the name of this Bordeaux-style blend the mathematical symbol for greater than?  There’s a story behind it.  Originally, this was called Bond, but it turned out a California winery also had a wine called Bond—a very high-end wine—and they had copyrighted the name.  Uh-oh.  So Roanoke asked its wine club members for alternative names, and someone came up with the idea of greater than, as in greater than the sum of its parts.  And indeed it is.  This is a blend of 67% cabernet franc, 19% merlot, and 14% cabernet sauvignon.  The aroma includes cherries (likely from the merlot) and spice.  I say nutmeg.  The tasting menu compares it to a Briermere cherry tart.  It’s not sweet, but it is soft, with no tannins, so it’s surely a drink-now wine.  I’d have it with mac and cheese—maybe the mac and cheese from Meats Meat, also in Mattituck, just around the corner on Main Road.

  • 2020 Marco Tulio             $28

There’s a story behind the name of this Bordeaux blend as well.  It is named for the father of one of the founders, who lived to be 99 years old, and died just short of his 100th birthday.  His photo adorns the bottle.  This one has much more of the cherry aroma and flavor, not surprising, given that this blend is 66% merlot, 21% cabernet franc, and 13% cabernet sauvignon.  This is drier than >, with some slight tannins.  I taste tart plums and a little spice.  I think I’d pair it with spaghetti carbonara.

Reasons to visit:  cozy tasting room conveniently located in the midst of Love Lane’s food mecca; all four of the tasting menu wines; a place to buy Wölffer Estate wines.

Chronicle Wines: A Family Story

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

August 25, 2022

The winery is in a storefront on Peconic Lane.

The last time we were at Chronicle Wines—back in 2019, when it was still called Peconic Cellar Door—the five-year-old daughter of one of the owners put in an appearance with her nanny, so it seemed like a good place to visit with a couple of granddaughters in tow.  And indeed it was.

The bar is a holdover from the Winemaker’s Studio.

Since our pre-Covid visit, Chronicle, helmed by Robin Epperson-McCarthy and Alie Shaper (both of whom were in the tasting room when we arrived, and gave us a warm welcome), has expanded into the next-door shop-front space previously occupied by Anthony Nappa’s Winemaker’s Studio.  Alie assured us that Anthony, who is the winemaker for Raphael, is still very much in the winemaking business, and continues to runs his wine club for the wines he makes separate from Raphael.  This new room is outfitted more like a lounge, with cushioned seats and small tables, plus the bar, while their original space has bigger tables.  Since there were six in our party (counting the two youngsters) we opted for the big table, promising Robin that we would ignore the stacked boxes of a recent delivery—which they soon began putting away.

The lounge area.

The tasting menu offers two options, a white and orange flight of five wines for $25, or a red and rosé flight of five tastes, also $25.  Since we wanted to try the full panoply of their wines, we decided to share one of each flight amongst the four of us, which turned out to work beautifully.  Alie brought to our table a chilled bottle of water plus a tray of empty glasses so we could share the wines without sharing a glass.  We also ordered a few snacks for the girls and ourselves—a box of cranberry almond crisps, a bag of North Fork potato chips, and a jar of olives—plus lemonades for the girls, and settled in.

Snacks!

While we waited for our flights to arrive, we examined the art on the walls, as Alie and Robin make a point of featuring local artists. Today’s paintings are by Cherryl K. Bradley. The granddaughters were quick to observe that “Queen of the Scrambled Brain” contained both a crown and some hearts, and wondered whether it showed the state of mind of someone who had difficulty with love.

The Queen of the Scrambled Brain
Follow the Sun

Both Robin and Alie stopped by our table from time to time to see if we had any questions and make sure we had everything we needed.  Although they work together, they each have their own brands of wines:  As If, Brooklyn Oenology (BOE), Chronicle, Haywater Cove, and Saltbird Cellars.  The tasting included some from each brand.

  •  2024 Chronicle Chardonnay Pét-Nat       $30

Sparkling wines are always a nice way to start a tasting, as they get one in a celebratory mood.  This one was no exception, having a pleasantly yeasty aroma, nice carbonation, and a taste we discussed as either lemon verbena or lemon pie.  One of our guests pronounced it “lively.”

  • 2018 BOE Pinot Gris        $15 (on sale)

Even though this one is on sale, we opted not to buy any, since we found it both thin and earthy, if that makes sense.  I sensed a bit of a metallic taste, or maybe minerality would be a better term.

  • 2019 Saltbird Cellar Sauvignon Blanc       $25

We sensed an aroma of lemon and green apple, and one guest opined that “it has some sort of fruit taste, but not sure which.”  We laughed over our shared tendency to guess gooseberry, though none of us is quite sure what a gooseberry tastes like.  This might go nicely with some gravlax.

  • 2014 As If Serendipity White Blend           $15

Our favorite of the whites, this is a blend of chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, and viognier, lightly oaked.  It has more body than the others, with a “nice roundness,” according to one guest, and a thyme honey taste, while still being tart.  We each buy a bottle.

  • 2020 BOE “Broken Land” orange wine     $30

You may be wondering about how the granddaughters—ages eleven and eight—are occupying themselves as we sit and sip.  They have their Kindles to read and snacks to munch, but they are also taking an interest in our discussions.  They sniff the wines appreciatively, and agree or disagree with our descriptions of the aromas.  Dad asks the eight-year-old, who, with her sister, has been helping him with some amateur basement winemaking, if she knows what an orange wine is.  She confidently and immediately replies, “It’s a wine made with white wine grapes, fermented on the skins.”  Overhearing this, Alie notes that if she were eighteen she’d hire her on the spot. Meanwhile, we sip this blend of gewürztraminer, sauvignon blanc, and pinot gris, and decide we like its aroma of orange blossoms or honeysuckle better than its flavor, which is a bit thin for us.

  • NV Haywater Cove Rosé               $15

Rosé makes a nice transition from whites to reds, since it is made from red wine grapes, but fermented with minimal skin contact.  This one is a blend of merlot and cabernet franc, and is very much in the Provençal tradition of light, dry rosés.  We note that it is a good wine for hot weather, and could see drinking a nice chilled glass of this on the porch.  My tasting buddy likes its strawberry aroma and flavor.

  • 2019 Saltbird Cellars “Red Skies”               $30

Though we find this blend of syrah and cabernet sauvignon pleasant, we don’t feel it is a $30 bottle.  The aroma is earthy, and the wine is light, with tastes of raisins and grapefruit peel.

  • 2020 Saltbird Cellars Merlot        $27

The aroma has a slight whiff of basement, and the wine is very dry and light, with a touch of cherry flavor.  One of us suggests it would go well with roast chicken, to which I reply, “What doesn’t?”  We have some difference of opinion over this one, which one guest pronounces sophisticated, but which I find unimpressive.

  • 2017 Saltbird Cellars “Harbinger”              $36

When a wine has a non-varietal name, that often means it is a blend, which this is: merlot, cabernet sauvignon, and petit verdot.  The night before, we bought steaks at Center Cuts and cooked them on the barbeque, so we were wondering whether any of the reds we tasted today would stand up to such steaks.  This one would not.  It has some cherry and dark fruit taste, but is again rather light, though one guest notes it has “chewy tannins.”

  • 2013 Chronicle Wines Red Blend, limited edition                              $40 (? Not sure)

Yummy aroma of dried fruits, delicious taste.  And yes, this wine could stand up to a big steak.  It has lots of dark fruit flavor, is dry, with a nice mouth feel.  This is a Bordeaux blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon, malbec, syrah, and petit verdot.  We both buy a bottle.

Reasons to visit:  Alie and Robin are eager to please, and will tell you all about their wines; pleasant small tasting room; the Pét-Nat, the As If Serendipity white blend, the Haywater Cove Rosé, and the Chronicle Red Blend; if you are interested in such things, they also sell canned wines and spritzers; dogs allowed outside. 

Greenport Harbor Brewing Company: A Cold Beer on a Hot Day

Posted by nofowineaux in Brewery and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

August 9, 2022

It was hot, hot, hot, and we’d spent the morning on the beach, so a cold beer sounded a lot more appealing than a glass of wine, even a crisp white or chilled rosé.  In addition, our guests had brought their dog with them, limiting the number of wineries that would welcome us all, so a brewery seemed like the best idea.  We knew Greenport was dog friendly, so off we went. 

My list.

At the bar, each couple picked five beers from the extensive list, and, without planning to, we only overlapped on one, so we got to try a panoply of brews.  I asked our server where we could sit with the dog, and she gestured all around and said, “Anywhere you like.”  I asked, because there weren’t any free tables in the main room, and it was too hot to sit outside.  So we settled ourselves in the side room.  Feeling a touch peckish, we added fish dip and freshly made fried potato chips to our order.  The chips were crisp and tasty, and the dip reminded me of one I’ve made with smoked bluefish and mayonnaise, perfect with the beers.

Yummy snack.

We were more than halfway through our flights when a different worker came over and, very apologetically, told us that we’d have to take the dog into the other room.  A health department violation!  Oh my.  There still were not any good four-person tables, but they quickly wheeled in a nice big table and added chairs for us, so no problemo.  At the end, our guests decided to prolong the experience with a glass of Dog Adoption.  For $12, they could have gotten a keepsake glass and Greenport Harbor would donate $4 to Unicef for Ukraine.

Our doggie guest felt comfortable enough to demand a tummy rub.

By the way, there is no attempt to tell you in which order to taste your flight.  You give the server your list of choices, and they put them into the whale-shaped carrier in the order in which you listed them.  However, it is best if you try to order them from lightest to heaviest, since a light beer’s taste will evanesce if you have it following a porter.

Our two flights. Note the PINK beer in the background.

My notes are rather sketchy, since we were enjoying our conversations on other matters, but I would say overall I was a bit disappointed with this particular array of beers.  They mostly seemed aimed at easy summer drinking, which I suppose is appropriate, but, while refreshing, they were a bit short on interest. 

  •  Summer Ale

This is our only overlap, so we tasted it in tandem.  I pronounced it refreshing, while one guest opined that it had a “faint dishwater aftertaste.”  Not being in the habit of sipping dishwater, I can’t verify that judgment, but I would categorize that flavor as reminiscent of mineral water.

  •  Haus Pilsener

This had a fuller taste than the Summer Ale.  It reminded me of beers I had on tap in Prague, and I could see drinking it with a hearty serving of sausages.

  • Dog Adoption

Greenport Harbor really does sponsor a dog adoption service, hence the name of this beer.  Since our visiting dog was adopted from a shelter, it seemed appropriate to include this beer in our tasting.  I’m not a big fan of grapefruity IPAs, which is what this one was.

  • Evil Duck

The cloudy, unfiltered appearance of this one sparked a conversation about whether or not unfiltered beers were healthier.  The jury is out.  Words we used to describe this are sour, fruity, like a green apple or bosc pear…not so evil.

  • Claudio’s Pirate Lager

Ho ho ho.  Better than Bud, opined one of us, but not by much.  So much for pirates.

  • Black Duck Porter

This is a fixture in the panoply of Greenport Harbor brews, and one I like.  It is a stout-y dark brew, with some chocolatey tastes.  Good sipping in a pub stout.

  • The Hot Sauce

I asked the server about this before I added it to my list, and she said, in a cautionary tone, “It’s hot.”  It does have an aftertaste of chilies and lemon, and smells a little bit like hot peppers, but it is not super spicy.  It may give one a bit of heartburn.  I would say, drink this with something bland, like simple hamburgers.

  • Maibock

This is my favorite of the day, in that it has lots of taste for a fairly light beer.  Again, a good summer sipper.

  •  Up in the Mix

Ever have a pink beer?  Me neither—until this one.  One guest dubbed it “candy beer,” and “like a kid’s drink.”  I guess it is a beer for someone who doesn’t like to drink beer, but somehow found themselves dragooned into a visit to a brewery.

Reasons to Visit:  dogs are allowed; lots of choices and a changing menu all the time; Haus Pilsener and Black Duck Porter; freshly made potato chips and fish dip (plus they have a more extensive menu of food than many places).

The beer garden is relatively new–or at least, I had not noticed it before.

Raphael: Pretend You’re in Italy

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

July 15, 2022

Looking like a villa in Tuscany, the Raphael tasting room sits on the Main Road in Peconic.  A covered veranda in the back looks out onto the grape vines, and the warm weather this week made it really feel like Italy.  We drove in past the miniature villa gateposts, around the Italianate fountain, and parked in the lot.  Through heavy wooden doors that would not be out of place on a palazzo we went, entering a huge space where a disembodied voice said, “Welcome!”

The voice soon materialized into a young woman, who cheerily asked us if we wanted to sit inside or outside.  Noting that there was plenty of room to be socially distant from other tasters, we opted to sit inside at a table facing outside, where she left us with a couple of menus.

As we perused the menus, she returned with two bottles of Poland Spring water.  I no longer buy bottled water, but these would be convenient for the future.  It was lunch time, and on a previous visit we’d had very good flatbread pizzas.  However, they no longer have them (or at least, not during the week), and the menu features a selection of cheeses, crackers, hummus, etc., all a la carte (so if you want crackers with your cheese, you need to order them).  We also noticed that every tasting comes with a “snack.”  “What is that?” we asked.  “Sort of a grown-ups Lunchables,” she replied. Ah.  We decided to add a serving of hummus ($8) and tortilla chips ($10), most of which we ended up taking home, as the chips were a huge bag and the humus a 10-ounce container (very good, by the way). The snack was indeed quite mini, consisting of about four crackers and as many slices of bland cheese, plus some slices of spicy sausage. However, it did remind us of how in Italy one is often served some sort of snack with a glass of wine, like a dish of olives, or like the time in Bologna when there were three of us sharing a bottle of wine, and the waiter brought a plate of cheeses and sausages (no charge).

Meanwhile, we were debating over which flight to get, as they have six different options.  We could see by looking at other tables that the serving per taste is quite generous, but we wanted to try a panoply of wines, so we decided to just plan not to finish each glass, and get a flight of four whites for $25 and four reds for $25.  Both flights were brought to our table on labeled strips of paper.  Our waitress launched into her little scripted speech about each wine, enlivened by her personal preferences, with which we agreed.  For example, we had a little chat about riesling, which she noted she sometimes dislikes as too sweet, but felt the current iteration of Raphael’s riesling is one she likes.   I was a bit concerned when she described a couple of the reds as “summer reds,” and when I tasted them I saw why.

As we sat and sipped and munched and looked out at the vines, my tasting buddy said that Raphael gets an A+ for service and setting.  As to the wines…

  •  2021 Rosé of Pinot Noir               $30

Our server explained that this is a “true” rosé, made from red wine grapes treated like white grapes.  It is a pretty color, and had a pleasantly fruity aroma.  We liked the taste, too, with notes of citrus and black cherry, not too sweet, not too dry.  A good summer sipper.

The snack.
In an effort to counteract the blandness of the cheese and the spiciness of the sausage, I combined them.
  •  2021 Sauvignon Blanc                  $30

All their whites are fermented in steel, which sometimes leaves a slightly metallic aroma, which this has.  It is a touch petillant, crisp and light.  A little fruity.  Nice.

  • 2021 Pinot Grigio             $30

In France, they call this grape pinot gris.  We like this wine the best so far, with a taste of baked pears.  Not much aroma.  Good for sipping or with food, like roast chicken, or even pork chops.

  • 2021 Riesling      $30

Many rieslings have a smell described as “cat pee,” which, having had a cat in the past, I can say this one has, though faintly.  There is some sweetness here, but there is also a bit of a funkiness which takes the edge off the sweetness.  Pleasant.  Though my husband finds it too sweet for him, I think it would be fine with something spicy, like Thai food.

  • 2019 Cabernet Franc       $36

This is one of the wines she described as “summery,” and I think I know why.  It is soft and fresh and easy to drink, with slight tannins, a berry aroma, and tastes of ripe dark fruits.

  • 2019 Pinot Noir                $50

“Not a very exciting red,” opines my drinking pal, and I agree.  It’s not bad, just kind of mellow and soft.  When I tell him the price, he says, “We’re not getting it!”  He also thinks that people may not, in general, want strong reds, which would account for the popularity of a wine like this.

If you plan to go, check their website, and the winery is sometimes closed for private parties.
  • 2019 Estate Merlot          $30

As our waitress noted, we are in the middle of merlot country here, as that grape is “happy” on the North Fork.  This is a fairly typical North Fork merlot, with nice cherry flavor, but ultimately meh.

The Malbec.
  • 2020 Estate Malbec         $36

This is my favorite of the reds, with a beautiful dark color, yummy fruit aroma, and dark fruit tastes—though again, no tannins.  “It’s not oomphy,” says my husband, and I agree.

Reasons to visit:  beautiful building and veranda, with vineyard views; attentive service; generous pour for the flights; the whites more than the reds, though all the wines were drinkable; the Rosé of Pinot Noir, the Pinot Grigio, the Malbec; nice place to come with a couple of friends.

There’s a fairly extensive gift shop, which may be another reason to visit.