Monthly Archives: May 2014

Ten Venues for Outdoor Wining

Posted by nofowineaux in Summary Recommendations and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Memorial Day Weekend means summer really is beginning, so I thought this would be the right time to tell you about my favorite places for outdoor sipping on the North Fork.  There is something very civilized about sitting in the sun (or under an umbrella), sipping a lovely chilled white or rosé, or even a well-rounded red, enjoying the warm breezes, possibly snacking on some bread and cheese.  If that experience includes a pretty view over farm fields and vineyards, so much the better.

Almost all of the tasting rooms augment their indoor seating with outdoor areas in the summer, from Jamesport’s capacious lawn to Waters Crest’s two umbrella tables in the parking lot, but some are pleasanter than others.  Following this you will find a list of my favorites, starting with a few I particularly enjoy, and then others in no real order.  I also mention a wine or two I particularly recommend for sipping, but in a few cases it has been a year or more since I went there, so you may not find the same vintages on offer.  Note that some places encourage you to bring your own picnic, while others discourage or forbid it, so I suggest you check the web sites before you go.  The ones which don’t allow you to bring your own snacks generally sell their own.  If you’re putting together a bread and cheese picnic, you won’t do better than Love Lane Cheese Shop in Mattituck, which carries a wide variety of excellent cheeses and baguettes from Tom Cat bakery.  Stop at Harbes for some berries or Wickham for peaches and you’re set.

Shady nook at Croteaux.

Shady nook at Croteaux.

1)       Croteaux

This is absolutely my favorite outdoor tasting area, plus all the wines are perfect for summer sipping.  You go through the tiny tasting room into a tree and flower-filled patio area, with comfortable Adirondack chairs and shady nooks.  Two of my favorite rosés are the Merlot 314 and the Violet, but any of them would work.  I also recommend their snack of goat cheese and baguette.

Adirondack chairs, with their wide arms, are perfect for tastings in Croteaux's yard.

Adirondack chairs, with their wide arms, are perfect for tastings in Croteaux’s yard.

2)      Old Field

If you like a rustic setting, this is the place!  Calico cloths on the tables plus chickens and ducks roaming around the old barns on the property really make you feel you are far from city life.  Though I don’t think any Long Island rosés are better than Croteaux’s, the Cacklin Rosé 09 (probably will be a new vintage by now) was lovely.

3)      Mattebella

Picnic tables and umbrella-shaded tables dot an expansive patio area looking out over the grape vines.  We liked the ‘08 Chardonnay and the ‘08 Old World Blend.  The last time we were there, small snacks accompanied some of the wines on the tasting menu.

Part of the lawn at Jamesport.

Part of the lawn at Jamesport.

4)      Jamesport

Jamesport is the perfect place to come if your group includes children who would like some space to roam around, or even dogs (as long as they are on the leash).  Their large backyard lawn, with a variety of seating or picnic areas, some in shade and others in the sun, is perfect, and they sell thin crust pizzas made in an outdoor stone oven and freshly opened oysters, among other treats.  Their Sauvignon Blanc goes particularly well with oysters.

Some red tastings plus a view of the vineyard at Pellegrini.

Some red tastings plus a view of the vineyard at Pellegrini.

5)      Pellegrini

Here the outdoor seating varies from pleasant spots out on the lawn or the interior courtyard to a few tables overlooking the vineyard.  What makes this a good place for an outdoor tasting (rather than just a glass of wine) is that they will give you your entire tasting on a tray, carefully labeled, so you can sit and sample at your leisure.  If you’re going for just a glass, we really like their Petit Verdot, which would pair well with brie and baguette.

6)      Paumanok

Paumanok is another place that often features oysters, though not as reliably as Jamesport.  They have a pleasant porch out back of the tasting room which looks out over the vines and fields.  The 2011 Festival Chardonnay was a good match for the oysters, though they may have a new vintage by now.

The deck at One Woman

The deck at One Woman

7)      One Woman

This is a small winery with a small porch which wraps around the tiny tasting room.  You are surrounded by the vines and a large field of grass as you sit and taste.  We found the One Woman Tribute ’11 to be a good sipping wine, and we are in love with the 2012 Grüner Veltliner.

8)      Comtesse Thérèse

This is another winery with a bit of a French accent, and outdoor tastings are in the charmingly disheveled intimate garden behind the Comtesse Thérèse Bistro.  Though the setting is pleasant, we found the service a bit lackluster our last time in the garden, though that could certainly have changed.  The 2011 Chardonnay was a super sipper.

9)      Shinn

Although it was too chilly to sit outdoors on the day we went there, we did admire Shinn’s remodeled outdoor seating area, with comfortable-looking chairs and a nice little snack menu. I’d recommend First Fruit for a sipping wine.

Outdoor area at Shinn

Outdoor area at Shinn

10)   Pugliese

With a pretty little pond and trellis-shaded picnic tables, Pugliese has created a very attractive outdoor seating area.  If it’s not overrun with limo groups, I’d recommend you go there with some cheese and crackers and get the Bella Domenica, a summery red.

Pretty pond at Pugliese

Pretty pond at Pugliese

P.S.  Just visited Mattebella for the first time in two years and their improved outdoor area means they should be added to this post!  (See review for details.)

 

Jamesport Vineyards: Oyster Heaven 5/10/14

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

https://www.jamesportwines.com/

Welcome sign, in every way

Welcome sign, in every way

Oysters!   If you Google Long Island Wineries and oysters, you get Jamesport, and with good reason. They have a lovely stone oyster bar in their extensive back yard area, and they feature a raw oyster bar just about every weekend.

The sun came out and all of a sudden we went from winter to summer, so we decided it was a good day to sit in a garden and sample some white wine and oysters, so off we went to Jamesport. Along the way we noticed an absolute explosion of dandelions, as well as signs for spinach and asparagus. Yay for the latter!

photo (5)

If you want oysters, walk through the tasting room, out the back door to the pretty patio and order them at the stone counter. We decided to splurge on a dozen each, for $24 per dozen (6 for $15). The cheerful young man opening the oysters turned out to be Joshua Clauss, the proprietor of Harvest Moon Shellfish of Peconic Bay. After we were done, when we went to compliment him on the quality of his oysters—fresh and briny and plump—he told us this was his first crop, after three years in the business, seven years altogether learning how to cultivate oysters. He said he would be sold out by July, and hoped to have his next crop by October. We plan to look for his oysters again!

To go with them, we each took a glass of Sauvignon Blanc ($10), served in attractive round-bottomed glasses. The Sauvignon Blanc has lots of citrus aroma and taste, which makes it a perfect complement to the oysters. What’s nice is the lemon-lime flavors are balanced with a touch of sweetness, which also pairs well with shellfish.

A bulldog cozies up to the bar

A bulldog cozies up to the bar

As we sat in French-café-style chairs at a little round table, we enjoyed the warm day, the many dogs rolling in the grass (allowed on leashes) and the blues/pop singing and guitar playing of Ahmad Ali. If you see him on the schedule of a winery, you might make a point of going, as his mellow sound meshes well with a sunny afternoon.

Music among the tables

Music among the tables

We could also have chosen pizzas, which we watched being made in a brick oven, or beer from Greenport Harbor Brewing Company, or various other snacks and wines. Jamesport does not allow outside picnic baskets, but we saw plenty of people happily eating the Jamesport fare. We also overheard a young couple being given a tour of their wedding facilities.

More dogs, and a bit of the side yard

More dogs, and a bit of the side yard

Reasons to visit: Oysters!!!; the Sauvignon Blanc; a pretty outdoor area with picnic tables and lots of space; music.

All done with the oysters!

All done with the oysters!

Menu

Menu

Shinn Estate Vineyards: For Earth Lovers April 26, 2014

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

http://shinnestatevineyards.com/

The Farmhouse at Shinn

The Farmhouse at Shinn

Hidden away on Oregon Road, Shinn includes both a lovely rustic tasting room and their own inn, called the Farmhouse.  Considering that the owners also own the restaurant Home in New York City, I’ll bet the food is good there!  However, we had come for a tasting after our disappointing attempt to visit Vineyard 48.  As we pulled into the parking lot we noticed a huge windmill, and I remembered that I read that they powered the winery using solar and wind power only.  The outside area has been attractively redone, with rustic benches and natural stone walls, but it was too chilly to stay outside, so in we went, where we found a warm welcome, a happy crowd, and Panda, the resident black and white dog.  Rocks anchor the menus to the bar, inspirational words painted on weathered wood line the walls, and a blackboard notes that they are now open until 8 on Fridays and Saturdays.

Windmill

Windmill

Outdoor area

Outdoor area

A tasting is $10 for any four wines, chosen from an interesting menu that includes six whites and five reds, plus Wickham’s pear cider, their own “sherry,” eau de vie, and grappa.  We decide to share two tastings, three whites, four reds, and the “sherry.”  (They also sell their own vinegar and granola, and have a small snack menu outside.)  One of the servers gives us detailed information about each wine, while the other does not, but the menu gives some guidance.

Dog in residence

Dog in residence

1)      2013 Coalescence            $16

We have liked and bought this blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Riesling in the past, so we opted to start with it.  Aromas of pear and fresh cut grass and tastes of baked pear and citrus, maybe lemon grass, with some tangerine at the end, was how we described this to each other.  Though not for sipping, it would be okay with seafood in a cream sauce.  However, we don’t like it as much as we did in the past, which shows the importance of tasting new vintages before you buy.

2)      2013 First Fruit                   $22

This is a lovely wine, a Sauvignon Blanc, with faint honeysuckle and orange aromas and lots of fruit, a bit petillant on the tongue.  The initial sweetness of the taste could be off putting to some, but overall it is not too sweet, especially at the end.  I could see sipping this on the porch if summer ever comes!

3)      2012 Pinot Blanc              $35

An unfiltered barrel-aged (11 months) wine, you can see the cloudiness in the glass.  They serve it at room temperature so you can savor the taste.  Wow. Interesting.  This has a very full mouth feel, almost as if you could chew it.  I don’t know that I’d want it with food, but it would be fun to include it in a tasting and see what people thought of it.  We smell pine or forest floor and taste some vanilla.

Clouds!

Clouds!

Water for cleansing your palate--or your glass!

Water for cleansing your palate–or your glass!

4)      Red Blend           $16

One of the servers cleaned up the glass that was to be used for our red tasting, so our server rinses our glass with some of the bottle of water they give each group.  As the name indicates, this is a blend, of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.  Though it was made using grapes from 2011 and 2012, it is not a vintage wine, and the menu describes it as “medium bodied.”  I would agree:  this is an ordinary wine, with lots of tannins, a bit on the thin and bitter side, with tastes of berries and sour apple.

5)      2010 Estate Merlot          $26

This is a fairly typical Long Island Merlot, with a sweet berry aroma and taste.  My husband says “baked sweet potatoes.”  Maybe.  Good.

6)      2010 Wild Boar Doe                         $32

Again, this is a blend of all five of their estate grown reds, with a pleasant aroma of fresh hay and berries and a delicious taste that is reminiscent of a French Bordeaux (no surprise, given the name!).  This is a very appealing wine and would be good for a special occasion, with steak or lamb or pasta with a red sauce. photo (52) 7)      2010 Cabernet Franc                       $38

A bit of a barnyard odor and tastes of berry but also some burnt toast with honey.  It doesn’t bowl me over, but my husband likes it more than I do.

8)      2009 Veil “Sherry”            $48 for a 375 ml bottle

Made from Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon late-harvest grapes, this is a sweet and herbal sherry-like drink with notes of honey and a bit of goldenrod scent.  Pleasant, though we prefer Spanish sherries; it would make a nice before-dinner cocktail, maybe on ice or mixed with something else.

Some of the more exotic items on the tasting menu.

Some of the more exotic items on the tasting menu.

Reasons to visit:  pleasant tasting room in the midst of scenic farm fields; the First Fruit, the Pinot Blanc, and the Wild Boar Doe; the chance to taste some other types of drinks like their sherry (we’ll have to return to try the eau de vie and the grappa!); the chance to support a vineyard that cares about the Earth as well as the earth. photo (46)     9)

Vineyard 48: The Opposite of a Warm Welcome April 26, 2014

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting, Uncategorized and tagged with

http://vineyard48wine.com/

 

It wasn’t just the weather that was damp and chilly on this April Saturday when we attempted to visit Vineyard 48.  We had been there twice before, but the last time was in 2011, so it was time for a return visit.  On our previous visits, we had liked and bought a couple of the wines, so, though the reputation of the winery has suffered a bit in recent years, we were ready for a tasting.

We pulled into the driveway and were directed by a parking attendant to pull around to the back.  A second parking attendant was directing various limos and buses to park near the tasting room, but we were sent further along, down a long muddy path through the vineyard, to park amongst the rows of vines.  Given the chilly drizzle, we were not delighted with our muddy trek, but we persevered to the entrance, where we were stopped outside by a polite young man who waved baggies of tokens in our faces and said, “It’s $10.00 for four tastes.”

He informed us that we could “pick up” our tastes in the tent behind him.  “But we don’t want to be outside,” we said.  “Oh, you can take your tastes inside,” he replied.

Unable to see inside, we realized that not only would we have to buy our tastings before we saw the menu and knew if we wanted to do one, we wouldn’t know if we had space to sit or stand to do the tasting until after we were committed.  So we left.

Clearly, Vineyard 48 has decided to cater to the limo and bus crowd to the detriment of other visitors.  A few other signs that this is so:  a prominent sign before the entrance proclaiming “No Outside Alcoholic Beverages Allowed,” the many buses and limos in the lot near the building while other visitors are shunted to the back, and the often reiterated message on their web page that “Limos and Buses are always welcome at Vineyard 48!”  They had briefly lost their liquor license due to complaints that they had become a party venue rather than a tasting room.

Reasons to visit:  None that I can see.