Monthly Archives: March 2022

Duck Walk: Time to Par-tee

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

March 26, 2022

Our visiting pooch.

This time the only complicating factor—we thought—was the well-behaved pooch our visitors brought with them.  So we carefully planned to go to Jason’s Winery for a tasting, even though we knew Jamesport was holding a St. Patrick’s Day Parade that Saturday.  Looking at a map of the parade route, we thought we could get to Jason’s.  A couple of detours later, we got there—only to discover that it was the site of an after-parade party, with the grounds packed with cars.  Plan B.  We parked on a side road and called a couple of other tasting rooms.  No dogs; no dogs; okay for a dog, but there’s one here now, said the lovely woman at McCall’s, and the room is small.  We popped our heads in anyway, and were barked at.  Never mind.  Then I remembered that Duck Walk is owned by the same family that owns Jason’s and Pindar—the family of Dr. “Dan” Damianos—and is also “pet friendly.” 

Dr. “Dan” Damianos overlooks the tasting room.

Though the rain had commenced to fall heavily, we decided to head to Duck Walk as our last possibility, as the afternoon was slipping away.  In we went, to be greeted by a wall of sound. Though the live entertainment consisted of one man with a guitar, his amp and mic must have been set on the loudest settings, and the room is cavernous, so it was so noisy we could barely hear the woman at the cash register inside the door.  The noise was abetted by perhaps five or six bachelorette parties, easily identifiable by the woman in the midst of each wearing a white veil, including one group whose theme was “disco,” and who were dressed in sparkling outfits.  Should we stay?  We decided to stay. 

The bride-to-be is easily identifiable.
By the time we left, the sun was out. That’s March–if you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes.

The visiting pooch was a big hit with the bachelorettes, who had a great time petting him and receiving doggie kisses in exchange.  We also noted that Duck Walk allows outside food, and one party was happily consuming picnic lunches, most likely provided by the limo company.  Some bags of pretzels and popcorn are for sale, plus bottles of water.

We paid for two tastings, at $13 for four tastes, and received a little slip of paper to present at the bar.  You can also pay directly at the bar, as we observed.  However, considering how hard the two—later three—servers were working, I’m glad we didn’t give them that additional task.  After seating ourselves at a picnic table as far as possible from the music—which would have been fine at a lower decibel level—we headed to the bar and perused a menu.  There we were confronted with twenty-three possibilities on a complicated list which has the categories “white wine varietal,” “white blends and rosé,” “red blends,” “red wines varietal,” and “dessert & sparkling wines.”  Whew.  One guest prefers her wines on the sweet side, so she consulted with Matt, a superlative server, who kindly marked the sweeter wines—eight in all—on her menu.  Also on offer, they make Absenthe, the “traditional distilled spirit with wormwood,” for $5 per taste.  At the bar, I noted a couple of taps for Greenport Harbor beers.  As I went to get one of my tastes, a couple walked up to the bar and the young man told his companion, “I want a beer,” so I hope they were happy with what they found.

Not sure what the plastic cups are for. Our tastes, of about an ounce and a half, came in nice glasses.

We opted to get up and get each taste, since there was no way to carry all four to our table and we didn’t want to stand at the bar.  Matt did a great job of remembering me each time I came back, and helping me keep track of what we had had.  I’m not sure how he did it, with the crowd around the bar.

I’ll list the wines in the order in which I tasted them, indicating which were in our guests’ tasting with an *.

  •  2020 Reisling*  $21.95

Reislings can vary in their level of sweetness, which is why I rarely buy one I haven’t tasted, and this one is definitely on the side of sweeter.  Our guest compared the taste to “sucking on a lollipop.”  I smell honeysuckle; she tastes peach and butterscotch.

  • 2020 Sauvignon Blanc    $21.95

This is a light, dry sauv, with lots of citrus.  I say lemon/lime, and my tasting buddy says more on the lime-y side.

  • Windmill Red *                $18.95

Yuk.  This smells like dirt—and not the somewhat pleasant petrichor smell—and tastes worse.  It has no depth and an unpleasant taste.  None of us wants to drink it, so I return the glass to the bar, where Matt very kindly replaces it with a red he hopes we’ll like better, for no extra charge.

  • 2020 Pinot Grigio            $21.95

Finally, a wine we like.  This has a pleasantly peachy flavor, with lemon at the end.

  • 2019 Pinot Meunier *    $26.95

Matt gave us this as a replacement, probably thinking of my friend’s penchant for sweet wines.  “Shades of Manischevitz,” is the comment.  Yes, I agree, this tastes very like grape juice.

  • 2018 Merlot      $21.95

We have a brief discussion of merlot, and how it is so popular on the North Fork.  This is a fairly typical merlot, with some nice cherry flavor and good mouthfeel.  Nothing special, but drinkable.

  • 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon *        $21.95

“Not as good as the merlot,” is our consensus, “but okay.”  It is dry, with a hint of tannins, and some dark fruit flavor.

  • 2019 Pinot Noir               $38.95

I get a pleasant bramble aroma and taste, with very soft tannins.  I can see how someone who is put off by big reds would find this pleasant.  Just okay.

  • 2020 Aphrodite *            $21.95

Save this for last, counsels Matt.  Right.  It is, after all, a dessert wine, and comes in a slim, pretty 375 ml. bottle featuring a picture of the goddess of love.  But we don’t love it.  It’s too sweet even for my sweet-loving guest.  It tastes like a sugary fruit salad, though I guess if you paired it with foie gras or walnuts it would be tolerable.  The menu suggests pouring this gewürztraminer wine over vanilla ice cream.  Yes, it is that sweet.

Reasons to visit:  you need a place that welcomes dogs and/or outside food; you are with a group of bachelorettes; the pinot grigio and the merlot; you like sweet wine.

Disco-themed bachelorettes!

Ev & Em Vineyards: Not Quite Ready for Prime Time

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

March 11, 2022

The little sign attached to the big sign said “open,” so in we went.  Laurel Lake was one of the last vineyards we went to in 2020, pre-pandemic—on February first—so we were curious to see how the new owners had changed things.  From the outside, it didn’t look all that different, but as soon as we opened the doors we were amazed at the changes.  If you’ve ever watched “Restaurant Impossible,” you know how much a room can change, but this was huge.  The room even retained a faint smell of fresh paint.

From the outside it doesn’t look all that different.

Instead of having a warm, country vibe, the room has been transformed into a sleek modern space, with the old-fashioned hearth replaced by a gray stone fireplace.  The room seemed particularly bare because they have not yet gotten their furniture.  Supply chain issues, I assume.  I sympathize, since we recently bought a set of eight dining room chairs, only six of which were in the store.  Oh yes, we were told, we will have those other two chairs for you in a couple of weeks.  Three months later we ended up with two chairs of a similar design, which we put at the head and foot of the table to minimize the differences. 

We moved two wire chairs (I believe holdovers from Laurel Lake) from in front of the fireplace and put them next to a shelf display unit, to improvise somewhere to rest our glasses while we sat and sipped.

Even the wood floor looks different, as it is now a lighter color than before.
You can see the large porch area and the grassy field beyond it, where we once sat on a summer’s day.

 If you want to stand at the bar, there’s plenty of space, since it extends all along one side of the room.  And once summer comes, they will have a lot of room—assuming their furniture arrives! —on the covered porch and the grassy grounds.  Summer will also bring a food truck, at which point they will most likely no longer allow outside food.  At the moment, all they have on offer is North Fork Potato Chips, so they likely wouldn’t object if you came with a snack—though there are no tables on which to put it.  (By the way, they do allow dogs on leashes.)

We perused the menu, which had three categories:  the Ev & Em E2 flight, of four wines for $32; Whalebone wines, available by the glass or bottle; and Laurel Lake wines, which they will continue to sell until they are sold out, of four wines out of a list of thirteen, for $25.  Having tasted most of the Laurel Lake offerings, we decided to go for the E2 (E squared?) tasting.  Since the new owner has kept the same winemaker, we were curious as to how the E2 offerings would compare.  The new owner, by the way, is Dan Abrams, of ABC news fame, and the winery’s unusual name is a tribute to his two children.  His book, Kennedy’s Avenger, is for sale at the winery.

Of course, Dan Abrams’ book is for sale in the tasting room.

So we told Danielle, the friendly and chatty server, our choice, and she poured our first taste into a nice big glass.  Each time I got up to fetch our next taste, she and I chatted a bit, and she happily answered all of my questions.  I was wondering what the Whalebone Wine was about, and she said it had to do with an interview in a magazine of that name, on display in the tasting room, for which a couple of wines were created.

  •  2020 Chardonnay          $32

I could immediately tell this was an oaked chard, since it had that piney, woodsy aroma of oak. Fortunately, it was not too heavily oaked, so though it had a bit of an unctuous mouth feel, it also had some refreshing citrus notes and some minerality.  My drinking buddy pronounced it “drinkable.”    

We improvised a place to rest our wine glasses as we discussed our tastes.
  • 2019 Gewürztraminer   $32

Danielle and I had a bit of a discussion about this one, since she said she liked it better than the Laurel Lake version of this grape.  I found it too sweet.  It has a lovely flowery aroma, and tastes of peaches and nutmeg (peach pie, anyone?).  My husband thought it was monochromatic, and definitely too sweet for him.  I much prefer the One Woman gewürztraminer, which was, at least the last time I tried it, much more complex.  I guess this would be okay with spicy Thai food.

  • 2019 Merlot      $40

Would you like a clean glass?  Yes, I would.  Always a nice touch.  There are many, many merlots on the North Fork, and every different price point, starting with the North Fork Project’s one liter bottle for $10 (three for $30 at Pellegrini Winery), surely the best NoFo bargain.  The E2 merlot is at one of the higher price points, and not really worth it, though it’s not bad.  It has a slight fruit/cherry aroma, with soft tannins, and is dry with tastes of fruit and herbs.  Short finish, or as we like to say, the taste evanesces.

  •  2019 Cabernet Franc     $40

Although the winemaker has remained, he has, notes Danielle, tweaked the flavors of the new wines so they are different from the old ones.  We discuss what a nice guy Juan Sepúlveda is, as I once had a long and illuminating chat with him when I came for a tasting and he was hanging out in the tasting room.  In common with a tasting we had when this was Laurel Lake, the reds are still served too cold, so I warm it in my palm.  After it warms up, we quite like this red, with its aroma of berries and wood and tastes of red fruit and spice.  Dry, with some good tannins, which makes me wonder if it would age well. 

From the tasting room you can peek into the wine-making area. Here you can see the light fixtures reflected in the glass.

Reasons to Visit:  time to try a new place, though I suggest you wait until they get their furniture; pleasant outdoor spaces; they will have a food truck; the chardonnay, if you don’t mind some oakiness, and the cabernet franc; dogs are allowed; you’re a fan of Dan Abrams.

Matchbook Distilling Company: And Now for Something Completely Different

Posted by nofowineaux in Uncategorized, Vodka and Whisky and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

#matchbookdistilling

February 26, 2022

We had a plan.  The young members of our group (see my blog about Jamesport Farm Brewery) would enjoy ice skating on the rink in Greenport, while three of the adults would make the short trek to Matchbook Distilling Company.  The best laid plans…the rink was closed!  But the blacksmith shop was open, plus hot chocolate at Aldo’s and several rounds on the carousel (where the youngest caught the brass ring for the first time), kept them occupied while, indeed, we three meandered through the back streets of a residential neighborhood until we came to an unassuming, low-slung warehouse building.  Inside was a fascinating and unexpected scene, one to which we hope to return.

This is the entrance, next to a small parking lot.

Matchbook Distilling makes liquors and liqueurs—which is sort of like saying Disney makes rides.  And what a ride we had!  In the sleek tasting room, we sat in high chairs at a bar and perused the three tasting flights on offer.  Categorized as Bright, Bold, and Punchy, each included tastes of three products.  The Punchy was $20, and the Bold $25. Though the pour may seem small to those used to beer and wine flights, remember the higher alcohol content of these drinks.  It was plenty, and even allowed the three of us to taste all six of the samples we got—plus a seventh in response to our enthusiasm. 

My usual tasting buddy and I opted for the Bold flight—out of which I bought bottles of two of our sippers—and the third member of our crew got the Punchy one.  He, by the way, had actually been to Matchbook before, when he participated in the Gin Experience, in which you get to create your own unique gin by combining the many ingredients on offer, an experience he thoroughly enjoyed.  You have to make a reservation to do that, and, until recently, you also needed a reservation to do a tasting, which is partly why we hadn’t been there before.  However, it seems that on a Saturday afternoon they will take walk-ins.  I would call or email to check on that.

As we were finishing our tasting, we were invited to accompany a group setting out on a tour of the facilities, which they do at regular intervals on the weekend.  The tour only takes about fifteen minutes, and is very impressive.  Our guide led us through some doors at the far end of the tasting room, and we entered a cavernous warehouse facility, filled with gleaming machines, wooden barrels, and huge bags of grains and other ingredients.  For example, we saw large vats filled with halved blood oranges, for their blood orange liqueur.  They process 8,000 pounds of blood oranges to make 6,000 bottles, we were told.

The lab!
Blood oranges.
I like orange liqueurs, so this is on my list for next time.

Back in the tasting room, we saw a list of snacks, though we didn’t need any, and also of cocktails on offer.

I learned all sorts of random bits of distilling lore, including that they use something called a dunder pit to make some of their rum, which is an open pit in the manner of Jamaican rum producers.  Basically, it is analogous to the everlasting stocks some cooks will make, with some of a previous batch added to each next batch, leading to deep and complex flavors.  Matchbook’s dunder pit is already three years old.  They also make a point of using organic and local ingredients as much as possible.

Like Channing Daughters, my favorite winery for all its experimentation with new flavors and combinations, Matchbook calls themselves an R+D distillery, in that they are constantly trying new things.  I guess I’ll have to go back.

In no particular order, these are the drinks we tried:

  •  Flatlander Aleppo Pepper           $63

Described on their website as “New York Corn Whiskey with Aleppo Peppers, aged in a Red Wine Cask,” this looks like any whiskey, but has a taste all its own.  It smells of allspice and pepper and smoke, elements that are also in the taste.  “It has a kick,” sagely observes my tasting buddy.  I could see sipping this neat, or with just a drop or two of water.

  • Mad King Hopped Apple Brandy               $53

I find the aroma of this somewhat medicinal, and the taste as well, but our friend likes it. 

  • Wall Flower       $35

This is a dunder rum, made partially with the product of the dunder pit.  It has a lovely flowery aroma, and would be wonderful in a daquiri.

  • Ritual Sister       $68

Have you ever had a liquor distilled from pineapple?  No, neither had I.  Our server described how, over at the Lin Beach House (where a group of the Matchbook people live) they made a fire in a pit and roasted pineapples for three days, partly as Covid lockdown distraction.  The result in an almost too-easy-to-drink tipple, with smoky and fruity tastes.

  • Late Embers Sunchoke + Honey                $60

I really like mezcal, so I was intrigued to try this version made with sunchokes.  I’ve had sunchokes, a tuber with a crisp texture somewhat like a water chestnut.  Well, apparently it has the same “chains of fructose molecules, called inulin” as agave, according to the Matchbook website, and has the advantage of growing like a weed in the Northeast.  They use their firepit for this as well, and smoke and steam the sunchokes.  It smells like a mezcal, and tastes like one, too.  I buy a bottle. It is smoky and fruity and delicious, and that evening our friend combines it with reposado tequila, Grand Marnier, freshly squeezed lemon, lime, and orange juice, and a bit of agave syrup to make transcendental margaritas, which we have with seviche made with local bay scallops we pick up at Braun’s on our way home.  (Then for dinner we have tuna steaks and Channing Daughters rosé, with Nofodoco doughnuts for dessert.  Not too shabby.)    

  • Metamodernity Bourbon            $78

LIV makes a bourbon, but I like this one better.  It’s made with corn, wheat, barley, and oats, and has some of the sweetness you expect in a bourbon, but also more flavor than most.  It actually smells to me like a corn muffin! I buy a bottle of this, too, and find it makes a perfect night-cap, with just a touch of water and one ice cube.

  • Bling Nova Wheat Vodka             $37

Because I got into a gin vs. vodka discussion with one of the people behind the bar, he suggests that I try their vodka, which he notes has more flavor than most.  He’s right.  It has a subtle taste of grains.  If you’re looking to boycott Russian vodkas, you might try a bottle of this. 

Reasons to visit:  you like hard liquor and are open to trying new versions of old favorites; they are like a bunch of brilliant mad scientists, trying all sorts of unusual ingredients and methods; you’d like a tour of a distillery; you want to try your hand at blending your own gin; you want to try something new, not a winery or brewery or cidery; you’re on vacation in Greenport and want to do a tasting in walking distance of downtown. 

Some of the options for flavoring your own gin.

Jamesport Farm Brewery: Really a Farm; Really a Brewery

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

February 25, 2022

Yes, they grow their own hops and barley on their farm in Jamesport, and they are quite proud of it, too.  The farm connection is also evident in the actual tasting room building, which was originally a potato barn.  You can read all about the construction in big posters on one wall of the tasting room, which provided a welcome distraction for the small visitors we had with us. 

Once again, we thought carefully about where to take these visitors, who are lovers of wine, beer, cider, and cocktails—which makes finding a place to go easy—and the parents of two young girls—which complicates matters, though in a good way.  We decided on Jamesport for several reasons: it is a short drive from our home; it is a large facility where the girls would be able to be up out of their seats; it is informal, so no one would object to small fry (though the tasting room does not welcome under-21s on weekends); and our guests had never been there.  Also, we ourselves had only been there once, not long after they opened, and we were interested to see how they were doing. 

As it turned out, this was a good choice in every way.  We pushed two of the little picnic tables in the tasting room together, so the girls could sit comfortably and read their books, and we enjoyed tasting the brews.  (We bought soda and chips for the little ones.)  The tasting room is big, with a stage for live performance on one side, picnic tables, a bar with bar stools, and a little shop area selling t-shirts and such.  The menu has fourteen brews on offer, which I guess may change seasonally, so there was plenty of variety.  The four adults shared two flights, of four beers each, so we may go back and try the ones we missed.  A flight, by the way, is $25, and includes not just the four tastes, but also a pint of any brew in a glass you get to keep. 

On this rainy, chilly day, there were only a few other people in the tasting room, though we were told that they’ve been getting good crowds on the weekends, when they have live music.  They have plenty of room outside, with a huge beer garden space, and a very large parking lot, which I wish they would pave, as it was quite muddy.

The parking lot was very muddy!
Our little girl guests were charmed by this well-behaved Australian shepherd.

At the end, we bought a growler of Wined Out to take home, which proved to be the perfect accompaniment to the tacos we bought at Mattitaco.  (I particularly recommend the BLT–bacon, lobster taco–the Korean BBQ, the Chicken Tinga, and the mushroom and cheese quesadilla.) My growler, by the way, was from Greenport Harbor, for which I apologized to Joe, the friendly and informative server.  “That’s okay,” he replied with a smile, “we’re all friends out here.”  

  •  Nite Lite             4.3% ABV (Alcohol by volume—a number which can vary widely for brews)

“Light lager” is the description of this brew, and light it is—only a step up from Bud light.  It is a hot-summer-day-after-mowing-the-lawn beer, almost watery, with slight citrus and bread notes.

  • Prancing Pony   5%

As Lord of the Rings fans, we of course had to try this, even though it is a blackberry wheat beer, and I generally dislike wheat beers and berry-based beers.  However, I find this quite potable, not sweet, crisp, with just a touch of blackberry flavor— “enough to make a Hobbit smile,” says the menu.  We agree it would be a good accompaniment to Thai food.

  • Weekend at Bernie’s      5.4%

I like the sweet aroma of this blond ale.  It drinks like a classic blond ale, tasty, with a long finish.  Good for sipping by the pool  😉

  • Waves of Grain Amber  6%

We all like the distinct, malty, toasty taste of this amber/red ale, with just a nice amount of hops.

  • Wined Out Fresh Hop     6.5%.

This is my favorite so far, an IPA that is not overly grapefruity.  It is made from fresh hops, and is quite refreshing.  We discuss that it would go well with, for example, a vinegary pulled pork, and decide it will be perfect to take home for the Mattitaco take-out we have planned for dinner.  Which it is.

  • Wicked Little Sister         7.2%

There are two little sisters at our table, and one approves in theory while the other approves in actuality of this IPA. It is pleasantly bitter, with plenty of grapefruit and other citrus tastes.  In fact, our visitors like it so much, they buy a four-pack of cans to take home.

  • Gentleman Joe Porter    6.8%

We save the dark beers for last, since drinking them first would make it hard to taste the lighter brews.  I generally like dark beers, and this one has a promising aroma of coffee and chocolate.  However, I find it has too much coffee flavor for me.  I joke that if you have a glass of Wicked Little Sister and another of this, you’ll have breakfast—grapefruit juice and coffee.

  • The Kurgan        10%

I should have asked why name this Scotch ale for a character from “The Highlander,” other than the movie is about Scots.  The menu describes it as “the Scottish version of an English-style barley wine.”  I say it is almost too easy to drink, with some sweetness and caramel flavor.  It is really delicious, and I could definitely see sipping it in a cozy pub. 

I forgot to take a picture of my pint before it was mostly gone–but it was a full glass!

Now it is time to return our trays of tastes, in exchange for which we each get a pint of our choice.  I decide on Wined Out, and our guests opt for Waves of Grain.  At the end, Joe very kindly rinses out our glasses and wraps them in paper towels for us to take home.

Additional options. They could improve their soda and snack selections.

Reasons to visit:  good brewery, with choices for all tastes in beer; big facility, especially in the warm weather; farm to table; dogs allowed; they will have a food truck starting in March, but no outside food is allowed; wines and sodas available; Weekend at Bernie’s, Waves of Grain, Wined Out, Wicked Little Sister, The Kurgan, and, if you like wheat berry beer, the Prancing Pony.

Next time I go, I need to ask what this is!