April | 2022 | NoFo Wineaux

April 20, 2022

This time, our guests were a pair of sophisticated Manhattanites, who spend weeks at a time in Italy, where they often visit wineries, so we knew we needed to find a winery that was equally sophisticated. We also needed a place where we could offer them lunch with their tasting, plus they had almost never been to the North Fork, and we wanted to give them a bit of a tour. After some cogitation, we decided Kontokosta, just a little bit past Greenport’s Main Street, fit the bill in all particulars.

*You can see the Long Island Sound in the distance.*

They arrived before noon, giving us plenty of time before our reservation—which is required, and is held with a fee of $5 per person—to have a leisurely drive east. (Reservations are via Tock, which seems to work about the same as Open Table, etc.) As I drove, I pointed out the various wineries and other sites along Sound Avenue, giving a bit of information about each, feeling very much like a tour guide. Our guests noted how rural it is out here, and admired the beginnings of spring blooms.

*The inside is quite modern and sophisticated.*

One aspect of Kontokosta I appreciate is their eco-consciousness. They use a windmill to generate electricity, and serve their wines in those corn-based “non-plastic plastic” cups, also used by Old Field. Snacks are served on bamboo plates, with bamboo utensils (though the bamboo knife did not do a great job of slicing the cheese). They say they farm “sustainably,” whatever that means.

The outside of the tasting room is deceptively rural, looking like an old barn, while the inside is sleek and modern, in stark black and white. We were greeted at the door, where our reservation was confirmed, and we were each given a wine glass to keep. So I guess each glass cost $5! We were directed to the bar, at the far end of the room, where a friendly server guided us to a snack menu and a tasting menu. We ordered two cheeses, some crackers, and a plate of sliced salami while we perused the wines.

A tasting consists of three wines for $18, but on this day they added either of the rosés for free, since they are having a special sale on the rosés. It was hard to choose from the menu of thirteen wines, but my husband and I and our guests decided each couple would share one tasting, and mostly got the same wines so we could discuss. I may go back some time to try more of their wines. Our tastings were delivered to our table in small cups, in a wooden holder, with each cup labeled as to the wine in it. The taste is rather small.

We spent a pleasant afternoon sipping and tasting, and the snacks proved more than adequate for lunch. Afterwards, we took our guests for a brief stroll around Greenport, and then drove home via Main Road, so they could see the towns of Southold and Cutchogue and Mattituck.

2020 Orient Chardonnay $22

We all liked this interesting chard, with its lovely flowery aroma and tastes of peach and citrus. I mentioned that I thought it went very well with the cheddar and salami. I used to think that cheese and charcuterie demanded red wines, but I have come to prefer whites. My friend called it “vibrant.” Nice description.

2020 Viognier $29

We differed on our second white, since they got the Field Blend. I liked the viognier, too. It has some taste of nectarine, and smells flowery. It has a touch of lime at the end, and I think it would be good to have with seafood in a cream sauce.

2020 Field Blend $25

Our guests described this as “light and summery.”

2020 White Merlot $29 (half off if you buy six bottles)

We were somewhat disappointed in this wine, since white merlots are often quite tasty. This was extremely light, and, as my tasting buddy noted, “monochromatic,” one of his favorite wine description words for wines he finds boring. It tasted more like a white than a rosé, and even with a 50% discount, neither of us was interested in buying it.

2016 Merlot $29

Since merlot is the most characteristic red wine on the North Fork, we decided to have that as our final taste. This is a fairly typical NoFo merlot, with cherry taste and aroma, dry, with a touch of oak/tobacco. One guest called it “chewy.”

2020 Rosé $29

*This is the glass of rose, which, unlike the white merlot, at least looks like a rose.*

Since this rosé is also half off if you buy six, our guest decided to try a glass of it, pouring off a sip for us to taste. We liked it better than the white merlot, as it has more strawberry taste and aroma, but not enough to get six bottles.

Reasons to Visit: you want a winery close to Greenport; you want to have some snacks with your tasting; the Orient Chardonnay, the Viognier, and the Merlot; the property overlooks the Sound, and you can stroll down to a bluff overlooking the water.

*They have plenty of outdoor tables, though it was a bit too chilly to sit outside when we were there. The Sound is in the distance.*

April 8, 2022

*You can enter through this archway or, if you’re feeling claustrophobic, go around it.*

After days of rain, the sun came out and we decided to do our walk in Greenport, strolling up and down Front and Main Streets. As we did, we noted the crop of newer restaurants we had not yet tried, and vowed to return if the pandemic allows. On the way home, we stopped in to Lenz to do a tasting, and were glad we did. Founded in 1978, Lenz is the second oldest winery on the North Fork, and both the tasting room and the wines are classic.

The room has the barn-like country vibe of many North Fork tasting rooms, with several tables, plus a bunch of picnic tables in the outside courtyard. Though it felt too chilly to us to sit outside, there was one couple out there, sharing a bottle of wine and some cheese and crackers. Inside, two groups talked quietly as they sipped their wines. The wines are, for the most part, good representatives of the local terroir. We liked several of them in particular.

Tastings used to be primarily stand-up, at the bar, but now they show you to a table. Lenz used to allow outside food, but now they have a menu of real foods, in addition to cheese and charcuterie items. We were not hungry, but some of the sandwiches sounded good. I almost went with the tasting menu of chocolates paired with wines…maybe next time.

The tasting menu offers four options: the Library Flight, of their most expensive wines, one taste for $20; the Spring Flight, of a variety of wines, five tastes for $25; the Grand Flight, of some of their higher end wines, five tastes for $30; and the aforementioned Chocolate Pairing, of five wines paired with five chocolates, for $35. We decided to share the Spring Flight, as it seemed to promise the most variety and wines we might buy. Our flight arrived on a well-labeled tray, and our server gave us her well-practiced spiel about the wines.

2016 Estate Selection Gewürztraminer $20

Right from the first sniff, I loved the delicate floral aroma of this wine—orange flowers? The taste is also delicious, not at all sweet but full of fruit flavor. A few weeks ago, I had a guava, a flavor I found here, as well as perhaps a touch of nutmeg. We liked it so much, we bought a bottle.

2020 Firefly Rosé $20

A blend of cabernet sauvignon and malbec, this is a really luscious rosé, with ripe melon and citrus flavors, dry. The aroma is so faint, I likened it to driving past a strawberry field with the windows open.

2016 Estate Select Chardonnay $22

Our server went into some detail in her introduction to this wine, telling us how it is made from grapes half fermented in steel and half in medium French oak, and asserting it is her favorite white. I disagree. It has some pineapple taste, which is fine, but also something else I find unpleasant, sort of a chemical or metallic note. I also don’t like the smell, which reminds me of plastics. My tasting buddy thinks it is fine. Chacun à son goût…

2017 Cabernet Sauvignon $25

Well, this is pleasanter. I smell red lollipop, though my husband says, not that sweet. Our server noted that this is her go-to red to bring to parties, and I can see why. It is a soft, very unchallenging red, with fruity flavors of red plum and berries. It would be fine to sip on its own, but would not stand up to steak. A crowd pleaser.

*There’s a small selection of gift items, primarily t-shirts.*

2015 Estate Selection Select Merlot $35

Although this is called a merlot, it is blended with some cabernet franc and petit verdot, which gives it more depth and complexity than a simple merlot. It has some tannins, and I can taste the oak and some fruit. Nice.

*The courtyard will be a good place for tasting when the weather gets warmer.*

Reasons to visit: a classic old-school vineyard, with solid wines and no glitz; the gewürztraminer, the rosé, and the merlot; the cabernet sauvignon if you like soft, simple reds; reasonable prices but also some VERY high-end wines (as in $130 per bottle); nice menu of cheeses and also sandwiches. Note: my husband says the restroom is very small.

NoFo Wineaux

Wine notes from Long Island's North Fork

Monthly Archives: April 2022

Kontokosta: For the Sophisticated

Lenz Winery: Classic