August 16, 2023

It had been two years since we’d made the trek from the North Fork to the South Fork, and our neighbors were interested in checking out Channing Daughters, which they had been to many years ago, so off we went.  Because our friends were driving, I had the leisure to look around, and make note of the changes along the route.  One change I noticed was that some farm stands which had been small and rustic were now much bigger, with play areas for visiting children.  But one of our favorites, on Scuttlehole Road, seemed to be out of business.  After our tasting, we drove around Redwood Island, with which I used to be very familiar, and took note of many McMansions which had replaced more modest houses.

Even Channing had made some changes:  they now have a tent furnished with picnic tables in which to have a tasting, instead of standing inside at the bar.  They also offer a menu of snacks (about which more later), so no longer allow outside food.  But one change we thought they had made turned out not to be theirs—a large structure being built to the east of the vineyard was not, as we guessed, a hotel or new tasting room, but a private home.  Sag Harbor is no longer the “un-Hampton.”

As we perused the menu of eight (!) possible flights, of five wines each, we discussed the amazing variety of wines on offer at Channing, including one flight of vermouths.  It can be a bit intimidating, but we soon settled on our preferences.  Our friends opted for the red flight, as it was slightly chilly when the sun went behind the clouds, and we decided to do the Spectrum flight, as offering a…um…spectrum of choices—a white, a rosé, an orange, a red, and a sparkler.  If you are not in the wine club, a flight costs $28 and a glass $18. 

Since it was lunch time, we perused the snack menu, and decided on a “Three Cheese Sampler” from Mecox Dairy, for $20.  I have to say, I think the three wedges of almost identical cheeses were rather over-priced.  We also got a $6 sleeve of gluten-free crackers, which our server suggested as giving you the largest number of crackers, and a $12 package of salami (which worked out to over a dollar per slice).  I think they need to improve the snack menu and prices.  What is nice is they use bamboo plates and utensils, which are eco-friendly.

Our flights arrived at the table in dramatic-looking gizmos which stacked the glasses vertically, a clever way to save table space, topped with little explanatory cards.  Work from top to bottom, we were told. After we finished our tasting, I explained to our server that we’d like an additional glass of wine, but I liked unoaked chardonnays, and our friend likes whites which have undergone malolactic fermentation.  Cleverly, our server split the serving, bringing me Scuttlehole Chardonnay and our friend two glasses with small servings of L’Enfant Sauvage, 2016 and 2017.  Then, after further discussion, two samples of Cuvée Topicale appeared, which ended up being the unanimous favorite wine of the day.  I bought two bottles, plus two pinot grigios, and two Scuttleholes, to round out the case of wine club selections.

What follows is a few notes on our tastings, alternating between my and my husband’s flight and then from our friends’ flight.

•  2021 Heart White           $20

The “Heart” wines—there’s also a red—are blends, with labels designed by local artists around the theme of hearts.  This iteration blends (in typical Channing Daughters over the top fashion) 29% muscat ottonel, 21% chardonnay, 20% pinot grigio, 18% tocai friulano, 6% gewürztraminer, 5% pinot bianco, and 1% malvasia.  Whew.  It is a light, dry, easy to drink white, with tastes of citrus and pineapple and other tropical fruits.

• 2020 Rosso Fresco           $24

This is billed as a light red, and it is.  A blend of 56% merlot, 20% syrah, 15% cabernet sauvignon, 7% dornfelder, 1% blaufrankisch, and 1% teroldego, it has tastes of black cherry and other dark fruits.  Our friend notes he does not get the peppery edge one might get with a cabernet sauvignon, but finds it a pleasant wine.  The notes say it is fermented in steel and old oak, which is why it is so light and refreshing.

• 2021 Rosato di Syrah       $25

Channing makes five different rosés.  This one is, as the name indicates, made from syrah grapes.  It is fairly tart, with not much fruitiness. 

• Over and Over Variation 14          $40

I’ve had mixed results with the Over and Over wines, which sometimes appear in our shipments.  You really need to go to the Channing web site to read their description of the elaborate way these wines are made.  Our friends are unimpressed, and classify it as “a pizza wine.”

• 2018 Meditazione            $42

We discussed the recent popularity of so-called “orange” wines, especially with younger drinkers.  Is it just the color, or does this wine have a slight orange taste?  This is another blend, of 45% chardonnay, 40% sauvignon blanc, 10% tocai friulano, 4% pinot grigio, and 1% muscat ottonel, contact with the skins giving it the orange color.  I like it, with its floral aroma and complex fruit tastes.

• 2018 Blaufrankisch Sylvanus        $30

Both tastings include this red, so we are able to compare notes.  We agree that, though this is not a big red, it is tasty, with aromas and tastes of berries and dark fruits, like huckleberries.  The blaufrankisch is blended with 23% dornfelder.  Though the tasting notes suggest aromas of violets or lilacs, we don’t smell that, though it has a lovely aroma. 

• 2019 Petillant Naturale Tocai Friulano      $29

Pet Nats are bubbly wines, not made in the méthode champenoise, and Channing makes five different ones.  This one is quite yummy, with guava and tropical fruit tastes from the tocai. 

• 2018 Sculpture Garden                  $30

Mainly merlot, with 6% teroldego and 3% blaufrankisch, this is a “smooth and drinkable” red, say our friends.  Channing suggests one could age this for as long as ten years, but I doubt it would last that long in our cellar.

• 2019 Petit Verdot             $40

By this time, as we drink the final wines in our tastings, we have become involved in lively conversations, and somehow I have neglected to record what our friends thought of the petit verdot!  However, I don’t remember any complaints, so I’ll assume they liked it.

Extras:  As I noted, our friend and I opt for an additional taste.  I start with the Scuttlehole Chardonnay $20), which is one of our favorite white wines.  It is still a favorite, dry and crisp, with notes of lemon and fruit.  Our friend tries two different vintages of L’Enfant Sauvage ($38)—so named because it uses wild yeasts, though now a number of their wines do, too—and likes the 2017 better than the 2016, which he says is smoother and has more flavor.  It is made from chardonnay grapes.  Then, as a bonus, we are treated to tastes of Cuvée Tropicale ($26), and that is our favorite of the day, pleasing all palates.  One friend says the aroma is almost like an ice wine, a sweet, floral aroma, probably due to the 58% muscat ottonel.  The rest of the blend is chardonnay.  The wine as a lot of different fruit flavors and real depth.  Yum.

Reasons to visit:  you are on the South Fork and want to visit a winery (there are only three!); the incredible variety of choices, especially for such a small winery; all the wines are likeable, but we especially loved the Cuvée Tropicale; there are wines for every taste; an intimate setting where you can chat about the wines.