Long Island Spirits: And We Don’t Mean Ghosts January 3, 2015

http://www.lispirits.com/index.php

Local wine and craft beer are fine, but what if you want something stronger? Long Island is famous for its potatoes, so what could be more natural than to use those potatoes to make a pure potato vodka? And so LIV was born. The distillery’s tasting room is up a flight of wooden stairs in a chic industrial-style loft space, where you will find not only vodka, but a series of liqueurs made from that vodka, plus gin, and also a line of “brown” spirits—various styles of whisky.

Here you buy the glass, which can then be filled with your choice of tastes: three from the vodka menu for $10 or two from the whisky menu for $14. Then they wrap up the glass for you to take home. Our server was also one of the distillers, and his enthusiasm for his products was quite catching. We learned all sorts of bits of information, such as that it takes 25 pounds of potatoes to make one bottle of vodka. They also can now offer cocktails, and will soon have local beer as well. They have a small selection of drink-related gift items.

Some of their gift items

By the way, if you go on their web site they ask for your birth date, and if you decline to provide it and try to enter you are diverted to a Disney site.

From the Vodka Menu

LIV Original

This is “just a great vodka” we decided. Not too many vodka makers do a straight potato vodka, notes our server. The taste is very clean and clear.

The vodka glass

Raspberry Sorbetto $22

Local raspberries are used to infuse the vodka with intense berry taste. Though sugar is also added, our friend noted it was not too sweet, and would make a lovely cocktail with bitters.

LIV Ristretto Espresso $30

Yes, this is vodka infused with espresso plus sugar. “Dangerously delicious,” muses our friend, and “shouldn’t coffee come in this form?” Not sure how much this would wake you up in the morning.

Lime Sorbetto $22

Obviously the limes are not locally grown, but this is also quite good. Our friend compared it to key lime pie.

Strawberry Sorbetto $22

Mattituck is famous for its strawberry festival, so it’s no surprise to find a strawberry flavor on the menu. However, we find this one a bit too sweet.

Deepwells Botanical Dry Gin $35

28 botanicals, to be precise, all of which are listed on the tasting menu, and quite botanical it is indeed. Though it would not really work in a martini, one could be quite happy drinking this straight or on the rocks, or maybe in a gin and tonic with the interesting tonic they have for sale.

From the Whisky Menu

The whisky glass

Rough Rider Bull Moose Three Barrel Rye Whisky $45

Yes, three barrels—North American oak, bourbon casks, and finally whisky casks—are part of the process of distilling this whisky. The aroma is sweet and spicy, maybe allspice, also caramel candy and apple pie. I like whisky, single malt scotch in particular. This is very smooth and quite tasty and we buy a bottle to take home.

Pine Barrens Single Malt Whisky $45

This drink starts its life as English ale barley wine which is then double pot distilled and aged in new American oak casks—plus more detail I missed in my notes because I was enjoying the drink. I didn’t like this as much as the Rough Rider, but it is also a very good whisky, with some earthiness to the taste, a bit lighter than the Rough Rider.

Reasons to visit: you like vodka, gin, whisky, and/or after dinner drinks like Limoncello, which the sorbettos resemble; you’ve been to a bunch of wineries and are ready for something different.

The recipe for one of their cocktails

The entrance

Martha Clara: Something for Everyone January 3, 2015

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with Barrique Flight, cabernet sauvignon, Estate Reserve Chardonnay, Estate Reserve Merlot, Long Island, Martha Clara, merlot, North Fork, Northville Red, pinot noir, Reserve Flight, riesling, syrah, wine tasting January 5, 2015

http://www.marthaclaravineyards.com/

Winery entrance

The tasting menu offers four different flights, as well as sangria and wines by the taste or glass; the adjoining huge performance space features an array of lunch and snack items as well as live music; the gift shop carries all sorts of wine-related gifts, the outside area includes farm animals one can feed: Yes, there seems to be something for everyone here. There are even a few quite nice wines. It’s no wonder the front parking lot at Martha Clara is so often full, with overflow crowds for special events sent to lots further back. What will happen to the winery if the Entenmann family is able to sell it, no one seems to know, but according to our server it is a profitable business. So it you have a spare 25 million hanging around…

Lots of holiday lights

We walked into the tasting room on a chilly drizzly day to be greeted by a multitude of holiday lights and decorations. We came with friends who are wine club members, so our tastings were free, but if you’re not they are still reasonable. The Barrique flight, all reds, gives you five tastes for $13, and so does the Aromatic Flight. The Off Dry (Sweet) is just $12 for your five tastes, and the Reserve, of their more expensive wines, is $15 for five. We opted for the Barrique and the Reserve. The pour is fairly generous. Our server gave us a minimum of information about each wine, but when asked did have more to offer. I will give you the Reserve Flight information first, then the Barrique.

Reserve Flight

2010 Estate Reserve Riesling $45

The server described it as semi-dry, but we found it rather sweet. The aroma is nice—floral and apricot—but then the taste is rather simple, without any complexity or layers, and mostly just sweet. It might be okay as an aperitif at a party. I wondered why they start their flight with such a sweet wine.

Two of the wines we tasted

2012 Estate Reserve Chardonnay $26.99

My friend compared the taste of the chard to crème bruleé, as it features vanilla flavors—it is oak fermented—and a pleasant mouth feel. There’s even a bit of citrus at the end—perhaps lime. Quite nice.

Cabernet Sauvignon $25.99

The Cab Sauv is a blend of the 2010 and 2011 vintages, and is included in both tastings, so I’ll just write about it once. It is, our server noted, the wine of the month. It’s not bad, with tastes of red plum or dried prune and some minerality, but overall, not exciting. My husband theorized that perhaps the winemaker is too tame, not making each wine distinct and different. There’s some sweetness and almost no tannins.

The unanimous favorite of the day

2010 Northville Red $23.99

Winner of the day! The Northville Red is their Bordeaux blend—78% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 3% Malbec—and is also included in both flights. We all agree this is our favorite, and quite buyable. It smells a bit like forest floor, just a touch funky, but the taste is quite delicious, with lots of dark fruit. It would be yummy with lamb chops, for example.

2012 Estate Reserve Merlot $32.99

Unlike all the other wines today, this one has a cork. Our server explains, giving several good reasons, why Martha Clara is changing to all screw tops—ecologically better, wine keeps better, less spoilage, etc. We smell some of that barnyard terroir Long Island merlots can have, and maybe wet forest floor. The taste includes black cherries and some tannin, but my husband theorizes that perhaps the wine is not quite ready to be poured. “It’s not fair to the poor wine,” he says. Maybe given more time…?

Barrique Flight

2011 Pinot Noir $29.99

We admire the pretty garnet color of the pinot, scents of cherry and oak—maybe a touch too much oak. This is a pleasant wine, a bit light and thin, but would be okay with roast chicken or for sipping.

2011 Merlot $22.99

This is a new release, our server tells us. We are not excited. We smell oak and mineral, not much fruit, and the wine itself seems to have no body or depth. It is dry, and could definitely use more fruit.

Cabernet Sauvignon (see above)
2010 Syrah $23.99

I often like syrahs, and this one is no exception. I smell pepper and black cherry, and taste lots of dark fruits. This wine is easy to drink, either just to sip or with food, and the price makes it quite buyable as well.

2010 Northville Red (see above)

This is the room where you find live entertainment and food for sale.

Reasons to visit: you’re with a group and everyone wants something different; you need entertainment for yourself or some children; you need to pick up a wine-related gift; you want a spot of lunch with your wine; the 2010 Northville Red, the 2010 Syrah, the 2012 Estate Reserve Chardonnay.

Dogs are allowed, as long as they are leashed.

Plenty of gift items are available.

100 bottles of wine on the wall, 100 bottles of wine…

Diliberto Winery: Intimate and Friendly, Plus Pizza 12/13/14

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with cabernet sauvignon, Cantina, chardonnay, Diliberto Winery, Long Island, Maryann Diliberto, merlot, North Fork, Sal Diliberto, sauvignon blanc, Tre, wine tasting December 15, 2014

http://www.dilibertowinery.com/

The entrance to the tasting room

The strains of Italian opera waft out into the cold December air as we open the door to Diliberto Winery. A trompe l’oeil street scene of an Italian village greets our eyes as we are warmly welcomed to the small tasting room (expanded in summer by a wrap-around patio). We had been here fairly frequently in the past, but even though it’s now been over a year, Sal Diliberto remembers us and stops by our table to chat. He’s been sitting at another table with a couple of friends who have been eating one of his thin-crust pizzas for lunch. A man who loves cooking and good food as much as he loves making wine, Sal Diliberto is fun to talk to. We share stories of eating in Italy.

Christmas decorations, and bags of home made Italian food to prepare at home

At our table, we contemplate the menu of tastings. There are two choices: The Regular Tasting, of four wines for $12 or the Premium Tasting, of three wines for $15. There is also a menu of pizzas ($17 each), cheese trays, or olives. (No outside food is allowed—and no children, either. When Sal and Maryann’s grandchildren run in for a moment, they are affectionately but quickly shooed out.) We opt to do one tasting of each, alternating as we go. I’ll indicate the Premium wines with a *.

2009 Chardonnay $26

We like the aroma—of sugar cookies and cinnamon—better than the taste, which has quite a lot of acidity and lemon flavor. Although we don’t find it appealing, it might be better with food.

*2003 Sauvignon Blanc $29

On the other hand, we like this, the only other white on the menus, very much. The wine appears a bit hazy in the glass, so I’m not sure whether or not it has been filtered. We get layers of flavor—the oak it was aged in, but also traces of sweetness. Gooseberry pie flavored with vanilla, I say, at which my husband challenges me to say when I ever had a gooseberry. No really, I did, once. It would be lovely with salmon, or with somewhat spicy chicken. We buy two bottles and get a bit of a discount, since we had done the tastings.

Art on the label–at first, I thought they were looking at cell phones!

*2013 Cantina $27

This is a new release, a 50/50 blend of merlot and cabernet franc. We scent spice and berries, with some earthiness, though not that barnyard flavor. It is a good pasta or pizza wine.

2012 Merlot $27

Aroma of cherry and a taste of not really ripe cherry make this just an average Long Island merlot.

2010 Cabernet Sauvignon $29

Up to now we’ve been served our wines in pairs—with a fresh glass each time, always a nice touch—but this time we opt to just take one, since our next two tastes will be the two vintages of Tre. We like the cab sauv, though it lacks depth. It has lots of fruit smells, and tastes of plums that are not quite ripe. I could see this with lamb chops, hot from the grill.

The pour is fairly generous.

2012 Tre $34

Here is their Bordeaux blend, a Right Bank style, because it is primarily merlot. It is 65% merlot, 20% cabernet sauvignon, and 15% cabernet franc. A sniff reveals aromas of wood and fruit, perhaps pine and berries. Though there aren’t many layers of taste it is very nice, with some tannins.

*2013 Tre $37

This blends the same wines in the same proportions as the 2012, but what a difference! It is clearly our favorite of the day, with yummy fruit and a beautiful balance of flavors. It is not at all tannic, so I’m not sure how long it would last, but at the moment it is delicious.

The piano is used for live music–which sometimes includes Sal, a true Renaissance man, singing opera.

Reasons to Visit: the best-looking tasting room, especially if, like us, you love Italy; the 03 Sauvignon Blanc and the 2013 Tre; the warmth and friendliness of Sal and Maryann; Sal’s pizza (we didn’t have it this time, but we’ve sampled it in the past). Oh, and they have a little apartment they rent for $250 per night.

Squint and you can pretend you’re sitting in a piazza in Italy.

Laurel Lake Vineyards: Cold Day, Cold Wine 11/22/14

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with cabernet franc, chardonnay estate reserve, Laurel Lake Vineyards, North Fork wine, Pinot Gris, pinot noir reserve, sauvignon blanc, syrah, Tanger Outlets, tasting November 24, 2014

http://www.llwines.com/

Some customers browsed the selection of wine-related gifts.

After braving the cold winds to do some pre-holiday shopping at Tanger Outlets, we were ready to sit down and taste some wines. Happily, Laurel Lake is well set up to accommodate those who prefer to sit rather than stand at their very attractive bar. You pay for your tasting in advance–$15 for three tastes—and get tickets which you then turn in before each glass. The menu offers choices among eight whites and eight reds, so we decided to do two tastings, three of each, sharing as we went. Since the pour is fairly generous, our plan worked well. We received two glasses, and kept the second glass for our reds.

As we sat, we noticed a few groups who had brought extensive snacks with them. One couple braved the heated outdoor porch, and others opted to stand at the bar. We also noticed a small selection of wine-related gift items, most with humorous messages. Overall it was a quiet day there, in contrast to a few weeks ago when we pulled into the parking lot and found no empty spaces because a convention of Corvettes had taken them all.

The bar where we could have stood.

2013 Pinot Gris $21.99

This, our first choice, like all the rest, was served much too cold, so we spent some time warming the glass before sampling. They need to raise the temp in their fridge! Once it warmed up, we smelled a vegetable aroma, almost like freshly cut grass and flowers. The taste was dry and tart, with a touch of sweetness at first, reminiscent of a slightly under-ripe pineapple. Though not a sipper, it would be fine with food. I’m thinking local scallops with pasta and herbs.

2013 Sauvignon Blanc $20.99

For this one, the tasting notes recommend having it with sushi, and I can see that, though I usually get sake with sushi. It has a woodsy and citrusy aroma and tastes of white grapefruit. Again, this is a dry white with plenty of acidity, and we liked it.

2012 Chardonnay Estate Reserve $22.99

We skip their un-oaked chard and are very happy with our choice to sample this one. It spends 10 months in French oak, the notes tell us (The problem with sitting is that we don’t get to chat with the servers.), giving it the characteristic vanilla scent of oaked chards. However, it is not too heavily oaked, with a lovely mellow almost creamy taste and a nice long vanilla finish. Very buyable, we decide—and we do.

We bought this one.

2010 Pinot Noir Reserve $29.99

Interestingly, this is stainless steel fermented and then aged in used French oak barrels for 12 months. My husband says the smell reminds him of a warm blanket on a cold day. I think he may just be tired after all that shopping and this is just wishful thinking, since I would describe the aroma as mainly blackberry. In any event, this is a light pleasant red, with cherry and plum flavors. The notes call it “rich and fleshy,” but we say “not so much.”

2010 Cabernet Franc $19.99

Nice aromas of pepper and cedar and maybe grape jam precede tastes that we decide are nice but not exciting, with some good fruit but not much finish.

The pour is fairly generous.

2011 Syrah $19.99

This is my favorite of the reds we try. It has lots of dark berry aromas and tastes of purple plums, with a bit of a vegetable taste on the finish—or maybe kumquat. The tannins cause a slight tingle on the tongue. If we needed reds, I would buy it.

You can see the large heated porch through the windows.

Reasons to visit: pleasant tasting room where you can bring a picnic; the 2012 Chardonnay Estate Reserve and the 2011 Syrah; most of the wines are reasonably priced (for the North Fork); lots of choices; a generous pour.

The building is quite attractive.

Paumanok Vineyards: Inspired by Walt… 11/2/14

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with Apollo Drive Petit Verdot, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, merlot, North Fork, Paumanok Vineyard, Petulant Wino, riesling, Tuthills Lane, Walt Whitman, wine tasting November 7, 2014

https://www.paumanok.com/

Whitman, that is, who liked to use the Native American name for Long Island—Paumanok—in his poems. The Massoud family owns and runs the vineyard, with all three sons playing active roles, as we discovered when we chatted with our server, Salim Massoud, who agreed that he very much resembles a cartoon image of his father we noticed on the wall. The tasting room is pleasant and a comfortable size—not too big, not too small (they require large or limo parties to reserve in advance)—plus there is an outdoor deck. The last time we were here, just before Superstorm Sandy, we sat out on the deck and had oysters with a glass of wine, but this time it is too chilly. They also offer a menu of local cheeses (from Catapano and Mecox), charcuterie, and dishes from The Petulant Wino, and do not allow outside food or drinks.

View of the deck–the day was sunny but quite blustery.

The tasting menu offers a number of options: the Festival Flight of 4 wines for $6, two of which are sweet; the Paumanok Flight of 5 wines for $15; the Single Vineyard flight of 2 wines for $10, and the Sweets Flight of 3 sweet wines for $10. We decide we will each get a Paumanok flight, and then share a Single Vineyard flight. All their wines, by the way, come in screw top bottles, which some feel is the future of all wines.

As we carefully sniff and sip and I take notes, another couple at the tasting bar becomes interested. This is their first time at a tasting, and their server does a great job of gently introducing them to the mores of this rather ritualized activity. He asks carefully about their preferences, and customizes a tasting for them. We explain that smelling the wine adds another element of appreciation, and agree with their server that how wine tastes is both a subjective and an objective matter.

2012 Chardonnay $24

This is a slightly oaked chard, so we sniff and note butterscotch. Taste? Oak, melon, maybe kiwi, with tart citrus at the end. Not too buttery, and also not a sipper, but we could see having this with chicken fajitas or grilled tuna.

2013 Dry Riesling $22

When my husband asks if these grapes come from upstate, Salim proudly notes that all of their wines are made from their own grapes. We smell honeysuckle, and the wine is fairly dry, with some complexity. Layers of fruit and tart, I think, with some tastes of Seville oranges. Not long ago I made turkey Weiner Schnitzel, and I think this would have gone very well with that.

2012 Cabernet Franc $24

Because of the difficulties of the 2012 harvest, Salim notes, this has ended up being a very light cabernet franc. In fact, if he hadn’t told us this, we might not have guessed it was a cab franc at all. It has a strawberry aroma, like a rosé, no depth and little fruit. I suggest if one had a bottle of this on one’s hands one could make sangria.

2012 Cabernet Sauvignon $24

Although it is also a 2012, the cab sauv is much better, with slight berry aroma and ripe plum taste, dry, with nice tannins. I decide it would go well with Swedish meatballs, which I recently made for a party.

We liked the merlot.

2010 Merlot $28

Clearly the menu saved the best for last. This is a good example of a typical Long Island merlot, with a woodsy and cherry aroma and a cherry taste. No dirt!

Nice glasses, too.

2010 Merlot Tuthills Lane $75

Believe it or not, I think this smells like a bandaid. On the other hand, it tastes really good, with lots of cherry flavors, dry, but, despite what they describe as “voluminous tannins,” we don’t sense much in the way of tannins. The pour, by the way, is generous enough that we are happy to each get half of it in our glasses, so we can share this tasting. This time my husband had the cold…

2010 Petit Verdot Apollo Drive $75

This is the second of our Single Vineyard flight, and is also quite good. “This is aged 16 months in French oak,” notes Salim. Sniff. M&Ms? Maybe also nutmeg. Lots of dark berry tastes and nice tannins, dry, but with plenty of fruit tastes. We like this one, but not at $75 per bottle!

Part of the tasting room

Reasons to visit: the 2010 Petit Verdot Apollo Drive, the 2013 Dry Riesling, the nice menu of snacks, a pleasant setting, oysters on Saturdays during the summer, helpful servers if you are a newbie.

The vines in fall, when most of the grapes have been picked.

Macari Vineyards: Award Deserved? October 25, 2014

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with Bergen Road, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay estate, Collina Chardonnay, Collina Merlot, Dos Aguas, Finger Lakes, Macari Vineyards, Malbec, Merlot Reserve, North Fork, petit verdot, riesling, rose, sauvignon blanc, Sette, wine tasting October 27, 2014

http://www.macariwines.com/

Macari had been named the “Winery of the Year” at the 2014 New York Wine & Food Classic, so we were curious to see why. According to the Classic website, the “award is presented to the winery with the best overall showing based on the level and number of awards in relation to entries.”

Macari has two tasting rooms, and on a previous try the one on Sound Avenue was too full to find a place at the tasting bar, so this time we tried the one on the Main Road. Since it was a beautiful October day and every winery we passed seemed to have a full parking lot, we thought we’d have to put off our visit until the winter, but we were pleasantly surprised—though as we left it seemed the crowds were arriving! Both tasting rooms are spacious and pleasant, with a nice selection of wine-related gifts and snack items. Our servers were kept busy, but were very efficient and observant, and we never had to wait more than a moment or two for our next taste. Also, as you will see, they noticed our seriousness about the wines and added a few extras, which turned out to be a great idea.

A view out the windows, with some of the gift items visible

The tasting menu features three options: a white flight of four wines for $8, a red flight of 4 wines for $15, and a Vintage flight of 5 wines for $20, with a combination of whites and reds. Since we noticed that three of the Vintage wines were included in the other two tastings, we decided to opt for one white and then one red, sharing as we went along.

The tasting bar was crowded, but the servers did a good job of taking care of everyone.

1. Sauvignon Blanc 2012 $23

As usual, the tasting started off with their lightest white, a lemony and tart sauvignon. The night before we had had an excellent Italian sauvignon, so we were making comparisons. The Macari had, we felt, too little fruit taste to balance the acidity. “Undistinguished,” said my husband, and I agreed. It might be better with food.

2. Chardonnay Estate 2011 $19

This is their 100% stainless steel chard, so no oakiness. We smell and taste ripe pear, though it doesn’t have tons of fruit taste. It’s a good chard, reasonably dry, and would go well with a Long Island clam chowder.

3. Collina Chardonnay $9.50

Noticing the price, we wonder whether this would be one to buy for everyday drinking. Nope. Though the aroma had pleasant notes of mineral and honeysuckle, the taste is actually bitter. It is fermented 25% in oak, and the rest in steel, but we taste none of the buttery or vanilla notes one would expect. We dump most of the taste!

4. Riesling 2011 $25 per carafe

The 2011 Riesling has not yet been bottled, so they’re serving from carafes. Made from Finger Lakes grapes, it has some of that upstate taste I find hard to describe. It smells like white grape juice! Taste is not overly sweet, with some mineral and gooseberry notes, though it is fairly monochromatic. My husband had recently been to a wine tasting of German and Long Island Rieslings, and felt this one did not measure up to the others he had had.

Our first “bonus” wine

5. Rosé 2013 $17

In the first indication that our seriousness has been observed, one server asks us if we like rosés, and then offers us a taste of theirs. A blend of cabernet franc, pinot noir, and merlot, it has the usual strawberry aroma and taste, with again a fair amount of minerality. There’s something flowery about it as well. Though not as good as Croteaux, it is a fine rosé.

6. Collina Merlot $9.50

New glass for the reds. Our server calls this a “pizza pasta burger” wine, which the price would surely indicate. “It’s not terrible,” says my tasting companion. Talk about damning with faint praise! But it is a very light red, with no depth or interest or finish. It’s just there. We were, however, intrigued by the aroma, which I characterized as a cherry-flavored cigar.

Sette. The size of the pour varied a bit.

7. Sette $19

This is their red blend, of 50/50 merlot and cabernet franc—not seven wines, as I thought based on the name. Sette actually refers to the town Settefrati, a small town south of Rome, which is the home town of the Macari family. Our server calls it their best seller, and I can see why. The aroma is of dark brambly fruits, and the wine itself is light but very drinkable, perhaps with “Sunday gravy.” By the way, it was served too cold, so we warmed the glass in our palms, which helped bring out the taste.

8. Cabernet Franc 2008 $35

I’ve heard people refer to a brininess as an expression of the Long Island terroir, but I never experienced it quite as forcefully as with the aroma of this wine. Sea air! Fortunately it does not taste salty, but rather of dark plums, and is our favorite so far. Some tannins, a touch of oak.

9. Dos Aguas 2008 $27

Here the name refers to the two waters of the North Fork—Peconic Bay and Long Island Sound. This is Macari’s Bordeaux blend, a mixture of 70% merlot, 17% cabernet sauvignon, 4% cabernet franc, 8% malbec, and the rest petit verdot. Yes, I’d like this with steak frites, please. It is our server’s favorite. Not particularly complex, but good and quite drinkable, with plenty of fruit and spice aromas and flavors.

A line-up of reds.

10. 2007 Merlot Reserve $36

So if you’re counting you realize that our tasting should be over, but after asking us what we thought of the Dos Aguas, our server decides we should try two more wines. This is certainly better than most merlots, and 2007 was a good year. We taste lots of dark fruits, and the aroma is delicious.

11. 2010 Bergen Road $46

This one beats the bunch, as my grandmother used to say with the birth of each grandchild. Another Bordeaux blend, or a Meritage, of 56% merlot, 26% cabernet sauvignon, 13% cabernet franc, 3% malbec, and 2% petit verdot, this one has aromas of Belgian dark chocolate and dark fruits. OMG I say when I taste it. Complex, with lots of tannins and yummy fruit. We buy a bottle to put in the cellar!

Reasons to visit: you want an all-purpose winery with space for a large group or the intimacy of a conversation at the bar; you need to pick up a wine-related gift or buy a snack; the 2010 Bergen Road; the 07 Merlot Reserve, the 08 Dos Aguas, the 08 Cabernet Franc; did I mention the 2010 Bergen Road…

The Main Road building

What a beautiful day. In Greenport, every restaurant’s outside tables were filled, and plenty of people opted for an outdoor tasting.

Southold Farm + Cellar: Something New

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with cabernet franc, Carey Meader, Cast Your Fate to the Wind, chardonnay, Damn the Torpedoes, Grace Under Pressure, La Belle Fille, Lambrusco, Malbec, merlot, North Fork, Peconic, petit verdot, pinot noir, Regan Meader, Rex Farr, Southold Farm + Cellar, tasting, The Devil's Advocate October 22, 2014

https://www.southoldfarmandcellar.com/

Regan Meader, owner and winemaker and tasting room server!

“I like to experiment,” enthused Regan Meader, the owner, with his wife Carey, of Southold Farm + Cellar, one of the newest wineries on the North Fork, and a very promising one. Mr. Meader went on to discuss the fun and the intellectual challenges inherent in wine making. He came to the North Fork a number of years ago knowing very little about wine making, and apprenticed himself to a couple of wine makers. He has learned his lessons well.

Southold Farm + Cellar is a bit off the beaten track, and so are its wines. When you turn in off the back road, you find a lovingly restored rustic tasting shed (open only on weekends) with a view across the field to the vines. The vines are still too young to make wine, so “The birds get to eat most of the grapes.” (Though his one year old daughter also gets some.) Until next year, he’s sourcing his grapes and wine from other vineyards on the North Fork, then developing his wines in his own way. He intends to be an organic farm and to use all natural fermentation.

The tasting room

The tasting menu, written on a blackboard, features four wines for $15, poured into very attractive glasses.

La Belle Fille $36

The tasting starts with a lovely sparkling wine with an interesting back story. Peconic Winery closed last year, but they still had some wine, including this one, which had not yet been disgorged. So Mr. Meader bought it and disgorged it “with no dosage.” Alas, he had no bottles available, or we would have bought one—or two. A delicious aroma like yeast bread baking presaged a toasty caramel taste we really enjoyed. Made from pinot noir grapes.

The Devil’s Advocate Chardonnay $26

Made from a musque clone from Mudd’s vineyard, this is not your average Long Island chardonnay. Though it spent some time in oak, there is only a trace of oak in the flavor. The aroma is lightly lemony, and because the wine is not filtered it is a bit cloudy, with an almost viscous texture. We also liked this wine, with its touch of lemon but also tropical fruit. As we were discussing what it would go well with, Mr. Meader suggested duck breast pastrami! He also, in the tasting notes, suggested one of my favorite cheeses, Humboldt Fog, a California goat cheese, as an accompaniment. Oh, and the name references those who would dismiss chardonnay.

Damn the Torpedoes $28

Okay, I had to know—who named these wines? Blushing faintly, Mr. Meader admitted he did. I told him he was a poet. This wine is described as an “ode to dry Lambrusco.” A blend of merlot, petit verdot, and pinot noir, this is a slightly frizzante light red. He recommends having it lightly chilled in the summer as an alternative to rosé. I have to say this was not my favorite of the afternoon, though many would probably enjoy its tart strawberry flavor.

Nice legs

Cast Your Fate to the Wind $32

Love those names. This is his 2013 cabernet franc and is made from certified organic grapes. He fermented whole clusters for less than seven months in extra large oak casks. Why large casks? You get some oak taste, but less than with regular casks. Sweet aroma. Super dark color. Delicious taste. Lots of dark fruit. No dirt taste! Yum.

Grace Under Pressure 2013

Yes, there were four wines in the tasting, but Mr. Meader adds in one more (which he also gave to a group of young women who were here before us). This is a wine that is not quite ready to drink, but he’s pretty excited about it and wants to share. He told us this blend of cabernet franc, malbec, and merlot was an “ode to Rex Farr,” whose organic farm in Calverton supplies the grapes. The aroma is brambly blackberry, but the taste is very closed in, with some nice tannins. Even as we were discussing the wine, the taste in the glass improved. Given time, it should be quite good.

Reasons to visit: you want to get off the beaten track and try something new; Mr. Meader and his enthusiasm for his wines; La Belle Fille, The Devil’s Advocate, Cast Your Fate to the Wind. We can’t wait to see what Regan Meader does next year when he gets to harvest his own grapes!

The attractively rustic tasting room

North Fork Sans Wineries?

Posted by nofowineaux in Uncategorized October 6, 2014

Not long ago, a young (not quite 21-year-old) friend of mine asked me, “What is there to do on the North Fork if you’re not going to a winery?” Her family was thinking of taking a weekend drive out east, and wondering what to do. After I answered her, I thought, “I should add this to my blog.” So here are some suggestions, in no particular order.

Riverhead

Well, of course there’s shopping at Tanger Mall, but what else is there?

http://www.longislandaquarium.com/ The Long Island Aquarium is terrific, with enough to look at to take up a good half day on its own. You can touch rays, watch the sea lion show (Very entertaining, though one two-year-old I know objected to its being “too loud.”), and learn about what is going on under the surface of the sea in many different areas of the world—including Peconic Bay.

Afterwards, you can walk along the Peconic River which flows along behind Main Street and stop in at one of the restaurants on Main. We recently had a reasonably priced and very delicious (I recommend the pulled pork sandwich.) lunch at a new place, Joe’s Garage. (http://joesgarageandgrill.com/ However, speaking of price, the aquarium is pricey, with admission at the moment ranging from $20.50 to $26.50, with more if you want to visit the butterfly exhibit or do other activities. So onward…

Old House, Cutchogue

Cutchogue

I love history, so I found a visit to The Old House fascinating. (http://www.cutchoguenewsuffolkhistory.org/Old-House.html ) It is the oldest “English style” house in New York State, built in 1649, and is located on a pretty village green with several other historical buildings near it, including an old school house. Check the web site for times, as it is generally only open during the summer. Tours are free, though I would leave a nice donation. From there it is a short ride to Founder’s Tavern in Southold, one of our favorite local eateries. (http://www.founderstavern.com/ ) We’re especially enamored of the Tavern Burger and the home-made potato chips. Speaking of Southold, they also have historic buildings in their village, and so does Mattituck.

Horton Point Lighthouse

Lighthouses

Along the north shore of the North Fork you can visit Horton Point Lighthouse in Southold, one of the lighthouses (like Montauk and Fire Island) that are located on land. (http://www.southoldhistoricalsociety.org/lighthouse.htm )You can visit the quirky little museum in the lower room, and then ascend the spiral steps for a great view of Long Island Sound, and admission is a very reasonable $3. You can climb down the long steep outdoor steps to the beach below, or walk a little nature trail, and they allow picnics on the grounds. Again, check the web site, as they are not open in the winter (though I believe you can visit the grounds any time). There are other interesting lighthouses, like the Bug Light and the Coffee Pot Lighthouse, but you’d have to take a cruise to see them.

Greenport

We really love Greenport. It’s a great town for just strolling around at any time of year, with interesting shops and restaurants. And then, of course, there is the carousel, a favorite place of a three-year-old I know, though older children have been known to enjoy the ride. Some highlights include strolling the docks to look at the boats, visiting Vines and Branches to sample (and buy!) an amazing variety of olive oils and vinegars, and browsing the art galleries and antique stores along Front and Main Streets. You can picnic in Mitchell Park facing the waterfront or stop in to Salamander’s for their excellent fried chicken or the Coronet Luncheonette for old fashioned sandwiches that will leave you too full to eat dinner, just to name two choices. Aldo’s is the village coffee shop, and they outlasted a Starbuck’s that had opened up right across the street (yay). We also recently discovered a little oyster shack facing the harbor, in a back area near the carousel, where they hand you the number of oysters you ordered plus shucking equipment. Great oysters, but we were glad that one member of our party was an experienced and enthusiastic shucker. The town also has an old school house, jail, and blacksmith’s shop, all of which are open sporadically. (http://www.greenportvillage.com/

Other Downtowns

As you drive along Route 25 you’ll notice the downtown areas of Southold and Cutchogue, both of which have a few interesting shops you could explore, but there’s another downtown that’s just off 25: Love Lane in Mattituck. (I’ve seen more than one couple posing for a photo with the heart-shaped Love Lane sign.) Though short, it has a couple of attractions worth noting: Bookhampton Book Store, the Village Cheese Shop, a couple of cute shops, including a candy store, and the very popular Love Lane Kitchen, which is always well populated for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you’re looking to put together a picnic, you can get bread and cheese at the cheese store, or more extensive choices at Lombardi’s Italian deli, which just opened. Or you can go to the other commercial area of Mattituck, a strip mall (with a movie theater, in case it starts to rain) and eat at Crazy Fork—great seafood at really reasonable prices—or Michelangelo’s—decent pizza.

Orient Beach State Park

The water

Alas, for a spit of land surrounded on three sides by water, it is hard to access the beaches unless you are a resident. However, if you go before Memorial Day or after Labor Day, there is no one to stop you from going to any beach. Of course, that also means there are no life guards. If you like to wander a beach looking for pretty rocks and shells, then Breakwater Beach on the Long Island Sound is the place to go (though you have to be a Mattituck resident to even walk in during the summer). However, if you want to drive all the way out to Orient, you can go to Orient Beach State Park, where you can swim and enjoy the water. They charge a car fee of about $10 if you don’t have a state permit. (http://www.nysparks.com/parks/106/details.aspx )

Another way to enjoy the water is to rent a kayak or stand-up paddleboard from Eagle’s Neck, located in the Port of Egypt marina in Southold (http://www.eaglesneck.com/ ). And when you get back from your exercise on the water, you can eat at Pepi’s (Italian) or Alure (pricey but excellent fish dishes), both located within the marina.

Miscellaneous

This depends on the time of year, but there are often events worth investigating, like the Maritime Festival in Greenport, the Strawberry Festival in Mattituck (with fireworks at night), or various harvest time festivals. There’s also berry picking at Harbes in Mattituck—from strawberries in June to blackberries in September—and apple picking at various orchards in October. Of course, if we’re talking about October, there are corn mazes and pumpkin “picking” (well, you do have to pick them up from where they’ve been laid out in a field) opportunities at several sites. Harbes is the best known, but there are others as well. Newsday has a good site which lists many of these events (http://long-island.newsday.com/events ). And if you don’t want to pick your own produce, the farm stands are worth a visit—especially Briermere for pies! Most of them are open from May or June through October, with a few open until Thanksgiving or even later.

If you long to pet a goat, visit Catapano Dairy Farm, where you can sample and buy their excellent goat and sheep milk cheeses, pet the goats (through a fence), and even, if you time your visit right, get to watch them milking. (http://www.catapanodairyfarm.com/ ) Martha Clara Vineyard also has animals you can feed and touch, and they have a large entertainment space where you can buy sandwiches and listen to music, even if you don’t want to drink! (http://www.marthaclaravineyards.com/ )

Speaking of music, many of the wineries have live performers, and you generally don’t have to drink in order to listen to them; and though the price of a glass of wine is usually included when they charge a fee they often have alternative drinks for the designated drivers. In February and March there is Live on the Vine (formerly Jazz on the Vine), featuring a variety of musical acts. Check each venue for prices and age restrictions and reservations. (http://www.eastendarts.org/programs/events/winterfest.html )

Reasons to visit: the towns, the water, the history, the food, the scenery! The best times to visit the North Fork are late spring through late October, as during the winter there is less to do. However, I love the look of the grape vines in the snow, most of the shops and restaurants in Greenport (plus the all-important carousel) are open all year (and there’s a skating rink in Mitchell Park during the winter), and there is no traffic.

Breakwater Beach

Sherwood House: Just a Touch Funky September 20, 2014

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with 2008 Merlot, Jamesport, Mattituck, merlot, North Fork, Oregon Road, Oregon Road Chardonnay, Sherwood House, wine tasting, XO Brandy September 22, 2014

http://www.sherwoodhousevineyards.com/

The 1860s farmhouse that houses Sherwood House’s tasting room

Located on the Main Road in Jamesport in an 1860s farmhouse, Sherwood House’s tasting room has a homey, slightly funky atmosphere, enhanced by the fireplace in the main room, the outdoor deck areas, and the adjacent Material Objects shop which features antique and found objects of all sorts. They also have an outdoor tasting area in their vineyard in Mattituck, which may or may not be open. As we pulled into the parking lot we noticed an exciting sign: raw bar. Oh goody! We have become enamored of the local Peconic Bay oysters.

The main room is homey and cozy, with soft couches in front of the fireplace (which actually has a fire in the winter), bunches of flowers, and a wooden bar along one side. You can also opt to go outside, either to a back deck or to a front seating area with picnic tables. On this Saturday afternoon the room also contains a singer/guitar player, strumming folk-ish songs. As we stand at the bar we see a huge party bus pull into the parking lot, but they are clearly headed for the tasting barn out back, where we went last winter for a very enjoyable music performance.

Fireplace seating area

The tasting menu offers three flights: Estate, four tastes for $10; Premium, four for $12; or Top Reds, four for $15. They also offer a taste of their brandy, $10 for a one-ounce pour. There is some overlap amongst the offerings, so they don’t actually have 12 wines. They also offer a cheese platter for $20, and wines by the glass for $6-12.

We decide to share a tasting of the Premium flight, and then decide whether to get another tasting or go for a glass of wine to have with a plate of oysters.

2012 Oregon Road Chardonnay $18

Oregon Road is the pretty back road on which their vineyard is located, where you can also find Shinn and Lieb’s tasting rooms. This is their steel fermented chard, a pleasant but rather soft and not-crisp quaff, with tastes of sweet ripe pineapple and an aroma of sweet orange.

2011 Chardonnay $30

Of course this smells like vanilla and ripe pear, as it is an oaked chard, with tastes of tangerine on the front, then butterscotch and vanilla. It is surprisingly tart for an oaked chard, though it is mellow enough to make it a pleasant sipping wine. We quite like it.

2007 Merlot $26

Since 07 was a very good year on the North Fork, we have high hopes for this merlot, but our server warns us not to get our hopes up too high. “The 07 is at the end of its development,” he notes, “and the 08 has more growth potential.” Sniff. Earth, tobacco, and something organic. Taste. Some dark fruit, tobacco, dry but not tannic, and not much of a finish. I would say, if you have a bottle of this, drink it now.

2008 Merlot $34

Much better! The tasting menu notes this scored an 87 in Wine Enthusiast Magazine, and we can see why. “The aroma just jumped out at me,” says my husband. Not sure what he means, but it smells delicious. No earth, lots of fruit, and then we taste dark fruit and chocolate. Actually, that wouldn’t be a bad pairing—this wine and some dark chocolate, maybe with a bit of raspberry in the chocolate. This is our favorite of the day, and if we come here during the winter for a concert, I would get a glass of this.

Oysters!

However, we are headed for the oysters. Though we feel it wouldn’t be the best pairing, we opt for glasses of the 2011 Chardonnay, though I would prefer a sauvignon blanc to go with oysters. The oysters are delicious, sweet and briny and full of liquid, fresh from Peconic Bay, to the west of Robins Island, as we are told. We spend a pleasant half hour sitting outside, enjoying our wine and bivalves and listening to the music from inside, which we appreciate much more now that it is not quite so loud.

Front porch and oyster bar

Reasons to visit: a very pleasant tasting room; an intimate setting that also can accommodate groups; the chance to browse the collection at Material Objects; the 2011 Chardonnay and the 2008 Merlot.

Back deck

California: The Winery Collective September 15, 2014

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with cabernet sauvignon, California, chardonnay, Fisherman's Wharf, People's Blend, sauvignon blanc, tasting, The Winery SF, Treasure Island, Winery Collective September 20, 2014

View of San Francisco Bay from near the tasting room

http://www.winerycollective.com/

http://winery-sf.com/

I know, you would think if Nofowineaux went to California she would visit Napa/Sonoma, but this was a very short visit to San Francisco to see an old and dear friend, so time was limited. However, we did get to a tasting room (of course!) in San Francisco for a winery located, surprisingly, IN San Francisco. The Winery Cooperative is located in the Fisherman’s Wharf area, just a little way to the left (as you have your back to the bay) of Ghirardelli Square and near the surprisingly well done little National Park Service museum about the bay and its history. They represent several boutique wineries, but we ended up tasting only the wines from The Winery SF.

The Winery actually has a vineyard located in San Francisco, on an island in the bay called Treasure Island, which was formed primarily from land fill. They also use grapes from Napa, Sonoma, Lake, and Mendocino counties. The tasting menu had a number of options, and we chose to share a tasting of four wines for $15. Some other options were $20. The room itself is fairly small, and is mostly taken up by a long wooden bar with stools. Our server was pleasant and enthusiastic, but couldn’t answer all of our questions about the wines.

Map of Treasure Island, sans X marks the spot.

2013 Sauvignon Blanc $15.99

Sunday afternoon we had had fresh briny Hog Island oysters with beers at The Ferry Marketplace, and we decided they would have also gone well with this wine. An aroma of tangerine precedes tastes of citrus and mineral in this rather bright and tart wine with a nice long finish. Their tasting notes characterize it as “Napa and New Zealand Style.”

2012 Chardonnay $24.99

Our server tells us that this spends “some, but not too much” time in oak, so is not as buttery as some California chards. We agree that it is not too buttery (good), but that it is overall just okay, with a taste my husband compares to unripe grapes. Hmmm, a wine that tastes like grapes…We scent some mineral, and some of that vanilla-ish wood smell.

2010 People’s Blend $15.99

“This wine has everything but the kitchen sink,” our server chuckles. Yes, it does: syrah, zinfandel, mourvedre, cabernet sauvignon, petite syrah, and malbec. The leftovers? Maybe! Given the complexity of the grapes, this is a surprisingly mono-dimensional wine, dry, but with some fruit. The aroma has some chemical notes—cleaning fluid, opines my husband—as well as dark berries. It would be a fine pizza wine, and indeed the brief tasting notes mention what a good value it is twice. The notes also explain the name, “as diverse as the People of San Francisco.”

2010 Cabernet Sauvignon $24.99

Mmmm, this smells very nice, like plums and cherries. However, the taste is, again, just okay. It is dry with some spice and fruit, but a bit thin. One could drink it with lamb. We ask how long it was aged, and no one seems to know. ”Two years?” guesses one server.

WSF Glitter Sparkling Wine $20.00

Yes, the tasting was for four wines, but for only $1 we could add a taste of a sparkling wine. Why not? Well, at least the price was right. It starts tingly and nice, then pow! hits you with sugar. Actually pretty bad—if it had been a bigger pour we would have dumped it!

Reasons to visit: you’re in San Francisco and searching for something to occupy a half hour or so in the Fisherman’s Wharf area; you’d like to sit down and rest a bit inside somewhere; the sauvignon blanc.

NoFo Wineaux

Wine notes from Long Island's North Fork