Waters Crest: A Small Gem February 1, 2014

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting, Uncategorized and tagged with "5" Red Blend, cabernet franc, Campania Rosso, chardonnay, Dry Riesling, Long Island, merlot, North Fork, Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, Southold, Waters Crest February 3, 2014

http://www.waterscrestwinery.com

“Has it been that long?!” exclaimed Jenny, when we admitted that we hadn’t been there since August of 2012. If you want a truly personal experience at a winery, Waters Crest is one of the places to go. Despite its unfortunate location—in a commercial strip on Sound Avenue and Cox Lane, just around the corner from the Southold Transfer Station (a.k.a. town dump, with its complex odors of rotting garbage and recycled paper)—the tasting room is quite cozy and the wines worth trying.

Jim Waters does not have his own vineyard, and so buys his grapes from North Fork vineyards, plus Riesling grapes from upstate, near Seneca Lake. However, according to his web site he “hand chooses” the grapes, and he is certainly very hands-on when it comes to making the wines. His general style seems to be to go for dry wines, which we tend to like.

The tasting menu lists seven wines, three whites and four reds, and you can taste all of them for $15. In addition, if you buy four bottles of wine your tasting is free. We opted to share a tasting, and noticed that the wines are served in Reidel glasses, a luxury touch that Jenny admitted made her a bit anxious when it came time to hand dry them. You can also buy a few wine-related gifts, including handsome cloth wine gift bags hand-made by Jenny’s mother. We also learned that we just missed a chance to visit with Jim’s father, who was hanging out in the tasting room during our last visit. As I said, it’s a personal experience!

Jenny packs the wines we bought.

1) 2012 Chardonnay $19.99

This is their steel-fermented Chard, with typical aromas of apple, pear, and grass. We taste a lot of lemon—perhaps too much lemon. Not a wine for sipping, though it might be better with food.

2) 2012 Reserve Sauvignon Blanc $29.99

After steel fermenting, this one spends two months in oak to mellow it a bit. We can sense a touch of that caramel, but it is not too oaky. This is also dry and rather light, with lots of green apple tastes. In a nice touch, Jenny rinses the glass with a drop of the new wine before pouring the taste.

3) 2012 Dry Riesling $24.99

Jenny agrees with us when we decide this is our favorite of the whites. The aroma is very flowery, with lots of honeysuckle, as is not uncommon with upstate fruit. However, it avoids the over-sweetness I often sense with upstate grapes, and has a pleasant minerality and citrus taste. It would be great with oysters! Time for a new glass as we switch to the reds.

4) “5” Red Blend $16.99

As soon as I see the label I exclaim that it reminds me of the famous painting by Charles Demuth of “The Great Number Five,” which was inspired by a poem by his friend William Carlos Williams. If you look at a reproduction of the painting, you’ll see references to Demuth’s pal Williams in it. Jenny confirms that the label was designed to evoke this painting, but the name was inspired by the idea that this is a “five days a week” wine, perfect for casual weeknight dinners. We agree, and enjoy the blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the very cherry aroma and the dry light taste. One could have this with anything from salmon steaks to burgers.

5) 2009 Merlot $34.99

Another typical Long Island Merlot, this has aromas of blackberry and eucalyptus and nice fruit taste, with a tart finish.

6) 2009 Campania Rosso $49.99

Jim Waters changes the blend on this wine from year to year, depending on which grapes he chooses. The ’08, which was listed on the tasting menu, was a classic Bordeaux blend, but this one is 78% Merlot and 22% Cabernet Franc. ’09 was a difficult year for red grapes. There’s a bit of a funky aroma, but the taste is good, with plenty of fruit, and we guess it will age fairly well and end up tasting better. Nice legs.

7) 2008 Cabernet Franc $39.99

The Cab Franc spends 20 months in French oak, and we can taste a bit of that woody flavor. I smell a bit of funkiness here, too, but also plenty of cherry. It’s a nice wine, though not worth the price, we decide, though Jenny suggests that this, too, would benefit from a couple of years of bottle aging. The reds are suffering in comparison to a very expensive French red we shared during the week with a friend, so we have to banish that wine from our memories in order to appreciate Long Island reds for themselves.

We decide to get two bottles of the Riesling and two of the “5” for everyday drinking, and then discover that the tasting is thus free. If we had only opted for three bottles, Jenny says she would have informed us of the deal!

Reasons to visit: an intimate, personal experience; the 2012 Dry Riesling and the “5” Red Blend; a free tasting if you buy four bottles.

Pindar Vineyards: Greek Poetry January 25, 2014

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with Autumn White, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, Long Island, Malbec, merlot, NoFo, North Fork, Peacock Chardonnay, petit verdot, Pindar Vineyards, Pythagoras, sauvignon blanc, Sunflower Chardonnay, syrah, Winter White January 27, 2014

http://www.pindar.net/

Pindar’s Field

Old Man Winter certainly has the North Fork in his grip. (Why old? Why man? I haven’t the foggiest.) All the farm stands, even Bayview and Briermere, are closed, and the fields are quiet under a coating of snow and ice. So we thought about the warmth of the Greek Isles and headed to Pindar, named for the Greek poet. While the room wasn’t overly warm—we kept our jackets on, though unzipped—the greeting certainly was. The tasting room is in a converted potato barn, featuring multiple rows of tasting bars and a beautiful stained glass window. When we entered we were surprised to see the room was empty, since there were plenty of cars in the lot, but our server informed us that there was a large group in another building for a barrel tasting, and the room was soon quite busy for a January afternoon. They have a selection of wine-related gift items and plenty of cheese and crackers for sale, which is fortunate since they don’t allow outside food.

This room is only one of the sites run by Dr. Damianos, the owner, and his family. They also own Duck Walk, which has a site on the South Fork as well, and his son Jason owns Jason’s Vineyard (which I reviewed back in June), plus they have a satellite tasting room in Port Jefferson for those who don’t care to trek to the North Fork. They also like to tout how eco-friendly they are, with a wind turbine for power, composting and recycling, and other green techniques.

Rows of tasting bars

As we sipped, we appreciated the quiet guitar and folk-ish singing of John Kroo in the background. Tastings consist of 5 tastes for $10, chosen from a menu with 15 choices, plus limited production wines available for $3 each. We opted to do five whites and five reds, sharing tastes of each. Our server, who was young and enthusiastic and clearly engaged in learning all he could about wine, carefully rinsed our glass between tastes and was able to answer most of our questions about the wines. We were happily surprised by how many of the wines we liked, since we had not been to Pindar in years because we remembered not liking many of the wines. There was still one we dumped, but more about that later.

1) Autumn Gold $10.99

Our server looked at the choices we circled on the tasting menu and then carefully coordinated our tasting so we went in the best order, starting with the lightest white. The tasting notes compare this to a Pinot Grigio, which I can see, as it is a dry white with lots of pineapple taste and a bit of funkiness. The funkiness is probably from the Seyval Blanc grape, an upstate grape, which is here blended with Chardonnay. Fine for an everyday white.

2) 2012 Sauvignon Blanc $18.99

The aroma is a combination of mineral and lemon, and the taste is also citrus-y. Also a light wine, this would be good with oysters, as in general we feel Sauvignon Blancs are. There’s plenty of acid here, and the tasting notes say lemon grass, which seems about right.

3) 2012 Sunflower Chardonnay $!8.99

Why sunflower, we ask? In the summer, the field next to the winery is filled with sunflowers, the sale of which goes to benefit the Make-a-Wish Foundation, we are told. I like the label. The wine? Okay. My husband says it reminds him or Werther’s Butterscotch Candy, so if you like a really oaky Chard, go for it. There is, however, a bit of acid which helps make this a sippable white, and I think lots of people would like it well chilled on a summer afternoon.

4) 2012 Peacock Chardonnay $12.99

Why peacock? Uh-oh, our usually well-informed server doesn’t know, but I bet he will as soon as he gets a chance to find out. Smells and tastes like a Granny Smith apple, with maybe a hint of banana. That makes it sound like fruit salad, but actually it is a pleasant white.

5) Winter White $10.99

This may be their most popular white, but our savvy server has already figured out that we won’t care for it. He says he recommends it to people who say, “I don’t really care for wine, so what should I try?” Sweet! Another Seyval Blanc/Chardonnay blend. We dump it after one sip each, and it was this taste that reminded us why we hadn’t been back in years.

6) Pythagoras $$14.99

Remember the Pythagorean theory? I do—sort of. At least, I remember being taught it. The label, which features an illustration of the theory, also calls this a “geometrical blend.” More conventionally, this is a classic Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. It has the classic black currant aroma but is softer than I expect, with some notes of oak and mineral. It would be an okay everyday wine, and is fairly dry, though surprisingly simple for a blend like this.

Note illustration on label!

7) 2010 Syrah $14.99

So 2010 is one of those great years for Long Island wines—and 2013 is forecast to be even better—so we are interested to taste these reds. Not that many places on the North Fork make a Syrah, and we quite like this one. The aroma is complicated, with some cedar notes and a mouth-puckering flavor of unripe plums that would be great with a fatty meat like lamb. Actually, we like it, and buy a couple of bottles.

8) 2010 Merlot $16.99

This is a good, typical Long Island Merlot, with tastes of tobacco and dark chocolate and plum, without the barnyard odor or flavor you sometimes get.

The ship on the label seems to be a reference to the Argonaut, Jason's ship, and a theme of Jason's tasting room.

The ship on the label seems to be a reference to the Argo, Jason’s ship, and a theme of Jason’s tasting room.

9) 2009 Pegasus Cabernet Sauvignon $$16.99

On the other hand, this wine does have some barnyard odor, plus allspice and prunes. The taste is better than the smell, and I will borrow my description of the taste from my granddaughter who guesses wine will taste wine-y (without ever having tasted it!). Why the flying horse? No idea, but the label is pretty.

10) 2010 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon $34.99

Extra! Noting our serious demeanor and knowledge of wine, our server adds a small taste of the Reserve Cab Sauv to our tasting, which turns out to be a smart move as we later buy a bottle to keep in the cellar. Excellent. Although the aroma reminds me of a red candy, the taste is complex, with lots of black cherry and plum, plus other notes. It would be great with a steak on the grill.

11) 2010 Cabernet Franc $34.99

Pine forest aroma and black berry taste make this a nice wine, though not worth the price. It has lots of fruit but is pleasantly dry.

Someone at Pindar clearly likes to collect corkscrews.

Reasons to visit: Large tasting room with plenty of space for big groups; the 2010 Syrah and the 2010 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon; the Sunflower Chardonnay if you like an oaky Chard; good prices for Long Island wines;attractive labels; they care about the environment.

Raphael: A Trip to Italy December 21, 2013

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, chardeaux, chardonnay, Estate Merlot, First Label Merlot, First Label Sauvignon Blanc, La Fontana, La Tavola, Long Island, Malbec, North Fork, petit verdot, Primo, Raphael, riesling December 23, 2013

http://www.raphaelwine.com/

Note the Italian flag, which flies to one side of the winery.

62 degrees on the first day of winter felt quite appropriate as we approached Raphael’s Italian-style tasting room, with its red tile roof and light stucco walls. The welcome inside, through the propped-open door, was as warm as the day. We hadn’t been to Raphael in a long time, partly because every time we went past we saw a sign that they were closed for an event, which is not surprising given the expansive size of the attractive tasting room, with its central bar and dramatic staircase. Indeed, as we were doing a tasting we noted a prospective bride and groom being given a tour of the place, and our server remarked that an additional room can hold up to 200 guests and that from spring through fall they are often closed for weddings.

We also had not been enthusiastic about the wines, but they seem to have improved over the past several years, and we liked some of them quite a bit. In addition, we could easily return and taste a completely different group of wines, as the list includes five whites, two rosés, six reds, and a dessert wine. We limited ourselves to seven tastes, about as many as we can handle, especially because the pour is quite generous. There is no set menu for a tasting. The server hands you a list of wines, and you pay for your choices by the taste, which vary from $2.00 to $4.00 each. Glasses of wine go for $7 to $15, with most around $8. Both servers were very knowledgeable and chatty, and we enjoyed the afternoon with them. Our server was also very accommodating. Since I felt the beginnings of a cold coming on, we didn’t want to share a glass, so he kindly provided a fresh glass for each taste.

After the tasting, we browsed a bit in their larger than usual gift shop, which has many wine-related items, including some that were quite nice.

The gift shop items included this oversized flask and glass.

1) 2012 Chardeaux $24

Yes, that is a made-up word, but Nofowineaux likes it! This blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp and refreshing steel-fermented white, with aromas of citrus and mineral. We also taste lemon and mineral, plus some unripe pear. The server compares it to a Pinot Grigio. Maybe. In any event, it would go very nicely with a plate of local oysters.

2) 2011 First Label Sauvignon Blanc $26

Why “First Label”? Because it is made from fruit from some of their older vines. Though this, like the previous wine, is served too cold, once it warms up a bit we quite like it. We smell some kiwi in the complex bouquet, as well as citrus and herbs. The taste also includes some citrus and herbs, and is pleasantly complex, especially for a steel-fermented wine. “Not a simple sipper,” my husband observes, and adds that it would go well with a veal and peppers dish I sometimes make, or perhaps an array of Italian cheeses.

3) 2012 Riesling $28

I find it fascinating that Rieslings can taste so different from one vineyard to another, even when they are in close geographic proximity. Raphael’s Riesling has a complex aroma of flowers and minerals, and is dry, though with a bit of sweeter citrus at the finish, and one wouldn’t immediately peg it as a Riesling. We must be hungry, because I keep thinking about what foods to have with each wine, and I’m thinking about a simple pork chop dish with this one.

4) 2010 La Tavola $20

Now we move over to the reds, and opt to start with their basic table wine, which is a Bordeaux blend, though it is mostly—70%–Merlot. It also has 6% each of Malbec and Petit Verdot, and 4% each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. There’s a bit of smoke in the aroma, but also lots of dark fruit. It smells really good! The taste is pleasant, but rather light for a Bordeaux, and this is, as the server noted, a good pizza and pasta wine. I’m thinking roast chicken on a picnic…told you I was hungry.

5) 2010 La Fontana $30

We decide to try this wine next, as our server points out that it will make an interesting comparison with La Tavola, since it usesmostly the same grapes, though in different proportions: 36% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Petit Verdot, and 10% Cabernet Franc. Very interesting, indeed. This one “could pass as a real Bordeaux,” my husband notes, sipping it appreciatively. When it is my turn to try, I note a lovely aroma with a trace of smoke and forest floor and taste delicious dark fruits. “Nice legs,” we note, and good tannins too, and we decide to buy a couple of bottles to cellar for a few years. (I ask our server if this is named for the elaborate fountain out front, and he nods yes.)

The La Fontana fountain.

6) 2010 Estate Merlot $22

Long Island Merlots do tend to have a bit of a barnyard smell, and so does this one, but not overly so. We also smell some tobacco and blackberry. The tasting notes say “thyme,” but my husband jokes he can’t smell time. This is fermented in a combination of oak and steel, and I would say it is a typical North Fork Merlot.

7) 2010 First Label Merlot $38

2010 was a great year for North Forth wines, and we can see that in all the 2010 wines we’ve tried, including this one. Aged 18 months in oak, this new release has mineral and dark fruit aromas, with no trace of barnyard, and has lots of fruit tastes. I bet this one would age well, too.

8) 2007 Primo Winemaker’s Edition

Yes, I said we’d do seven tastes, but, seeing our serious devotion to the tasting process, the servers give us a small taste of this special wine, as there is only a small amount left in the bottle anyway. Wow, read my notes, and wow again. This is a wine you can only get if you are a member of the wine club, and we are briefly tempted to join, but no, there are only so many clubs one can join!

Primo is primo

Reasons to visit: an attractive and roomy tasting room; a good gift shop; interesting wine choices, especially the Chardeaux and the La Fontana; you’re scouting locations for a large party or wedding; you like having lots of tasting options.

Decorated for the season

Dramatic chandelier over the central bar

Lenz Winery: Lots of Lovely Options December 7, 2013

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with cabernet sauvignon, Cuvee RD, Estate Selection Merlot, farmstands, gewurztraminer, Gold Label Chardonnay, Lenz Winery, Long Island, North Fork, Old Vines Cabernet, Old Vines Chardonnay, Old Vines Merlot, pinot grigio, Pinot Gris, White Label Chardonnay December 9, 2013

http://www.lenzwine.com/Home.htm

In the summer grape vines cover the facade.

It’s that time of year on the North Fork when most farmstands have closed, and those that are open feature Christmas trees and firewood, plus a few frost-touched Brussels sprout stalks and cauliflower heads. However, most of the wineries are still open, at least on the weekends, and there are still plenty of limos wandering the streets. When we saw five of them in the parking lot of Lenz we almost turned around, knowing their tasting room was on the small side, but I’m very glad we did not. The vibe inside was mellow rather than frenetic, and by the time we finished our leisurely and very enjoyable tasting we had the room to ourselves.

For some reason Lenz funnels arriving parties through a small wooden archway, but you can get to the vine-covered tasting room directly from the end of the parking lot as well. The room itself is rustic, with wooden beams like a barn, and tables around the perimeter offer a variety of wine-related gifts.

Some of the gift items.

They offer two tastings, the Estate Flight is of their wines which are produced every year, and is $10 for five generous tastes, and the Premium Flight is $14 for five of their wines produced “only in years our winemaker feels they are good enough.” We opt to share one of each, and our knowledgeable and enthusiastic server helps us alternate, suggesting which to taste first of each pair. She not only knows lots about each wine, she is clearly a fan of the vineyard, and talks about her visits to it before she actually became an employee. They will soon be releasing a Malbec—not, alas, in labeled bottles yet—and her positive review of it causes us to decide we will be sure to pick up a bottle once it is released.

Lenz is one of the older vineyards on the North Fork, and many of its better wines are labeled Old Vines. In general, their winemaker, Eric Fry, goes for a French style of winemaking, and the results are overall excellent. We only had one wine we didn’t care for. I’ve marked the Premium wines with an *.

1) 2008 Gewürztraminer $20

A few years ago we went to several wineries looking for the best Gewürztraminer for our Thanksgiving dinner, and settled on Lenz. It’s still a good choice. This is a dry Gewürztraminer, with floral and spice aromas—cardamom, says my husband, and I agree—and plenty of fruit. It was allowed to age in the bottle, our server points out, and is made in the Alsatian style.

2) *2010 Pinot Gris $25

This is, of course, the French version of Pinot Grigio, which is my go-to choice when I have to get a glass of house wine, but this is so much better than most Pinot Grigios! We scent aromas of mineral and lime, maybe clementine, and taste pear and apple. The wine is dry but not tart, with a creamy mouth feel. The server says the Pinot Gris tastes like wine while Pinot Grigio tastes like water! I’d be happy sipping this on its own, or with seafood.

3) *1999 Cuvee RD $60

The price tag is a bit steep, though this is a lovely sparkling wine, with that slightly green-olive scent I find in many Champagnes. If you like lots of bubbles, however, you’ll be disappointed, as the bubbles dissipate quickly, though it is a bit petillant on the tongue. Lots of layers of flavor to this dry wine.

4) 2010 White Label Chardonnay $15

Steel fermenting means this is a clean crisp chard, with a honey candy aroma and a citrus taste—maybe pink grapefruit? Very food friendly, we agree.

5) 2010 Gold Label Chardonnay $20

Though I often don’t care for oaked chards, this one is very well done. It spends ten months in French oak barrels, we are told, and we do smell the vanilla aroma of oak, plus some pumpkin spice smells. Taste? Baked apples and pears! This could be a lovely aperitif wine, or it would pair well with most chicken dishes, especially ones that combined chicken and fruit. Our server notes that this is one of their few California-style wines, but it is not overly oaked as some of those are.

6) *2010 Old Vines Chardonnay $30

In contrast to the previous chard, this one is in the Burgundian style, our server informs us, and is aged in neutral oak barrels. She does a great job, by the way, of giving us time to chat with each other while also being attentive to when we are ready for the next round. Though we agree the wine has good balance, my husband notes there are “no fireworks.” There’s also a bit of a chemical taste at the end, and we have a discussion with the server about what exactly we are sensing.

7) 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon $23

At this point everyone else has left, and the servers outnumber the customers, which does not faze us one bit. Though this wine has an attractive aroma of raisins and chocolate—Goobers, we exclaim—we find the wine itself thin and disappointing and actually dump the rest of the glass.

8) *2007 Old Vines Cabernet $40

What a contrast. We love this one! Aroma of dried cherries in brandy and a lovely dark color precede a taste of dried fruits and intense berries.

9) 2008 Estate Selection Merlot $24

This is much better than the average 20-something dollar Merlot, and indeed was made from wine that had been intended for a premium bottling, but then didn’t meet the winemaker’s exacting specifications. Lucky us. We smell coffee, chocolate, and a bit of a floral aroma, with none of that barnyard smell so common out here. Delicious taste, too, with plenty of dark fruit. Very buyable.

10) *2007 Old Vines Merlot $60

Old vines indeed, our server notes, as these grapes come from vines first planted in 1978—ancient history for Long Island wines! Lots of lovely aromas, cherries, layers of dark fruit, very mouth-filling. This could age for twenty years, our server informs us. I bet it could.

We buy several bottles as gifts and may come back to get more for ourselves when we deplete the cellar.

Reasons to visit: nine out of the ten wines are very drinkable, and quite a few are excellent; pleasant rustic barn-like setting; enthusiastic and well-informed servers; the Estate Selection Merlot and the Pinot Gris and the Gold Label Chardonnay and the Old Vines Cabernet and the Gewürztraminer and—you get the picture.

Pugliese: Limos Galore November 23, 2013

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with Bella Domenica, cabernet franc, chardonnay, Long Island, Merlot Reserve, North Fork wines, pinot grigio, Pugliese, riesling, Sangiovese, Sunset Meritage, wineries November 25, 2013

http://www.pugliesevineyards.com/

We thought we were safe. Random November Saturday, chilly weekend following a drizzly Friday, just a little after noon—surely Pugliese would be quiet! And indeed, when we arrived, there were only two limos in the parking lot, and several large parties clustered outside around the picnic tables. We had passed Pugliese many times during the summer and opted not to go, given the crowded look of the place. It’s not that we’re misanthropes; it’s just that we prefer to do our tastings in a calm, peaceful atmosphere. Actually, the grounds around the tasting room are quite pretty, with a scenic pond down in a hollow near the outside tables.

We scanned the menu: 4 tastes for $7.00, $8 for a glass, sangria (from a large vat at one end of the bar) $10 per glass, and beer on tap. Also they have a cheese tray for $13. There were many choices—four sparkling wines, four whites, seven reds, and five dessert wines. The sparkling wines seemed to be very popular with the groups of women, and we heard at least one young man become quite happy at the prospect of having a beer instead of wine. We decided to share eight different tastes, which our server agreed was a good choice, and she noted that the fourth white was quite sweet, and would probably not be to our taste. Good call. I also noted that they had many gift baskets on offer, including hand-painted wine glasses, t-shirts, and other small items, plus the inevitable bags of North Fork potato chips.

1) 2012 Pinot Grigio $17.99

In general, I like Pinot Grigios. This one was just okay, with a vegetable aroma, perhaps asparagus, and a dry, grassy taste. Not much finish. When I admire the pretty label, the server notes that another woman there designed them.

We admired the pretty bottles.

2) 2012 Chardonnay Gold $12.99

Though this is a steel-fermented Chard, it has a bit of a creamy taste, with nice fruit and a dry finish. I would say, especially given the price, it is quite buyable.

3) 2012 Riesling $13.99

The honeysuckle aroma is there, but faint. I wouldn’t actually have realized right away that this is a Riesling, but I did guess (correctly!) that it included grapes from upstate. Not sure how to describe that upstate flavor, but it is a bit sweet and…grape-juicy. Just okay.

4) Bella Domenica $9.99

We were going to skip this one, but our server—as she rinsed our glasses between each taste—recommended that we try it. People don’t choose it because of the price, but it’s actually a very nice wine, she said. And she was right. It is described as a red table wine, a Merlot/Cabernet blend, and is a perfectly acceptable everyday red. It would be fine with pasta, or as a picnic wine. A summery red, with a cherry aroma and nice berry taste, this is a simple wine (as are most of their wines. Nothing complex or layered here.) I was about to ask the story behind the name when several large parties suddenly arrived, changing the atmosphere from calm to loud and boisterous.

5) 2009 Sangiovese $16.99

We had to try this one, as they are the only vineyard on the North Fork to grow the Sangiovese—a.k.a. Chianti—grape. The color is a light red, and the taste is similarly light. Not much to it, my husband notes. Although it is also an acceptable everyday wine, you wouldn’t necessarily peg it as a Chianti, as it is less robust than you’d expect it to be.

The Sangiovese

6) 2009 Cabernet Franc $16.99

As with all their wines, we feel this one is also underflavored and relatively simple. We smell a bit of damp forest, maybe some red candy.

7) 2006 Sunset Meritage $24.99

Since we’ve been somewhat disappointed so far, we decide to skip to their pricier—though still reasonably priced for Long Island—reds, and move to their Bordeaux blend: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon. Yay, finally, a wine with something to it! But not a lot. The color is nicely dark, the aroma is berries and fruit, and the taste is also of berries with a trace of oak, but compared to other Bordeaux we’ve had this has no depth or layers of flavor.

8) 2007 Merlot Reserve $29.99

No sulfites, boasts the tasting notes. Very dark color, black cherry flavor, no barnyard aromas; this wine may not be worth $30, but it is quite good.

They are having a sale, a case of Bella Domenica for only $75.99. We are in need of some everyday reds, so we get a case. No reduction in the tasting fee, by the way, and our server points us to a pile of cartons and suggests we help ourselves, after first checking to be sure the case we take actually has 12 bottles. By this time we are ready to leave, for the room has become quite noisy as more groups arrive. But as our server pointed out, without the groups we’d be the only ones there, so they do depend on the limo crowds. In addition, we discussed the fact that these young people may be developing a lifetime affection for wine, and could be customers for Pugliese in the future.

Lots of limos

Reasons to visit: you want to sit outside in a pretty setting; the reasonable prices for the wines; the Chardonnay, the Bella Domenica, the 07 Merlot Reserve; you like a boisterous party atmosphere.

Pretty pond

The Hidden Vineyard: Very Off the Beaten Path November 16, 2013

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, Calverton, chardonnay, merlot, North Fork, oak casks, pinot grigio, riesling, tasting room, The Hidden Vineyard, Winery November 18, 2013

http://thehiddenvineyard.com/

Imagine you are driving along a back road in Italy when you see a hand-lettered sign that says “Wine Tasting” (in Italian, of course). On a whim, you decide to follow the charmingly amateurish signs until you come to a dirt road off the country road. Daringly, you turn onto it, ascend a hill past rows of grape vines, and at the top you see a large house. Is this it, you wonder. Park and enter, and you will be greeted by two older gentlemen who seem quite at home in the kitchen/family room of the house, and who will soon make you feel equally at home.

Oh, wait, this isn’t Italy, it’s Calverton! You’re just off Exit 71 of the LIE, and you’ve followed the signs to The Hidden Vineyard. You’ve been greeted by Pete DiBernardi and George Mancuso, and the house is actually where Pete lives. But the feeling of being in Italy continues as they serve you wine directly from the oak casks and tell you their life stories. Friends since their boyhoods in Brooklyn, they both became widowers rather suddenly within a short time of each other. Pete had been building the house with his wife, and abruptly did not know what to do with it. Both loved to make wine in the style of their forebears—from Sicily and Sardinia—and so, somehow, they found themselves in the wine business.

They will tell you proudly that they use no sulfites or other additives in their wines, nor do they filter them. You get to drink each glass directly from the barrels, kept refrigerated at 55˚, and if you decide to buy a bottle they will fill the bottle from the tap, seal it, and make up a label just for you—with any message on it you like.

The taps from which your glass or bottle of wine will be filled.

Though it was a warm sunny November day, we stayed inside, but they were eager to tell us that in the summer they do tastings outside, and are happy to have people bring their own picnics and buy a couple of bottles. They’ve done quite a few parties, too, and point out their karaoke machine (happily not in use at the moment!).

They make six wines, all for $25 per bottle, and a tasting is $5 for three wines or $5 per glass. Note that they do not accept any credit cards. Cash only! We opt to share two tastings, first the whites, and then the reds. The pour is fairly generous.

1) Pinot Grigio

None of the wines seem to have vintages, though George assures us that they never serve a wine until they like it. All the wines, he says, spend at least a year in the barrels in the cellar of the house, which is also where they do their wine-making. This smells and tastes a bit like wildflower honey, though it is dry. I definitely taste the oak.

2) Chardonnay

Tasty and toasty, we decide about this wine. We smell the typical vanilla aroma of oaked chardonnays, with a bit of a cat pee smell. Pretty good. By the way, if you want to try their wines you’ll have to come to the tasting room, as they don’t produce enough to sell to stores or restaurants.

3) Riesling

You can tell that this is not filtered, as it is a bit cloudy. I think I smell wood shavings, but my husband thinks vegetables, maybe broccoli. This is not a sweet Riesling, and again I taste the oak. We get a fresh glass with each taste, which is a nice touch.

4) Cabernet Sauvignon

I like this wine the best so far, and in fact George does too, as he has poured himself a glass in order to join us. We smell the typical cherry/berry aroma of a Cab Sauv, and taste some pleasant fruit. This is a good wine for everyday, to go with pasta, etc. Like all the wines so far, it is not complex but perfectly pleasant.

5) Cabernet Franc

Nice deep ruby color for this wine, but the smell is a bit unpleasant, an almost chemical aroma. I’m not fond of the taste either, though it is somewhat grape-y, with a touch of sweetness at the end. No depth.

6) Merlot

This also has a dark color, but happily tastes better than the last one. This is a nice everyday Merlot, light and refreshing, and would be fine with a roast chicken picnic dinner.

We buy one Cabernet Sauvignon and one Merlot, and watch with interest as our bottles are filled from the taps, corked and sealed and labeled by the lovely young woman—a friend of the family, she says—who does “everything” that George and Pete don’t do. In the midst of our tasting another couple came in who had actually been there before, though Pete was proud to take credit for all visitors as a result of the signs he painted by hand. They do no other advertising.

One of the tables in the tasting room.

Reasons to visit: You are tired of the cookie-cutter aspect of other wineries, and want to go somewhere a bit different; you enjoy chatting with owners/winemakers; you feel that Calverton is far enough and don’t feel like venturing further onto the North Fork; you want to buy a couple of bottles as a gift with personalized labels on them; the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Merlot. But remember—cash only!

Long Ireland Beer Company November 2, 2013

Posted by nofowineaux in Brewery, Uncategorized and tagged with 10 Nutty Years, Beer, Breakfast Stout, brewery, Celtic Ale, Double IPA, E.S.B., I.P.A., Kolsch, Long Ireland Beer Company, Pumpkin Ale, Riverhead, Wet-Hopped Ale, Winter Ale November 4, 2013

http://www.longirelandbrewing.com/

If you are heading to the North Fork hoping to make a stop at a brewery, I recommend you drive all the way to Greenport and go to the Greenport Harbor Brewing Company. Bypass the Long Ireland Beer Company in Riverhead unless saving the cost of gas is your primary consideration. Why? Let me tell you about my experience at Long Ireland on a warm, sunny November Saturday afternoon.

We found the plain, industrial-style building on Pulaski Street fairly easily (you can just turn onto Pulaski from Main Road), and walked into the equally plain tasting room, packed with mostly twenty-somethings enjoying their beers. If you just want a lot of beer for not much money, Long Ireland is a bargain. For $8.00 you get a glass, which you may keep, which holds 3.5 ounces of beer, and you get to try six of their beers on tap. A bowl of pretzels graces the bar. They also offer pints for $5.00 and growlers for $15, for most of the offerings, as well as bottles for a few of the beers for $6.

When we finally got the attention of the server—to be fair, there were a fair number of people for two servers to keep up with—we told her we wanted to do a tasting. “Okay,” she said, plunking two glasses down in front of us. “How does it work?” I asked. “Is there any order to the tastes?”

“No order, “she said. “Just tell me what you want.”

“What can you tell me about the beers?” I asked, in a vain attempt to figure out which to get. For an answer, she pointed me to a list of available beers, eleven in all, with the only information on the sheet being the alcoholic content. I overheard one customer saying to her friend, “Which has the most alcohol?” Not really my concern. So we decided in order to get to try all the types we would each get a full tasting, sharing tastes as we went. Then two choices were deleted. So we ended up with ten tastes in all, plus one repeat for both of us. At no time did either server tell us anything about the wide variety of beers on offer.

1) Celtic Ale 5.5% alcohol

This is a fairly classic ale, not very exciting, not particularly hoppy or interesting, but an okay basic beer. By the way, in case you haven’t noticed already, there is a definite Irish theme, with Celtic symbols on the taps.

2) Winter Ale 7.2%

I don’t know why this is a “winter” ale, but it has a slightly darker color than the Celtic Ale and some citrus notes, though it is a thin-tasting beer. Both of these are available in bottles.

3) Wet Hopped Pale Ale

Not on the menu, this one is only available in bottles, and the server opened a bottle and then gave everyone in the room a small taste of it. We thought it was a good summer beer, very fresh tasting.

4) Kolsch 5%

The taste of this one reminded me of the very ripe grilled pineapple we made for dessert a few weeks ago. Not very hoppy, it is on the light side of a German-style beer.

5) Pumpkin Ale 5%

Inevitable at this season. Did I want it with a cinnamon sugar rim? Oh, yes. Good choice. The beer itself is just okay, but with the rim it is quite enjoyable. Like drinking dessert.

The special glass for the pumpkin ale, with a cinnamon sugar rim, which is not the tasting glass.

6) 10 Nutty Years 5%

Do you like Corona? This has a bit more taste than Corona, but still could have benefitted from a lime. I wanted to ask about the name, but gave up getting the server’s attention.

7) E.S.B. 6.5%

Though the initials stand for Extra Special Bitter, this is not particularly bitter. It is like an English bitter, which we came to enjoy on our first visit to England during a warm summer week, when we realized that the bitters tended to be cooler than the other beers on tap. You can taste the hops in this one, and also a slight wheaty-pancakey flavor.

8) I.P.A. 7.3%

We seem to have reached the initials part of the menu. India Pale Ale is what these initials stand for, and it is my favorite so far. On the blackboard it ways “West Coast Style,” but no one tells me what that means. I’d be happy to drink this with a burger. This one is also available in a bottle.

9) Double IPA 10.5%

Hmmm…sort of funky, a bit of dank cellar, but actually not bad. It would be good with a sweetish barbecue sauce on ribs. If you buy this one in a bottle or growler, it costs more than the others.

10) Breakfast Stout 3.5%

Back before coffee became the universal breakfast drink, people started the day with some form of alcoholic drink, usually beer or hard cider, both more reliably germ-free than water. I would guess this is an homage to that custom. I’m startled by the strong coffee taste, and when I go on Long Ireland’s web site I discover that it is actually made with coffee—and also flaked oats and milk sugar. Breakfast, indeed. You could have a pint of this in a cozy pub and enjoy drinking it on its own, though it is certainly no competition for Guinness.

If you’re counting, you realize we should have two more tastes here, but two choices have been taken off the board, so we both opt to end with the Pumpkin Ale, which is at least fun to drink. Oh, and the servers do rinse your glass with the new taste as a transition between beers, a nice touch.

Reasons to visit:

Really none, unless you are determined to go to a beer tasting and you don’t have to time to go to Greenport. On the other hand, you do get a fair amount of beer for not much money.

Sannino Bella Vita October 13, 2013

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with 2nd Bottle, Ackerly Ponds, Bianca White Merlot, cabernet franc, Chilly Day Chardonnay, merlot, North Fork, petit verdot, Prima Rossa, riesling, Sannino Bella Vita, Snow Rose of Merlot, Spotlight, Warm Spice Wine, wine October 15, 2013

http://www.sanninovineyard.com/

One view of the tasting room.

I told my husband he’d miss the Jets/Steelers game because we’d be out for the afternoon, but he was in luck—it was playing (with the sound off) on the flat screen TV in the Sannino Bella Vita/Ackerly Ponds tasting room. And that wasn’t the only way the good-humored staff was helpful. The three of us were going to share a tasting when one confessed he might be coming down with a cold. Could we split one taste by sharing it 2/3 in one glass and 1/3 in another? We could! Everyone was happy, including the honeymooning couple who were staying in the Bed and Breakfast associated with the winery, and enjoying their complimentary tasting and so were the drunken fruit flies.

Each time we’ve come, we’ve noticed improvements to the tasting room, and they now have more space than they did at first in their rustic barn. Bella Vita took over the site from Ackerly Ponds, which continues in the names of some of the wines. On the list, some of them are marked BV, which means they are Bella Vita’s own. There are two tasting options: eight wines for $15 or four wines for $8. Since there are eleven wines on the list, plus spice wine, we decide to go with one 8 and one 4. They also offer a cheese tray for $15, and request that people not bring in outside picnics. As we sipped and chatted, a guitarist with a James-Taylor-type sound began to play in one corner of the room.

2012 Riesling $17

Not surprisingly, since this is made with grapes from the Finger Lakes Region, this is a somewhat sweet wine, though not cloyingly so. There’s an aroma of spice and goldenrod honey. It would pair nicely with something spicy.

2. 2012 Chilly Day Chardonnay $18

Just like most steel-fermented chardonnays, this one has a green apple smell, with tasting notes of citrus. It is a bit sweeter than one would expect, and one of the well-informed servers tells us that they try to accommodate a variety of preferences, and many people prefer a sweeter wine.

3. 2012 BV Chardonnay $23

Only one month in oak make this an only slightly oaked chard, with some ripe pear tastes and the usual vanilla aroma. It is drier than the first two.

4. 2012 BV Bianca White Merlot $17

“What a lovely color,” I said, admiring the pale pale pink of this 100% merlot rosé, made from the first press of the grapes, having spent almost no time on the skins. “Tastes like strawberries,” notes our son. We agree it is a nicely complex, not too sweet wine, with good fruit flavors. Quite buyable.

5. 2012 BV Snow Rose of Merlot $15

And now a wine from the second press, with twelve hours on the skins. The color is so dark it almost looks like a red, with a bit of a funky aroma. “Garbage smell?” asks our son. Fortunately it tastes better than it smells, though its notes of over-ripe fig may not appeal to everyone,

6. 2010 Cabernet Franc $40

Now we move on to the reds. This one doesn’t have a lot of fruit flavor, and does have some of that earthy smell and taste one gets out here.

7. 2004 Ackerly Ponds Merlot $19.99

Very nice! Dry, with ripe purple plum tastes, this would be great with pasta and meatballs.

8. 2^nd Bottle Red $12

The name of this wine needs a bit of explaining, as there’s a philosophy behind it. So often a host wants to serve a good wine as a first round, but feels it is not necessary to serve as good (or expensive) a wine for the second round. Hence…2^nd Bottle. It is true that one thing the North Fork could use is more less-expensive reds for everyday drinking, and this does fill that ecological niche. A blend primarily of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, this is a fine table wine, though it would be overpowered by anything big, like a steak.

9. 2010 Merlot $35

Lots of “2s” here—22 months aging in oak, with juice from 23 year old vines. We like this one, too. Dry, with a bit of berry taste.

10. 2010 BV Prima Rossa $35

Another blend, this one is also aged 22 months, and includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. We smell cinnamon, spice, cedar and find the taste lighter than one would expect from the smell, with some hints of licorice. It would go great with a Middle Eastern lamb dish.

11. 2010 BV Spotlight Petit Verdot $45

Another good red, and strong enough to stand up to a steak dinner, this is primarily Petit Verdot with about 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, and has tastes of berry and ripe cherries. In general, we’re liking the reds better than we did a year ago when we visited Bella Vita.

12. Warm Spice Wine

Cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice make this wine “smell like Christmas and taste like Thanksgiving,” according to out server. If you’ve ever had Swedish glögg you know what this tastes like. Throw in some cranberries and some cut up oranges and you have a nice party drink.

We buy some bottles of 2^nd Bottle and our son gets some White Merlot and 04 Merlot. Good choices

Reasons to visit: you want to get a step or two off the beaten path (limos or groups larger than 6 only by appointment); the White Merlot and the 04 Merlot, plus 2^nd Bottle if you’re looking for an everyday table wine; a warm friendly atmosphere.

Woodside Orchard October 12, 2013

Posted by nofowineaux in Hard Cider, Uncategorized and tagged with apple raspberry cider, apples, cherry cider, cinnamon apple cider, hard cider, Jamesport, North Fork, traditional cider, Woodside Orchard October 13, 2013

http://woodsideorchards.com/

Harvest time! Crisp fall air, crisp falling leaves, crisp fresh apples…and even better, crisp hard apple cider! On a whim, we stopped in at Woodside Orchard’s Main Road tasting room, remembering some delicious hot mulled (non-hard) cider we had there on a chilly day last winter. What we found was quite a crowd, sitting around some outside picnic benches and milling around the small tasting room, happily sampling the ciders on offer, and also buying candy apples, apple pie, apple butter, cider donuts, honey, cider, and, of course, bags of apples. Oh, and growlers of hard cider. There’s apple wine, too, but there didn’t seem to be any tastes on offer.

A blackboard on the wall informs us that it is $6.00 for a pint glass, in which one can get samples of the four (which turned out to be five!) ciders on offer. A growler costs $16.00 and only $13 if you are coming in with an empty for a refill. We decided to share one tasting, which was a good idea, since they fill the glass about 1/3^rd of the way full, and cider is about 6.5% alcohol (more than most beers, less than wine, according to the server). The crowd kept the servers quite busy, especially when they had to fill a growler from the beer- style taps, but everyone seemed cheerful and patient.

1. Traditional Hard Cider

Ooh, fizzy! This is a pleasant drink, with a taste like a somewhat sweet fruity wine but a dry finish. Back in the day, this is what everyone drank three meals a day, as water was not to be trusted, and is the drink that made John Chapman (a.k.a. Johnny Appleseed) rich.

2. Sour Cherry Hard Cider

This is the surprise add-on, as it is not on the menu. The color is a light pinkish red and it feels a bit tingly on the tongue. I taste cherry on the side of my mouth, but not a lot of flavor. Neither here nor there, we decide.

3. Traditional Sweet Hard Cider

Lovely apple smell and a taste like regular cider—but with a kick—make this our favorite so far.

4. Apple Raspberry Hard Cider

“It’s like liquid Briermere,” theorizes my husband. “Whoa, that’s sweet,” is my reaction. Again, there’s a bit of a tingle on the tongue. We smell apples and raspberries (surprise). Too sweet for me, but I guess you could have this instead of dessert, or mix it in a cocktail.

5. Cinnamon Apple Hard Cider

A good whiff of this will make you think of apple pie and Thanksgiving, and it tastes like an apple pie, too, with notes of cinnamon and nutmeg. We could see serving this well chilled as a refreshing summer drink—or with Thanksgiving dinner!

They have another place on Manor Lane, where you can also do u-pick in the orchard once all the trees behind this place have been picked out.

Reasons to visit: you’re tired of wine (Is that possible?) and want something different; you’re curious about hard cider and want to try before you buy; you want to buy apples or apple treats and might as well taste some hard ciders while you’re at it; the apples are yummy, too.

Greenport Harbor Brewing Company October 5, 2013

Posted by nofowineaux in Brewery and tagged with Beer, Black Duck Porter, brewery, Devil's Plaything IPA, Greenport Harbor Ale, Greenport Harbor Brewing Company, Leaf Pile Ale, North Fork, Otherside IPA, Oyster Stout October 10, 2013

Alert readers will note this photo is from a previous visit.

http://harborbrewing.com/

Hmmm, you think, brewing company? That doesn’t sound like a winery. And you’re right. In honor of Oktoberfest, we decided to go to a brewery tasting room to sample some local beers, and a very good decision it was, too, though quite a few other people had the same idea, making the room a bit crowded. Greenport Harbor’s brewery and tasting room are located just off Main Street in Greenport, and we often cut across the bank parking lot to get there. Since they opened, they have moved the tasting room up a steep flight of stairs (labeled the “Stairway to Heaven”—you may start humming now) to a somewhat rustic room with a bar, plus low stools in the center of the space. Around the walls they display an ever-changing selection of works of art for sale, so the room also functions as an art gallery. There are also t-shirts, totes, and hats displaying their clever logo—a schematic map of Long Island emphasizing its whale-like shape, with a star for Greenport.

A sign informs us “No pints, just flights,” which is fine with us, as that’s what we’ve come for. The procedure is that you pay $8.00 for a glass in which they give you your tastes, and then you get to keep the glass. We’re amassing quite a collection, I must admit. If you want to take some home, you buy a “Growler” (so named, according to one theory, for the sound the beer makes as it splashes into the container), which they fill from the tap and top with a screw cap, for $19. Since our last visit they have added a smaller size for $13, which is perfect for two. The servings are quite generous, and two could even share one tasting. You get six samples from their ever-changing menu, anchored by the Harbor Ale, which they always feature.

1. Greenport Harbor Ale 5.2%

This is a classic American beer, but better than Bud, and would be perfect with baseball and peanuts. It is nicely hoppy, with some citrus and unripe pineapple notes.

2. Black Duck Porter 4.9%

Why “black duck?” we ask our server. She’s not sure, but thinks it is named for the color—which is indeed quite black—and Long Island ducks. They try to have names which reflect the local color. I remember fondly one called DisOrient Harbor which they were forced to discontinue. Apparently the State in its wisdom thinks it is a bad idea to give alcoholic drinks names which reflect an effect they might have. I really like the Black Duck, which both smells and tastes a bit like espresso, but also dark unsweetened chocolate and spice. It would be perfect with kielbasi. Sometimes they make a similar beer called Canard Noir…

3. Oyster Stout 4.9%

This is another dark beer, but not nearly as strong and full-flavored as the porter. Dark beer for those who don’t care for dark beer, opines my husband, who also nails the spice taste we’re trying to identify. Cardamom! Do we detect a slight fishy smell, or are we influenced by the name? They suggest it would be good with oysters, and though I generally prefer white wine with those bivalves, this would work since it would not overwhelm them.

4. Devil’s Plaything IPA 5.5%

“Made exclusively for Salvation Taco,” the sign reads. We know the spot, a restaurant in Manhattan we walked into and promptly walked out of, unwilling to bear the extreme noise level. I do hear their tacos are good, and so is this beer. It is brewed with hot peppers in it, we are told, and we can sense an underlying chili flavor, though it is not spicy. The aroma reminds me of tomato leaves. This is not a beer for sipping, as it is a bit sharp, but I can see how its refreshing taste would go well with spicy Mexican or Szechuan dishes. There’s a touch of citrus, so I can certainly see this with a bowl of guacamole.

5. Otherside IPA 7.5%

Why Otherside, inquiring minds want to know. The hops for this one come from the West Coast, is the answer, huge quantities of Apollo, Cascade, Centennial, and Chiana hops. Befitting its making, we note a complexity of flavor in this very hoppy beer (please, no happy/hoppy puns). It would be great with a hamburger and chips or fries.

6. Leaf Pile Ale 5.4%

Halloween is coming, and so is Thanksgiving, so it is time for pumpkin pie—or pumpkin ale. We do indeed taste cinnamon and nutmeg and some sweetness. If you don’t particularly like beer, this might be the quaff for you. I like it better than I thought I would!

After we finish, our server rinses out our glasses and puts in a paper towel to dry them. We buy a small growler of Black Duck Porter, which we enjoy later that evening with barbecued pork loin. Excellent combination.

A view out the window at the brewery, including their interesting sign.