Laurel Lake Vineyards December 2, 2012

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

Laurel Lake doorLaurel Lake mirrorLaurel Lake whiteshttp://www.llwines.com/

In the winter, the North Fork is even more laid back than in the summer.  (In fact, the only intense season is October, when the pumpkin-pickers and maze-wanderers coincide with the harvest-season wine-tasters to actually cause traffic on Main Road and Sound Avenue.)  However, the wineries are still open, though for some only on the weekends; most of the restaurants are still open, though some close for the season; and a few farm stands are still open, featuring Brussels sprouts and winter squash.  On an unseasonably warm December afternoon, with fog shrouding the vineyards, we decided to head to Laurel Lake Vineyards, on Main Road near Laurel Lake Park.

The tasting room is housed in a pretty building that looks like an old-fashioned Colonial farm house, with a wide veranda and stained glass windows. On one side of the veranda there is a large seating area, screened at this time of year by plastic sheeting from the elements.  Inside, the tasting bar is attractively designed to look like a saloon bar, with a large mirror behind it. They have a small selection of wine-related gifts—t-shirts, stoppers, etc.—and some local art for sale.

The tasting menu is divided into whites and reds, and a standard tasting is any three for $7, with a fairly generous pour (plus the usual wines by the glass or bottle).  Since there are eight reds and nine whites to choose from, we will have to return!  Unfortunately, I was suffering from a sore throat (but not yet the stuffy nose that arrived the next morning, thank goodness) so we opted not to share, and I took three reds and my husband took three whites.  The server was candid in his recommendations on which to choose, and I liked his choices for the reds.

Whites

  1.  2012 Sauvignon Blanc                   $19.99

A pleasant grassy aroma forecasts a clean grapefruit-y taste, with some sweet notes, almost as if it had been in oak, though it is a steel-fermented wine.  This would be good with seafood or for sipping.

  1. 2012 Gewurztraminer                    $21.99

He finds this one too sweet, so much so that it is not a good capture of the varietal.  Rather than fruit, it tastes more like honey, so I suppose this could function as a dessert wine.  We also note that the whites are being held in a wine refrigerator set at 44 degrees, which seems a bit too cold to us. We mention this to the server, who laughs and notes that some people actually ask them for ice to put in the wine, which they do not have.  “Room temperature” in the past meant chillier than room temperature now, but we find we prefer our wines warmer than they are often served.

  1. 2010 Riesling                     $19.99

This one is also sweet, but “not unbearably so,” and would be good with spicy food.  Though it starts sweet with some buttery notes it ends with a bit of a tang.

 

Reds

  1. 2009 Pinot Noir Reserve       $29.99

So there is a school of thought that sees the “reserve” moniker as a bit of a scam, but I’m willing to allow it!  Though there’s not much aroma to this wine, it has a nice dry berry taste.  It’s good, though a bit thin on the finish.

  1. 2008 Cabernet Franc               $21.99

I really like this one!  There’s some eucalyptus aroma, and red berry tastes, with what their tasting notes call a “smooth velvety finish.”  They also say it’s good with steak, and I agree.  Buyable!

  1. 2009 Syrah                                  $19,99

This, as my grandma said with each new grandchild and then great-grandchild, “beats the bunch.”  There’s lots of fruit on the nose, with yummy blackberry and some green pepper tastes.  Since it is not as heavy as some Australian syrahs, I could see this as cutting the fattiness of a lamb dinner.  They also suggest having it with pastas and smoked ham. This is a slightly unusual grape for Long Island, but I happen to like syrahs (and shirazes) in general. Very buyable, and we do, buying one of this and one of the cab franc.

We have heard that some of the owners and winemakers are Chilean, and wonder if this explains the sweetness of the whites.  The tasting menu also includes a list of restaurants where you can find their wines, and I can see why a number of places would feature these pleasant, well-priced wines.

Reasons to visit:  pretty tasting room, generous pour, lots of different wines to taste, very reasonable prices,  08 Syrah and 08 Cab Franc, sweet whites if you like them!

Laurel Lake mirror

Clovis Point Vineyard November 17, 2012

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

http://www.clovispointwines.com/

Just like my last entry, this one also has a link to Long Island history.  However, instead of going back to the 19th century, this one goes back about 10,000 years, to when the people who lived on Long Island hunted woolly mammoths with stone tools, like the clovis point used by this winery as its name and symbol.

On a brisk but beautiful November day we continued our recovery from hurricane Sandy with a visit to this winery.  When we pulled into the parking lot, we were at first a bit concerned by the presence of two large buses and a limo, but when we entered the attractive converted barn serving as a tasting room we were relieved to note that one large party was out on the lawn and another in the awninged side veranda, and there was room at the tasting bar.  A band called the Earthtones was playing folk rock, a bit too loudly for our taste, but the music was pleasant, and we also enjoyed looking at the paintings of local scenes on the walls (all for sale, some at very reasonable prices).  They also have cheese trays and chocolate pairings available for about $10.

There are three tasting menu options, plus of course wines by the glass and bottle, which we saw several groups doing.  You can have the “Cold” tasting, three whites and one rose for $8; the Reds, four reds for $10; or the Premium, also all reds, for $14.  We opted for one Cold and one Premium, planning to share as usual.

1.  2010 Chardonnay          $18

According to our well-informed server, all their whites tend to the light and bright side.  This steel-fermented chard is light, with a lemon aroma, and a taste that reminds us of lemon candy.  A bit too sweet for us, but if you like your chards on the sweet side you might like this one.  It contains 1.3% Gewurtzraminer, which might account for some of the sweetness.

2.  2011 Chardonnay          $18

However, this chard also has 1% Gewurtz, and yet is quite different.  The aroma is somewhat like chamomile tea, and though it is also steel-fermented it is quite mellow, with some notes of honey, and nice legs.  Buyable!  This would be a pleasant sipping wine, and the server points out that it won a gold medal.  We discuss how interesting it is that essentially the same grapes can have such different tastes.

3.  2008 Barrel Chardonnay     $25

So this is their oaked chard, having spent 10 months in oak barrels.   It has a somewhat off-putting smell of rotten wood, though the taste is fine.  As it sits in my mouth, I taste vanilla, oak, and burnt pear.  Though not unpleasant, I don’t particularly care for it.  As we discuss it, the server gives us a taste of the 2009 Barrel Chardonnay for comparison.  What a difference!  We like this one much better, with tastes of butterscotch and refreshing citrus.  This also spent 10 months in oak.

4.  Clovis Point Rose          $20

Made from cabernet franc grapes which spent three days on the skins, this is a pleasant rose with tastes and aromas of watermelon and strawberry, and would make a nice summer sipping wine.  I could see having it well iced with a few strawberries in it.

Now we move on to the Premium tasting, for which we get a clean glass, always a nice touch.  We also notice that those who buy a few bottles of wine get an attractive cloth bag to carry them in. (And if you buy three bottles, the tasting is free.)

5.  2008 Cabernet Franc          $27.50

Our server characterizes this as “European style,” and notes that it won a silver medal.  The aroma is “forest,” we decide, some fruit, some oak, a bit of smoke.  The taste is good, with dark cherry fruit and also a bit of smoke and oak.  This, we decide, is buyable.

6.  2007 Cabernet Sauvignon          $27.50

Though primarily cab sauv, this wine also has 2% merlot and 2% cab franc, and 07 was only the second year they made it.   This is also a good and buyable wine, with an aroma of cedar and berries and tastes of red plum.  The tannins are soft, and it is easy to drink.  I think I’d like it with duck, but not in any kind of complex sauce.

7.  2007 Vintner Select Merlot          $35

Again a blend, the merlot is 85% merlot, 6.5% cab sauv, 2.5% syrah, and 1% petit verdot.  This one also won a medal, this time double gold, we are told, and that it is called “select” rather than “reserve” because they are saving the term “reserve” for really exceptional wines.  An aroma of smoke and coffee preceeds a somewhat odd but pleasant flavor I think tastes like lychee fruit.

8. 2007 Archaeology       $60

How did this blend of merlot, cab sauv, cab franc, petit verdot and syrah get this name?  They had a contest, with the wine club members voting on the anonymously contributed names.  As it happened, this was the name the owner submitted…The aroma has some of that earthy terroir, and also black fruits.  The wine is fairly dry, with nice fruit and is good, but not worth the $60.  However, if you join the wine club it is only $40, and at that price would be worthwhile!

Reasons to visit:  Pleasant tasting room with cheese trays available; good 2011 Chardonnay and 09 Barrel Chardonnay; also some good reds; art for sale; well-informed servers; nice rustic view from the veranda.

Paumanok Winery October 27, 2012

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

Image

http://www.paumanok.com/

“Blow, blow sea winds along Paumanock’s shores/I wait and I wait till you blow my mate to me!”–Walt Whitman

Who knew that our visit to the Paumanok tasting room a day before hurricane Sandy would come to seem so prophetic, since as we arrived there I quoted the above lines from a poem by Whitman about a lovelorn seagull.  He liked to use the old Native American name for Long Island, and so, apparently, does this vineyard.

Paumanok had somewhat fallen off our radar because it is not included in a map of the wineries  published by a wine growers association.  According to our well-informed and intelligent server, some years they choose to join, and some they don’t.  In any event, their Festival Red had been mentioned in an article on $20 wines by Eric Asimov, so we decided to check them out.

The tasting room is a pleasant, barn-like space, with a tasting bar that could be bigger and a large patio area outside. They offer four different tasting options (aside, of course, from the usual by the glass or bottle prices):  Festival Flight, $8 for 4 (mixed red and white); Paumanok White, $9 for 3; Paumanok Red, $12 for 3; or Grand Vintage, $15 for 4.  We opted for one Festival and one Grand Vintage flight, and our server re-arranged the order of the wines to maximize the correct tasting order.

1.  2011 Festival Chardonnay          $16.99

This is a light “spritzy” white, with lovely green apple or pear blossom aromas and tastes of pears and minerals.  Nicely tart.

2.  2011 Semi-Dry Riesling          $19.99   AND 2011 Dry Riesling  $22 (not actually on on the tasting, but she gives it to us so we can compare)

Hmmm…the aroma of the semi-dry reminds us of some goldenrod honey friends of our made, and so does the taste.  Pleasant, but we prefer the dry one.

How interesting that the same grape can give such different results!  The Dry Riesling has an aroma of lemon-lime, with lots of flavors, some flower, some gooseberry.  Excellent and very buyable!

3.  2011 Dry Rose          $17.99

They blend all four of their reds–merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, and petit verdot–for this pleasant rose.  The aroma reminds us of wet grout (Next time you repair your bathroom tiles, see what you think of that smell.), and there is the typical strawberry taste of a rose.

4.  2011 Festival Red          $19.99

This is a blend of the same four reds, and is the one mentioned in the Asimov article (as our server also points out).  Well, we agree–this is a very buyable and good red, with blackberry and some spice flavor, with some tannin.  It reminds us of another everyday red we like, Red Rooster from Old Field.

5.  2010 Assemblage          $50

This, clearly, is from the Grand Vintage tasting, and is very good, but not worth the price.  It is a blend, with 21% petit verdot, so it is a fairly big red.  Perhaps with time…?

6.  2010 Cabernet Franc Grand Vintage          $45

Interestingly, the aroma of this one once again reminds us of goldenrod honey.  The taste, however, is of cherry, with some woody notes, and is very fresh.  Our server notes that it will age well.  Good.

7.  05 Cabernet Sauvignon Tuthills Lane Vineyard         $60

They have three different parcels of land (of about 30 acres each), so this one is named for the particular place where the vines are grown.  The aroma is cherry and mineral, and the wine is dry but soft, with some lovely fruit flavors.  We are informed that Robert Parker gave it a 90, and the quote from him is almost delirious.  Perhaps he got a bit carried away?

8.  07 Merlot Tuthills Lane Vineyard          $60

Not much aroma to this one, with some fruit/berry taste and some wood.  Parker (according to the tasting menu) described the taste as “cherry pit” and gave it a 92.  Not sure why.

But wait, there’s more!  Out on the patio, in the calm before the storm, they are selling platters of oysters, $20 for a dozen.  So we buy two glasses of the Dry Riesling ($6 each) and pay for a plate of oysters and enjoy the late October sun on the patio as we gaze out at the vineyard. The oysters are wonderful–essence of ocean!  Too good to even need a squirt of lemon, they are fresh and brimming with liquid, and come, we are told, from Peconic Bay right near Southold.  The wine goes perfectly with them, and I decide this is a great way to start celebrating my birthday (which I will continue that evening with dinner at Noah’s in Greenport).

Reasons to visit:  Pleasant tasting room with well-informed servers (and buses and limos by appointment only); Festival Red, Dry Riesling; oysters if they have them.

Palmer’s Winery March 24, 2012

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

If you like the atmosphere of a British pub, you’ll like the look of Palmer’s tasting room.  We went there on an early spring afternoon, after stopping at Bayview for fresh local spinach and horseradish root, before I started this blog, so this is a catch-up entry.  The cozy room has comfortable booths and signs on the walls advertising British products, stand-up tables, and more outside room for the summer.  The tasting room is towards the back of the property, as the front building houses their cellar and production facility, of which you can take a self-guided tour.

The tasting menu offers six different flights of three wines each, for $8-$10.  They also sell a cheese and cracker tray and bags of North Fork potato chips for $3.  We opt for the Winemaker’s Reserve white and red tastings, planning as usual to share, and the server brings our glasses to a booth.  Generous pour!

1)  Pinot Blanc 2010          $19.99

This is a very nice white, aged on the lees.  It has a spicy aroma, with some hints of cinnamon or allspice.  We sense some peach taste, some minerality, and some acidity, with a back of the mouth sweetness.  Overall, this is a dry crisp wine and would pair well with oysters.

2)  Sauvignon Blanc 2010          $19.99

Calling Dr. Brown!  The aroma reminds us of celery soda or seeds.  Less acid than the Pinot, we taste a fruit salad of apple and grapefruit.  This somewhat interesting wine has a front taste that is a bit acid, and end that is flat and apple-y, and is, we decide, a food wine, not a sipping wine.

3)  Reserve Chardonnay          $18.99

Aged in French oak, this is a fairly typical Long Island Chard, with aromas of vanilla and toast.  We taste ripe peach as it opens up, with a citrus after taste. I’d like this with lobster or a chicken dish.

4)  2008 Cabernet Sauvignon          $24.99

This simple red has a blackberry bramble aroma and berry taste, a bit on the sweet side, though the aftertaste is dry.  Nice.

5)  2008 Cabernet Franc          $28.99

Nice sipping wine, we judge, with aromas of blueberry and other berries and a pleasant but unassertive taste.  A bit sweet for us, with not much in the way of finish.

6)  Select Reserve          $28.99

Bordeaux, here we come.  This is a classic Bordeaux blend of Cab Franc, Cab Sauv, and Merlot, though the taste is not quite as good as a “real” Bordeaux.  The aroma is of berries, with some minerality, and the flavor reminds us of stewed prunes (which I happen to like).  Maybe given time?

None of the wines are bad, though we don’t choose to buy any.  If I did, I’d probably get the Pinot Blanc.

Reasons to visit:  Comfortable tasting room, if you get a booth.  Pleasant pub-like decor.  Generous pour, and we liked all the wines, though we loved none of them.

Which Wineries to Visit: A Summary

Posted by nofowineaux in Summary Recommendations and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

After several recent requests for specific guidance as to which winery to visit, I realized that, while my blog does detail my week-by-week impressions, I had given no summary of recommendations.  So, here are some suggestions:

If you are going East with a group, and you are interested in a party atmosphere, with a likelihood of live music (though many places now feature live performers, some are more likely to than others—check their web sites), two good choices would be Peconic and Vineyard 48.  Both have some good wines and both are often quite crowded on the weekends, with a number of vans and buses in the parking lot.  The last time we were at Peconic (in February of 2011) we liked the La Barrique Chardonnay 07 and the 08 Merlot.  We also visited Vineyard 48 that February, and liked the Sauvignon Blanc and the 05 Merlot Reserve.  We tend to visit these crowded places in the winter, as you may deduce.

If you will have children with you, Martha Clara is probably your best bet, as they do quite a bit of agritainment and they have a farm with interesting animals—llamas!—you may visit.  We haven’t been there in a few years, so I can’t really recommend any wine in particular, though I do remember being favorably impressed with their sparkling wines.  Pellegrini would also be okay, if it is nice weather, as you may take your tray of tastes outside and the children can play on the lawn.  A few wineries, such as Diliberto’s, specifically say no children.

If it is a beautiful day and you would like to relax in a pretty courtyard setting—and you like rosés (though if you’re not, Croteaux may make a rosé convert of you)—Croteaux is a lovely place to spend some time.  French music plays in the background, and it has comfortable Adirondack chairs and a laid-back atmosphere.  Another good outdoors spot is Old Field, with its mis-matched calico tablecloths and country farm background, though seating is not as comfy.

On the other hand, if what you are interested in is possibly chatting with the winery owner or a server who is very knowledgeable about the wines, and you like a small intimate setting, there are several wineries we like very much.  One is Diliberto’s, which we have been to frequently, though not recently.  It is just down Manor Lane from an apple orchard, so you can combine apple-picking (or just buying a bag of apples and a pie) with your winery visit.  On occasional Sundays, “Grandma” (a.k.a. Sal Diliberto himself) does cooking demos, making pizza or pasta, tastes of which he then distributes. He also sometimes has a singer and/or musician in. The room is small, painted in trompe l’oeil fashion to resemble the town square of a little Italian town, and we tend to like his reds.  Water’s Crest, which I have reviewed in the blog, is also a small intimate space, as are One Woman, McCall’s, Sannino Bella Vita, and Mattebella.  Though we’ve never encountered an owner at Shinn’s, it also has a cozy tasting room a bit off the main roads, though we only liked a couple of their wines.

Jamesport has some nice whites, particularly the Sauvignon Blanc, and often sells local oysters to consume with them.  We have been there on nice days when it feels like a big family party, with children playing on the lawn and musicians performing under a tent.  One time we were there and the guitarist played Blues Sonata, one of my favorite jazz pieces.

There are a couple of wineries I do NOT recommend (lest you think I like everything).  One is Duck Walk, which despite multiple tasting rooms on both the North and South Forks and the presence of crowds every weekend, had several wines we actively disliked, and a rather coldly commercial atmosphere.  The other is Raphael, which has a beautiful tasting room they often rent out for weddings and other parties, but which again had wines we did not particularly care for.  However, they do have a nice selection of wine-related gifts.  Baiting Hollow, also not one of our favorites, sells real food and lots of gift items, if that is what you are looking for.

Finally, there is one rather all-purpose winery which is probably our favorite:  Pellegrini.  We like most of their wines, and they tend to do a rather better job with reds than many North Fork wineries.  In addition, you can either stand at the bar and talk with the servers (especially Judy, who is quite passionate about the wines and knows everything about them) or take your carefully arranged tray of tastes to an inside or outside table.

To me, an ideal fall day on the North Fork would start with breakfast at Erik’s, go on to pumpkin or apple picking at Harbes or another farm and/or a stroll on a beach (Even if you’re not a resident, you can now park since it is after Labor Day. Head south on Cox Neck Road, go towards Cooper’s Farm stand—best eggs ever—and on to Breakfront Beach for a good walking beach.), then lunch at Love Lane Kitchen, a visit to a winery such as Diliberto’s, a walk around Greenport to check out the galleries and antique stores, and then another winery stop at Pellegrini’s or Old Field before stopping at Briermere to buy a pie and then heading home—or to Riverhead for dinner at Tweed’s.

Well, there’s much this leaves out, but you get the idea!  Enjoy.

Sherwood House September 29, 2012

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

Two of our tastes.

http://www.sherwoodhousevineyards.com/

It was a chilly rainy September Saturday, but the agritainment business was in full swing.  We passed up the Harbes Pumpkin Fest and stopped in at the Garden of Eve Garlic Fest (disappointing–no pickled garlic, only one booth making garlic braids, and lots of booths selling the same jewelry we saw at the Maritime Festival) before ending our outing at Sherwood House Winery, on the main road.  They have a little tasting shack in Mattituck, on Oregon Road, in the midst of their vineyard, but now they also have a very nice though small tasting room on Main Road in Jamesport.  They share their space with a shop called Material Objects, which sells various interestingly quirky household items.  Inside the room, there was a lovely fire in the fireplace, very welcome on this damp afternoon, and a group of people sitting around it in comfortable chairs, enjoying a tasting.  We stood at the bar, where we chatted a bit with wine club members doing a tasting and pick-up and other people.  A musician in the corner played quietly.

The tasting choices are the $8 Estate Flight of four wines, the $10 Premium Flight, also of four wines, or the $14 Owner’s Flight, of four of their highest quality wines.  We opted to share one Estate and one Premium.  A couple next to us got the Owner’s Flight, which began with a champagne-style sparkling wine, and the information from the well-informed and alert server that their winemaker is from the Champagne region of France.  Hmmm…maybe next time…

In the notes that follow, the even-numbered notes are from the Premium tasting, and the odd-numbered ones from the Estate one.

1.  2011 Unoaked Chardonnay         $18

Their only all-steel fermented chard, this pleasant wine has a lemony aroma and a nice, light, clean taste with a creamy finish.  It would make a lovely summer sipper, out on the deck, perhaps.  Good, and buyable.

2.  09 Chardonnay          $30

In contrast, this chard spent several months in oak, and has the usual, though faint, aroma of vanilla and wood.  We taste unripe pear, with some grapefruit, but an unpleasantly sweet finish that we don’t care for.

3.  2011 Bouquet Rose          $18

Screwtop!  The server informs us that this is not their own wine, but is made from their grapes by another wine maker, and is in the tasting because they have sold out of their own rose.  Made from cabernet franc grapes, this reminds us of cherry Kool-Aid!  Dumpable.  Light and sweet, if that’s what you like.

4.  05 Merlot          $34

This one is good with chocolate, says the server, and we agree (Though we would like to have the chance to try it WITH chocolate, none is on offer…).  The aroma is dark cherry, with some oak, and the taste is moderately dry, with a faint hint of the earthy terroir, but otherwise nicely fruity.  This merlot spends 18 months in oak, and is a lovely wine, and would be good with pork chops or turkey (starting to think about Thanksgiving).

5.  04 Oregon Road Merlot          $16

This is our favorite of the day, and we buy two bottles to have with barbequed ribs tonight.  Not a lot of aroma, but lovely fruit tastes with a slight hint of smoke.  13 months in oak, we are told.

6.  06 Merlot          $25

This one spends 18 months in oak, and is also very good.  The aroma is of black raspberry, and though it is dry there is plenty of plum and raspberry flavor, with a bit of oak and a slight touch of smoke.

7.  04 Merlot          $20

The 04 also spent 18 months in oak, and it is interesting that Sherwood House tends to hold onto their reds for several years before release.  Again, aromas of berry and oak, with some sweetness and a light taste.  Pleasant, but not exciting, and while we would not refuse to drink it we have no inclination to buy it.

8.  08 Merliance          $40

Merliance is a blend–what Lewis Carroll would call a “portmanteau word”–of Merlot and alliance, and is made from grapes grown by Castello Borghese, Clovis Point, McCall’s, Pellegrini, Sherwood House and Wolffer Estates, each of which contributes two barrels of wine to the mixture.  Though not worth the price, it is a nice wine, with a flowery aroma and nice legs.  The proceeds from the sale of this wine benefit various events and research sponsored by the alliance.

 

Reasons to visit:  Really nice reds, a cozy tasting room with a fireplace for cold days, the chance to browse an interesting household goods store.  Buyable:  Unoaked Chardonnay and Oregon Road Merlot and 05 Merlot.

 

 

Sannino Bella Vita September 22, 2012

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

This is our first side-by-side pairing, of two chardonnays.

http://sanninovineyard.com/

After a good two-hour bike ride and before a visit to Greenport to see the Maritime Festival and the Peconic Plein-Air art exhibit, we stop at Sannino Bella Vita winery, formerly Ackerly Pond, on Peconic Lane.  This is a small winery on a side street, so, though there are plenty of people here, it is not the madhouse some of the bigger wineries on the main road can be, especially in the fall.  Live music is quietly provided by a flautist and a guitar player, and one of the guests outside on the little patio is swaying to the music.

Mr. Sannino is also a contractor, as well as a wine-maker, and he bought out Ackerly Ponds and combined their wines with his own, so you can taste both styles side by side if you like.

The full tasting, which includes all 9 wines, is $15.  You can also opt for a half tasting for $8 or a premium tasting of three special wines for $8.  We go for one full tasting, which we will share.  (There’s also a pitcher of sangria on offer, for $3 per glass, and a cheese tray for $15.)  The servers use a spout, so the pour is a carefully calibrated one ounce.

1) 06 Ackerley Pond Riesling          $18.99

This is a very tart riesling, with tastes of lime and green apple and a thin mouth feel.  This would probably be better with food, and actually might be fun to cook with, like with a fish in a wine and cream sauce dish.  Tasting it blind, one would probably not guess it was a riesling.

Our lovely server asks if we would like to taste the next two chardonnays side by side, as one is an Ackerly Pond (AP) and the other a Bella Vita (BV).  We say yes, and she fetches a second glass, and we note that the glasses are etched with the name of each vineyard, so we can keep track of which is which.  Nice touch.

2) 09Bella Vita Chardonnay           $20

Steel fermented and light, this chard has lots of citrus flavor, but is just okay.

3)  06 AP Chardonnay           $14.99

In contrast, the AP chard spent several months in oak, and the vanilla flavor of oak is there, but not very strongly, as well as citrus, but not a lot of depth.  There’s also a faintly metallic aroma.

Here comes another pairing!

4)  2011 BV Merlot Bianca          $20

This is a white wine made from the merlot grape, as the name suggests, given no contact with the skins.  Interesting tang.  The aroma is of slightly over-ripe fruit, though not in an unpleasant way, and the taste reminds us of an unripe peach.

5)  2010 BV Snow Merlot           $15

Basically a rose, this is a light, not complex, but pleasantly interesting wine, with side of the tongue sweetness and some strawberry flavor.

And a third pairing…

6) 04 AP Merlot          $19.99

This is our favorite so far, a dry red with a lovely chocolate aroma, and lots of plum and berry taste, with a faint mintiness and none of that earthy terroir of the North Fork.

7) 2010 BV Merlot          $30

Aged for a year in oak, this wine has a faint red candy aroma and nice plum flavors.  Again, no dirt!  This is also good, but a bit pricey for the quality.

8)  06 AP Cabernet Sauvignon           $27.99

We detect an aroma of oak.  Another fairly un-complex wine, with a thin mouth feel.

9)  2010 BV Spiced Wine           $13

Served warm!  We decide this spiced wine, made with cabernet sauvignon and other wines and flavored with cinnamon and similar spices, would be very nice on a cold winter’s night, especially if one were in a hot tub.  It reminds us of the Swedish drink Glogg (Imagine an umlaut over the o.).  The server notes that it would also be good if one added orange slices and cranberries to the glass.  Yes, it would.

Though we don’t buy any bottles, if we did need more red we’d buy the 04 AP Merlot.

Reasons to visit:  Intimate setting, ability to meet the owner (who has been there each of the three times we’ve visited), the ability to make interesting comparisons between two different styles of wine-making.  They also run a wine club in which one can make one’s own wine from their grapes.

Lenz Addendum: Orient Point Restaurant and Marina

Posted by nofowineaux in Restaurant visit and tagged with ,

On a breezy, warm, flag snapping, wave slapping Saturday over Labor Day Weekend, we decided the weather was perfect for eating outside, and ventured to make the trek to Orient Point–a good half hour or more from Mattituck. Why this is in my wine blog is because of the wine we ordered.  Having just been to Lenz, where we liked the Chardonnay, we were pleased when we saw it on the menu of the Orient Point Restaurant.  We were sitting outside, on picnic-style benches, enjoying the lovely evening breezes, watching the gulls wheeling over the docks and boats coming and going.  We also enjoyed making the acquaintance of the “deck dog,” who very politely watched us as we ate the worth-the-trip pulled pork nachos, then lost interest until our main courses arrived.  My husband had the Frutti di Mare, the usual selection of seafood over pasta, and I had the Orient Point Fisherman’s Catch Broiled (I could also have had it fried.).  Both pretty good, though not great.  I had beautifully cooked scallops and flounder (could be local), just okay shrimp and unfortunate baked clams that might have come from a freezer.  However, the star of my dish was the garlic mashed potatoes–clearly homemade from red potatoes, with bits of skin and a lovely texture.  We also liked the zucchini bread in the bread basket.

Oh, and the wine…So when we tasted the 2008 Lenz Chardonnay, we liked it, but it did not taste the same as the wine we’d had at the vineyard.  An examination of the bottle revealed why, with the words “Restaurant Selection.”  So go ahead and order it, as it has nice tastes of citrus and star fruit, but don’t expect the same wine as at the winery.

One Woman Winery September 2, 2012

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

The Gruner Veltliner!

http://www.onewomanwines.com/

On the way home from a boat ride with our son and two of his friends, we stop at One Woman Wines and Vineyard for a tasting.  The tiny tasting shack seems crowded at first, but the three lovely young women behind the counter–including Claudia Purita’s (the one woman behind One Woman) daughter Gabrielle–soon sort everyone out, and we all embark on tastings.  There are seven wines on the list, and one can have two for $6, three for $8, or four for $10.  We decide to share a three and a four, and thus taste all seven.  Our son and his friends each opt for tastings of four.  The pour is generous, and we all are feeling good after boating and swimming and enjoying this last summer weekend.  As we sip and ponder, we also enjoy the lovely wildflower arrangements in the shack–also by Claudia!  Several parties have taken their tastings to the outside tables, and a small group seems to be having their own impromptu jam session.  We decide to start with a comparative tasting of their three chardonnays.

1) 08 Chardonnay          $20

This is a pleasant chardonnay, with flavors of pear and vanilla, with a nice fruity aroma and a long finish.  Definitely buyable.

2) 07 Chardonnay         $20

Surprisingly, this has that barnyard aroma we usually find in Long Island merlots.  Fortunately, it tastes better than it smells,with lots of vanilla and some sweetness.  Nice legs.

3) 08 Estate Reserve Chardonnay     $40

This spends 8 months in French oak, and has an orange blossom aroma with again plenty of vanilla and a taste somewhat like caramel candy.Though it is mellow, my husband feels it is too oaked for him, though I like it.

Now we move on to the rest of their wines.

4) 2010 Gewurztraminer          $20

Lovely honeysuckle/floral aroma and flowery/sweet taste make this a nice sipping wine, though not to my taste particularly.

5) 2010 Sauvignon Blanc          $ $24

Their tasting notes say flavors of lemon grass and green apple, and I have to agree.  Though they say it is a Sancerre style, we’re not so sure. However, we do agree that it is a very good wine that would pair well with local oysters.

6) 2010 Gruner Veltliner          $26

Wow–the star of the day!  I don’t know if any other wineries are trying this grape, but it is certainly rare.  It is light and tart, but with plenty of fruit flavors, mostly grapefruit.  Crisp. Good.  We all buy bottles of it!  Nice bonus–on this day, there is a special offer of a free tasting if one pays cash for a bottle of wine, which we do.  We also knew we’d like the gruner since we had tried it at Biere, Claudia’s husband’s restaurant in Greenport, which in its current iteration features Belgian-style fare including excellent mussels and frites, a delicious cheese tray, and interesting beers on tap.

7)  08 Merlot          $28

This is One Woman’s only red, and it is a good standard L.I. merlot, with blackberry flavors and aromas, but not in the same league as her whites, which are really good.

As we get ready to leave, Gabrielle says they are about to release two new wines, and we promise to be back.

Reasons to visit:  Pretty rustic location a bit off the beaten track; nice whites, especially the Gruner Veltliner.