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

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!

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.

Corey Creek September 15, 2013

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting, Uncategorized and tagged with bedell, cabernet franc, chardonnay, Corey Creek, First Crush Red, gewurztraminer, Malbec, merlot, NoFo, North Fork, sauvignon blanc, Sparkling Rose, syrah, Taste Rose, Taste White, viognier September 18, 2013

http://www.bedellcellars.com/cc_tastingroom.php

The tasting room sits on a rise overlooking the vineyard.

Bedell has, in effect, two tasting rooms, since all Corey Creek serves are Bedell wines, except for their own Gewürztraminer. Corey Creek’s room is somewhat more rustic looking than Bedell’s, and there are nice picnic tables on the pretty grounds. However, since we last tasted Bedell a year ago in August, it was time for a new tasting anyway. (That’s what makes this such a challenging project—just when you think you’ve tasted every winery, you realize that another year has begun and they have new vintages. As they say, it’s a tough job, but…)

We had the room to ourselves on a bright and sunny but slightly chilly September afternoon, except for some children whose parents were picnicking outside, and who came running in to use the rest room. The two servers were friendly and chatty and quite well-informed, and we spent a pleasant time with them.

Corey Creek offers two tastings, plus wines by the glass or bottle. The Estate tasting includes 5 wines for $12, and the Premium has 5 wines for $15. Somewhat disappointingly for those looking to try a variety of wines, several of the wines are the same on each list. However, our server had a good idea, and, since she had a bottle open anyway, gave us a taste of a different wine instead of one of the overlapping ones. I’ve marked the wines which were only on the Premium tasting with an * so you can decide whether you want to invest the extra $3 to try them or not. I would stick to the Estate tasting next time.

Corey Creek 2012 Gewürztraminer $40

Both tastings include this wine, Corey Creek’s only offering of its own wine, as I noted above. This has a bit of that cat pee smell Gewürztraminers sometimes have. The taste is quite bracing, with lots of lime and tangelo, and is rather acid at the end. Not a sweet Gewürztraminer! It is good, though I like One Woman’s version better.

Note the snazzy bottle on the right.

2. 2012 Bedell Chardonnay $30

This is, our server informs us, a blend of Chardonnay grapes from six separate plots, and is fermented half in oak and half in steel, so it avoids being either overly oaky or overly simple. This has some nice tropical fruit flavors and the usual vanilla scent of oaked chards, but is not very complex.

3. *2011 Taste White $35

I really like the label of this one, as it has an interesting image which reminds me of Marilyn Monroe. This is a blend of 40% Sauvignon Blanc, 32% Viognier, 22% Chardonnay, 5% Gewürztraminer and 1% Riesling, and I enjoy sipping it. It is nice and light, and would make a great summer aperitif, with some lemon-lime flavors that would complement seafood very nicely.

4. 2011 Taste Rosé $20

Again, both tastings get this wine, a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah. With that information, you would expect this to be a rather complex rosé, but in fact it is just okay, and once again does not measure up to the Croteaux rosés, our gold standard for the North Fork. It is, however, a perfectly fine rosé, with the typical strawberry aroma and tastes of papaya and peach.

5. Bedell Sparkling Rosé $45

You won’t find this on the menu, but noting our seriousness of demeanor and my careful note-taking, our server offers us this addition to our tasting. As she says, this would make a great aperitif, and, as my husband notes, you could easily quaff a lot of this “and then fall over.” It would be lovely with a strawberry floated in it, as it is relatively dry. This is a “tank fermented” sparkler, but they also make a Méthode Champenoise sparkling wine, using the facilities at Sparkling Point.

6. First Crush Red $20

Now we switch to reds. I’m thinking of picnics and roast chicken and a slightly chilled Beaujolais Nouveau as we discuss this wine. It is fairly mellow, soft, and not very assertive, and would be good with a simple dinner. Quite buyable.

7. 2012 Cabernet Franc $40

Both tastings include this, my favorite so far, with lots of layers of taste, including blackberry. Again, it is dry, but not too dry, and very pleasant to drink.

8. 2010 Merlot

Rather than give both of us the Cab Franc, the server cleverly gives my husband this Merlot instead so we can try a different wine. This is a fairly typical NoFo Merlot, with nice black cherry tastes and a short finish.

9. *2011 Malbec $50

Lighter than I expect for a Malbec, this has lovely tastes of boysenberry, with some hints of cocoa. Very good, though a bit pricey for how I would rate it.

A view inside the tasting room.

Reasons to visit: Quiet rustic tasting room (buses, etc., by appointment); Bedell wines plus their own, so a good place to come if Bedell is crowded; the First Crush Red and the Taste White.

We could have had our tasting on this pretty porch.

Pellegrini Vineyards September 7, 2013

Posted by nofowineaux in Uncategorized and tagged with cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, Catapano Farms goat cheese, chardonnay, gewurztraminer, Medley White, merlot, North Fork, pellegrini, petit verdot, rose, Vintner's Pride September 11, 2013

http://www.pellegrinivineyards.com/

Friends often ask me, “What’s the best vineyard on the North Fork?” My general answer is, “It depends on what you like.” However, probably the best all-around vineyard is Pellegrini, for several reasons. It is large enough so that if you go with a group you will be able to find a table where you can all sit together. It is small enough so that you can stand at the bar and have a good conversation about the wines with the servers. Both the whites and the reds are good, though we tend to prefer their reds, which we feel are better than the general run of reds. It does lack the somewhat frenetic party atmosphere of some places, however, and they tend to focus on the wines rather than agritainment. Oh, and many of the wines are reasonably priced for the North Fork.

Pellegrini is also good for a group because if you like you can mark your selections on a clearly laid out menu that is also a map telling you in what order to drink the wines (top to bottom, left to right) and take the tray to a table outside overlooking the vineyards, which we did. One of the friends in our group of eight had brought along bread and cheese and hummus, so we had a lovely afternoon tasting, laughing, and snacking.

The tasting menu has a variety of options. The Bar Tasting is $6 and gives you three one-ounce pours which you can choose from a menu of ten wines to be drunk at the bar. The Flight Tasting is $12, and gives you three two-ounce pours, plus a one-ounce “complimentary” pour of their rosé, chosen from 13 options, which you then take to a table. There’s also a Vintner’s Flight for $14, four one-ounce pours of higher-priced wines, and a Wine and Chocolate Flight for $16 for four reds plus chocolates.

As wine club members, we were entitled to four free Flight tastings, which worked perfectly, since all the couples were happy to share. Since we belong to the only-red-wine category of the club, we decided to taste some of their whites. Amongst the group, we tried quite a few wines, so I’ll be adding in some notes from other people as well.

A tray of whites, with one rose.

East End Select Rosé $14.99

This is the “complimentary” taste, a steel-fermented blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. As usual, we compared it to Croteaux’s rosés, and it is good, but not as good. It has lots of the strawberry aroma and taste one expects in a rosé, but not much else. Our friend characterized it as a “meet and greet” wine, nice to have at a barbeque on a sunny day.

2. 2012 Pellegrini Vineyards Gewürztraminer $19.99

I detect some of that cat pee smell which Gewürztraminer often has. We taste honey, but it is not too sweet, with some nice fruity notes.

3, 2012 Pellegrini Vineyards Stainless Steel Chardonnay $19.99

Nice crisp apple taste, but a bit too sweet is the word on this one. We still prefer the Channing Daughters Scuttlehole Chardonnay.

4. 2012 Pellegrini Vineyards Medley White $21.99

Another steel-fermented wine, this one is a blend of 59% Sauvignon Blanc and 41% Chardonnay. I get a mineral aroma, perhaps of wet rock. It tastes fine, however, with a balance of sweet and acid, with perhaps too much sourness at the end.

I have a few notes on other wines from my friends. Meanwhile, the non-drinker in the group had this to say, as he watched us carefully sip and discuss each taste, “If people chose their mates as carefully as they taste wine, there would be fewer divorces.”

Some red tastings plus a view of the vineyard.

5. 2007 Pellegrini Vineyards Petit Verdot $39.99

As I’ve said, we like their reds, and this, as Rod Serling used to say, is a case in point. A blend of 93% Petit Verdot, 6$ Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in French oak for 20 months, this is a lovely wine, and the favorite of the group. It is somewhat earthy and leathery, but quite richly fruited.

6. 2007 Pellegrini Vineyards Cabernet Franc $23.99

My friend sniffs and says, “Coffee, chocolate, pepper!” Those elements are in the taste as well, plus lots of cherry. She’d like it with pizza which, since she makes her own, is high praise.

7. 2007 Pellegrini Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon $24.99

This one, according to the group, is a bit too acidic to drink on its own, but would be good with food. Nice berry flavors with some peppery notes at the end.

8. 2010 Vintner’s Pride Encore $49.99

Another blend, this one is 60% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Petit Verdot. Light and fruity, everyone says, and dry, with basically no finish.

After the tastes, one friend buys a bottle of the Petit Verdot, which we happily share as we munch on Catapano Farms goat cheese and enjoy the cool and sunny late summer afternoon.

Inside the tasting room.

Reasons to visit: good all-around winery, good reds, pleasant atmosphere, good for a group or for just a couple, the Petit Verdot.

McCall’s Wines 8/31/13

Posted by nofowineaux in Uncategorized and tagged with Ben's Blend, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, McCall's, merlot, North Fork wines, petit verdot, pinot noir, sauvignon blanc, Westhampton Beach September 2, 2013

http://www.mccallwines.com/

After an excursion to Westhampton Beach for an art show, and a visit to a friend’s house for a smaller art show, it was time for a different type of art, so off we went to McCall’s Winery. Mr. McCall does treat wine-making as an art, concentrating for the most part on producing some of the best reds around, with only a few whites. He and Mrs. McCall were both on hand, which was fortunate, as there was quite a crowd, including at least one bachelorette party (we could tell by the white veil on her head…). As Mr. McCall had told us on an earlier (much less crowded) visit, he used to be a Coca-Cola distributor, but then became interested in wine making. In addition to his vines, he also tends a herd of grass-fed cattle one can see munching said grass in a field next to the winery, and whose meat can sometimes be bought at Love Lane Market. I described the tasting room, in a repurposed stable, in an earlier entry, and most people are out on the grass at picnic tables.

The tasting menu now offers four levels of flights: Vintner, at three two-ounce tastes for $8; Cellar Master, with three for $10; Premium, at three tastes for $10; and Estate, at four for $16. We decide to share two flights, the Premium and the Estate. Mrs. McCall is serving us, and she carefully monitors the order of our wines, interspersing the two flights for the best path through the tastings. As a result, I have marked the wines from the Estate flight with *.

2012 Sauvignon Blanc $24

We start with the only white we’ve tasted at this winery, and it is quite pleasant, with aromas of honeysuckle and citrus, and a taste that combines wildflower honey and kumquat, with some minerality. It is somewhat tart. Mrs. M. admits she’s never tasted a kumquat, and we decide this does not taste like the candied ones one gets, but rather like a fresh one.

2. *2010 Pinot Noir $45

We thought we’d be moving on to the Cab Franc, but Mrs. M. suggests we have this instead, as it is fruitier. And indeed it is. “Mmmm,” we both say. The day before we had bought some lovely purple plums at Briermere (along with the obligatory pie), and there is a flavor here that reminds me of them, plus a hint of cinnamon. Robust, they call it. Yes, indeed.

3. *2010 Pinot Noir Reserve $60

I love doing this—tasting two wines from the same varietal in succession. So interesting. This one was aged an additional six months in French oak, and we overhear Mr. McCall saying that 2010 was the best year for his wines so far. This is really good, and right up there with other high-priced wines in its taste and complexity. It has much more depth than the other Pinot Noir, with aromas of coffee and chocolate and lots of dark fruit. I bet you could cellar this one.

4. 2011 Cabernet Franc $28

Now we get the Cab Franc, which is our least favorite of the day. We smell a brambley aroma, and some tastes of blackberry, but also a bit of an olive taste, which is somewhat off-putting.

5. *2007 Merlot $30

Poetically, my husband compares the aroma to the woods at dawn, evoking memories of when we used to go camping, and I would step out of the tent and inhale that dewy scent. As we agreed the last time we were here, this is definitely better than most North Fork Merlots, with very cherry tastes and good tannins and structure. Buyable, though we don’t buy any this time.

6. 2008 Merlot Reserve $28

We can see why McCall’s began their wine-making with the ’07 vintage, since it is certainly better than the ’08. This one has a bit of the barnyard smell and taste one often finds out East, and is a light wine with some pepper at the end. Perhaps with more time…

7. *2007 Ben’s Blend $54

This Bordeaux blend is named in honor of their winemaker, who sadly passed away. However, this is quite a legacy. The blend is 60% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. We detect scents of cedar and forest, with lots of tastes of berries and plums, plus some chocolate. I could definitely see cellaring this one.

Mr. McCall chats with his guests.

Reasons to visit: some of the best reds on Long Island, the chance to chat with Mr. McCall, who is quite enthusiastic about his wines; Ben’s Blend and the 07 Merlot; a pleasantly rustic setting.

Grapes protected from the birds with netting

Lieb Cellars/Oregon Road August 9, 2013

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with Bridge Lane Chardonnay, Bridge Lane Merlot, Bridge Lane Merlot Blanc, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, cox neck, Lieb Cellars, Malbec, Meritage, North Fork, north fork wineries, Oregon Road, Petit Syrah, petit verdot, Reserve Pinot Blanc, Right Coast Red, seashell wreath, Sound Influence Riesling, tomato bruschetta, wine club members August 13, 2013

http://liebcellars.com/

Tuscany? No, Oregon Road!

Suppose you like Lieb wines (as we do) and you decide to stop by their small tasting room on the corner of Cox Neck Road and Sound Avenue, only to find it…overrun sounds so judgmental, so let’s just say crowded…by the presence of a couple of limo groups. Never fear, you have a lovely alternative. Just go back onto Sound Avenue and continue a few blocks to Mill Road, turn left, then turn right onto Oregon Road and you will find yourself surrounded by farm houses and fields of sunflowers. You’ll pass Shinn Vineyards—also worth a stop, by the way—and eventually you’ll find Lieb’s second tasting room, carved out of a warehouse (sort of similar to the way their first tasting room shares quarters with the Premium Wine Group, which does the wine-making for quite a few of the North Fork wineries).

This tasting room does not accept limo or bus groups, so it is unlikely to be crowded. When we ask our server why the new room was opened, she gives just this reason, and notes that it is a nice place for their wine club members to come for a quiet tasting or glass of wine. They also have an efficient-looking little kitchen just off the room, where on the weekends they make snacks such as hummus, tomato bruschetta, oysters, and other non-cooked items (since they don’t have an oven on site). On this cloudy Friday, there is just one other group in the room, sitting around a table on the comfortable-looking modern wicker sofas. The room has a sophisticated, semi-industrial look, softened by a swag of cloth and a seashell wreath over the kitchen and a sea-view mural on one wall.

They offer six tasting options: five whites for $10, five reds for $10, a “summer fling” of six mixed types for $14, two sparkling wines for $7, a Reserve tasting of five for $12, and another summer tasting of four wines for $8. They also have a couple of Greenport Harbor beers on tap, in case your party includes a non-wine drinker. We decide to do a white flight and then a red flight, sharing as we go. The pour is fairly generous.

2011 Bridge Lane Merlot Blanc $12

But wait, you say, isn’t merlot a red grape? Yes, but if you don’t give it any time on the skins you get a white wine with some merlot characteristics. In this case, that involves some funkiness in the taste. We smell pine and mineral aromas, and the taste is sour, like grapefruit juice with some pineapple at the end. We wouldn’t want to sip this one, but it might go well with food that needs a strong white.

2. 2010 Reserve Pinot Blanc $18

Our well-informed server tells us that they are the only winery on the North Fork to make a Pinot Blanc, and so it is their signature wine. Again, this one is not for sipping, though it would have gone well with the lobster bisque I made from our leftover shells the other night. The aroma has a bit of the cat pee smell, and the wine itself is light and tart and citrusy, with a hint of sweetness at the end.

3. 2010 Bridge Lane Chardonnay $10

We like this steel-fermented chard very much, and the price is certainly right. Scents of cinnamon and mineral, with a bit of sweetness, lead to a classic steel chard with nice fruit, and not too much sweet.

4. 2009 Reserve Chardonnay $24

After eight months in oak, this is a lightly oaked chard, with some baked goods aroma. Very tasty, not too oaky, and again some sweetness at the end.

5. 2010 Sound Influence Riesling $24

Although this is an off-dry Riesling, we find the sweetness overwhelms the tastes of pineapple and tropical fruit and wildflower honey.

6. 2011 Bridge Lane Merlot $15

Now we switch to the reds, and we get a new glass, always a nice touch. Although we smell forest floor, the wine itself does not have any of that earthy dirt taste one sometimes gets. This would make a fine vin ordinaire, to have with pasta and such, as it has nice cherry flavors and just a little tannin. Buyable.

7, 2005 Reserve Merlot $22

18 months in French oak gives this wine an aroma of smoke and tomato. Hmmm…barbecue sauce? This is also a good pasta wine, and would stand up to a rich Bolognese sauce, as it has more tannins than the Bridge Lane Merlot. We taste cherry at the front of this relatively simple wine.

8. 2010 Right Coast Red $30

Here we have their classic Bordeaux blend: 58% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot, and 4% Malbec. I’m assuming the name is a play on Right Bank Bordeaux! The aroma is almost meaty, it is so complex, and the wine itself is lovely, with lots of fruit. It would complement a rack of lamb very nicely, though the end taste is a bit sour.

9. 2008 Reserve Cabernet Franc $26

Our server describes this one as “nice and smooth,” as she also tells us it spent 15 months in French oak. We smell wet rock, and my husband says it smells like a typical Cabernet Franc, but “not to distraction.” Though not complex, this is a good red, with lots of fruit flavors.

10. 2005 Meritage $45

Another blend, this one has 75% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Malbec and Petit Syrah, and 3% Cabernet Franc. This is only the third time Lieb has made this wine, we are told, and they only made 300 cases of it. We are underwhelmed by its aroma of sticky candy and just okay taste.

They don’t offer any wine tchotchkes for sale. We do buy both the Bridge Lane Chardonnay and the Bridge Lane Merlot. No reduction of tasting price with purchase.

Reasons to visit: you like a quiet tasting room in a bucolic setting; many of their wines, including the reasonably priced Bridge Lane Chardonnay and the Bridge Lane Merlot, are quite good; you want to come on a weekend and check out their snacks (I guess we’ll have to return!).

Jamesport Vineyards July 13, 2013

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with cabernet franc, chardonnay, East End Cinq Blanc, East End Merlot, Jamesport Vineyards, Jubilant, Melange de Trois, North Fork, oysters, riesling, sauvignon blanc, Sidor, SPAT, Wayside Market July 15, 2013

http://www.jamesportwines.com/

The last time we went to Jamesport Vineyards it had been to simply have a glass of wine and a plate of oysters, not a bad reason to visit as they are very well set up for that (more on the oysters later), but we felt it was time to do a complete tasting. The tasting room is in a 150-year-old barn, and is half bar and half a view through large windows into the wine-making operation. Though the room itself is small they have lots of space outside, and we see large groups immediately ushered to the outdoor space. They have a few t-shirts and other items for sale. Our server presents us with a list, but gives very little additional guidance, so we are left to decide for ourselves what to taste. A tasting is 5 wines for $13, and they have 13 wines in all, so we decide to share two tastings so we can sample 10 of their wines, which are served in attractive round-bottomed glasses. We skip the Rosé, the Pinot Noir, and the East End Cabernet Franc. We also notice that the list of bottles for sale is not exactly the same as the tasting list.

2011 Reserve Chardonnay $21.95

Our server informs us that this spends “a little bit” of time in oak and the rest in steel, so it is not too buttery, and she is right, though perhaps it could have used more time in oak, as it is very lemony and tart. The aroma is of wood and spice, and while not unpleasant we find it too citrusy.

2.East End Cinq Blanc $16.95

My high school French reminds me that cinq=five, and indeed, this wine is made from 5 grapes: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Pinot Blanc (in unknown proportions). The bottle has an attractive picture of a scallop shell, so we turn it around to read that this wine is made, as they say, “…in partnership with the SPAT (Southold Project in Aquaculture Training) program. This Cornell Cooperative/Community-based partnership encompasses an initiative to teach residents how to raise their own shellfish in the bays of the East End. The large scallop shell on the label pays homage to the bounty of the North Fork’s bays and creeks.” Fittingly, we feel this wine would go very well with local oysters! I detect an aroma of piney woods and a lovely crisp taste of gooseberries with some citrus at the finish. Very buyable!

3. 2012 Sauvignon Blanc $24.95

“This is my favorite white,” enthuses our server, and if she likes pineapple that would explain why. We like it too, but not as much as the Cinq, though it would also be good with oysters. An aroma again of pine forest precedes a taste with lots of pineapple, and maybe some pine, too.

4. 2010 Riesling $25.95

Off dry? Not really. An aroma of petrol, they say? We say cardamom, and we also say too sweet, and we also say time to dump the rest of the glass.

5. 2008 East End Merlot $16.95

Moving on to the reds, we start with their merlot, which we quite like, also. Aromas of blueberry and cinnamon, tastes of cherry and berry, and no earth means we’re happy. Some tannins, and the end is a bit sour. This is also buyable.

6. 2005 Estate Merlot Block E $??? (not on bottle list)

We smell minerals and wood, taste some cherry, but it is very dry and has no finish to speak of. Just eh.

7. 2007 Cabernet Franc $29.95

This is a relatively simple Cab, though with a nice long finish. Some cherry aromas, but not much smell at all, and nicely dry with good fruit.

8. 2007 Mèlange de Trois $29.95

Their Bordeaux blend, this is an amalgam of 49%Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 26% Cabernet Franc. Although there’s not much aroma, the taste is delicious, like ripe purple plums and what I believe are called “chewy tannins.” Whatever. It’s good!

9. 2007 Jubilant Reserve $44.95

Another blend, and this is a wow: 68%Cabernet Franc, 18% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2.5% Syrah, and 2.5% Petit Verdot. Yum. Aroma of dried figs, lots of complex ripe fruit tastes, and a lovely finish. Happy tongue. This would go great with a Porterhouse steak from Wayside Market.

10. 2007 Sidor Reserve $44.95

62% Syrah, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, 9%Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot—They do like their blends here. And justifiably so! This is not as good as the Jubilant, but still really good, with nice tannins , dry, but lots of fruit, with an aroma of cedar and ripe figs.

I note one wine on the bottle list which goes for $100, pretty unusual for the North Fork.

We pay for our tastings and then move outside to the attractive stone bar, behind which are two people, a drink server and an oyster opener. We get a glass of the Cinq to share for $8 with a plate of a dozen oysters for $22. If you get them, get the cocktail sauce and grated horseradish, not because the oysters need any embellishment, but because both sauces are very good, especially the horseradish. They also offer some beers on tap and Margarita pizzas. A singer provides entertainment to the various groups scattered around the grounds at picnic tables. We sit on a cushioned bench at a small wooden table across from the bar and enjoy our treat. The oysters a bit small, but very fresh, with lots of liquid, and the wine goes perfectly with them.

Reasons to visit: you want to have a glass of wine and a plate of oysters; the East End Cinq Blanc, the East End Merlot, the Mélange de Trois, the Jubilant, and the Sidor; you want to sit outside and listen to music; you want to support SPAT.

Kontokosta Winery June 23, 2013

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting, Uncategorized and tagged with Anemometer Red, Anemometer White, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, Greenport, Hellenic, Kontokosta Winery, merlot, North Fork, olive oil, Orient Chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, viognier, windmill June 25, 2013

http://www.kontokostawines.com/

One great aspect of choosing to write about North Fork wineries for a blog is that there is not much risk of running out of material. Not only do wineries change their offerings with each new harvest—necessitating return visits—but new wineries are constantly springing up. Case in point, as Rod Serling liked to say, Kontokosta Winery in Greenport, which opened its very attractive doors on June 12^th. As you head east towards Orient Point on Sound Avenue you pass a flashing light, where you could turn to head into Greenport. Instead, stay straight and you’ll come to a gate on your left, which leads to a long gravel drive and then to a parking lot next to a large imposing building, bracketed by vines, a view of Long Island Sound, and a tall windmill, about which more later.

Inside, the spacious tasting room is sleekly modern in style, with a serene black and white color scheme. We note several tables where a happy party is taking photos of themselves and a long tasting bar. We find a space at the bar, where a lovely young woman explains the choices to us. All the servers are clad in black shirts with the Kontokostas logo on the chest, a discreet three red bars. One of the servers is a gentleman we recognize from several other venues, including the Tasting Room and Empire Cellars, and he assures us we are about to experience some terrific wines. A tasting consists of four one ounce pours for $10, chosen from a menu of ten wines, five white and five red. There’s also a three-pour tasting and wines by the glass. We opt for two four-wine flights, one of white and then one of red, both of which we share, skipping the rosé and the Blum Merlot.

NV Anemometer White $16

Why Anemometer, we ask, noticing the representation of a spinning anemometer on the bottle? The winery is very proud of its use of wind power, our server notes, and in fact everything on the property is powered by wind. Our friend from other venues notes that on a very windy day you can see the electric meter spin backward, so that LIPA ends up owing them money. On to the wine, which is a blend, though primarily sauvignon blanc. Refreshing, we agree, with an aroma of Meyer lemon and mineral, with tastes of citrus and honeysuckle at the end. This would be good for summer sipping, and also would go well with turkey dishes. Very buyable!

2. 2009 Orient Chardonnay $17

The grapes for this wine come from a vineyard in Orient, hence the name. A lightly oaked chard, this is just okay, and a bit sour. There’s plenty of orangey-lemon tastes, and some oak at the end, but we don’t find it particularly pleasant.

3. 2012 Sauvignon Blanc $25

Not surprisingly, we find this wine reminds us of the Anemometer White, though with some different tastes. Overall it is a bit sweet for us, with aromas of honeysuckle and green plum and tastes of wildflower honey with a vegetal note at the end. My husband says green beans…not sure I agree. This is the first wine they made here.

4. 2010 Viognier $25

Bedell is the only other North Fork winery to use this grape, so we are interested to see how it compares. At Bedell we had their 2011 Viognier, which we found very pleasing, with complex spicy fruit and citrus flavors. This one has aromas of blood orange and peach, with peachy tastes and some tannins, but not so complex.

5. Anemometer Red 2006 $19

I would expect this to be a blend, but it is 100% syrah, we are told. The aroma has some of that East End barnyard smell, plus red berry, and the taste reminds us of red sucking candy. While not for sipping, this would be okay with food, such as pork chops.

6. 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon $22

We smell ripe berries and plums, and not much earth, and taste lots of fruit, with a nice dry finish. I’d love this with a nice medium-rare duck breast, and it could stand up to steak as well.

7. 2007 Merlot $29

Again we smell that earthy barnyard aroma, plus some mineral. This is just okay—dry, with decent fruit, but a bit of a chemical acetone taste at the end. You could have this with a rich pork dish and it would be fine, but it is overpriced for what it is.

8. 2007 Cabernet Franc $29

“This is one of my favorites,” enthuses our server, and we can see why, as it is definitely the best of the reds, with lots of fruit and a lovely aroma of ripe berries, not too sweet but not too dry, either. Oh, she adds, all the reds are aged in new French oak.

After we finish the wines, we are offered tastes of three olive oils they are selling—all for $28—an extra virgin, a Minneola tangelo and a jalapeῆo lime. They’re nice, but we’ll stick with Vines and Branches. We also learn that the winery is proud of its use of recycled materials in its construction, which is partly reflected in their slogan, “Sound Life, Sound Wine,” or as they say on their FaceBook page, “Registered with the USGBC under the LEED New Construction 2009 rating system, our winery has been designed to meet the gold certification level. To meet these high standards, the building is constructed of 100% recycled steel and reclaimed wood siding, and will be powered by wind energy.”

The windmill!

We enjoy the view out the large window to the Long Island Sound on this lovely June day as we wrap up our visit with the purchase of a bottle of the Anemometer White.

Reasons to visit: You’re in Greenport without a car and you’d like to go to a winery; you’ve tried all the others and are looking for a new winery; Anemometer White and 07 Cabernet Franc; the chance to appreciate a lovely view while doing a tasting; you’re on your way to the Hellenic and have some time to kill before dinner.

NoFo Wineaux

Wine notes from Long Island's North Fork

Tag Archives: cabernet franc