Firefly Rose | NoFo Wineaux

July 18, 2023

The rain seemed to be holding off, and a breeze made the temperature pleasant, so we decided to do an outdoor tasting. We also wanted to be outside because our guest had brought his dogs, and we wanted to include them in the day’s activities, so we headed to Lenz.

*Primrose and Chewbacca quite enjoyed their first winery experience.*

Sometimes I wonder whether how much I like a particular wine or winery is based on certain intangible factors, like the weather, or my mood, or little facets of service. How objective is wine tasting anyway? So much depends upon individual likes and dislikes. On this day, we combined the peace of the courtyard (there was only one other party there), the nice breeze, the good company, and two happy dogs with wines we generally liked, with a few extras thrown in, to decide this was a great tasting experience.

*The courtyard offers a selection of shaded and unshaded tables.*

Why were the dogs happy? In addition to not being left at home, they were quickly provided with their own water dish and then—with permission from their owner—treats from the excellent server. In addition to pampering the pooches, she timed the delivery of our tastes perfectly, falling in with our leisurely schedule and giving us just the right amount of information about each.

The North Fork wine country is celebrating its 50^th anniversary, based on its beginnings with the Hargraves’ winery, and Lenz is not far behind, this year observing their 45^th year in operation. They say the older the vines, the better the wines, and that does seem to ring true here.

After perusing the menu, we decided my husband and I would share a Summer Flight, $30 for five fairly generous samples, and our guest would have the same flight, so we could compare notes. We could also have opted for the Grand Flight, which features five of their pricier wines for $35. There is also a chocolate pairing flight…maybe another time. We also got a little $2 bag of North Fork potato chips, deciding to eschew the heftier options since I had cheeses and charcuterie waiting at home (including a nice chunk of 8 Hands pâté).

2016 Sauvignon Blanc $27 (for the ’22)

What an auspicious start to the afternoon! We all found this sauvignon blanc delicious, with an aroma of honeysuckle and lots of fruit tastes, with a touch of lemon on the finish. In fact, we liked it so much that we each bought a bottle to take home.

*The pour was generous enough to share.*

2021 Firefly Rosé $20

Why Firefly, we asked. Because it is named after the owner’s boat. Ah. A blend of malbec, merlot, and cabernet sauvignon, this is a yummy rosé, with tastes of tropical fruit—not quite pineapple, but sort of reminiscent of pineapple.

*I didn’t stop to ask about it, but Lenz often has displays of art for sale, which I assume this was. (It was about to rain, so we left quickly.)*

2022 Blanc do Noir Rosé $24

If you look on the menu, you will see that this is not included in the tasting, but our lovely server brought it out for us, saying she wanted us to taste this before the other rosé, which we did. Power of the book or the charm of the doggies? Who knows. In any event, this was a very light rosé, with a slight aroma of strawberry and tastes of strawberry and cherry, ending with some citrus and acidity. Though we like it, we find it a bit too light, and actually prefer the Firefly.

2017 Estate Selection Chardonnay $22

We had a good chat with our server about oak vs. steel-fermented chardonnays. As I’ve mentioned before, I tend to favor steel—I don’t like that buttery, oaky taste of oaked chards—but I have had some I liked. This one is aged 50/50 in oak and steel, so sort of the best of both worlds. I introduce our friend to the actual wine descriptor of “cat pee aroma,” which he finds amusing, but I do detect a trace of it in this wine. However, the wine itself is quite drinkable—our friend says smooth—with a touch of citrus and not too much oak.

2015 Gewürztraminer $30

Another gift! Before you move on to the reds, says our server, is there any other white you’d like to try? Hmmm…yes, I say, how about the gewürtz? I like One Woman’s version of this wine very much, so let’s see how Lenz does. I sniff and sense orange blossoms, a very flowery aroma. A sip. This wine is not shy, I opine, by which I mean it has a lot of taste! Ripe fruit, spice…what would you eat with it, asks our friend. Charcuterie! Yes, it needs food that can stand up to it. Good.

2016 Cabernet Sauvignon $27

Pleasant, is the word we settle on for this light, easy-drinking red. It has “not much depth,” notes my husband, but not every red has to be powerful. For example, this one would go well with roast chicken. It has some nice berry tastes and aromas.

2017 Estate Selection Merlot $22

Last wine! We hasten our leisurely pace, as storm clouds are starting to gather. This is a good, fairly typical North Fork merlot, with an aroma I compare to Cheracol (a cough medicine you have to be of a certain age to know), and tastes of cherry and dark berries. Nice, and a good price, too.

Reasons to visit: pleasant courtyard; dogs not just allowed, but pampered; the sauvignon blanc, the Firefly Rosé, the gewürztraminer, the merlot; a menu of real food, in addition to the usual cheese, etc.; an old-school winery where they take their wine-making very seriously. By the way, though they have a small restroom inside, they also have the most deluxe port-a-potties I’ve ever seen, with air conditioning and a real sink.

*I generally avoid port-a-potties, but these were deluxe.*

April 8, 2022

*You can enter through this archway or, if you’re feeling claustrophobic, go around it.*

After days of rain, the sun came out and we decided to do our walk in Greenport, strolling up and down Front and Main Streets. As we did, we noted the crop of newer restaurants we had not yet tried, and vowed to return if the pandemic allows. On the way home, we stopped in to Lenz to do a tasting, and were glad we did. Founded in 1978, Lenz is the second oldest winery on the North Fork, and both the tasting room and the wines are classic.

The room has the barn-like country vibe of many North Fork tasting rooms, with several tables, plus a bunch of picnic tables in the outside courtyard. Though it felt too chilly to us to sit outside, there was one couple out there, sharing a bottle of wine and some cheese and crackers. Inside, two groups talked quietly as they sipped their wines. The wines are, for the most part, good representatives of the local terroir. We liked several of them in particular.

Tastings used to be primarily stand-up, at the bar, but now they show you to a table. Lenz used to allow outside food, but now they have a menu of real foods, in addition to cheese and charcuterie items. We were not hungry, but some of the sandwiches sounded good. I almost went with the tasting menu of chocolates paired with wines…maybe next time.

The tasting menu offers four options: the Library Flight, of their most expensive wines, one taste for $20; the Spring Flight, of a variety of wines, five tastes for $25; the Grand Flight, of some of their higher end wines, five tastes for $30; and the aforementioned Chocolate Pairing, of five wines paired with five chocolates, for $35. We decided to share the Spring Flight, as it seemed to promise the most variety and wines we might buy. Our flight arrived on a well-labeled tray, and our server gave us her well-practiced spiel about the wines.

2016 Estate Selection Gewürztraminer $20

Right from the first sniff, I loved the delicate floral aroma of this wine—orange flowers? The taste is also delicious, not at all sweet but full of fruit flavor. A few weeks ago, I had a guava, a flavor I found here, as well as perhaps a touch of nutmeg. We liked it so much, we bought a bottle.

2020 Firefly Rosé $20

A blend of cabernet sauvignon and malbec, this is a really luscious rosé, with ripe melon and citrus flavors, dry. The aroma is so faint, I likened it to driving past a strawberry field with the windows open.

2016 Estate Select Chardonnay $22

Our server went into some detail in her introduction to this wine, telling us how it is made from grapes half fermented in steel and half in medium French oak, and asserting it is her favorite white. I disagree. It has some pineapple taste, which is fine, but also something else I find unpleasant, sort of a chemical or metallic note. I also don’t like the smell, which reminds me of plastics. My tasting buddy thinks it is fine. Chacun à son goût…

2017 Cabernet Sauvignon $25

Well, this is pleasanter. I smell red lollipop, though my husband says, not that sweet. Our server noted that this is her go-to red to bring to parties, and I can see why. It is a soft, very unchallenging red, with fruity flavors of red plum and berries. It would be fine to sip on its own, but would not stand up to steak. A crowd pleaser.

*There’s a small selection of gift items, primarily t-shirts.*

2015 Estate Selection Select Merlot $35

Although this is called a merlot, it is blended with some cabernet franc and petit verdot, which gives it more depth and complexity than a simple merlot. It has some tannins, and I can taste the oak and some fruit. Nice.

*The courtyard will be a good place for tasting when the weather gets warmer.*

Reasons to visit: a classic old-school vineyard, with solid wines and no glitz; the gewürztraminer, the rosé, and the merlot; the cabernet sauvignon if you like soft, simple reds; reasonable prices but also some VERY high-end wines (as in $130 per bottle); nice menu of cheeses and also sandwiches. Note: my husband says the restroom is very small.

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