Palmer Vineyards: Cozy Spot for a Blustery Day 3/14/15

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with Albarino, Aromatico, Barrel Fermented Pinot Blanc, cabernet sauvignon, Crazy Fork, gewurztraminer, Mattituck, North Fork, Palmer Vineyards, reserve chardonnay, riesling, sauvignon blanc, wine tasting March 16, 2015

A rainy chilly March day made the cozy booths at Palmer a good destination.

http://www.palmervineyards.com/

Since it was pi day, we stopped at Briermere (finally re-opened after their winter closing—yay!) for a strawberry rhubarb pie before heading to Palmer’s cozy tasting room. It was a blustery, rainy day, so Palmer’s pub-like setting and intimate booths felt just right. (There’s also an outdoor roofed patio area for warm weather.) At the bar, we perused the menu, which was divided into four separate tasting groups, each featuring four wines—the Reserve, for $20, the Aromatic for $16, the Spring Flight or the Red Flight. After carefully considering our options, we decided to share a Reserve and an Aromatic, and headed over to a booth while the genial server set up our trays of tastes. The pour is quite generous—we could have shared one flight and been perfectly satisfied.

As pleasant as he was, the server could have given us more guidance on the tastings, especially on which wine to taste in which order, since we planned to combine the two tastings. However, we figured it out on our own, and I think made the right decisions. The tasting room also features the presence of two cats, a tabby and a grey, and, like all cats, they made a beeline for my husband, who is, much to his chagrin, quite allergic to them. A bit of discouragement worked, fortunately, and they stopped trying to jump up onto the booth beside him! Maybe they hoped we had opted for the $13 cheese tray.

The Reserve wines are marked with an *.

The pour is quite generous.

*Albariῆo $24.99

We were excited to start with the Albariῆo, since as far as we know Palmer is the only vineyard on Long Island to feature this grape, and the wine has lately been my go-to choice when it’s on a list of house whites by the glass. Though the wine was too cold (a common problem), we were able to sense aromas of green apple, honeysuckle, and lemon. The taste was dry, almost flinty, with notes of lemon and celery. While not good for sipping, we felt it would go great with spaghetti with seafood in a white wine garlic sauce (which we had had the night before at Crazy Fork, an excellent though very informal restaurant in Mattituck) or maybe (keeping to a Spanish theme) a Manchego cheese. We decided it was very buyable, but when we bought a bottle we were somewhat annoyed to notice that it was only 500 ml, instead of the usual 750. (Palmer’s web site also doesn’t offer this information, so be forewarned if you want to buy some.)

The small bottle of the Albarino.

*Barrel Fermented Pinot Blanc $23.99

Of course, since it was oak fermented, we smelled vanilla and Werther’s candy (butterscotch!). You can sense the oak when you taste it, too, as well as some ripe pineapple with a touch of sweetness at the end. Though there are also some sour undertones, this is a white one could sip. I also thought it might be nice with a blanquette de veau.

2012 Aromatico $24.99

We decided to switch over to the Aromatics before going on the oaked chardonnay, which was a good decision, since the delicate taste of the Aromatico might have suffered by following it. After sniffing and tasting, we looked at each other and cried, “Tangerines!?” This wine tastes and smells more like tangerines than any other I have ever tried. When I walked over to the bar to ask the server which grapes were involved, he had to call into a back room to ask. A blend of malvese and muscat, was the answer. He added that it would be great chilled on a summer day, and we agreed. Good for sipping, it might also be nice with a chicken tagine (I think we were hungry.).

The bar area

2014 Sauvignon Blanc $23.99

We’ve had lots of North Fork sauvignon blancs, but if you blindfolded us we would not have pegged this as one of them. Most are very light and crisp, but this has more depth, and almost an umami flavor, plus some citrus. I felt the aroma was somewhat musty, though not unpleasant. This might be nice with sushi or Japanese noodle soup.

*2010 Reserve Chardonnay $22.99

This oaked chard would give a California chard a run for its money, said my husband. Though I’m not fond of oaky chards, this was pretty good, with some nice apricot flavors, though it was too oaky to sip. There’s an interesting hint of brininess at the end. To cut the butteriness (If that’s not a word, it should be.), I’d have it with spicy food, like Hunan Chinese dishes.

Another view of the room

2013 Riesling $23.99

As the server had noted, this is not a dry riesling. I smell mineral, cucumbers, and perfume, taste white grape juice and Golden Delicious apples. Though it’s not complex, I find it pleasant—considering I’m not a fan of sweet wines. There are other rieslings I’d prefer.

2013 Gewürztraminer $23.99

Okay, so don’t spend time smelling this one, or you might never get to the taste, which is quite nice. The smell, however…rotting meat? Durian fruit? But it tastes like ripe peaches, and though it is, again, too sweet for us, I could see enjoying sipping this in mid-summer. There’s a total disconnect between the smell and the taste, my husband observes.

*2012 Cabernet Sauvignon $29.99

We saved our lone red for last. Aromas of brambles, toast with jelly, and a taste that is dry, but too like sour cherries for our liking. Not a wine we’d want in our cellar, we decide. Perhaps they are wise to offer so many whites, though we don’t know if their other reds are better.

Note the small sign that says “tour.” You can do a self-guided tour of the wine-making process in the front building.

Reasons to visit: cozy pub-like setting; the cats (or not because of the cats, whom the web site informs us are named Apollo and Angela); the Albariῆo, the Aromatico; the sweeter wines if you like sweet wines; lots of interesting whites.

Apollo the cat out for a stroll.

The booths remind me of an English pub.

Osprey’s Dominion: Reasonable Wines, Reasonable Prices 2/7/15

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with Carmenere, Fume Blanc, gewurztraminer, Long Island, Malbec, Meritage Flight, North Fork, Osprey's Dominion, pinot noir, Regina Maris Chardonnay, reserve chardonnay, Richmond Creek Red Blend, sparkling wine, White Flight Edzelwicker, wine tasting February 9, 2015

http://ospreysdominion.com/tasting-room/

The snow was piled high but the roads were clear.

The last time we were at Osprey’s, in April of 2013, we felt somewhat neglected, as our server abandoned us to cater to a group of women who came in midway through our tasting. This time we had the room almost to ourselves, but again we were not impressed with the service. Our server briefly outlined the menu choices, but then offered no suggestions how to choose amongst the many offerings and only minimal (unless we asked questions, no more than what was on the menu) information on each wine. That’s too bad, as the winery has some interesting wines at quite reasonable—for Long Island—prices.

Osprey’s tasting room is quite large, and is well set up to accommodate crowds, though on this cold February day we shared it with a couple unpacking a picnic lunch at one table and only a few others at the bar. The musician—an accomplished singer and guitarist, playing James Taylor and Eagles standards—felt quite lonely until, just as we were leaving, a party of about a dozen women arrived. You can also find a good selection of wine-related gifts.

The musician is way down at the far end of the room.

Plenty of gift options

In a nod to Valentine’s Day, one of the three menus offered a chocolate pairing of four wines and chocolates for $18. Another let you try four of their high-end reds for $15, while the main menu let you choose any five wines for $8. We chose the latter option, but our work was not done. The two-sided list includes 12 whites and nine reds, plus a few dessert wines and a sparkling wine. After a long discussion—which our server left us alone to have—we decided to do five whites and five reds, sharing each taste as we went. Oh, and they also have Greenport Harbor ale on tap.

2012 Fumé Blanc $18

Why Fumé, we ask our server about this wine made from sauvignon blanc grapes. Oh, she says, because being in oak gives it a bit of a smoky taste. We sniff, and agree on an asparagus smell. The wine itself is interesting, dry, but with fruit I categorize as gooseberry (to confirm, the next time I see gooseberries at Briermere I’ll buy them so we can discuss the taste) and some complexity. We like it, and agree that it is quite sippable.

The Regina Maris label features a picture of the Regina Maris.

Regina Maris Chardonnay $13

Why Regina Maris, we ask. It’s a famous ship in Greenport, she says. The bottle calls it a “special commemorative” wine, but we don’t know why. This is a 50% oak and 50% steel-fermented chard, with a nice ripe pineapple aroma. The taste is a bit disappointing, somewhat evanescent with front of the mouth sweetness and not much else.

2012 Reserve Chardonnay $20

We decide to try another chard as a comparison, and choose the reserve. Too much oak for our taste, we agree, though the wine is so cold perhaps some subtlety is lost. The aroma is nice—nutmeg and bitter orange, some vanilla. I taste something pineapple at the end. Just okay.

2011 Gewürztraminer $15

If you’re looking for a wine to have with next Thanksgiving’s turkey, this would be a good choice. We smell ginger, sweet orange blossoms, and a not-unpleasant touch of wet fern. There’s some vegetable taste, and it is nicely dry.

The Edzelwicker

2011 “White Flight” Edzelwicker $15

I’m intrigued by this one, a blend of 87% pinot gris, 8% gewürztraminer, and 5% riesling. Why the name? It’s from Alsace, we are told, and means noble blend. The aroma is interesting, too—bread dough, peach, hard candy. The taste is not quite as exciting, but it is good, dry, but with good fruit tastes. I think it would go really well with brie, even though I usually like red wines with cheeses.

Richmond Creek Red Blend $12

Now we move on to the reds, and we are given a clean glass. Where is Richmond Creek? Right across the street, she says. This is a Left Bank Bordeaux blend, 47% cabernet sauvignon, 11% pinot noir, 20% cabernet franc, and 23% merlot. We’re looking for an inexpensive wine for everyday drinking, which is why we decided to taste this one. We smell plum, eucalyptus, and forest floor. The wine tastes okay, with some sweetness, though overall it is a bit flat. It wouldn’t stand up to highly seasoned food.

The Meritage is quite dark in color.

2007 Meritage “Flight” $24

Another blend, this time it’s of 67% merlot, 25% carmenere, and 8% cabernet franc. We love its dark color and fruity aroma. The taste is pleasant, mostly cherry, and less complex than one would expect, with some tannins.

2012 Pinot Noir $40

Cheracol cough syrup I exclaim when I sniff this wine, to which I add, also cinnamon. Swirl. Legs. Cherry flavor. Very nice, though perhaps not $40 nice. People would like it, opines my husband.

The label of the Carmenere explains the grape.

2011 Carmenere $35

Wow, we really like this. If we were looking for more reds for the wine cellar, we’d get this one. Aromas of spice, cedar and fennel precede tastes of ripe dark fruits—sweet purple plums, perhaps—plus some tannins. The grape has an interesting history, as it was apparently a lost and forgotten French variety that was rediscovered growing in Chile. Osprey is the only winery on Long Island to grow carmenere, another server tells us, when I tell him it’s my favorite of the day.

2010 Malbec $24 (two for $40, a January special)

2010 was a good year on the North Fork, so we have high expectations for this wine, and we are not disappointed. The grape is from the Cahors region of France, we are told. Argentinian wines often use malbec grapes, but this wine is softer than I remember Argentinian malbecs to be. My husband insists that it smells like Craisins. Could be. I taste dried fruit and spice and I really like it. At $20 a bottle, it’s a good buy, so we get two bottles. (Just before we tasted this one, a bowl of crackers arrived on the bar.)

They’ll make custom labels for you.

Reasons to visit: reasonably good wines for reasonable prices; some interesting varietals and blends you won’t find elsewhere on the North Fork; the Fumé Blanc, the Gewürztraminer, the Edzelwicker, the Carmenere, the Malbec; you may bring a picnic (something many wineries don’t allow); good selection of gifts; a nice large room for a group.

Lenz Winery: Solid Place, Slushy Day January 24, 2015

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with Cuvee, Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, gewurztraminer, Gold Label Chardonnay, Lenz Winery, merlot, North Fork, Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon, Old Vines Merlot, Tete-a-Tete, White Label Chardonnay, wine tasting January 26, 2015

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

Despite the slushy roads, people still come to the wineries.

Lenz has some of the oldest vines on Long Island, having planted its first ones in 1978, and they are quite proud of the fact that all of their wines are made from their own grapes. The attractively rustic tasting room (open every day all year long) is not very big, though it is augmented by an outdoor seating area in the summer, and their selection of wine-related gifts tends to be somewhat less hokey than others. In addition, a winery dog made a brief appearance—always a plus in my book. Both of the servers we talked with were smart, attentive, and knowledgeable, with an evident passion for the wines.

Low beams are marked with this warning. Can one watch one’s head without a mirror, wondered my husband.

Despite the slushy streets and cold rain, we shared the room with a small group of women who had arrived in a limo and a few other couples and small groups.

The tasting menu offers two main options, the Estate menu of 5 wines for $12 and the Premium list of 5 wines for $15. You can also put together an all white or an all red tasting, plus there are a few additional wines—dessert, sparkling, and Late Harvest wines—not included in the tastings. We opted to do one of each menu, sharing tastes as we went, and our server quickly caught on to what we were doing and carefully arranged the samples, pointing out which of the two or three tastes to begin with. I mark the Premium selections with an *.

*2010 Old Vines Gewürztraminer $30

This, our server tells us, in an Alsatian style Gewürz, so it is dry and refreshing. Indeed, it is quite dry, with lots of pineapple and mineral tastes. Hmmm, maybe a bit too dry, and a bit harsh on the finish.

When we commented on the cute label for the Tete-a-Tete we learned that it was designed by a former winery worker, who also still comes in and does the blackboards.

2011 Tete-à-Tete $25

Since they only make the Gewürztraminer in years when they are particularly happy with the grapes, they decided to use the Gewürztraminer grapes in a blend in 2011, so this wine is 50% Gewürztraminer and 50% Pinot Gris. Good decision! We really like this one. The aroma is rather mineral, but when we taste it we definitely get the pineapple of the Gewürztraminer and then some earthiness, maybe mushroom? I could see enjoying this with a creamy clam chowder.

Sparkling.

*2010 Cuvee $40

100% pinot noir grapes were fermented using the Champagne method, we are told. Sniff. “Apple pie!” exclaims my husband, perhaps, I think, suffering from Briermere pie withdrawal (they are closed for the season). But he’s right. Not only does it smell all warm and toasty and apple-y, it also has a definite apple taste. This is a relatively simple sparkling wine, but quite pleasant.

2011 White Label Chardonnay $15

We are now about to have one of my favorite tasting experiences—tasting two very different wines made from the same grape. The White Label Chard is steel fermented, yielding a light, crisp, flinty, very drinkable wine, perfect for summer sipping. The aroma is of baked pear. Very buyable, which we do.

Chardonnays going head to head

*2012 Gold Label Chardonnay $20

After ten months in oak, the wine definitely has the typical vanilla and freshly baked bread aroma of an oaked chard, but it is not too oaky. The finish is both tart and sweet, and my husband tries to convince me that it reminds him of Reese’s Pieces. I was with him on the apple pie, but not on this!

2011 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon $25

The reds all seem to note that they are unfiltered and unfined. We’re doing another head to head comparison, this time of cab sauvs. This one has a delicious woodsy and berry aroma, and a taste of ripe plums. It is good, but simple, with no tannins. “It lacks gravitas,” opines my tasting companion. I could see it with barbequed sausages.

*2007 Old Vines Cabernet Sauvnignon $40

You can age this wine for ten years, enthuses our server. We’re not so sure, as it also doesn’t seem to have much in the way of tannins. However, it is a lovely wine, with a delicious aroma and good fruit tastes—raspberries, plums. Though it is primarily cab sauv, it also is blended with merlot, malbec, and cabernet franc.

Not one, not two, but three merlots!

2011 Merlot $20

This is a perfectly fine table wine, we agree. We smell spice and cherry, with none of the earthy smell some North Fork merlots can have. The taste is also of cherry. The tasting notes suggest having it with roast turkey, and I think duck would also work well.

2010 Merlot $28

We have in front of us a line-up of three merlots. What fun! This one is a bit of a blend, and though it is 80-90% merlot it also has some cabernet franc, malbec, and petit verdot. We do smell a touch of earthiness, but also lots of cherry. The wine itself is very dense, tannic, and dry. Despite the blend, the taste is rather simple with a flat finish, but overall we like it.

*2007 Old Vines Merlot $60

Now this one you can age for 20 years, we are told. We should live so long, as my grandmother used to say. You can definitely smell the wood from the oak it was aged in, and also another smell my husband compares to rubber bands. Perhaps. The taste is terrific, with dark fruit flavors and lots of interesting layers, though again not much in the way of tannins. For the price I would probably try to find a Bordeaux—from France.

A view of the tasting bar

Reasons to visit: pleasant tasting room with good selection of gift items; very knowledgeable and attentive staff; the Tete-à-Tete, the White Label Chardonnay, the 2007 Old Vines Merlot.

Not a good day for sitting outside…

Pellegrini Vineyards: One of Our Favorites September 6, 2013

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with gewurztraminer, Medley White, merlot, North Fork, oyster crackers, Pellegrini Vineyards, petit verdot, rose, Steakhouse Red, Vintner's Pride Encore, wine tasting September 8, 2014

http://www.pellegrinivineyards.com/

Going with a group? Have kids in tow? Want to sit quietly at a table and ponder your tasting? Like whites? Like reds? Pellegrini is good for all these conditions! On this visit we saw a large bachelorette party enjoying their tasting in the tented courtyard, a couple—he wearing a t-shirt that said Brooklyn—at a table under the pergola, and a family with kids who ran around on the lawn, among others.

A view to the courtyard and pergola

Their tasting menu offers several different options, including a flight they bring to your table of three two-ounce pours of wines of your choice from a menu of 12, plus a complimentary one-ounce taste of their merlot, for $12, or a tasting of their Vintner’s Pride wines for $14. Tastings include a packet of oyster crackers to clear the palate. When you get your tray of tastes, sample them from left to right and top to bottom, as they are arranged on a labeled placemat. If you’re not sure in which order to taste (order matters, as a delicate wine will be lost if you taste it after a more forceful one), ask your server. They also offer a cheese plate or a chocolate and wine pairing, but they don’t seem to mind if you bring your own snacks. All wines are made from grapes grown on their estate. We belong to their wine club, so our tastings are free. We got two tastings, one of their whites and the other of the reds, and shared.

East End Select Rosé $14.99

This is a steel-fermented blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon, and cabernet franc with a pleasantly herbal—rosemary?—aroma. We decided we would like it as an accompaniment to fish, as it is nice and dry with lemony tastes, but it is not a sipper. If you want some, go now, as it is on an end-of-season sale of three bottles for $33 (we bought three). Not as good as Croteaux 314, however.

The tray of whites and rose, plus the merlot.

2013 Gewürztraminer $19.99

We’ve been on a bit of a gewürzt kick lately, for no real reason, so we can compare this to others of its ilk. We find it a bit too sweet for us, though the finish is rather tart. Still, it’s a pleasant wine, with aromas of honeysuckle and tangerine, and would make a nice aperitif.

2013 Medley White $21.99

A blend (hence the name Medley) of 60% chardonnay and 40% sauvignon blanc, steel-fermented, this wine has mineral and lemon aromas and a refreshing taste—not too tart, not too sweet, with tastes of gooseberry and citrus and mineral. “Hmmm,” I say, “I think this would pair well with tuna-noodle casserole. I’m not kidding!”

2007 Merlot $19.99

Merlot is their signature wine, and they make a lot of it. The 07 is actually a bit of a blend; though it is 90% merlot it also includes 6% cabernet sauvignon, 3% cabernet franc, and 2% petit verdot, giving it some complexity. This is an easy wine to drink, soft, with tasty blackberry notes.

The tray of reds.

Steakhouse Red $16.99

I think I’d rather have this with lamb chops than with steak, but that’s just me. A 50/50 blend of merlot and cabernet sauvignon, this has a bit of that forest smell that merlots sometimes have, and is quite dry, with some tannins. This and the other reds are all aged in oak.

2010 Petit Verdot $49.99

Yum. “Good from start to finish,” says my husband, and I agree. The color is very dark, and we sense lots of ripe fruit aromas and tastes. This one I would have with a good steak, for sure.

It was very humid outside, so we opted to stay inside in the air conditioning.

2010 Vintner’s Pride Encore $49.99

A Bordeaux blend—60% merlot, 25% cabernet sauvignon, 15% petit verdot—one would expect this wine to be better than the previous one, but it is not. We smell spice and dark tea leaves, but are underwhelmed by the taste. For the price, it is disappointing. “It never opens up,” says my husband. Maybe if it sat in the glass longer? But it is the last of our tastes, so it has been there for a while. Oh, well.

One part of the tasting room.

Reasons to visit: you’re with a group; you’re not with a group; you have kids in tow who need room to run; you like reds; you like whites; the 2013 Medley White; the 2013 Gewürztraminer; the 2010 Petit Verdot; the Steakhouse Red.

Beautiful grapes.

One Woman Wines and Vineyards: A One-Woman Show? August 31, 2014

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with Claudia Purita, D'latte, Dessert Wine, gewurztraminer, gruner veltliner, merlot, North Fork, One Woman Wines and Vineyards, wine tasting September 2, 2014

http://www.onewomanwines.com/

Busses actually means kisses, but my guess is they’re referring to the vehicles.

It seems One Woman has been discovered. Last year we basically had the place to ourselves, but this year it was fairly full, including hipsters in straw fedoras stepping up to the bar in the tiny tasting barn. Yet the youthful servers managed everyone with aplomb, including our server, a young man who kept careful track of where we were and managed to share observations on each wine while also taking care of several other groups. (For comments on the one woman whose winery this is, see my entry from last August.)

One Woman has expanded its list of offerings, but they still have the only Grüner Veltliner around, and that alone is worth the trip. Large signs outside warn that buses (spelled busses, which actually means kisses!) and limos are verboten, as well as groups of more than six. They really don’t have the facilities for large groups, but if you are a small group this is a good place to taste some lovely wines. The menu offers two tastes for $6, three for $8, or four for $10, out of a list of eight wines. You can also sample the Reserve wines, a menu of four for $14 (or one for $4). What does Reserve mean? Here it means the grapes have spent about another two weeks on the vines for a fuller flavor and that the grapes have also been hand-picked one by one with a tweezer-like implement by Claudia Purita (the One Woman) herself. We decided to share four from the regular menu plus the four Reserves.

Part of the outside area.

2013 Grüner Veltliner $20

“I’ll start you off with the 2013,” says our server, “since it is the lightest of your choices.” And he is right. We scent a bit of honeysuckle, taste some roast pear. Tart and light. Though this is purely steel fermented, we could swear we taste oak. Our server chuckles and says that is common.

2012 Grüner Veltliner $20

What a difference a year makes! I love this one! Our server calls it “a white for red wine lovers,” and I can see why. It is deep and full of flavor, with some toasted caramel notes. Again, hard to believe this is all steel fermented. This is also a great pairing to show people why the year and how the wines were handled matters.

2012 Gewürztraminer $23

Very floral aromas, including some lavender, introduce a rather tart gewurzt. 0% residual sugar, notes our server, who also suggests this would pair well with Thai food. My husband compares it to sour apple candy, and I get it.

2013 Gewürztraminer $23

“Claudia says this is the most typical Gewürztraminer she’s ever made,” says our server. “It has 3% residual sugar.” It is certainly sweeter than the 2012, with an aroma of thyme honey and lavender and some gooseberry tastes. A bit too sweet for us, though not unpleasantly so.

2011 Estate Reserve Chardonnay $32

Very oaky, which is not surprising given that it is completely oak-fermented. We smell vanilla and those scented pine cones you can sometimes buy in the fall. We taste a touch of citrus, but then the oak takes over. If you like a California-style oaky chardonnay, this is for you.

The pour is about average in size.

2010 Estate Reserve Merlot $48

Our first red of the tasting, the merlot is nice but not all that interesting. A bit of forest scent, blackberry tastes, fairly soft, and the end is a bit too oaky and tart.

Dessert wine

2008 Estate Reserve Merlot $48

The smell reminds me of a cabin on a lake—that slightly damp smell of exposed wood. This has more to it than the ’10, with nice legs. The server describes the scent as smoked paprika, but I don’t get that.

Estate Reserve Dessert Wine $39

Okay, so it’s not as good as Chateau D’Yquem, but it’s pretty nice. I would drink this with paté de foie gras any day! Or even a chocolate mousse. It is quite delicious, made with late harvest Gewürztraminer grapes.

We decide to buy two bottles of the 2012 Grüner Veltliner. Because at the crucial moment of the end of our tasting our server was distracted, and took a little while to get back to us, he doesn’t charge us for the tastings, a nice courtesy.

Reasons to Visit: Long Island’s first, and possibly still only, Grüner Veltliner; tasting some nice wines in a peacefully bucolic setting; the Gewürztraminers; the dessert wine; oh, and you can buy D’Latte gelato from a little freezer case.

We’ve been told in the past that Claudia Purita even arranges the flowers.

Coffee Pot Cellars: Wine Country’s Cutest Couple 8/23/14

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with Adam Suprenant, bees, Blossom Meadow, Bordeaux, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, Coffee Pot Cellars, gewurztraminer, honey, Laura Klahre, Meritage, merlot, North Fork, petit verdot, sauvignon blanc August 26, 2014

http://www.coffeepotcellars.com/

http://blossommeadow.com/

No, they don’t serve coffee here!

“Perhaps a sign that says ‘Live Bees!’ is not the best way to get people into a winery,” I suggest to winemaker Adam Suprenant, owner of Coffee Pot Cellars. He chuckles, and notes that when people ask if he has live music he says no, but they have live…bees. Never fear, however, the bees are behind glass, and you can observe their activity while you sip Mr. Suprenant’s lovely wines and visit with him and his charmingly chatty wife, Laura Klahre, the beekeeping owner of Blossom Meadow.

A year ago when we stopped into the tasting room it had just recently opened, and we were the only ones there. This time there were several other couples, including some who were clearly regulars, and much of the discussion centered around the award Mr. Suprenant was to receive that night from Governor Andrew Cuomo for producing the best oaked chardonnay in New York State, his 2013 vintage (not available for tasting). “And I didn’t even want to make a chardonnay!” he confessed to us, but more about that later.

The tasting room is a small but pleasant space that had previously housed an antique store and after that a real estate agency. Now the simple yellow-painted space has a tasting bar and shelves filled with Blossom Meadow goods—honey, beeswax candles and crayons in various shapes, and bee-related beauty products. Last year we bought cat-shaped candles as a gift for cat lovers we were about to visit.

Some of the gift items available

Both Mr. Suprenant and Ms. Klahre are enthusiastic and passionate about their fields, and it is fun to chat with them both about the intricacies of bee-keeping and wine making. Did you know a bee has to visit two million flowers to make one pound of honey?

More gifts!

The tasting menu offers all six of their wines for $10, four for $8, or individual tastes for $2.50. We opted for two complete tastings.

Sauvignon Blanc 2012 $17.99

We sniff, and detect aromas of citrus and mineral or wet rock. The taste is tart, almost grassy, with lots of lemon. Not a wine to sip by itself, it would go well with a seafood in cream sauce dish.

The labels feature the Coffee Pot light house.

Chardonnay 2012 $15.99

As we enjoy this very lightly oaked chardonnay, Mr. Suprenant tells us why he didn’t plan to make a chard. “Like a cliché?” I ask (ever the English teacher), and he agrees. But a grower from whom he buys his grapes asked him to buy some chardonnay grapes due to an oversupply, and so he gave in. Using older oak barrels, he fermented tow clones of chardonnay for only five months, and then arrested the malolactic fermentation with sulfites. “Butter cookies!” I say of the aroma, and then sip. Pineapple and what Mr. Suprenant confesses he compares to Juicy Fruit gum compose the actually very good taste. Sippable.

Gewürztraminer 2012 $21.99

The grapes for this wine come from Osprey’s Dominion, where Mr. Suprenant is the winemaker (He’s been a winemaker on the North Fork for 17 years.). Nice flowery honeysuckle aroma, not too sweet, with some tangerine flavor, this is also a sippable wine.

Merlot 2009 $17.99

A nice touch—he rinses the glasses with a bit of the merlot before we taste it. The gewürtz would overpower anything else in the glass, he notes, but I also think that sometimes when wineries rinse with water you get a taste of chlorine! Like all his wines, this is made with grapes purchased from North Fork growers, and 2009 was a notoriously bad year, with an excess of rain. However, this wine has turned out pretty good, with aromas of berry and no earthiness. Though I think I scent wet rags, my husband says pine forest. Wine tasting is not an exact science!

Meritage 2008 $21.99

A Bordeaux blend, this version is 69% merlot, 19% cabernet sauvignon, and 6% each petit verdot and cabernet franc, according to the tasting menu which, Ms. Klahre points out, she is proud they finally have. Complex aromas of berry, flint and a bit of smoky forest precede tastes of blackberry and herbs. Very nice, but the next is better.

Meritage 2010 $25.99

2010 is known to be a good year, and this wine proves it. 59& merlot, 23% petit verdot, 14% cabernet franc, and 4% cabernet sauvignon, this Bordeaux blend really does taste like a Bordeaux. The aroma is brambly, with a hint of earth that is not present in the taste. We taste blueberry and some spice and like it so much we decide to buy two bottles for the cellar, marking them 2016.

Adam Suprenant

Reasons to visit: you like bees and honey and beeswax products; you enjoy talking with people about their passions; the 2012 chardonnay (and maybe the 2013), the gewürztraminer, the 2010 Meritage; Adam and Laura.

P.S. The name refers to the lighthouse at Orient Point, which is said to resemble a coffee pot. They do not, in fact, serve coffee at the winery!

The building was originally a house, and Adam and Laura will make you feel right at home.

Clovis Point Winery: A Touch of History 4/19/14

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with Barrel Fermented Chardonnay, cabernet franc, Clovis Point; North Fork, gewurztraminer, Long Island, merlot, petit verdot, rose, Stainless Chardonnay, Vintner's Select Merlot, wine tasting April 23, 2014

Party bus in the parking lot.

http://www.clovispointwines.com/

Clovis Point Winery touches history in two very different ways: it is named for a prehistoric type of arrow head that was used on Long Island, and the tasting room is in a converted 1920s potato barn. The former provides an attractive design for their bottles, and the latter a comfortably rustic space. There is a long tasting bar plus barrel-based tables with stools, and then an outside semi-sheltered porch and an area of outdoor tables, both of which seem to be filled with groups. Though a sign at the end of the driveway says “No Buses No Limos No Exceptions,” there are two party buses in the parking lot, so I assume the no’s apply only to those without reservations.

There was quite a crowd at the bar…

…but plenty of room on the porch.

The last time we were at Clovis Point was in November of 2012, so it was time for a return visit. That’s one great feature of reviewing wineries—every year they have new vintages, so you never run out of material! This time we opted for two tastings: the “Cold” menu, which includes two Chardonnays and a Rosé for $8, and the Red, which features four reds for $10. We could also have chosen the Premium, which we had last time (check my entry for November 17, 2012), and which also has four reds, their more expensive options, for $15. The pour, by the way, is officially one ounce according to the measured pourer, but our server was generous with us, as she saw us sharing tastes and carefully evaluating each one. They also offer a small menu of snacks—mainly cheeses and meats and hummus—but, according to what we heard the server say to a nearby group, they are also open to people bringing in their own, as long as it’s not a whole huge meal.

She was talking to a group which included wine club members there to pick up their shipment, and we saw a number of other wine clubbers doing the same. Surprisingly, one member of that group was chewing bubble gum throughout the tasting! Not sure what that was about, but personally I don’t recommend it.

1) 2013 Stainless Chardonnay $20

This continues to be an appealing wine, with 3% Gewürztraminer added to the Chardonnay for a bit of added complexity and depth. The aroma combines honey (I say) with some citric and grassy notes, and has a tart but nice flavor that reminds me of gooseberries, with some citric flavor. Very buyable, which we do.

2) 2012 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay $25

The menu would have us taste the Rosé next, but our server suggests that we might like to taste the two Chardonnays side by side. According to the tasting menu, this is made with 89% French oak fermented Chardonnay, 10% unoaked Chardonnay, and 1% Gewürztraminer, and it does provide an interesting contrast with the Stainless Chard. Butterscotch and nutmeg “on the nose,” as they say, and definitely butterscotch on the tongue, ending with a touch of welcome lemon, so that it has a mixture of sweet and sour. One could sip this if one liked oaked Chardonnays. What to eat with it? You’d need something assertive, like a well-flavored lobster or salmon dish.

The rose is a pretty color.

3) Rosé $20

Again, this is a bit of a blend, which seems to be the house style: 97% Cabernet Franc, 3% Merlot. My husband insists the aroma reminds him of wassail, that spiced warm red wine drink from Scandinavia. Maybe. The taste is pleasant, with typical Rosé strawberry flavor, tart, with a touch of sourness at the end. A white pizza—no red sauce—would complement it.

4) 2006 Merlot $18

76% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot are blended together to make an undistinguished typical Long Island Merlot. Despite the blend, it lacks depth, but would be okay to drink with a burger.

Generous pour!

5) 2012 Cabernet Franc $28.50

This wine is also on the premium list, and our server is very enthusiastic about it—as she is about all the wines, I have to say. She says this is a wine that “makes you want to have more.” And indeed, the smell is lovely—cedar, blackberries, a touch of earthiness—but the taste? Hmmm…not much to it, we say. I guess it would be easy to drink. The Cab Franc is blended with 4% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon.

6) 2007 Merlot $25

As we’ve heard frequently, 07 was a great year for North Fork grapes, and this one certainly proves that observation, as it is noticeably better than the 06. Our server notes that she’s bringing a bottle or two of this to a friend’s house tonight! We could bring this to a friend, too, though we’re not as happy with it as she is. There are other Long Island Merlots, like Lenz’s, for example, that we prefer. Nice fruit—cherries and blueberries.

Clovis Point on label…

…with explanation.

7) 2006 Vintner’s Select Merlot $30

Though this is a wine they “only make in good years,” we find it to be just pretty good—not a knockout. The server describes it as “smooth,” and my drinking companion notes “the barnyard has been tamed.” Spice and fruit aromas precede tastes of brambly fruit. The Merlot is blended with 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot.

Reasons to visit: Pleasant tasting room, often with live music (we just happened to leave before it started today); the Stainless Chardonnay.

Lenz Winery: Lots of Lovely Options December 7, 2013

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

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

In the summer grape vines cover the facade.

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

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

Some of the gift items.

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

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

1) 2008 Gewürztraminer $20

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

2) *2010 Pinot Gris $25

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

3) *1999 Cuvee RD $60

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

4) 2010 White Label Chardonnay $15

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

5) 2010 Gold Label Chardonnay $20

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

6) *2010 Old Vines Chardonnay $30

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

7) 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon $23

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

8) *2007 Old Vines Cabernet $40

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

9) 2008 Estate Selection Merlot $24

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

10) *2007 Old Vines Merlot $60

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

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

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

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.

NoFo Wineaux

Wine notes from Long Island's North Fork

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