Paumanok Winery: The Perks of Being a Local

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, Dogs allowed during the week, Dry Rose, Festival Red, Festival White, Figgy Piggy, Massoud, menu of snacks, merlot, no outside food, North Fork, Paumanok, The Goat, travel, wine, wine tasting, Winery June 8, 2025

http://www.paumanok.com

June 6, 2025

*We entered here, and then were shown to the deck.*

Yes, there are many perks to being a local on the North Fork: the plethora of farm stands spring through fall; the closeness to the seashore; the friendly neighbors; sightings of deer, turkeys, egrets, bunnies, and even groundhogs; and more, but one of my favorites is being able to pop out to a winery whenever one wants. And this past week we discovered a good reason to head out to a tasting, because many of the wineries were offering special deals for “Locals Week,” from free tastings to a free glass of wine. So the question was, where to go? Mother Nature solved one part of the conundrum for us, by giving us a beautiful, warm, sunny day (We went from having the heat on to turning on the A/C almost overnight.), meaning sitting outside was a good idea. Then I decided we needed to go somewhere that served lunch, and Paumanok seemed perfect.

So off we went. We walked into the tasting room, where Lily greeted us enthusiastically and quickly showed us to a table on the wooden deck overlooking the vineyard. There were a few other couples enjoying the day, the wine, and lunch, and we were happy to join them. A slight breeze made the temperature perfect. We told our server we were getting the “Locals” tasting, and she set us up with three tastes each in little carafes, with a round-bottomed glass into which to pour each wine: a white, a rosé, and a red. She also gave us a bottle of chilled water and a water glass, welcome on this warm afternoon.

*We sat at the table just outside the doors.*

What would we like for lunch? We contemplated the charcuterie platter, which came with a baguette, or individual cheeses, or hummus, but then were attracted to the sandwiches. My tasting buddy chose the “Figgy Piggy”—prosciutto, melted brie, sliced apples, and fig jam—while I opted for “The Goat”—Old Chatham goat cheese, roasted red peppers, olive tapenade (which turned out to be sliced olives, but still good), and balsamic glaze, served with a little pile of cornichons and a bag of North Fork Potato Chips ($24 each). Both sandwiches were delicious, but if we come again we would probably just order one sandwich, since we both took home half of ours. They are big!

We took our time, sipping the wines and discussing which one went best with each sandwich, enjoying the afternoon. We were feeling so mellow that we took home two bottles each of all three wines! Lily asked if we wanted to join the wine club, but after careful consideration we decided that we belonged to enough wine clubs already.

2023 Festival Chardonnay $24

Happily for me, this is a steel-fermented chard, with some interesting characteristics. It smells piney, and even tastes a bit like pine, plus the usual citrus taste one expects. I also felt it smelled a bit like lemon candy, with a touch of funk. Not your ordinary North Fork chard. My husband dubbed it “likeable.” I also felt it went well with both sandwiches. I used to automatically pair cheeses and meats with reds, but I have come to feel that charcuterie and soft cheeses go best with whites or rosés.

*The wines. The rosé* *has a particularly pretty label.*

2024 Dry Rosé $28

Lily was eager to tell us about this rosé, since it was new to the tasting menu and she was quite enthusiastic about it. With good cause. It is a delicious blend of 52% merlot, plus cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, and pinot noir. Though it has some of the expected strawberry aroma and taste, I also taste cranberries or raspberries and maybe some tart apple, like Winesap. It goes particularly well with the potato chips! She also tells us about the history of the Massoud family, how they started in Lebanon, where it was illegal to buy wine, but not to ferment it oneself. After making their own wine for a few years, they decided to emigrate to the United States, and settled on the North Fork in 1983 to found their winery. They now also own Palmer, and continue to live on the Paumanok property.

*The flight. This is a nice set-up if one wants to share a tasting.*

2022 Festival Red $24

This is, according to Lily, lighter than their other reds, and she described it as a “barbeque” wine. It is certainly priced for casual drinking. This is a 50/50 blend of merlot and cabernet sauvignon (although the web site describes it as a different blend), with some tobacco and cherry aromas, not much tannins, and very easy to drink. “Smooth,” opines my buddy.

Reasons to visit: comfortable deck overlooking the vines; we liked all three wines we tried; a nice menu of snacks and substantial sandwiches; dogs allowed during the week.

Channing Daughters: Variety is the Spice

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with channing daughters, chardonnay, dornfelder, Envelope, Heart Artist Series red, Heart White, L'Enfant Sauvage, Meditazione, menu of snacks, Moscato Petillant Naturel, no dogs allowed, petit verdot, Refosco, Rosato Syrah, rose, Scuttlehole Road, South Fork, syrah, Vermouth, wine tasting September 21, 2024

September 17, 2024

This is the Nofowineaux blog, but one of my favorite wineries, Channing Daughters, is on the South Fork. Why do I like it? For a small winery, Channing Daughters has an amazing variety of wines. The menu of flights lists about twenty-eight different wines, plus you can do a tasting of their five vermouths. Each flight consists of five wines, with a fairly generous pour, for $28. We are wine club members, and part of the fun of being in their wine club is you never know what you are going to get in your shipments. They are also very generous with wine club members, and we are often treated to an extra taste or two.

*As you can see from this display, they have quite an array of choices!*

We had visitors who shared with us a love for the town of Sag Harbor, where both of us had had family connections, so we drove onto the ferry in Greenport, sashayed across Shelter Island, and boarded the South Ferry for the short crossing to Sag Harbor. After a leisurely stroll down Main Street, noting what had changed and what hadn’t—the Wharf Shop, the hardware store, the Variety Store (with signs still saying 5 cents, etc.), the theater with its Art Deco sign, and Blooming Shells were still there, but there were more fancy boutiques and restaurants than in the past—we headed to Scuttlehole Road and turned onto the pebbled driveway that led to Channing.

*We were happy to see some favorites of our children were still there!*

We were greeted and shown to a shaded picnic table on the lawn and began to peruse the menu. We decided that my husband and I would share the Spectrum Wine Flight, which offers (duh) a spectrum of their offerings, and one guest would do the same, while the other, a fan of chardonnay, chose the chardonnay flight. Did she prefer oaked or steel chardonnays, the server asked. Oaked. Good, because three of the five were oaked.

*Note the sculpture, made from an uprooted tree trunk, made by Mr. Channing.*

Our stroll around Sag Harbor had worked up an appetite, so we also ordered cheese and crackers from the limited menu of snacks. We would have liked to get the smoked bluefish dip, but they were out of it, so we settled on Mecox Bay Dairy’s offering of three slices of cheese ($20), plus a package of Mini Toasts ($6), which turned out to be plenty.

*We were glad to see they use bamboo plates and utensils, which are recyclable.*

The flights arrived on unique tiered holders, the stem of each glass inserted into a circular holder. As we admired the presentation, we noted that an advantage of this was that they did not take up much room on the table.

We enjoyed the wines, the bucolic setting, the beautiful warm day, and the company of each other as we sipped and munched.

2021 Heart White Blend $20

A flowery aroma like honeysuckle is the first thing I sense. The wine has a taste that reminds me of some thyme honey I once tasted, which was not sweet, but a touch minerally. “Very clean on the tongue,” opined our guest, and “refreshing,” said my tasting buddy. We like it, and our guest thought it would pair well with halibut.

2021 Rosato Syrah $24

In typical Channing fashion, they have five rosés, not the usual one or two. This one is very light, and I generally prefer fruitier rosés, but it is nicely dry, and would pair well with oysters, like the ones we plan to get from Braun’s Wednesday night. (We got Peconic Bay Gold, and they were wonderful!)

*The Chardonnay flight–note the varying colors.*

2018 Meditazione $42

Is it the power of suggestion, or does this orange colored wine actually smell like oranges? Orange wine is made by fermenting white wine grapes with the skins on, as though you were making red wine, and is very tasty, with notes of citrus and herb tea. We think this would be excellent with charcuterie. Or as my friend puts it, sometimes 1+1=3, when you find just the right combination.

2020 Heart Artist Series $25

This is a red blend, of 48% merlot, 22% dornfelder, 11% refosco, 10% syrah, and 9% petit verdot—a blend you won’t find anywhere on the North Fork! This is a light red, with an aroma of berries and some nice fruit tastes, and goes well with the cheddar cheese on our plates.

2021 Moscato Petillant Naturel $29

Aaand how many sparkling wines to you think they make? I don’t even know, but this one is 100% muscat ottonel. The aroma reminds me of lemonade, and the taste is light, with lots of tiny bubbles. Most flights will have you start with the sparkling wine, but ending with it works well, too.

Extras: We get a little taste of Envelope, another of the orange wines, to compare with Meditazione. It has “lots of body,” opines our guest, and is “unusual,” with notes of lychee and butterscotch. It would go great with duck, like the duck breasts with blackberry sauce I had made the night before.

Did the chardonnay flight please? Yes indeed. In fact, our friend was pleasantly surprised by how much she liked the steel fermented wines, finding the 2022 Chardonnay a “refreshing sipping wine.” She buys a bottle of it and another of L’Enfant Sauvage to have with the lobsters we are planning on for Wednesday night (after the oysters).

Then we get into a discussion with the server about their vermouths, and she brings us small tastes of numbers one and two. One is fairly traditional, and would certainly go well in a martini, but two is really interesting, with spicy notes. I decide to get a bottle of each, and try number two with tomato juice, in a lower alcohol take on a Bloody Mary.

Reasons to visit: you fancy a jaunt to the South Fork; the incredible array of choices; an intimate space with cheerful service; all the wines, but I especially like the Scuttlehole Chardonnay and the Meditazione; the vermouths.

Croteaux Vineyards: Ooh La La

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with cabernet franc, Chloe, croteaux vineyard, dogs allowed, Jolie, lobster roll, menu of snacks, merlot, Merlot 181, merlot 3, Merlot 314, Merlot Sauvage, North Fork, rose, sauvignon blanc, wine tasting July 22, 2023

July 20, 2013

Many (many!) years ago, while traveling in Europe, we rendezvoused for several days in Paris with dear friends. Recently, they came north from Florida to escape the summer heat, and we were delighted they included a trip to the North Fork in their itinerary. To honor those memories of France, we made salade niçoise for lunch, and then took them to the most French of the North Fork wineries, Croteaux. Croteaux only makes rosés, and makes them in the dry Provençal style.

*This view makes the garden look empty, but behind me it was full.*

Happily, the weather cooperated, and it was pleasantly warm and sunny, because you want to sit in the lovely garden when you go there. We followed a path from the parking area to an entrance in a barn, where we were promptly greeted and escorted to a table where we were given a nice cold bottle of water and some cups. As we looked around, we noted that the garden was fairly crowded though they have added additional tables in an extended area. Soft music set a relaxing mood.

You can scan the QR code or we can give you a printed-out menu, we were informed. We opted for the printout. Puzzlingly, the printed menu lists the prices of the wines as $39 and $37, while they in fact are $29 and $27. They should probably fix that.

Croteaux only has table service—no standing at a bar. They also offer a nice menu of real food, and we saw several very good-looking lobster slider rolls sail past our table enroute to lunchers. I can definitely see coming here for a chilled glass of rosé and a lobster roll.

*This tub filled with water bottles is typical of the slightly funky aesthetic of the garden.*

After some discussion, we decided that each couple would share one tasting—which proved to be more than enough, since, as much as we all liked the wines, we left over quite a bit. One tasting of their six still wines is $28. One could also opt for a tasting of their three sparklers for $26. In past years we have belonged to their case club, which is their version of a wine club. Buy a case (which one should do early in the season), and you’re in.

If you are familiar with rosé, you can skip this paragraph… Rosé is usually made from red wine grapes, and how long they sit with the skins on determines how dark the rosé is. Rarely, it is made with white grapes, which then also sit with the skins on. Some people think rosé is some sort of blend of red and white—which it actually could be, but not in the sense of here’s some red wine, let’s mix it with white until it is a pale pink.

*Our tasting in progress…you are told the order in which to try them, but then we kept going back and forth.*

2022 Chloe Sauvignon Blanc $29

As you can tell by the name, this is made from white wine grapes. This is a rosé for white wine drinkers, with a sweet aroma of honeysuckle and peach. The taste is also of peaches and other stone fruit, but it is a dry wine. Delicious, we all agree.

2022 Merlot 181 $29

Of the six wines we tasted, this is our least favorite. It is more austere, less fruity, than the others, and really needs to be paired with food, like seafood in a rich cream sauce.

2022 Merlot 3 $29

I smell orange blossoms and minerals, and we joke about licking rocks from the beach. Lots of strawberry and orange tastes, with a long finish, make this rosé a real contrast to the 181.

2022 Merlot Sauvage $29

I explain to our friends that “sauvage” refers to the use of wild yeast, and one friend, a music aficionado, says the word “sauvage” reminds him of a line from the Benjamin Britton ballet, “Les Illuminations,” “J’ai seul la clef de cette parade sauvage.” The line is from a poem by Rimbaud. Thus illuminated, we sip the wine, and are quite pleased. Comments include “mouth-watering,” “a lot of taste,” and “peaches again.” It also has a very pleasing minerality. We each buy a bottle.

*There are helpful tasting notes undeneath each glass.*

2022 Merlot 314 $27

I swear, this smells like orange juice. Yummy. It is fruity, and would pair well with charcuterie.

2022 Jolie Cabernet Franc $27

They saved the best for last, we decide, as we enjoy this flavorful sipper, with notes of strawberry shortcake and spice. We also each buy a bottle of this one, as well.

*When it is time to pay, you go through the doorway in the background, where there is a little retail store.*

*Checks are charmingly delivered attached to shells.*

Reasons to visit: the lovely, relaxed garden setting; dogs are allowed; you like rosés; all the wines we tasted, but especially the Sauvage and the Jolie; nice menu of snacks.

*Some of the items for sale in the retail store.*

*Cans of wine are becoming increasingly popular.*

Lenz Winery: Intangibles

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting, Uncategorized and tagged with cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, dogs allowed, Estate Selection Chardonnay, Estate Selection Merlot, Firefly Rose, gewurztraminer, Lenz, menu of snacks, merlot, North Fork, rose, sauvignon blanc, wine tasting July 20, 2023

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.*

Clovis Point: A Civilized Afternoon

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with Black Label Chardonnay, cabernet franc, chardonnay, Clovis Point, menu of snacks, merlot, no coolers, no pets, North Fork, rose, sauvignon blanc, snacks allowed, wine tasting May 18, 2023

May 16, 2023

#Clovispoint #Blacklabelchardonnay #northfork #winetasting #nopets

We had done our civic duty and voted in the Board of Education election, and found ourselves at 3:30 in the afternoon with nothing to do, so we took ourselves to Clovis Point. As we sat on the shaded deck, looking out at the sunlit vines and listening to some soft classic rock, I commented to my tasting buddy that this was a very civilized way to spend an afternoon. The chairs are comfortable, and the flowers on each table are a nice touch. We also appreciated the way our tasting was served to us—in a series of little carafes, with each of us getting our own glass. We had told our cheerful and attentive server that we’d be sharing one tasting, since it consisted of seven wines for $30. And indeed, it was plenty, and we left feeling no pain, but also perfectly compos mentis.

Only one other table was occupied, by a small group speaking French, who seemed to be enjoying themselves very much. We took our time with our tastes, discussing the wines and munching on North Fork Potato Chips ($6 for a large bag). Our server also supplied us with a plate and napkins, so we could dole out each serving.

One more note on civilization—the name “Clovis point” refers to a projectile point originally used during the Ice Age, 12,000-13,000 years ago, a mark of very early civilization! Now you know what the meaning is of the symbol of the winery, which is found on their bottles.

2021 Sauvignon Blanc $29

Our tasting started, as many local ones do, with the sauvignon blanc, a light, easy-to-drink white. It has a pleasant, flowery aroma, and a bit of a funky taste, plus definite minerality. “There’s not a lot to it,” opined my husband, and I replied that it would go well with oysters.

*We really liked this way of serving a shared tasting, as it is more hygienic than sipping from the same glass. Quite civilized.*

2021 Chardonnay $25

This is their steel-fermented chard, another light white, with a touch of petrichor in the aroma. It has some lemon tastes, and actually complements the potato chips very well, which leads me to think that it would go well with charcuterie. My tasting buddy notes that the taste is a bit floral at the end.

2021 Black Label Chardonnay $28

Some people like oaked chards, and some don’t, so this combo—80% steel and 20% barrel aged—might please everyone. At least, it pleases me! It smells similar to the previous chard, but the taste is different—smoother, juicier. Mouth-watering, we decide, and buyable, though we don’t get a bottle this time.

2021 Rosé $22.50

Interestingly, though this is 95% cabernet franc and only 5% chardonnay, the aroma reminds me of the chardonnays. It has some typical strawberry flavor, and though my husband says he is “neither up nor down” on it, I think it is a nice summer sipper. This is another light wine, and I could see pairing it with a Catapano goat cheese and some crackers.

2020 Merlot $29

Merlots are very common on the North Fork, and often very similar, with a taste and aroma of cherries. This one is no exception, with also some notes of spice and pencil shavings (What, you never chewed on a pencil when you were a kid?).

2019 Cabernet Franc $45

Oh my. That’s quite a price jump, but, on the other hand, this is quite a wine. The tasting notes suggest mocha and coffee, and I add complex and interesting, with a brambly aroma. I could see pairing this with a nice steak dinner.

2016 Artifact $45

Though I caution my husband that this is a port, he complains that it is too sweet. Well, but for a port it is not too sweet. It is aged 44 months in neutral oak. I think it smells a bit like licorice (I, unlike many people, like black licorice.) and berries. Yes, I could see lingering after dinner over a glass of this, cracking walnuts and pretending to be in an English novel. The name, by the way, is a nod to the Clovis point concept.

*Lees left in the glass after drinking the port.*

Reasons to visit: pleasant outdoor area; music on the weekends; they have a menu of snacks but also allow outside food, as long as you don’t bring a cooler; the Black Label Chardonnay and the Cabernet Franc, plus the Artifact if you want a not very sweet port.

Suhru Wines: Shelter from the Storm

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with About Food, All for One, Bordeaux blend, Braun's, Bridge Lane, cabernet franc, Cutchogue, Ember, Lieb Cellars, Malbec, menu of snacks, North Fork, NV Brut, petit verdot, pinot grigio, Russell Hearn, Shiraz, Southold, SuHru, teroldego, wine tasting February 21, 2022

February 19, 2022

*There’s a convenient parking lot out back.*

It was the type of day when, as they say, if you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes. In the morning, with some guests, we explored the Southold Winter Festival, and it was sunny though cold and windy. We admired the ice sculptures being chiseled out of blocks of ice, stopped in to a couple of our favorite shops, and headed home to warm up and have a snack. Then we ventured out again in the afternoon, as the sunny day turned cloudy, and snowflakes flew past us, to have a tasting at Suhru in Cutchogue. By the time we emerged, the storm was over and it was sunny again. (And then later another snow squall moved through!)

*There wasn’t much to the first Southold Winter Festival, but the ice sculptor was cool.*

We were all glad we had ventured out, because we thoroughly enjoyed our tasting experience at Suhru’s small but well laid out tasting room, which we had to ourselves most of the afternoon. The young man in charge of the room was attentive, engaging, and well-informed about the wines, bringing us water and making sure we had all that we needed.

Suhru is a winery without a vineyard, as the winemaker, Russell Hearn (who is also the winemaker for Leib and Bridge Lane), buys his grapes each year based on whose crop he favors. For example, he makes wine from teroldego grapes, which were planted by Southold Farm + Cellar, who sadly had to move to Texas. At the moment, Russell offers ten wines for tasting, with four different flight options: February Favorites, four wines for $17; Whites and Rosé, four for $14; Red Wines, four for $21, and Choose Your Own, any four for $19. You can also ask for individual tastes, glasses, or a bottle. Our friends went with the red flight, while my husband and I decided to choose our own adventure.

I hadn’t been here since 2018, so I didn’t know they now have a nice lttle menu of snacks, mostly cheese and charcuterie, but also a few other items. Our friends decided to have the Marcona almonds, which turned out to be a miniscule serving for $2, so we added a bag of North Fork potato chips.

Our selections arrived in a cute round tray, with each wine resting on its labeled spot, and we proceeded to taste clockwise. I’ll detail my tasting first, then the two wines they had that differed from mine.

NV Brut $29

I’ve decided to try sparkling wines everywhere they are offered—last week I tasted two at Pindar—and so far, so good. In fact, very good. We like this dry, tasty sparkler, made in the méthode champenoise, so much that our friends add a taste to their flight after we all finish. It has that lovely yeasty aroma of good bubbly, with tiny bubbles, and tastes of pear and maybe a touch of citrus. Mouth-watering. It’s a blend of chardonnay and pinot noir, according to our helpful server.

2020 Pinot Grigio $19

Although we are told that this is their “signature wine,” I am not enamored of it. On the other hand, my tasting buddy really likes it. As they say, there are no wrong answers in wine (well, there are, but, as they say in French, “Chacun à son gout.”) I get lemon and green apple tastes, but also something like cardboard. It is light and dry.

2020 Teroldego $30

Teroldego is a Northern Italian grape, not often grown on Long Island, so I ask our server where the grapes came from, which is how I learn the vines were planted by the owners of Southold Farm + Cellar. I was sorry to see that winery close, because they made some lovely wines, were very nice people, and had the most creative wine names I ever saw, but they had some sort of difficulties with local regulations and eventually closed up shop and moved to Texas, where they now have a winery. In any event, I’m glad the grapes are being used, because this is a delicious wine. It has a beautiful aroma of roses, and tastes of red raspberry and other berries. It is a somewhat light red which would go well with charcuterie, and could even be slightly chilled to accompany seared tuna. Last week I bought some fresh tuna steaks at Braun’s and my friend and I seared them with a pan sauce of capers, lemon, and garlic, and this would have gone well with that.

2019 Shiraz $25

When our daughter got married, we had a little wine tasting to decide which wines to serve. We already had the white picked out—Channing Daughter’s Scuttlehole Chardonnay—but we needed a red to go with lamb. This shiraz would definitely have been a contender. It is a bit peppery—apparently some people compare the taste to Dr. Pepper! –which would cut the fat of the lamb nicely. Good red fruit tastes plus something deeper.

2019 Cabernet Franc $30

“This tastes lighter than I expected,” opines our friend, who nonetheless finds the wine, which is in her tasting, not mine, quite pleasant. It has some teroldego mixed in, we are told. Good berry tastes. Our friends got up to peruse the display of bottles, and were charmed to realize that they have actually tasted wine from this winery, as one with the T’Jara label is carried in their local wine shop in Queens. In fact, according to a map on the wall, Suhru ships to many of the states.

2019 Ember $25

Our friends like this so much, that I add a taste of it after I finish my flight. This is Suhru’s Bordeaux blend, a merlot-heavy mixture including cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot, and malbec. It is so drinkable that I resent sharing it with my tasting buddy. Kidding. Or maybe not. It is complex and balanced, with aromas of fruits, including cherry, and lots of interesting fruit tastes. The name? They had a little competition in the family, and apparently one cousin felt ember was a good name, as it evoked the long-lasting warmth of a fire. I can see that. I buy two bottles to take home.

Reasons to visit: intimate tasting room where you can sometimes interact with the owners; all the wines are good, but especially the Brut, the Teroldego, the Shiraz, and the Ember; they have a nice little menu of snacks, but don’t bother with the Marcona almonds, unless you think $2 for about ten nuts is a good price; there is a backyard patio seating area for warm weather; if you’re planning a picnic, note that they offer several of their wines in cans.

*This is a fascinating shop in the Feather Hill shopping center in Southold.*

*Another favorite shop is About Food, where you never know what you will find.*

Palmer Vineyards: Cozy Setting, Not So Warm Welcome

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with 8 Hands, Albarino, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, dogs may be allowed, menu of snacks, merlot, no outside food, North Fork, Palmer Vineyards, Weekend Red, wine tasting February 13, 2022

February 11, 2022

*The tasting room is in here, not the first building you see from the road.*

A break in the cold and snow, and a reduction in Covid rates, gave us the impetus to venture out for a tasting. We decided to head to Palmer, which we hadn’t been to since 2018, because I was curious to see if its new ownership made any difference. Fortunately, my favorite aspect of the tasting room—the cozy booths that remind us of our favorite London pubs—is still the same. The service, however, was lackadaisical. There were three workers in the tasting room, and we were the only customers (one hardy couple was seated outside), but the service consisted of one person setting our wines on the table, indicating the order in which to taste them, and referring us to the menu for all other information. Did anyone stop by our table to ask how we liked the wines? Nope. When we finished, did anyone ask if we wanted anything else? Nope. I wanted a taste of the Albariño after we finished, but as I sat there with four empty glasses, while my tasting buddy visited the rest room, the server spent his time looking at his phone and carefully NOT looking my way until I was finally able to catch his eye. Sigh.

In any event, the wines were all quite drinkable, and the pour was generous. We opted for a tasting of four reds, for $25. Our other options were a tasting of whites and a rosé, for $22, or a Reserve tasting, of their higher end wines, for $35. Another page of the menu offers glass and bottle rates (the latter higher if you are consuming it on the premises) and a third page lists snacks, local beers, and coffee or tea. They do not allow outside food. There was a food truck parked in the parking lot, and I wanted to ask about it, but felt the servers had no interest in conversation.

2016 Merlot $25

“Pleasant and tasty,” said my drinking buddy. If you like a very cherry merlot, this is not it, as it is not at all fruity, but it is somewhat interesting. It smells of cherries and tobacco and fresh-cut wood, with some berry tastes and maybe a touch of vanilla. Dry.

Can’t tell the players without a scorecard.

2016 Cabernet Franc $30

This one has a flowery aroma, and tastes like purple plums. Like the merlot, it is dry, with some nice tannins, but no finish. Last week we had some lovely little lamb chops from 8 Hands Farm, which I seasoned with the last of the sage from the garden and marjoram, and this would have gone well with them.

Weekend Red $22

We actually considered buying this, our favorite of the flight, especially since Palmer offers a 5% discount if you buy three. This is their Bordeaux blend—70% cabernet franc, 20% cabernet sauvignon, and 10% merlot. I think it smells like red lollipops, but my husband disagrees. However, we both like the taste, of black raspberry with a touch of cherry, and lots of tannins.

*The decor includes these faux posters, some the worse for wear. Since we’ve been watching the Olympics, this one amused us.*

2017 Cabernet Sauvignon $30

I was wondering if I had nose fatigue, since I could barely get any aroma, but my tasting pal agreed. He also said he was not impressed with it, as the initial fruit flavor quickly faded away. I felt there was an unpleasant taste at the end.

2021 Albariño $30

I really wanted to try this, since I often like albariño, and not many Long Island wineries use this grape, or only use it in blends. I did like this version, which had delicious aromas of lychee and flowers, and tastes of apples and nectarines, and was pleasantly tart. When it came time to pay for our tasting, I reminded the server that I had had this extra taste, and he said, “No charge.” Well, that was nice.

Reasons to visit: cozy tasting room, plus an ample veranda and outside seating area; the Weekend Red and the Albariño; in the past, they allowed dogs at the outside tables, but I would ask before bringing Fido.

RGNY: Many Changes

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with cabernet franc, chicken tacos, Martha Clara, menu of snacks, Mexican PB&J, North Fork, paletas, RGNY, Sparkling Rose, viognier, white merlot, wine tasting November 5, 2021

November 3, 2021

From the outside, the winery that used to be called Martha Clara looks much the same, but as soon as we stepped inside, we saw that it looks very different. And once we tasted the wines, made by winemaker Lilia Perez, we knew that it was not at all the same. I find it so interesting that the same grapes, grown in the same vineyard, can yield such different-tasting wines. Martha Clara’s wines, for example, definitely tended to feature some sweetness, while the RG wines (named for the Rivero Gonzàlez family) we tasted were dry.

The shop inside the entrance used to have all sorts of items, including snacks, while now it is much simpler, with just the RG wines and a few Mexican items, such as baskets. Then we walked into the large tasting room, which used to feature a huge bar, which more or less snaked through the entire room. Now the bar is only on one side, with the rest of the space taken up by some small round tables with comfy chairs and some couches. The walls are bare, and the overall effect is rather stark. I think they could do more to warm up the space, and suggested to my husband that a pot-bellied stove would be a nice focal point. He looked skeptical. The side room (where the restrooms are located) is still pretty similar, filled with tables and chairs.

We were greeted by a friendly server who asked us if we had a reservation. We looked around the large room, empty except for one other couple, and asked in mock concern, “Oh no, should we have made one? Will you have room for us?” She laughed, as did we, and explained that she actually had three reservations for that afternoon, and so wanted to be sure that she honored the process. (Quite a few wineries are continuing their pandemic-caused practice of requiring reservations, so be sure you check websites before you go.) Then she presented us with a QR code to scan in order to read the menu.

We had intended to sit at the bar, but found the chairs there not comfortable, and so moved to a table, where we liked the chairs very much. We recently had been shopping for new dining room chairs, and my husband commented that these would have worked nicely. The menu features three different flights, labelled Scielo, White, and RG. The RG flight, for $22, seemed the most varied, so we opted to share it. We were glad we were sharing, since the pour, of four wines, is quite generous, and we actually left over some wine! There’s also a short but creative menu of food items, including chicken tacos, a Mexican PB&J, and paletas, which, Google informed me, are a kind of Mexican ice pop.

With our flight she brought a bottle of water and two cups, a nice touch, and asked if there was anything else we wanted. We asked her to turn down the very loud music, which she immediately did. Whew. Then later, I asked about the vintages of the wines, since that information was not anywhere to be seen.

2019 Sparkling Rosé $30

Sometimes sparkling rosés are too sweet, but this one is just right, with a refreshing taste of strawberries and pink grapefruit and moderate bubbles. We like this, and decide that if we wanted a celebratory pink wine, we might get this one.

2018 Viognier $33

Many of the wineries on the North Fork that grow viognier use it in blends, so I don’t often see it on its own. Again, this is a dry wine, mouth-watering, with tastes of spice and pears. The aroma is a bit funky, with some scent of stewed pears. We like it.

2018 White Merlot $32

White merlot? You may ask, I thought merlot was a red wine grape. And so it is. But if you ferment it without the skins, you get a white wine. Anthony Nappa used to make a wine called Anomaly, a white pinot noir, which we liked very much. This is also good, and is a nice, light, good sipping white, though not very interesting. I say it tastes like gooseberries. Some day I will buy gooseberries again and see if the taste I remember is correct…

2019 Cabernet Franc $37

Lovely aroma—chocolate covered cherries! This is another easy to drink wine, with soft tannins, dry, and a flavor that makes me think of dried fruit compote, or maybe stewed prunes (which I happen to like very much).

Reasons to visit: large venue with plenty of room for groups, including outside areas; pleasant wines and a large pour; the sparkling rosé and the viognier, though all the wines were easy to drink; an interesting food menu.

NoFo Wineaux

Wine notes from Long Island's North Fork

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