Sannino Vinveyard: Another Denizen of Peconic Lane July 13, 2018

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with Bella Vita, Bianca Dolce, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, Chilly Day Chardonnay, Fresco White Blend, gewurztraminer, merlot, no outside food, North Fork, Peconic Lane, riesling, Sannino, sauvignon blanc, Spotlight Petit Verdot, syrah, wine tasting July 15, 2018

www.sanninovineyard.com/

As you near the southern end of Peconic Lane, you come to Sannino Bella Vita Vineyard, formerly Ackerly Pond.

Here’s another place where you can often talk to the winemaker or a member of his family. On this beautiful Friday afternoon we were served our wine by a daughter of Anthony Sannino, who has clearly absorbed much of her father’s love of winemaking. I enjoy these discussions, as I always learn something new about wine and wine-making.

This view encompasses most of the tasting room.

The cozy Sannino tasting room is in a converted barn, and they also have a pleasant outdoor area with some shade-giving canopies. Since we had the place to ourselves, we decided to sit outside and enjoy the warm—but not too hot—afternoon. Our decision was facilitated by the fact that they serve all of your tastes at once, on a tray with circles where you can indicate your choices.

A tasting is $18 for six tastes, or $3.50 per taste. As we perused the menu of thirteen wines (plus two that are sold out), Ms. Sannino gave us some useful information about the choices. Most of the whites are new this year, the 2017 vintage, except for a couple of oaked ones. The reds are about to be supplanted by a new vintage, so we may have to come back to try the rest of them. She’s particularly enthusiastic about the 2015 reds, she told us, as it was a good year for reds.

She also offered us a cheese and charcuterie tray, but we had had lunch, so we declined. It did sound very nice. By the way, they don’t allow outside food or drinks. She also proudly pointed out a number of their wines which had recently won awards. We will be looking forward, in a few years, to see the result of an experiment they are trying: they have planted three acres with several different varieties of grapes which no one else on the North Fork is growing.

We finally decided to try all six of the 2017 whites in a shared tasting. How about the reds? We were going to come back another day, but then, after we finished the whites, we decided to go ahead and add the four reds on the menu. (My husband, the designated driver, gallantly offered to have just one sip of each while I finished the rest of the glass. It’s a tough job…) On her own, Ms. Sannino added a taste of the 2015 cabernet franc, which will soon be on the menu.

Five whites and one rose

2017 Gewürztraminer $24

Since gewürztraminer can often be sweet, I was wondering why this was first on the menu. One sip told me why—it’s not sweet! The menu describes it as “elegant,” which is not a bad summary, though it doesn’t really tell you much about the wine. The aroma is quite floral and the taste combines spice and fruit and some minerality, plus a touch of grapefruit. Overall it is dry and light, without the veggie taste you sometimes get in a gewürztraminer.

Another couple of months and they’ll be wine.

2017 Chilly Day Chardonnay $24

The menu also includes an oaked chard, but I tend to prefer steel, so I stuck with this one. There’s not much aroma, though I detect a hint of forest floor. However, it tastes better than it smells, with a toasty warmth and a touch of lime. “Serviceable,” says my tasting buddy. I think it would be good with bluefish.

2017 Fresco White Blend $20

Our server notes that since this is a blend of the other wines we have in the tasting, it might be fun to taste back and forth, trying to detect the traces of each in this one. It’s a blend of 55% chardonnay, 15% gewürztraminer, 15% riesling, and 15% sauvignon blanc. I like the aroma, which is sweet and complex, with something a bit funky (like the chardonnay) and minerality. The taste, however, is relatively simple, but dry, with notes of salt and, believe it or not, cucumber. It’s nice to sip outside on a warm summer day. If we hadn’t just replenished our whites I could see buying a bottle.

2017 Sauvignon Blanc $26

The menu describes this as “off dry,” which sometimes means too sweet for us, but though this does have some sweetness I find it balanced enough that I like it. The aroma is very attractive, and reminds me of 7 Up, of all things. There are tastes of mango and pineapple, but the sweetness dissipates fairly quickly so you get other flavors as well. I think it would pair well with charcuterie, and when I note this to our server she tells us how this wine came to be. Her father, the winemaker, called her one day to say that the wine had, on its own, stopped fermentation. Happy with the result, he left it as is. Good decision.

2017 Riesling $22

On the other hand, the riesling is too sweet. It smells like clover honey and tastes like sweet oranges with some spice. It might be okay with Thai food.

The rose is a pretty color.

2017 Bianca Dolce $16

“Gentle pink roses” says the menu of this rosé. I’m not sure what a gentle rose is, but this is a very pleasant rosé, made from 100% merlot with the “free run juice” which comes right off the grapes. Typical strawberry aroma and flavor, this is another dry, light wine. I still prefer Croteaux.

2014 Merlot $25

Now we get a fresh tray of reds, labeled on the paper with the number on the menu of the wine. 2014 was not a great year for reds, and this is a fairly light merlot, with typical cherry flavor and aroma. Just okay.

2014 Syrah $30

This is from their “certified sustainable” vineyard. It has some tannins and nice fruit, but almost no aroma. This is not a big wine, but would be okay with lamb chops.

2014 “Spotlight” Petit Verdot $35

Why “spotlight”? Because, she explains, most wineries use petit verdot as a blending wine, but in this case they wanted to put the spotlight on the petit verdot, just blending in 15% cabernet sauvignon. After the fruity aroma I was expecting a bigger wine, but this is good anyway. My husband notes that it starts stronger than it ends. Perhaps it needs to age more, as we do detect some tannins.

2014 Cabernet Sauvignon $30

I insist this smells like grape Jell-O. I am doubted. In any event, this is another dry, rather light red, with some cherry berry tastes. It wouldn’t stand up to a steak, but could go with pork chops.

An array of bottles bearing awards

2015 Cabernet Franc $? (Not on the menu, but the sold-out 2014 was $34)

Power of the book, as we often say, but also, I like to think, of our sincere interest in the wines: we get an extra taste. And this is the best of the reds, for sure. I swear it smells like bread and butter pickles, as well as fruit. The wine has lots of tannins but is rather smooth and certainly has potential, perhaps with more aging. Good. I enjoy drinking it. Pairing? How about a marinated strip steak with chimichurri sauce?

Some wine-related gifts. I bought one.

Reasons to visit: pleasant small winery with the chance to talk with the winemaker or a family member; on Peconic Lane, so it could be part of a winery walking tour; the Fresco White Blend, the sauvignon blanc, the 2015 cabernet franc; nice outdoor area; small selection of wine-related gift items, including t-shirts and candles. They also offer wine-making classes, tours of the winery, and overnights at their small inn.

Though they’ve sold out all the Ackerly Pond wines, they keep the sign up out of respect for their predecessor at the site.

Shinn Estate Vineyard: New Owner, Eager to Please July 3, 2018

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with B&B, brandy and eau de vie, cabernet franc, Coalescence, Estate Merlot, First Fruit, Grace, no outside food, Non-vintage Red Blend, North Fork, Randy Frankel, riesling, rose, Rose Hill Rose, Seven Barrels, Shinn Estate Vineyards, wine tasting July 9, 2018

http://shinnestatevineyards.com/

The new patio looks great, but it was too hot to sit out there.

“We’re actually here for the air-conditioning,” we only partially joked with our server, as we arrived at Shinn in the midst of a heat wave. And even though the outside patio area has been beautifully re-done and expanded since our last visit, no one was tempted to sit outside.

There’s also seating out in the yard, but the parking lot is quite small for the number of seats at the winery.

We were particularly curious to check out Shinn, a winery we like for several reasons, since it is under new ownership for the first time since it was founded. As we sipped and discussed the wines and I wrote in my notebook, the new owner, Randy Frankel, entered and introduced himself. He was talking to everyone in the room, but he was evidently intrigued by my notebook and asked what we thought of the wines so far. We had just finished our flight of three whites and a rosé, and my husband summarized our opinion by saying we found the wines, “Safe.” Randy seemed a bit perturbed by that description and he said, “Wait, the winemaker is right here. Tell him. Patrick!”

One side of the tasting room

As we discussed the fact that we found the wines quite drinkable but rather light and simple, he suggested that we try the other rosé, not the one we had chosen from the menu. And indeed, we liked it better, and found it more interesting. We discussed Croteaux, and lamented the closing of their garden, and he eagerly informed us that they would be hosting a Croteaux pop-up event at their winery that week.

More of the patio

The party room and another part of the patio

Then he suggested we check out the new party room he was having remodeled, just across the patio from the tasting room. As we walked over, we noticed that the patio was even larger that we had seen at first, with some comfortable-looking seating. Not quite as pretty as Croteaux’s garden, but with a few more flowers it would come close. The room he led us to has comfortable leather couches and a big fireplace. My husband said, “It reminds me of Sherwood House.” Randy introduced us to the designer, who was there, and who also designed Sherwood’s tasting room! Good eye, dear. Randy then gave another couple the same tour. We have learned that if you take your tasting seriously, especially if you take notes, you often get extra attention from servers.

We finally confessed to our server that I write a blog, and she insisted we try a taste of their most expensive wine. Then, as we bought two bottles of wine, she comped us our tastings. Plenty of places will comp your tasting if you buy a certain number of bottles, but I assume this was in response to my being a blogger. (Full disclosure!)

The wine menu lists ten wines under the heading “Traditional Wine Tasting,” of which you can choose four for a $16 tasting, and five “Small Production” wines, of which you can choose four for a $24 tasting. They also have two brandies and an eau de vie available by the glass, at $15 for the brandies and $10 for the eau de vie. You get all of your tastes at once, identified by little labels, so you can easily have your tasting at a table inside or outside. They do not allow outside food, and have a small menu of snacks, including North Fork doughnuts and a charcuterie platter. We got a dish of mixed nuts for $5.

By the way, Shinn also has a four-room B and B at the winery, which Randy said has also been remodeled, and they offer tours of the winery for $35 if you book ahead.

2017 Coalescence $19

A blend, this is the perfect illustration that the year matters. In the past we have alternated liking and not liking this wine. This time we liked it! 36% sauvignon blanc, 34% chardonnay, 2.6% riesling, 2.5% semillon, and 1.5% pinot blanc is the blend. I got a faint whiff of cat pee aroma, but mostly honeysuckle and minerals. The taste is light and lemony, dry yet mouth-watering. It would be great with bluefish.

Our tasting of three whites and a rose.

2017 First Fruit $22

The menu labels this as made with “aromatic sauvignon blanc,” but we don’t find it particularly aromatic. It is also very light, maybe too light. As my tasting pal notes, one could guzzle this and not even notice. I feel as though I taste some toasted coconut, though he disagrees.

New label design

2016 Riesling $22

We wondered whether this was made with local grapes or grapes from upstate, since the menu identifies it as coming from the “Robert Schreiber vineyard.” No, we are told, the vineyard is just down the street. Though I detect a bit of cotton candy aroma, there is no sweetness to this very dry riesling. In fact, opines my husband, he would not even think it was a riesling, it is so dry and light. “It’s almost not there,” he says.

Particularly welcome on this hot day, a bottle of chilled water comes with the tastings.

2016 Rosé $19

According to our server, this is the less sweet of the two rosés, so we choose it. 100% merlot, it smells like strawberry-rhubarb pie and has some strawberry taste, but again, it is very light and the taste quickly evanesces.

The bottle of Rose Hill

2017 Rose Hill Rosé $24

As I noted above, this is an extra taste we were given, and I’m glad we were. The color of this is very light, almost white, but the taste is much more interesting than the other rosé. It is a blend of merlot, chardonnay, and riesling, and Patrick informs us that it spends very little time on the skins, hence the light color. We get lots of fruit tastes plus refreshing minerality. They have it on tap at the winery! We decide we will buy a bottle.

2017 Cabernet Franc $30

Now we line up four reds to taste, starting with this one, which is steel fermented and has no sulfites. It was made at the request of a restaurant, and then the winery decided to make some for themselves as well. As you would expect from a steel-fermented red, this is fruity, with cherry flavor and not much else. No tannins. “Undistinguished but pleasant,” says my husband. I could see making it into sangria.

We were so deep in conversation that we had made inroads on the nuts and the reds before I remembered to take a picture.

Non-Vintage Red Blend $19

Lots of wineries have a wine like this, a blend of various wines from various years. Some attempt to produce some sort of consistent taste from year to year, and others just try to make a drinkable wine. Not sure what the philosophy is here, but it is quite a nice wine. A blend of merlot, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, malbec, and petit verdot, it has a fruity aroma and taste with some pleasant tannins. It would be good with lamb chops. We buy a bottle of this, too, as we are always on the lookout for everyday dinner wines.

2015 Estate Merlot $30

Cherry aroma and taste define this as a rather typical North Fork merlot. Nothing wrong with that. This one is a bit on the light side, with some soft tannins.

2015 Seven Barrels $38

Guess how many barrels of this they’ve made. 93% merlot, 4% cabernet sauvignon, and 3% petit verdot: I summarized this one as “cherry berry.” This is the most interesting of the wines so far, with some tannins and minerality, very drinkable. It would be good with a wide range of foods, including steak.

2013 Grace $90

Yes, that’s $90 a bottle. We generally don’t spend that much for a bottle of wine unless it’s for a very special occasion, but this is a very good wine. Maybe someday. A blend of 66% cabernet franc, 31% merlot, and 3% cabernet sauvignon, there are only three barrels of it. It smells delicious, complex, with layers of flavor. There’s fruit, but also tannins that make me think it could age well.

Reasons to visit: pleasantly rustic room and patio a bit off the beaten path; the Rose Hill Rosé, the 2013 Grace, the 2017 Coalescence, the Non-Vintage Red Blend, the Seven Barrels; small menu of snacks; they serve a bottle of chilled water with your tasting; I didn’t ask the current owners, but in the past they allowed dogs on the patio; an inn where you can spend the night.

Raphael Winery: High Ambitions February 19, 2018

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, First Label Chardonnay, First Label Riesling, Malbec, merlot, no outside food, North Fork, petit verdot, Primo Reserve, Raphael winery, Sauvignon Blanc First Label, Semillon, snack menu, White Primo Reserve, wine tasting February 21, 2018

http://www.raphaelwine.com/

Even the sign shows the winery’s Italian roots.

As you drive into the parking lot for Raphael, the Italian roots of the owner are immediately apparent. The red-tile-roofed building with the fountain in front would not look out of place in Tuscany. In case you had any doubts, notice the Italian flag flying next to the American flag. However, the wines are very much Long Island wines.

That partly open door leads to a large party room.

The tasting room is quite large, with an equally large party room off to one side, so it is no surprise that we often notice that Raphael is closed for private events. They have a fairly large selection of wine-related gifts. We walked up to the circular bar in the center and, after ordering our first tasting and a snack, were directed to a nearby table where we could quietly enjoy our tasting. Raphael does not permit outside foods, but they have a menu of snacks. We ordered the Grandma Flatbread with house-made mozzarella ($8.95), which was basically pizza, with a red sauce and too much oregano, but functioned to take the edge off our late-afternoon hunger.

The menu offers three tasting options each for whites and reds, all of which offer four tastes. There is a mixed tasting, an estate white or estate red, and a sweet white, all for $16, or a premium tasting, of whites or reds, for $20. In general, their wines are pricy for the North Fork, with their least expensive white at $27 and their premium reds costing $72. However, the menu does point out that quite a few of their premium wines, and a couple of others, have scores of 90 or better from Wine Advocate or Wine Enthusiast, if you are interested in that sort of thing.

We decided to do as we often do, and share two tastings, first of the premium whites and then of the premium reds. Our server carefully placed our glasses over their listings on the menu, so we could see which was which. She was quite knowledgeable about the wines, and informed us that when they do wine club events, she is the one who runs them—sets up the tastes and discusses each wine. She was curious as to our reactions to the wines, having noted my notebook, and we found we agreed on some and disagreed on others. Interestingly, this was one of the few wineries where my husband and I had fundamental disagreements on a couple of the wines. As the French say, “Chacun à son goût.”

2016 First Label Sauvignon Blanc $39

Interesting aroma. We agree on pine and citrus peel. The wine itself is dry and very light, pleasant, but with not much to it. I taste lime, and my husband insists on pear. It would be fine with oysters or simply sautéed scallops.

2014 First Label Riesling (Virgin Berry) $39

When I ask why “virgin berry,” our server says “because it sounds nice.” If I had a dump bucket, I would dump this one, as it both smells and tastes like gasoline, or “petrol,” as our server says. I think they went overboard on making this riesling dry and lemony. On the other hand, my husband likes it! We agree we would not, blindfolded, identify this as a riesling, but he thinks it would be good with a dish like shrimp scampi. “Chacun à son goût.”

2014 First Label Chardonnay $39

This is their oaked chardonnay, half of it aged in new French oak, so I’m not expecting to like it. However, I do! It’s not very oaky, though I do smell butterscotch and vanilla. It has lots of fruit flavor and a pleasant finish, though not much depth. I don’t think it is worth what they’re charging, however.

2015 White Primo Reserve $45

A blend of 31% sauvignon blanc, 20% semillon, and 49% riesling, aged in both steel and oak, this is my favorite of the four. It has a lovely floral aroma of orange blossoms. Again, this is a dry white with some minerality. Though it is almost half riesling, it does not have the gasoline aroma of the last taste. All their whites have a similarity of style, which I would characterize as lean, not big. By the way, our server says the previous year’s riesling was quite different, and she liked it better. We agree that you have to try wines every year, and can’t rely on what you liked from a previous vintage.

2013 Petit Verdot Reserve $72

Now my husband thinks he smells petrol. Nope, I say, macerated berries. “Chacun à son goût.” Well, we both like it. It has tannins which make us think it could still age more, and lots of tastes of really ripe blackberries. It is 90% petit verdot and 10% merlot, but I don’t get any cherry taste. Nice long finish. This would be good with a nice juicy steak.

2013 Cabernet Sauvignon $72

“I’d be happy to drink this if someone else was paying,” says my husband, and I agree. The aroma has a touch of forest floor funkiness as well as fruit, and it has lots of dark fruit tastes, though it’s not as big as the petit verdot. Barbequed butterflied leg of lamb is what I would make if you were bringing me a bottle of this.

The server put these cute labels on the glasses so we could carry them back to our table.

2013 Cabernet Franc Reserve $72

This is another nice but not incredible red, with some good fruit tastes. It could have more depth, and the finish is rather soft. Perhaps it needs to age some more.

2013 Primo Reserve $72

Finally, we try their not-Bordeaux blend, a mixture of 54% merlot, 27% malbec, 16% petit verdot, 2% cabernet sauvignon, and 1% cabernet franc. I’m not happy with the aroma, which reminds me of rotten eggs. My husband agrees that the smell is funky, but not that it’s rotten eggs. It tastes fine, though it is not complex. It has some tannins, so it would be good with lamb.

Reasons to visit: beautiful tasting room; nice menu of snacks; the First Label Chardonnay, the White Primo Reserve, the Petit Verdot Reserve; big selection of wine-related gifts.

Jamesport Vineyards: No Pizza Today February 3, 2018

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with cheese plate, Demi-Sec Riesling, East End Chardonnay, East End Cinq Blanc, East End Cinq Red, Estate Cabernet Franc, Estate Chardonnay, Estate Riesling, Estate Syrah, Jamesport Vineyards, Melange de Trois, Merlot Estate, no dogs, no outside food, North Fork, oysters, pizza, Riverhead Farmers Market, Sauvage Reserve, wine tasting February 9, 2018

wehttp://www.jamesportwines.com/

Don’t let the sunshine fool you–It was COLD!

In the summer, Jamesport has a wood-fired oven on the back patio, where they make thin-crust pizzas. They also often serve local oysters, and we have enjoyed sitting outside there with a glass of white wine and a plate of oysters in the summer sun, listening to music. However, this was the day after Groundhog Day, the icy parking lot made it clear there would be no sitting outside today, and when a couple came in seeking pizza they were referred to the restaurant Grana, just down the street. They were offered a cheese and charcuterie plate ($42), which a couple of large parties were having at their tables. (Jamesport does not allow pets or outside food, and allows children only outside in the back yard, not in the bar area.)

In the summer it is lovely to sit out here and enjoy music, oysters, and pizza from the wood-fired oven.

While some people might have been disappointed at the lack of pizza, they would not be disappointed in the wines. We tried ten (well, actually eleven) and liked most of them. The tasting menu offers any five wines for $20 from a list that includes six whites, six reds, three petillant naturels (sparkling wines), and a verjus. We decided to share two tastings, starting with the whites and then doing reds.

The nice-sized barn-like tasting room was surprisingly full for a mid-week winter day, but the lone server bustled about and was able to attend to everyone’s needs, including chatting with us about the wines and customizing our tasting. I am often so impressed with the people who serve in the wineries, with their ability to keep everyone’s tastings straight, recommend wines for varying tastes, and stay cheerful throughout.

2015 East End Chardonnay $18.95

Through a window in the wall of the tasting room you can see the steel vats in which this chardonnay is fermented. We sniff and identify citrus, orange, flowers, and another smell and taste we can’t quite identify until our server suggests almonds. Yes, bitter almond it is. We like this chardonnay, with its full taste and long finish, not too sweet, with a bit of minerality. We discuss what to pair it with, and settle on tuna, like the lovely tuna steaks we bought at the Riverhead Farmers Market last week.

What’s the difference between East End and Estate? At Jamesport, the former is their less expensive line. Legally, I’ve been told, “estate” doesn’t mean anything, so wineries can define it as they like.

2015 Estate Chardonnay $22.95

Oaked chards are not my favorite, but this one is not too oaky, with some lime and pear tastes, and almonds again. Both chards have a long finish. The tasting notes say “honey,” which I identify as the mouth feel of the wine. I could see having this with a spicy Italian seafood dish, like a fra diavolo.

2014 Sauvage Reserve $30.95

Our server is able to tell us that this wine uses sauvignon blanc clones, but not whether or not the word “sauvage” refers to wild yeast. In any event, this is another nice wine, a bit on the light side even though it is aged in oak, with a taste that reminds me of a fruit salad seasoned with a bit of liqueur. If I were here in the summer and having oysters, I’d get a glass of this, though we are told that a new vintage of this will be coming out soon, so I’d try a taste before I committed to a glass.

See my notes before you decide which riesling to try.

2013 Estate Riesling $22.95

There are two rieslings on the menu, and we choose this one because the other is called Demi-Sec, and is described as slightly sweet. Interestingly, this one is actually sweeter, as we discover when we tell our server it is too sweet for us. Here, he says, try a little taste of the 2013 Demi-Sec Riesling ($22.95). We like it better. It is less cloying and lighter, with an aroma that reminds us of cider. The menu describes the Estate Riesling as “crisp.” Nope.

By this time, we were friends with the server, so when he noted the bottle was almost empty he gave us the rest in our taste.

2015 East End CINQ Blanc $18.95

No surprise, this is a blend of five whites: chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, riesling, albariño, and pinot blanc. We describe this as a good, everyday table wine, and our friend the server agrees. It has a touch of sweetness, but not too much, with tastes of kiwi and peach and some minerality. You could have it with an omelet in the morning, he suggests, which leads to various humorous comments about a day that starts like that. How about with a quiche, I offer. If I needed some whites at home, I might have bought this one.

2014 East End CINQ Red $19.95

New glass as we switch to our red tasting, starting with another blend of five, this time of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, syrah, and pinot noir. I decide it smells like a Bordeaux, and if I had to guess I would bet that it has more cabernet sauvignon than merlot. It smells like dark fruits and berries and tastes like that, too. It is a somewhat light red, with no depth and some tannins, and would make a perfect picnic wine.

2013 Merlot Estate $27.95

This is another easy to drink wine, with the expected cherry aroma and taste, plus some hints of dark chocolate. It would go well with lamb or pork, but is not big enough to have with steak.

The sign tells you how many bottles of wine you can get per acre of grapes. An acre can yield about 300 bottles!

2015 Estate Syrah $24.95

I tend to like syrahs, and I like this one, too. I smell and taste dark fruits, especially purple plum, plus some spice, perhaps pepper. Really dry, this has strong tannins that make me think it could age. This wine would be fine with steak.

2014 Estate Cabernet Franc $32.95

And aging is what I think this cab needs. It doesn’t have much aroma. Lots of tannins, and it is dry, but the fruit seems underdeveloped to me. Just okay.

2014 Mélange de Trois $34.95

If you know French, you can deduce that this is a blend of three grapes and a play on “ménage à trois”: cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and cabernet franc. It is aged for two years in French oak, and then another two years in the bottle. We get into a discussion of the various grapes in this wine, and our server tells us how cabernet sauvignon does not do well every year. In fact, last year rather than use their cabernet sauvignon grapes in their own wine, they felt they did not meet Jamesport’s standards and sold the whole crop to Premium Wine Group. We like this wine, too, though it is more austere than luscious. Dry, with good tannins, it has blackberry and spice tastes. I could see having this with leg of lamb or steak frites.

Seems like a nice selection of cheeses.

Reasons to visit: in the summer, a big outdoor area with music and wood-oven pizza and oysters; in the winter, a cozy tasting room with cheese trays; the East End Chardonnay, the Sauvage Reserve, the East End CINQ Blanc and Red, the Mélange de Trois. We didn’t get to try the sparkling wines, but they have three if you were interested to try them.

Macari Vineyards: A Quiet Winter Day December 20, 2017

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with Backyard Brine pickles, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay estate, Concrete egg, Dos Aguas, Lifeforce Sauvignon Blanc, Long Island wine, Macari Vineyards, Malbec, Merlot Reserve, no outside food, North Fork, rose, sauvignon blanc, syrah, wine tasting December 28, 2017

The vines are bare now.

http://macariwines.com/visit/mattituck/

It’s pretty quiet on the North Fork now. There’s a skim of ice on the shallow parts of the Mattituck Inlet and almost all of the farm stands have closed. A few wineries are closed for the season, while others are only open on weekends. Macari’s tasting room on the Main Road is closed, but its other location, on the corner of Bergen Road and Sound Avenue, is open every day, so that’s where we went on this chilly day.

The large tasting room was decorated for Christmas with lights and pine branches, and if we had wanted to buy gifts of local or other gourmet jams, pickles, etc., we could have found plenty of choices on the shelves near the entrance, where they also have cheeses, charcuterie, and crackers for sale. (No outside food allowed.) There was only one other couple at the bar, and one table of people in the adjoining room, so we had plenty of time to chat with the enthusiastic and well-informed server.

Our favorite local pickles!

No outside food allowed, but they have plenty for sale.

The menu offers three different flights of five tastes each: the Estate Flight for $20, the Cuvée Flight for $25, or the Vintage Flight for $30. There’s also a dessert wine flight, or, the server offered, she could custom build a flight if, for example, you only liked reds. As you might expect, as the flights increased in price, so did the wines in each one. We decided to share the Cuvée Flight, and the pour was generous enough that we felt that was plenty (plus we got a couple of extra tastes, courtesy of my notebook!).

After the tasting we bought one bottle of red wine and a jar of our favorite local pickles, Backyard Brine’s “Dill Death do us Part.”

1. 2016 Sauvignon Blanc $24
As our server poured this first taste, she enthused about what a great summer wine it is. No argument there. It is a steel-fermented, crisp, lemony white, with an aroma of mineral and gooseberry. It would go well with a big plate of chilled oysters.

2. 2016 “Lifeforce” Sauvignon Blanc $28
But now, she added, at this time of year, she prefers this version of the grape, and poured us an “extra” taste. Instead of being fermented in steel or wood, they use a concrete “egg” as a vat, and the result is quite a different wine. Though still somewhat citrusy, it is not nearly as lemony, and has some tropical fruit flavors, like pineapple. The aroma is almost woodsy or yeasty. There is definitely more going on in the taste of this one, and it could be sipped on its own. It is called Lifeforce because the egg shape causes the wine to stir itself. She showed us a whole explanation of the effects of using concrete, some of which is on this page of their web site: http://macariwines.com/wine/2016-sauvignon-blanc-lifeforce/

An explanation of the concrete “egg.”

3. 2015 Chardonnay Estate $24
This is a fairly typical North Fork steel-fermented chardonnay, with a touch of sweetness, some citrus, and a bit of roasted pear taste. Nice finish. It would be good with charcuterie.

An array of whites.

4. 2016 Rosé $20
Made from cabernet franc and merlot grapes, this is a very light, dry, almost white, rosé. The aroma does not have the expected strawberry scent, but is almost chemical, like a band-aid. However, it tastes fine, less fruity than some of Croteaux’s rosés, with plenty of citrus. I could see having it with lobster bisque or some other creamy, buttery seafood dish.

The rose is a very light pink.

5. 2013 Merlot Reserve $40
Now we move on to the reds, and she rinses our glass with a bit of red wine. We decide this is better than the average North Fork merlot. Aged sixteen months in new French oak, it has a delicious aroma of dark fruits and complex tastes of black cherry and cherry pie, dry, with good tannins. It could probably age well.

Our favorite of the reds, the Dos Aguas.

6. 2013 Dos Aguas $32
The name of this one is a nod to the two waters of the North Fork—the Long Island Sound and Peconic Bay. A blend of 50% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, and 8% Malbec, it is only made in good years, which 2013 clearly was. We really like it! We smell cherry, tobacco, and other dark fruits, and taste them as well. Lots of tannins. Dry, it would go well with steak or lamb chops, and we decide to buy a bottle and keep (or try to keep!) it for a couple of years.

If you are serious and thoughtful about your tasting, sometimes you get extras!

7. 2014 Syrah $45
We are so enthusiastic about the Dos Aguas that our server wonders if we would like to try their syrah. Sure, I reply, I often really like syrahs. I like this one, too, with its spicy aromas of cinnamon and nutmeg and soft tannins. I see that I have written good twice in my notes.

Plenty of room at the bar in the winter, but it is often crowded in the summer.

There are many tables in the next room, plus more outside.

Reasons to visit: A good all-around winery, with a long bar and ample tables; a good selection of cheeses, etc., so you can put together a snack, plus some local gourmet items; the Lifeforce Sauvignon Blanc, the Merlot Reserve, the Dos Aguas—actually, we liked all the wines, but those were especially interesting; two locations, so in the summer, if one is overcrowded you can try the other.

When you stand at the bar, you can look into the wine cellar.

Diliberto Winery: Pizza Parlor or Winery? October 27, 2017

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting, Uncategorized and tagged with 8 Hands Farm, Cantina, chardonnay, Diliberto Winery, farm stand, merlot, no children, no outside food, North Fork, pizza, rose, sauvignon blanc, Tre, wine tasting October 29, 2017

Diliberto Winery: Pizza Parlor or Winery?

The entrance to the indoor space. They also have an outdoor patio.

http://dilibertowinery.com/

The yeasty, tomatoey scent of baking pizza filled the small tasting room at Diliberto winery. Most of the people there seemed to have come for a glass or two of red wine and one of Sal’s thin-crust pizzas. Well, it was around one p.m. on Friday, so I guess it was lunch time. The pizza certainly smelled and looked good, and one of the customers told us as she was leaving that it tasted good, too, recommending that we get one. However, we were not hungry, so we settled on just a tasting.

I waited until people left so I could get a good shot of the mural.

The tasting room at Diliberto is small, but very pretty, with trompe l’oeil paintings on the wall to give you the sensation that you are sitting in an Italian piazza. The Visions series films, aerial views of Italy, play on the flat screen TV over the piano, and when it is quiet you can hear music from Italian operas playing in the background. What you won’t hear is the voices of children, since Diliberto’s has a strict “No one under 21” policy, with the addendum “including children.” They also do not allow outside food, but since most people seem to come for the $19 pizza, that’s not a problem. The menu includes a few other food items, and on Sundays they feature a full meal—details on their web page.

The wine menu features six wines, at $4 per taste or $10 for any three tastes. Wines are also available by the glass or bottle, with an additional charge if you want to drink the bottle in the winery. (For example, the Chardonnay is $22 for a bottle, but $27 if you want to drink it there.) The wines cost $8-$12 for a glass. We decided to try all six wines, or two tastings, which the server brought to our table all at once.

In the past, we’ve always spent time chatting with Sal Diliberto, but this time he was not in the winery. The young woman who was waiting on the tables was very pleasant, but clearly her job was not to discuss the wines. My guess is that he is there on Sundays, since the dinner includes a cooking demo, and he used to do those for free on the weekends.

This sign reminded me of how my Italian friends like to reminisce about Sunday family dinners, always with “gravy”–a.k.a. spaghetti sauce.

2016 Chardonnay $22

This is an oaked chardonnay, and, according to the menu, spends “five months in French oak,” so I was expecting lots of butterscotch and vanilla. Not so. I wonder if he mixes it with steel-fermented chardonnay, since it has a fair amount of citrus flavor. My husband describes it as “refreshing.” It is surprisingly tart, with only a hint of vanilla. Very drinkable, and would be nice with some charcuterie.

Our two flights were delivered all at once, and the server carefully pointed out which wine each one was.

2016 Sauvignon Blanc $19

I would have put this first in the tasting, since it is steel-fermented and quite light. It has some asparagus aroma, and tastes more like an orange or tangerine than a lemon. It also has a fair amount of minerality and saltiness. “Fire Island on the beach,” began my tasting buddy, waxing poetic as he sometimes does.

2016 Rosé $17

Now it was time for the menu writer to get poetic, describing this wine as perfect for “life on the patio with friends.” Well, yes, if your friends are not particularly interested in taste, since this rosé has very little. There’s nothing objectionable about this light, minerally rosé, with its taste of unripe strawberry and citrus, but we felt the aroma and taste were equally undistinguished.

2013 Merlot $19

All along I’ve been complaining that it is hard to decide how the wine smells because the aroma of pizza is so strong. Now I think this one smells like mushrooms, and I’d think it was because of the pizza, but there are no mushrooms on it. In any event, this is an okay merlot, rather tannic and even a bit harsh, with some black raspberry and nutmeg flavor. No cherry taste! We must have gotten the last glass in the bottle, as our taste has some sediment at the bottom.

There’s some sediment on the bottom of our glass of merlot.

2014 Cantina $22

Phew, this one is much better. A 50/50 blend of merlot and cabernet franc, this has aromas of cherry and tobacco and tastes of fruit and spice—more spice than fruit. Light and not complex, this is the sort of red that goes well with roast chicken (like the one I am planning to make with an 8 Hands chicken tonight) or pizza and pasta.

At Diliberto, you don’t stand at the bar for a tasting. They bring it to your seat.

2014 Tre $26

According to the menu, this one is only made in the best vintage years, of a blend of 65% merlot, 20% cabernet sauvignon, and 15% cabernet franc. I swear it smells like eggplant, though perhaps that’s because I’m trying to decide what I will make with the lovely eggplant I bought at a farm stand this morning. Anyway, the wine is quite good, with lots of black cherry and purple plum tastes. Dry, with some tannins, we think it might get better with age. My husband says it has “the backbone to deal with food,” and I suggest osso buco as a possible dish.

The flat screen TV shows scenes of Italy. I hear the piano gets used for various musical events.

Reasons to visit: you have a hankering for a glass of red (I suggest the Tre) and a pizza; you want a quiet, intimate setting for a tasting; the Sauvignon Blanc and the Tre; you don’t mind that they don’t allow children or outside food; you like relatively simple but well-priced wines.

The warm weather could fool you into thinking it is still summer, until you look at the vines and see that most of the grapes have been harvested.

NoFo Wineaux

Wine notes from Long Island's North Fork

Tag Archives: no outside food