Tag Archives: North Fork

Meadowlark:  Pizza Night!

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with , , , , , , , ,

September 8, 2023

Just one part of the capacious grounds.

It had been hot all day, but by 5 o’clock it had cooled off enough to sit outside, which we were glad to notice, since that had been our plan.  With our friends the winery aficionados, we headed to Meadowlark for pizza night.  The last time we had been to that property, many years ago, it had belonged to a different winery.  Then Macari took it over, at first running it as simply a second location for tastings, but now they had rebranded it as a somewhat different type of winery.  The emphasis here is on a few wines not available at Macari, as their website says, “limited wines, and innovative winemaking techniques available only at the Meadowlark property.”  In addition, they promote the property as an ideal place for weddings and other events, with two renovated barn-like buildings and extensive beautifully landscaped lawns and gardens.  It is only open to the public Friday afternoons, Saturdays, and Sundays. 

Have rolling pizza oven, will bake!
The comfortable table where we settled in for our evening.

We pulled into the parking lot and strolled up a slight rise to where a pizza oven roared, and then checked out one building, where an oyster bar offered freshly shucked oysters, and then the wine bar, before settling at a table on the deck outside the wine bar.  Music from speakers in the shrubbery included a few Grateful Dead songs.  Inside the wine bar, we acquired four glasses of wine from the limited menu of seven, deciding on two glasses of malbec, one of cabernet franc, and one of a grüner veltliner pet-nat (No flights on Friday nights.). 

Then we ambled over to the pizza oven, operated by pizza makers from The Rolling Gold, a shop with a “brick and mortar” site in Huntington.  There were five pies on offer, and we decided on one Margherita ($18) and one White ($20).  They gave us a buzzer, and only a few sips of wine later the buzzer went off. 

The pizzas were tasty, the Margherita with a fresh-tasting red sauce and fresh mozzarella, the white with plenty of garlic and melty stracciatella cheese, the crust appropriately slightly charred.  We thought there’d be leftovers, but we only took home one slice.  We had the patio to ourselves, though there were plenty of couples and small groups scattered over the lawns, and we sat and chatted until it began to get dark. 

Yummy pies. However, we would have liked it if plates were included, instead of just napkins.

Only a few notes on the wines:

  •  Grüner Veltliner Pét-Nat 2022                   $35

I’ve never seen a grüner veltliner made into a sparkling wine, so that’s something new to me.  I didn’t get to taste it, but one friend quite enjoyed it.  Meadowlark’s tasting notes describe it as “fresh” and “lively.”

Though it had cooled off enough to make sitting outside pleasant, it was still quite humid, as you can see by the condensation on this glass.
  • 2020 Malbec      $50

Our friend and I both chose this as a good red to go with a pizza, and it was.  Dry and pleasant, with more tannins than fruit, it was a very nice wine, though not a $50 bottle.  We discussed value versus price for a while, since, we agreed, it is perfectly possible to enjoy wines that are not all that expensive, though great wines are something special.

  • Cabernet Franc “Life Force” 2020              $30

“Life Force” is the way Macari characterizes the wines they make using a concrete “egg” for aging.  Their Life Force Sauvignon Blanc is one of my favorites of their wines.  This red is rather light, with tastes of red fruit and herbs.  It also went well with the pizza, and my husband was happy with this choice.

Those are oysters in the “boat.”

Reasons to visit:  excellent pizzas; relaxed, laid-back vibe on a Friday night; beautiful grounds; dogs allowed; some interesting wines to try.  I may go back some time on a Saturday or Sunday so I can try a flight, which they serve in test tubes (!). 

The staff was busy prepping these “test tubes” for Saturday’s wine tastings.

Old Field Vineyards: A Family Affair

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September 2, 2023

Why do I title this “A Family Affair”?  Two reasons:  I went there with a number of family members, and the winery is very emphatically family owned.  Perry, who greeted us cheerfully at the sign-in desk, and her mother are the winemakers and owners.  In addition, this is a good place to come with a family, as there is room for children to roam about the lawn and they can buy a little container of mealworms to feed the chickens.  In fact, Perry started our visit by warning us that someone had left the door to the chicken coop open, and they were wandering the lawn, just in case any member of our party had chicken-phobia (Well, she didn’t quite put it that way.)  Sounds more like a feature than a cause for a warning, I replied.

This visit to Old Field, while still having that laid-back vibe, felt somewhat different.  First of all, there were many more people there than I have seen in the past, though that could be due to it being Saturday of Labor Day weekend.  Then, instead of moseying over to the deck and sitting at a calico-tableclothed table, we ordered at the sign-in desk and were directed to find a table on the lawn, and told our flights would be brought to us.  We picked up two bags of popcorn for the little ones and a small container of meal worms ($1 each) for the chickens. By the way, they still allow visitors to bring their own picnics, just requesting that one clean up after oneself.

After a very short wait, during which the youngsters in our group, accompanied by their mother, walked over to the icehouse and the little pond, our flights were set down on the table.  The tasting menu offered four options: four whites, four reds ($20), the everyday mixed flight of five wines ($24), or the special occasion mixed flight of five wines ($30).  We decided that each couple would share one of the mixed flights, so that in all we tasted ten wines.  The flights were served on a tray, in compostable plastic cups, with glasses for each of us, which made sharing easy and hygienic.  As we sipped and chatted, a curious chicken stopped by our table to check if we had any snacks, but we were not planning to share our popcorn, and the children had already fed the mealworms to some other fowl.

At the end of your tasting, you walk back past the sign-in desk, where you can pay and also get any bottles to take home.

One view of the capacious lawn. We are headed to the blue table, with its comfortable chairs.

The following notes are in more or less the order in which I tasted the wines, so you might want to refer to the menu to see which wine was in which flight.

Our two flights, with the glasses for each individual.
  •  Sparkling Brut   $50

Good, but not $50 good was the group assessment of this very nice, dry, yeasty sparkling wine, which started off the special occasion mixed flight.

  •  2021 Cracklin’ Rosé        $23  

Made from 100% merlot, this is an unusual rosé, with not much fruit and a slightly funky undertone, with some cherry taste.  This was the first wine in the everyday mixed flight.

Though these cups look like plastic, they are actually corn-based and can be composted.
  • 2018 Steel and Oak Chardonnay                $26

This is made from a combination of steel-aged and oak fermented chardonnay. The leftovers? joked my husband.  For a combined wine, this is surprisingly simple, noted one guest.  It is pleasant, but a bit oakier than I like.  It has some citrus taste but also a bit of that I chewed on my pencil flavor.

This is the one we brought home.
  • 2022 Winsome White     $18

A blend of 50% chardonnay, 35% sauvignon blanc, and 15% grüner veltliner, this very winsome white has a touch of effervescence and some lovely peach flavor.  We like it so much that we buy two bottles at checkout.

  • 2022 White Pinot Noir    $25

Another winner.  Our guests like this the best of their tasting, and find it delicious, with tastes of pears and honey and some depth.  We discuss how one makes white wine with red wine grapes with the children, who understand that if you take off the skins right away, you get white wine. 

  • 2020 Steel Chardonnay                  $22

Not my favorite of the day, as it has a somewhat metallic taste and some earthiness.  It is light and dry. 

  • 2019 Commodore Perry Merlot                 $40

What’s Commodore Perry’s name doing on a North Fork wine?  The famous seafarer, who opened up Japan to Western trade, is an ancestor of the owners of the winery, and this 100% merlot is named in his honor.  Aged in French oak, it is quite tannic, with tastes of black cherry and tobacco.  I could see aging it.

  • 2021 Dashing Duck          $22

A light red, we all agree, which would go well with roast chicken.  Then we get into a discussion of the “red-feathered” chickens raised by 8 Hands Farm, as opposed to the “rouge” chickens our guests get in a Queens green market.  “In Jackson Heights, we say ‘rouge,’” jokes a guest, in a mock-haughty accent.  In any event, this wine has a lovely aroma and tastes of cherry and cranberry, with “some brio,” notes a guest.

  • 2020 Maritime $35

“Oh, that is chewy,” says the same guest, reading the notes while sipping this Bordeaux blend of 33% merlot, 33% cabernet franc, 20% malbec, and 14% petit verdot.  Very tasty, with blackberry and other dark fruit flavors. 

Is this chicken annoyed because we won’t share our snack or because we’re drinking Rooster Tail?
  • 2020 Rooster Tail             $25

We have in the past bought this wine by the case, and we actually have a bottle in our wine cellar at the moment, brought to us by a dinner guest.  A blend of 67% merlot and 33% cabernet franc, this is a good everyday pizza and pasta red, with some cherry and spice tastes. 

Reasons to visit:  the bucolic, laid-back vibe; chickens!; you can bring a picnic and children (but not dogs, I think the chickens would object); we liked almost all the wines, but particularly the Winsome White, the White Pinot Noir, the Commodore Perry merlot, the Maritime, and the Rooster Tail; it is close to Greenport’s restaurants and shops.

Coffee Pot Cellars: Learn Something New

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August 21, 2023

What a winning combination–prize winning wine and prize-winning jam.

I’ve learned so much over the years of going to wineries, from the differences between steel-fermented chardonnay and barrel-fermented chardonnay to how varied wines made from the same grape on the same terroir can taste.  I’ve also learned a lot from my visits to Coffee Pot Cellars—about wine, yes, but also about all sorts of other topics, from bees to butterflies.  Why?  Because Laura Klahr, who owns Coffee Pot with her husband, Adam Suprenant, is always happy to share her latest enthusiasms with visitors.  Her cheery, chatty personality is part of what makes a visit to this tiny winery fun.

Laura and Anna, with half of the monarch image painted on the wall behind them. Visitors are welcome to pose as butterflies.

On this visit, we learned about Sphinx moths, the part moths play in pollination, and about how certain caterpillars fluoresce under black light.  This fall, said Laura, I want to put black lights in the broom closet and have a rave with caterpillars.  We also admired the “snail art” hanging on the wall, art produced by snails crawling over paper.  Though she no longer raises bees and makes honey, she does make jam, which has won prizes, as have the wines.  The 2015 merlot won best merlot in New York State.  We tried the 2016, and it wouldn’t surprise me if it won awards, too.

The name Coffee Pot comes from the North Fork lighthouse, which is shaped like a coffee pot.

Now that Adam has retired from being the winemaker at Osprey’s Dominion, he has more time to devote to Coffee Pot, and they now have seven wines, all of which one can taste for $21.  As we sipped, we also chatted about her new dog, Anna, a black pug who has, not replaced, but fills the role, of Beasley, also a black pug, who gave his name to a red blend.  Anna is featured on their Facebook page, in a very cute little video, wearing a tutu. 

On a technical note, they source their grapes from Mccullough’s vineyard, and use the facilities at Lenz for fermentation. 

  •  2020 Sauvignon Blanc                  $23.99

Fermented in steel for six months, this is exactly what you want a sauvignon blanc to be—light, lemony, with some nice fruit tastes and a lovely floral aroma.

  • Chardonnay                        $17.99

You might notice the lack of a vintage year.  That is because this white is a blend of the 2016 barrel-fermented chard and the 2022 steel fermented.  I’m not a fan of barrel-fermented chards, especially if they are very oaky and buttery.  This is not, though it still has some of that woody taste I don’t care for.  However, the wine is quite drinkable, and is a good compromise between the two styles of chard, with some nice lemon and pear notes.

  • 2022 Rosé           $17.99

While we were at Coffee Pot, a couple came in and bought two bottles of this rosé, plus several jars of jam.  I can see why, as this is a lovely example of rosé, with strawberry and cherry tastes and aromas.  It’s made from a combination of merlot and cabernet sauvignon grapes. We buy a bottle to take home.

  • 2016 Merlot                      $17.99

Buy a bottle of merlot, help save a monarch butterfly.  How?  For every bottle of merlot bought, Blossom Meadow farm plants a milkweed plant, essential nutrition for monarch caterpillars.  In addition, this is a very good merlot, with the typical North Fork cherry taste and aroma.  It has some tannins, and could probably even age a bit, but we buy two bottles for current consumption.

There’s Beasley, standing on the lighthouse.
  • 2017 Beasley’s Blend       $23.99

Gone, but not forgotten, Beasley will continue to give his name to this Bordeaux-style blend, of 52% cabernet franc, 40% merlot, and 8% petit verdot.  Anna can’t give her name to a wine yet, Laura explained, because she is not old enough to drink!  This iteration is a new release, with enough tannins that I think it could age quite a few years yet.  There’s a touch of funky forest floor in the aroma, which also has lots of dark fruit notes.  It also has some delicious brambly dark fruit tastes.

  • 2019 Cabernet Franc       $29.99

Here’s where I learned something about wine.  Adam, says Laura, asserts that every wine tells a story, with a beginning, a middle, and an end.  He felt this cab franc had a rather “flabby” middle, so he added 12% merlot to give it more structure.  I’d say he built a fine structure, as this is a red strong enough to stand up to a steak.  Yummy tastes of blackberries, and more.

Half of the room, with snail art on the wall. The stools are not very comfortable.
  • 2017 Meritage                  $28.99

Another delicious red!  This one is 70% merlot, 20% petit verdot, and 10% cabernet sauvignon, with a distinct cherry aroma from the merlot, but more complex tastes from the other two grapes.  Mouth-watering, my husband and I agree.

Reasons to visit:  intimate tasting room where you can talk with Laura and/or Adam (Laura told us that Monday is usually Adam’s day) and meet little Anna; all seven of their wines, but especially the rosé, the merlot, and the cabernet franc; the possibility of learning something new from Laura.  One note: the bar stools are still not comfortable, though they do have tables on the front porch and out back with better seating. 

One can sit in the yard, but then one wouldn’t get to chat with Laura.

McCall’s Winery: Burger Night!

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August 3, 2023

A little over a year ago, we did a tasting at McCall’s Winery, and as I was paying, Mrs. McCall suggested that we come back on a Thursday or Friday night when they serve burgers, made from the Charolais cattle they raise on their property.  Being burger lovers, we fully intended to do so, but never got around to it.  Then our winery aficionado friends proposed that we join them for a burger night.  We were delighted.

When we arrived, the parking lot seemed full, but our friend found a spot toward the back.  As we waited for the hostess, we commented to our friends that we were glad they had made a reservation, as almost all the tables seemed to be full.  There were groups of friends, couples, and families, all relaxing and eating burgers and drinking wine Well, not the kids of course.  There’s ginger ale on the menu, too.

Speaking of the menu, it is quite simple.  You can have your McCall burger with or without cheddar cheese, $15 either way, with or without crispy French fries, an additional $8.  There is also an “Artisanal Cheese Board” for $24.  Oh, and a package of four homemade chocolate chip cookies for $8, which you order at the same time as your meal, and which come cellophane wrapped alongside your burgers. A bottle of chilled water is delivered to your table shortly after you sit down.

So then the big decision was which wine to order.  We quickly agreed to get a red.  When I was there for a tasting, I wrote that if I came for burger night, I would most likely get Ben’s Blend, my favorite of their reds.  However, a look at the menu made me reconsider that choice, as a bottle of Ben’s was $69.  Yikes.  We settled on the Merlot Reserve, which was $32, and was delicious, a fairly typical North Fork merlot, with lots of black cherry taste.

The burgers were meaty and juicy, the fries crisp and salty, the cookies filled with chocolate chips.  We ate, drank, chatted, and enjoyed the mild summer evening.  “See you next week,” we heard a departing patron tell the hostess, and I can see why.  If you just want a burger in a relaxed outdoor setting, McCall’s is clearly the place to go.

Croteaux Vineyards:  Ooh La La

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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.

The pretty bottles make nice gifts.
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

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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 50th anniversary, based on its beginnings with the Hargraves’ winery, and Lenz is not far behind, this year observing their 45th 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. 

The tasting room inside is cozy.

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.

Peconic Bay Vineyards: Celebrating the Fourth on the Second

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July 2, 2023

#peconicbayvineyards #northfork #winetasting #barrelfermentedsauvignonblanc #theMoke

www.peconicbayvineyards.com

A patriotic flower pot.
The vines make a perfect photo backdrop.

We were a little wary of venturing out to a winery on the weekend before July Fourth, but Peconic Bay proved to be an excellent choice—just enough people to feel celebratory, not so many that it felt crowded.  It was also a good choice since it fit with our plans for the day, which included a visit to the Horton Point Lighthouse (If you haven’t ever been there, go. Note that it is only open on weekends, but the volunteers who staff it are lovely, and very well-informed, and the little museum is well set up.  Our guests braved the climb up the tower, but I had been, and once was enough.  We paid $5 to park in the lot and $10 for the family to enter.)  Then, we needed to be at Braun’s at 4:30 to pick up our steamed lobsters for dinner, and Peconic Bay is right next door.  The timing worked out perfectly.

The outdoor space is more comfortable than the indoor room.

I had made a reservation, and they sat our party of six around a firepit (obviously not lit on this warm afternoon) shaded by an umbrella.  The outside patio is a lovely place on a nice day, but the indoor tasting room is small and rather spartan, so I think this is one of those places I’ll go to in the summer.  As we perused the menu, we enjoyed the cool jazz of a group whose name I couldn’t quite catch.  The menu offers two flights, the Crossroads of three wines for $18, and Reserve, of three wines for $20.  One could also opt for pairings of three wines with chocolate, cheese, or oysters.  We were planning to pick up some oysters with out lobsters, and we wanted to try the full panoply of wines, so we decided that each couple would share both flights.  That worked out well, and there was plenty of wine, but the sequence ended up being a bit of an issue, since both tastings include some whites and some reds. As a result, we kept going back and forth between the two flights.  My notes, therefore, are in the order in which I tasted the wines, not separated by flight.

We also ordered a little dish of Marcona almonds ($4), and another of olives ($8), both quite good, and two non-alcoholic drinks for the minors in the party.  They both gave positive reviews to the Beach Ball cold brew strawberry hibiscus caffeine free tea ($5) and the Subtle Tea lemonade ($4).  They also enjoyed seeing a few dogs on the patio, and noting the cute Moke, a jeep-like vehicle in which one can tour the vines.

We asked our server if they made the wines on the premises, and he enthusiastically explained that the separate building on the other side of the parking lot contains their wine-making facility and their cellar, filled with stainless steel tanks and oak barrels.    

  •  2021 Sauvignon Blanc                  $28

We all agree that the aroma is lovely, which I describe as flowery.  The taste is tart, with lots of acidity and a long finish.  It would go well with oysters, but I am planning to make martinis for my guests, one of my favorite beverages to go with oysters—another is a dry sparkling wine.

  • 2021 Barrel Fermented Sauvignon Blanc $35

This is from the Reserve flight, and we decided it would be fun to taste the two side by side.  One member of the party explained to the minors that two wines made from the same grape, grown in the same place, could taste very different depending on how they were made.  I like this better than the steel sauvignon blanc, which surprised me a little, but it is not oaky, and our comments are:  “nice, round, smooth, yum.”  It has a bit of a vanilla aroma, and would go well with lobster.

The flights come with handy little tasting notes.
  •  2016 Blanc de Blancs                    $40

The collective decision is to try the Blanc de Blancs next, as it is starting to lose its bubbles already.  One guest compares the aroma to privet, a flower we’ve been smelling all day.  Maybe.  It is quite tart, and not a sparkler for sipping on its own.  I eat a few almonds and then try it, and find it improves when paired with food.

  • 2021 Steel Chardonnay   $28

“The more I drink it, the more I like it,” opines our guest.  It has a bit of a funky aroma and taste, but otherwise is similar to most North Fork chardonnays, with citrus tastes and some green apple.

  • 2020 Merlot       $35

“Not exciting,” is the group judgment on this “serviceable” merlot.  I taste and smell cherry, as is typical, with a touch of tobacco from the oak.  Someone observes that it is “too tangy.”

  • 2020 Malbec      $35

Though it has no body, this wine is spicy and herbal, with tastes and smells of dark fruit, lavender, and rosemary.  “Meh,” says one guest.  I say it’s a nice wine.

Reasons to visit:  pleasant outdoor patio overlooking the vines; convenient location next door to Braun’s; the barrel fermented sauvignon blanc; all the wines were drinkable, if not exciting; live music; oysters and other pairings; the Moke!

The winemaking facility is on the other side of the parking lot.

Pellegrini:  Lagniappe

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , ,

June 20, 2023

Our flight in progress. Note that every tasting comes with a little bag of oyster crackers, useful for clearing the palate between tastes.

In New Orleans, “lagniappe” refers to a little something extra, which this blog post is.  I don’t usually do two blogs in such quick succession, but it was time to pick up our wine club shipment at Pellegrini, and we decided to do a quick tasting.  I didn’t even bring my notebook!  But as we sipped, I started to take a few sketchy notes, and before I knew it, I had decided to do a short blog post.

On this Tuesday afternoon, we had the tasting room to ourselves.  We were greeted cheerily by Ryan, who was delighted to serve us.  After acquiring our shipment, we circled on the tasting menu the three wines we were already buying, plus a few others that seemed of interest.  When Ryan saw that I had circled the gewürztraminer, he suggested that I add a new wine, the BBQ white, which includes gewürztraminer grapes, thinking that we would like it.  He was not wrong.

So here are a few notes on the wines we sampled.  If you want to know more about the tasting room, check out my past posts on Pellegrini!

We went home with three boxes like this: our wine club selections, the roses, and North Fork Project merlot (Three bottles for $36).
  •  2021 Rosé          $24.99

I wanted a bottle of rosé to bring to a party, so I knew I wanted to try this.  Plus, it’s on sale!  A blend of 80% cabernet sauvignon and 20% Merlot 181 (the number refers to the merlot clone they used), this is a many-faceted rosé, and is quite tasty.  We buy some for ourselves and some to give away.

  • 2020 Gewürztraminer                    $24.99

I wanted to try this because it is also on sale, and we love One Woman’s gewürztraminer.  This is nice, but I don’t like it as much as hers, though it is fruity and delicious.  It just seems a bit one-note-ish.

  • 2022 East End Select BBQ White                $26.99

As much as I like a bargain, I also like to buy what I like, and we both like this one.  It is 46% gewürztraminer and 54% stainless steel chardonnay, a winning combination.  Ryan’s suggestion that we try this pans out, as we buy a bottle.  Yummy, with the sweetness of the gewürztraminer tamed by the citrus of the chardonnay.

  • Steakhouse Red                $21.99

This is their basic table red, and indeed it is a good hamburger/pasta red, light but with nice tannins and a bit of a funky aroma.  “It has an edge,” says my tasting pal.

  • 2017 Cabernet Franc       $32.99

A blend of 95% cabernet franc plus 5% merlot, aged 18 months in French oak, this is a somewhat light but very pleasant red. 

  • 2015 Regalo        $49.99

Regalo means gift, and this is a gifted wine, a Bordeaux-style blend of 50% petit verdot, 30% cabernet sauvignon, 15% merlot, and 5% cabernet franc.  So good.  Complex, with lots of varied fruit flavors.  We put our wine club bottle in the cellar to age.

Reasons to visit:  join the wine club!  We joined for reds only, and have never regretted it.  We liked all the wines we tried, but especially the BBQ White and the Regalo.

Sherwood House:  No Robin Hood Here

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , ,

June 18, 2023

#Sherwoodhouse #winetasting #Northfork

The front area is quite pretty.

The confluence of our anniversary and Father’s Day on a sunny afternoon made us decide to brave the weekend crowds and do a wine tasting. And the crowds were definitely here, as the time of year approaches when one plans carefully for left turns.  There’s a traffic light on Cox Lane, for example.  Many of the wineries we passed had full parking lots, with cars parked on the grass in some cases, but Sherwood House was not crowded.

The building is unassuming, and easy to miss.
We were greeted promptly and given our choice of tables.

We hadn’t been to Sherwood House since 2018, when it featured a somewhat complex menu of two different owners, so we were curious to see what had changed since we’d last been there.  Not a lot externally, it turned out, but quite a lot in terms of the wines.  The tasting room is still in a house, with a rather discreet sign on Main Road (I missed it and had to turn around!), adjacent to the William Ris Gallery.  The pleasant garden area out front was occupied by a large table of bachelorettes, who were having a good time, so we asked if we could sit elsewhere.  The lovely hostess escorted us to the back deck, which we had to ourselves.  As we walked through the inside, we remembered sitting on the comfy couches in front of the fireplace on a winter visit.  The overall esthetic is modernized rustic farmhouse.

Cozy setting for winter tastings.

The tasting menu lists one flight, of six wines for $35, but the server informed us that the final red, the Sherwood Manor, is no longer available, as they are phasing it out.  It will be replaced by a merlot, which is not yet bottled.  Five wines for $30 sounded fine to us, and we sipped the cool water we were served as we waited for our flight to be prepped.  We also ordered North Fork potato chips and a dip, for $16 (a bit steep, though the dip, a blend of spinach, Greek yogurt, and lemon, with a touch of garlic, was very good).

Our snack of a very good dip and a bag of chips.

The flight came in cute little bottles, which we shared out into attractive large glasses.  After we finished, we ordered a glass of the Blanc de Blancs as we sat and finished our dip (the rest of the chips came home with us), and the server brought us clean glasses so we could share.

The flight.
  • 2020 Estate Blanc de Blancs         $60

We were glad to start with a bubbly, as it gave us a chance to toast our dual holiday.  This is a rather classic sparkling wine, with a yeasty aroma, dry, with the taste one expects from a chardonnay-based wine, of citrus, plus a bit of a funky olive-y note.  The cost, however, did give us pause.

This is my half of the full glass of bubbly we ordered after the flight. Not a lot of bubbles…
  • 2020 Brut Rosé                 $55

Another sparkling wine, this one a very light pink, made from merlot, pinot noir, and “a splash” of chardonnay.  It has not much aroma, and nice bubbles, but the taste is very light, so light as to be almost non-existent.  As my tasting buddy quipped, “I can’t even remember what it tasted like now.”

  • 2019 Oregon Road Chardonnay                  $37

Why Oregon Road?  Because that is where their vineyard is, and they do some of their winemaking at Lenz.  This is their steel-fermented chard, and it is a pretty classic North Fork chardonnay, with aromas of honeysuckle and lemon, and a nice dry taste of lemon and fruit.  It would go well with scallops.  On the other hand, you can get a liter bottle of North Fork Project chardonnay for $13 (sometimes as little as $10 if you buy three at the winery).

The back deck was a pleasant place to spend an afternoon.
  • 2019 Estate Chardonnay                $50

“Not objectionable,” says my husband.  Talk about damning with faint praise…this is their oaked chardonnay, and it is not too heavily oaked, though it does have tastes of vanilla and is somewhat creamy.  It smells sweet, with some touches of forest floor.  I generally prefer steel-fermented chards, but I don’t mind drinking this one—though again, the price seems a bit much.

This is my half of the red wine.
  • 2019 Estate Cabernet Franc         $60

The aroma is of cherries and other berries and tobacco, which seemed promising.  However, the wine is rather light and nondescript, though quite drinkable.  At a lower price it would be fine.

Before or after your tasting you can tour the gallery.

Reasons to visit:  pleasant setting, with a pretty garden out front, a rustic porch out back, and comfy couches in front of a fireplace for winter visits; the Estate Blanc de Blancs, though overpriced, is quite good; a usual menu of snacks, with a very good dip; they use bamboo plates, which are recyclable.  Note:  they do not seem to have a web page, but you can find them on Facebook.

Wondering what to do with all your corks?

Eastern Front Brewery: Celebration Time

Posted by nofowineaux in Brewery and tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

June 3, 2023

The front entrance of Eastern Front is on Main Road, but they also have a parking lot off to one side.

We were in a celebratory mood, because dear friends had come for a visit.  One of them is a beer aficionado, so we decided it was time to return to Eastern Front Brewery, which we had last been to in 2019.  When we arrived, we discovered that they were also in celebration mode, hosting the opening of an artist’s exhibit.  Lindsay Lange, the artist, had set out huge bowls of chips, and, she confessed, been “up all night baking” some of the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve had.  Woohoo!

The table at which we sat.

We settled down at a table and proceeded to make steep inroads in a bowl of potato chips while we tasted our flights of beer.  By the way, one flight is more than enough for two people to share, and we didn’t even finish all of ours.

Eastern Front’s flight consists of five beers, two of which are regulars, and the other three vary according to season and the whims of the brew master.  A flight only costs $12. 

We’ve already made some inroads on that bowl!

The tasting room is small, though it is augmented by some outdoor tables, and tends to be noisy, even with not many people there.  They often host live music, so I would go there for music only if I could sit outside, since I tend not to like places that are too noisy.

The art exhibit

They don’t usually have free chips available, but they do allow outside food, and I discussed with our server various options.  Right across the street is Meats Meat barbeque (only open Thursday-Sunday), and in the comments you’ll find my recommendation on which beer to sip with their ribs, pulled pork, and/or brisket.  Then, literally across the parking lot, is Lucia, which says it serves “Spanish” cuisine; which, we were informed, is mainly Salvadoran, with the pupusas being heartily recommended.  Just a few doors down is a pizzeria—so no lack of good food-to-go-with-beer options.

Our flight–from right to left…
  •  Fat Old Sun American Lager        5.5% ABV (Alcohol by Volume)

My first comment is that it “smells like a frat house,” and my friend has a similar reaction.  This is a crisp, light beer, which she characterizes as “an immature beer for immature people.”  Well, to each his own.

Some of the beers are available in cans.
  • Bob’s Pale Ale                    5.8%

This is one of the “regulars,” a rather typical pale ale, with a touch of sweetness to counteract some spiciness, and a funky, grainy taste.  We think it would go well with a Meats Meat pulled pork sandwich, especially if you add in their hot sauce.

Yummy treats.
  • Love Lane Lager                5.8%

I’m sorry to note that this is not a regular, since it is our favorite so far.  My friend says to her it seems more like an English brown ale than like a lager.  It is balanced, with a touch of nuttiness and sweetness, and very drinkable.  I fantasize sitting in a pub and sipping this, and that seems just right.  It is also the best choice to go with Meats Meat, especially the brisket (which we had the last time these friends visited us).

  • North Shore Irish Red Ale             6.3%

Ooh, I like this one even better, and so does my friend.  It is another regular, always on tap.  I may have to stop in and get a growler of it one of these days.  It is nicely bitter, with subtly piney hops.

  • Belgian Strong Ale           9.5%

“This is good,” I assert after the first sip, and my friend notes that it is a very “me” beer.  She adds that it has all the flavor of a heavy beer without the heaviness.  It is complex, with notes of clove and brown sugar.  Yummy.

The artist!

Reasons to visit:  good brewery with a changing roster of beers; you can bring in food, including from some very local places; dogs are allowed; they often have live music and art exhibitions; the Love Lane Lager, the North Shore Irish Red Ale, and the Belgian Strong Ale.