Southold Farm + Cellar: Something New

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with cabernet franc, Carey Meader, Cast Your Fate to the Wind, chardonnay, Damn the Torpedoes, Grace Under Pressure, La Belle Fille, Lambrusco, Malbec, merlot, North Fork, Peconic, petit verdot, pinot noir, Regan Meader, Rex Farr, Southold Farm + Cellar, tasting, The Devil's Advocate October 22, 2014

https://www.southoldfarmandcellar.com/

Regan Meader, owner and winemaker and tasting room server!

“I like to experiment,” enthused Regan Meader, the owner, with his wife Carey, of Southold Farm + Cellar, one of the newest wineries on the North Fork, and a very promising one. Mr. Meader went on to discuss the fun and the intellectual challenges inherent in wine making. He came to the North Fork a number of years ago knowing very little about wine making, and apprenticed himself to a couple of wine makers. He has learned his lessons well.

Southold Farm + Cellar is a bit off the beaten track, and so are its wines. When you turn in off the back road, you find a lovingly restored rustic tasting shed (open only on weekends) with a view across the field to the vines. The vines are still too young to make wine, so “The birds get to eat most of the grapes.” (Though his one year old daughter also gets some.) Until next year, he’s sourcing his grapes and wine from other vineyards on the North Fork, then developing his wines in his own way. He intends to be an organic farm and to use all natural fermentation.

The tasting room

The tasting menu, written on a blackboard, features four wines for $15, poured into very attractive glasses.

La Belle Fille $36

The tasting starts with a lovely sparkling wine with an interesting back story. Peconic Winery closed last year, but they still had some wine, including this one, which had not yet been disgorged. So Mr. Meader bought it and disgorged it “with no dosage.” Alas, he had no bottles available, or we would have bought one—or two. A delicious aroma like yeast bread baking presaged a toasty caramel taste we really enjoyed. Made from pinot noir grapes.

The Devil’s Advocate Chardonnay $26

Made from a musque clone from Mudd’s vineyard, this is not your average Long Island chardonnay. Though it spent some time in oak, there is only a trace of oak in the flavor. The aroma is lightly lemony, and because the wine is not filtered it is a bit cloudy, with an almost viscous texture. We also liked this wine, with its touch of lemon but also tropical fruit. As we were discussing what it would go well with, Mr. Meader suggested duck breast pastrami! He also, in the tasting notes, suggested one of my favorite cheeses, Humboldt Fog, a California goat cheese, as an accompaniment. Oh, and the name references those who would dismiss chardonnay.

Damn the Torpedoes $28

Okay, I had to know—who named these wines? Blushing faintly, Mr. Meader admitted he did. I told him he was a poet. This wine is described as an “ode to dry Lambrusco.” A blend of merlot, petit verdot, and pinot noir, this is a slightly frizzante light red. He recommends having it lightly chilled in the summer as an alternative to rosé. I have to say this was not my favorite of the afternoon, though many would probably enjoy its tart strawberry flavor.

Nice legs

Cast Your Fate to the Wind $32

Love those names. This is his 2013 cabernet franc and is made from certified organic grapes. He fermented whole clusters for less than seven months in extra large oak casks. Why large casks? You get some oak taste, but less than with regular casks. Sweet aroma. Super dark color. Delicious taste. Lots of dark fruit. No dirt taste! Yum.

Grace Under Pressure 2013

Yes, there were four wines in the tasting, but Mr. Meader adds in one more (which he also gave to a group of young women who were here before us). This is a wine that is not quite ready to drink, but he’s pretty excited about it and wants to share. He told us this blend of cabernet franc, malbec, and merlot was an “ode to Rex Farr,” whose organic farm in Calverton supplies the grapes. The aroma is brambly blackberry, but the taste is very closed in, with some nice tannins. Even as we were discussing the wine, the taste in the glass improved. Given time, it should be quite good.

Reasons to visit: you want to get off the beaten track and try something new; Mr. Meader and his enthusiasm for his wines; La Belle Fille, The Devil’s Advocate, Cast Your Fate to the Wind. We can’t wait to see what Regan Meader does next year when he gets to harvest his own grapes!

The attractively rustic tasting room

Pellegrini Vineyards: One of Our Favorites September 6, 2013

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

http://www.pellegrinivineyards.com/

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

A view to the courtyard and pergola

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

East End Select Rosé $14.99

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

The tray of whites and rose, plus the merlot.

2013 Gewürztraminer $19.99

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

2013 Medley White $21.99

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

2007 Merlot $19.99

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

The tray of reds.

Steakhouse Red $16.99

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

2010 Petit Verdot $49.99

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

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

2010 Vintner’s Pride Encore $49.99

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

One part of the tasting room.

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

Beautiful grapes.

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

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

http://www.coffeepotcellars.com/

http://blossommeadow.com/

No, they don’t serve coffee here!

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

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

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

Some of the gift items available

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

More gifts!

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

Sauvignon Blanc 2012 $17.99

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

The labels feature the Coffee Pot light house.

Chardonnay 2012 $15.99

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

Gewürztraminer 2012 $21.99

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

Merlot 2009 $17.99

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

Meritage 2008 $21.99

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

Meritage 2010 $25.99

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

Adam Suprenant

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

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

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

Roanoke Vineyards and Brooklyn Oenology: Face Off! August 9, 2014

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with Alie Shaper, Bond, Brooklyn Oenology, Cabernet Franc Rose, Corot noir, Derosa Rose, Finger Lakes, Grapes of Roth, merlot, North Fork, petit verdot, Roanoke Vineyards, Social Club Red, Social Club White, The Wild, Vidal blanc, wine tasting, Wolffer August 12, 2014

http://www.roanokevineyards.net/

http://www.brooklynoenology.com/

One corner of the tasting room

“Wow, that was fun,” we agreed, as we left the Roanoke Vineyards Tasting Bar on Love Lane in Mattituck. We had arrived about 3:30, not knowing that a pop-up event was about to happen, pairing Roanoke wines with wines made by Brooklyn Oenology (BOE). Though the event was due to start at 4, we were able to do the tasting early, and, because the room was fairly calm at the moment, we had lots of attention from Roanoke’s Robin and BOE winemaker Alie Shaper.

Normally, Roanoke features wine from Grapes of Roth and Wölffer Estates (on the South Fork) as well as their own, and they offer a menu of choices from each. I would have liked to taste some of the Wölffer wines, as it had been years since I’d tried them, but the only Wölffer selections on offer were hard ciders. However, once we realized we could do the Roanoke vs. BOE face-off, we knew what we had to do. For $20 we got to taste eight wines, four from each, paired for similarity of grape and type. I love tasting two wines made from the same grape, grown in the same region, and seeing how they differ.

The Tasting Bar is a small storefront, augmented by tables on a petite patio in the back and some tables for two along the side of the building, and includes the tasting bar and some small tables and a few comfortable chairs where it would be nice to sit and sip a glass.

As we tasted each selection, Robin and Alie alternated telling us about each wine, how it was made, and so on.

The whites

Roanoke Vineyards (RV) 2013 The Wild $20

Why “The Wild”? This is made with, said Robin, “indigenous yeast,” or in other words naturally occurring yeast, using chardonnay grapes from a Mudd vineyard which was originally planted in 1982. They’re not sure which clone it was, but it may have been a muscat, which would account for some of the sweetness in the wine. We detect an aroma of cedar shavings with tastes of pineapple and mango. It reminds me a bit of Channing Daughter’s L’Enfant Sauvage, which is also made with wild yeasts. Yum, in any event! I could happily sip this wine on the deck on a summer night.

2. BOE 2013 Social Club White $18

I guess this is paired with the wild because it is a similar weight white, but this is a blend of grapes from Upstate and the North Fork (Alie joked that she would love to have permission to plant vines in a park in Brooklyn, but that’s, alas, not likely.) The blend is 60% chardonnay, with smaller amounts of pinot gris, pinot blanc, Vidal blanc, riesling, and gewürztraminer. I hadn’t heard of Vidal blanc before, and Alie noted that it is a Finger Lakes grape, as are the riesling and the gewürztraminer and the pinot gris. With all those Finger Lakes grapes I was expecting sweet, but this is a lovely dry wine with some citrus aromas and a bit of a taste of tangerine.

The roses–note the pretty label and pretty colors

3. RV 2013 Derosa Rosé $19

Poetically, my husband compares the aroma to a “forest after the rain,” and I do agree that it has some flowery sweetness—in the taste as well as the aroma. It’s not a bad rosé, and many people would probably like it, but we prefer it drier. The name, by the way, is after the family’s Grandma Rose.

4. BOE 2013 Cabernet Franc Rosé $18

I have to give the prize in this comparison to the BOE wine, which is made with wild yeast and uses Finger Lakes grapes. The color is very pretty, the aroma is very strawberry, and the taste is a bit reminiscent of a berry sorbet—so, too sweet for us, but more complex and interesting than the Roanoke. I admire the beautiful label, and Alie enthusiastically tells us that all her labels are designed by Brooklyn artists, with a special peel-off feature if you want to save the pretty pictures. This particular one was designed by Patricia Fabricant, and after they chose her design they learned that she is the daughter of Florence Fabricant, who writes about food and wine for The New York Times.

5. RV 2010 Bond $19

We get fresh glasses for the reds, a nice touch. Their Bordeaux blend, this wine varies its composition from year to year, depending on the qualities of the grapes. This one is mainly merlot, and spends 10 months in neutral oak casks, then stainless steel. We smell cedar and berries, and taste blackberry. Though not a bad wine, it is a bit thin, and lacks depth.

6. BOE 2012 Social Club Red $20

So I had to ask, “Why Social Club?” Alie explains that when she moved to Brooklyn (the winery’s tasting room is located in Williamsburg, of course) she noticed all the immigrant social clubs, and decided to name her wines for them. She liked the idea of wines that were casual and friendly. Also a Bordeaux blend, Alie’s wine is 77%merlot, 18%, cabernet sauvignon, and 5% Corot noir. Corot noir? The grape is a hybrid created at Cornell, and adds a dark color to the wine, without the use of chemicals. We like it very much, tasting plenty of fruit with a bit of side of the tongue sweetness yet dry at the end.

7. RV 2010 Merlot $45

2010 was a great year on the North Fork, but we’re not crazy about this wine. We smell cinnamon, plus some of that local earthiness, and taste some fruit and some smoke. Perhaps it needs more time.

On to the reds

8. BOE 2010 Merlot $25

Okay, same grape, same year, though BOE adds 4% petit verdot, sourced from Onabay’s vineyard in Cutchogue. Again, we smell cinnamon, some earthiness, but the taste differs. It has more fruit , a dry finish, and is softer, with no smoke. We like it!

We buy a bottle each of the BOE Merlot and the RV The Wild and browse the small selection of gifts. They have the Govino glasses, which we have bought as gifts in the past. They’re a high quality plastic, nice on a picnic or a boat. Oh, and as to who won the face off? I’d have to say we did, because we got to sample wines from two wineries and only had to travel to one!

Reasons to visit: convenient tasting room in the middle of the North Fork on Love Lane, which is itself a destination with its cheese shop, Bookhampton book store, Love Lane Country Kitchen, and more; The Wild; the chance to taste wines from other vineyards as well.

The back patio

Mattebella Vineyards: It’s a Family Affair June 16, 2014

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, Christine Tobin, Famiglia, Isabella, Long Island, Mark Tobin, Matt, Mattebella, merlot, North Fork, Old World Blend, petit verdot, rose, Tobin June 18, 2014

http://www.mattebellavineyards.com/welcomemattebella/

The labels feature this charming picture of Matt and Isabella.

The warm greeting you get as you enter Mattebella Vineyards’ pretty patio is only one aspect of the family feeling this winery exudes, starting with the name. Matt and Isabella are the children of owners Christine and Mark Tobin, and you are likely to see the whole family helping out with tastings and other chores around the property. You’ll recognize the kids by their portraits on the bottles, though they have grown older since the pictures were drawn.

Regulars are greeted with a kiss by Chris, but even newcomers soon feel at home. On our visit, we overheard Mark giving excellent advice about places to eat and sights to see to a young couple on their first trip to the North Fork. She, by the way, was enjoying their home made organic lemonade, as she was in that interesting condition in which women are encouraged not to drink.

The patio has been improved in the two years since our last visit, with plenty of comfortable seating and a combination of sunny and shaded areas, including under a lovely pergola, with pleasant music playing in the background. The tasting menu is divided into a “Light” flight and a red flight, with tastes also available individually for about $2 for the lights and $4-5 for the reds, or by the glass or bottle. A Light Flight is $12 for 6 of their whites and rosés (4 chardonnays and 2 rosés), and a Red Flight is $18 for 5 reds. We opted to share one Red Flight plus two individual wines from the Lights. They also sell their attractive round-bottomed glasses for $3.50.

1) 2013 Rosé $19

If you like sweet rosés, this one is not for you, but if you appreciate a delicate and refreshing rosé with a citrus tang and plenty of minerality, then head to Mattebella forthwith. We decided it would go well with soft shell crab, a delicious sample of which we had had the night before at the North Fork Table and Inn, where we went to celebrate our anniversary.

The rose and the chardonnay.

2) 2010 Reserve Chardonnay $25

Our knowledgeable and efficient server explained that the term “reserve” actually has no established meaning, but at Mattebella it indicates a wine from one of their best years. This is a 50% oak barrel, 50% steel fermented chard, which means it should not be overly oaky, but we found it pretty oaky, with lots of vanilla and roasted pear aromas and tastes. For the price, it is quite good, with some nice complexity. It might go with a seafood in cream sauce dish.

3) Famiglia $21

No vintage here, this is a blend, trying for consistency across the years, and, said our server, is a “good pizza wine.” We agree. It is a pleasant, soft drink, not complex, but with nice fruit and none of the earthy flavor reds sometimes have out here. It’s a blend of merlot and cabernet franc, so sort of Bordeaux-ish. Oh, and we get a clean glass for the transition to the reds.

4) 08 Old World Blend $40

In this instance, Old World Blend means merlot, cabernet sauvignon, and cabernet franc—a Bordeaux. This, says our server, is the lightest of the OWBs, because there was a lot of rain at the end of the season. Along with our glass of wine we get a little snack (I remember Chris saying the last time that we were there that she felt wine should always go with food.) of a piece of baguette topped with fig jam and blue cheese. We like the snack better than the wine, which is just okay.

Snack

5) 2009 Old World Blend $35

This time the snack is bacon jam and Parmeggiano Reggiano on a baguette—very yummy—and so is the wine, our favorite of the day (and not just because it came with bacon jam, though maybe…). A blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, and “the grape no one knows,” petit verdot, the wine has good tannins and lots of dark fruits, and is interestingly complex.

6) 2010 Old World Blend $43

Our server says this is his favorite of the reds, and talks about a certain “brininess,” which he feels expresses the Long Island terroir, its closeness to the sea. We get it—there is a hint of a sea salt taste. This would work well with a nice dinner, maybe of boeuf bourguignon. The tasting notes suggest this will age well.

7) 2007 Old World Blend $48

A blend of the same grapes as the 08, this is the wine that won a Wine Spectator 91 points. 07 was a particularly good—and warm—year on Long Island, and this one has lots of big bold fruity tastes, more like a Napa Valley red. We smell leather and spice, and maybe, strangely enough, a hint of cat pee. Since the Tobins have decided that this wine would go well with chocolate, we get a tiny square of homemade chocolate brownie. Lovely way to end our tasting!

The brownie went well with the red wine.

Reasons to Visit: Snacks!; pleasant outdoor space for sipping; warm welcoming family atmosphere; the 2013 Rosé, the Famiglia, the 09 and 07 Old World Blends; homemade lemonade for the non-drinkers in the group. We go home with two bottles of the Famiglia and one of the 09 OWB.

An old water tower adds charm to the scene.

A bit of the pergola

Ten Venues for Outdoor Wining

Posted by nofowineaux in Summary Recommendations and tagged with Bella Domenica, Cacklin Rose, chardonnay, Comtesse Therese, Croteaux, Festival Chardonnay, First Fruit, gruner veltliner, Jamesport, Long Island, Mattebella, Merlot 314, North Fork, Old Field, Old World Blend, One Woman, One Woman Tribute, Paumanok, pellegrini, petit verdot, Pugliese, sauvignon blanc, Shinn, Violet, wine tasting May 25, 2014

Memorial Day Weekend means summer really is beginning, so I thought this would be the right time to tell you about my favorite places for outdoor sipping on the North Fork. There is something very civilized about sitting in the sun (or under an umbrella), sipping a lovely chilled white or rosé, or even a well-rounded red, enjoying the warm breezes, possibly snacking on some bread and cheese. If that experience includes a pretty view over farm fields and vineyards, so much the better.

Almost all of the tasting rooms augment their indoor seating with outdoor areas in the summer, from Jamesport’s capacious lawn to Waters Crest’s two umbrella tables in the parking lot, but some are pleasanter than others. Following this you will find a list of my favorites, starting with a few I particularly enjoy, and then others in no real order. I also mention a wine or two I particularly recommend for sipping, but in a few cases it has been a year or more since I went there, so you may not find the same vintages on offer. Note that some places encourage you to bring your own picnic, while others discourage or forbid it, so I suggest you check the web sites before you go. The ones which don’t allow you to bring your own snacks generally sell their own. If you’re putting together a bread and cheese picnic, you won’t do better than Love Lane Cheese Shop in Mattituck, which carries a wide variety of excellent cheeses and baguettes from Tom Cat bakery. Stop at Harbes for some berries or Wickham for peaches and you’re set.

Shady nook at Croteaux.

1) Croteaux

This is absolutely my favorite outdoor tasting area, plus all the wines are perfect for summer sipping. You go through the tiny tasting room into a tree and flower-filled patio area, with comfortable Adirondack chairs and shady nooks. Two of my favorite rosés are the Merlot 314 and the Violet, but any of them would work. I also recommend their snack of goat cheese and baguette.

Adirondack chairs, with their wide arms, are perfect for tastings in Croteaux’s yard.

2) Old Field

If you like a rustic setting, this is the place! Calico cloths on the tables plus chickens and ducks roaming around the old barns on the property really make you feel you are far from city life. Though I don’t think any Long Island rosés are better than Croteaux’s, the Cacklin Rosé 09 (probably will be a new vintage by now) was lovely.

3) Mattebella

Picnic tables and umbrella-shaded tables dot an expansive patio area looking out over the grape vines. We liked the ‘08 Chardonnay and the ‘08 Old World Blend. The last time we were there, small snacks accompanied some of the wines on the tasting menu.

Part of the lawn at Jamesport.

4) Jamesport

Jamesport is the perfect place to come if your group includes children who would like some space to roam around, or even dogs (as long as they are on the leash). Their large backyard lawn, with a variety of seating or picnic areas, some in shade and others in the sun, is perfect, and they sell thin crust pizzas made in an outdoor stone oven and freshly opened oysters, among other treats. Their Sauvignon Blanc goes particularly well with oysters.

Some red tastings plus a view of the vineyard at Pellegrini.

5) Pellegrini

Here the outdoor seating varies from pleasant spots out on the lawn or the interior courtyard to a few tables overlooking the vineyard. What makes this a good place for an outdoor tasting (rather than just a glass of wine) is that they will give you your entire tasting on a tray, carefully labeled, so you can sit and sample at your leisure. If you’re going for just a glass, we really like their Petit Verdot, which would pair well with brie and baguette.

6) Paumanok

Paumanok is another place that often features oysters, though not as reliably as Jamesport. They have a pleasant porch out back of the tasting room which looks out over the vines and fields. The 2011 Festival Chardonnay was a good match for the oysters, though they may have a new vintage by now.

The deck at One Woman

7) One Woman

This is a small winery with a small porch which wraps around the tiny tasting room. You are surrounded by the vines and a large field of grass as you sit and taste. We found the One Woman Tribute ’11 to be a good sipping wine, and we are in love with the 2012 Grüner Veltliner.

8) Comtesse Thérèse

This is another winery with a bit of a French accent, and outdoor tastings are in the charmingly disheveled intimate garden behind the Comtesse Thérèse Bistro. Though the setting is pleasant, we found the service a bit lackluster our last time in the garden, though that could certainly have changed. The 2011 Chardonnay was a super sipper.

9) Shinn

Although it was too chilly to sit outdoors on the day we went there, we did admire Shinn’s remodeled outdoor seating area, with comfortable-looking chairs and a nice little snack menu. I’d recommend First Fruit for a sipping wine.

Outdoor area at Shinn

10) Pugliese

With a pretty little pond and trellis-shaded picnic tables, Pugliese has created a very attractive outdoor seating area. If it’s not overrun with limo groups, I’d recommend you go there with some cheese and crackers and get the Bella Domenica, a summery red.

Pretty pond at Pugliese

P.S. Just visited Mattebella for the first time in two years and their improved outdoor area means they should be added to this post! (See review for details.)

Shinn Estate Vineyards: For Earth Lovers April 26, 2014

Posted by nofowineaux in Summary Recommendations, Tasting and tagged with cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, Coalescence, Estate Merlot, First Fruit, Long Island, Malbec, North Fork, petit verdot, Pinot Blanc, Red Blend, riesling, sauvignon blanc, Semillon, Shinn Estate Vineyards, Veil Sherry, Wild Boar Doe, wine tasting May 2, 2014

http://shinnestatevineyards.com/

The Farmhouse at Shinn

Hidden away on Oregon Road, Shinn includes both a lovely rustic tasting room and their own inn, called the Farmhouse. Considering that the owners also own the restaurant Home in New York City, I’ll bet the food is good there! However, we had come for a tasting after our disappointing attempt to visit Vineyard 48. As we pulled into the parking lot we noticed a huge windmill, and I remembered that I read that they powered the winery using solar and wind power only. The outside area has been attractively redone, with rustic benches and natural stone walls, but it was too chilly to stay outside, so in we went, where we found a warm welcome, a happy crowd, and Panda, the resident black and white dog. Rocks anchor the menus to the bar, inspirational words painted on weathered wood line the walls, and a blackboard notes that they are now open until 8 on Fridays and Saturdays.

Windmill

Outdoor area

A tasting is $10 for any four wines, chosen from an interesting menu that includes six whites and five reds, plus Wickham’s pear cider, their own “sherry,” eau de vie, and grappa. We decide to share two tastings, three whites, four reds, and the “sherry.” (They also sell their own vinegar and granola, and have a small snack menu outside.) One of the servers gives us detailed information about each wine, while the other does not, but the menu gives some guidance.

Dog in residence

1) 2013 Coalescence $16

We have liked and bought this blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Riesling in the past, so we opted to start with it. Aromas of pear and fresh cut grass and tastes of baked pear and citrus, maybe lemon grass, with some tangerine at the end, was how we described this to each other. Though not for sipping, it would be okay with seafood in a cream sauce. However, we don’t like it as much as we did in the past, which shows the importance of tasting new vintages before you buy.

2) 2013 First Fruit $22

This is a lovely wine, a Sauvignon Blanc, with faint honeysuckle and orange aromas and lots of fruit, a bit petillant on the tongue. The initial sweetness of the taste could be off putting to some, but overall it is not too sweet, especially at the end. I could see sipping this on the porch if summer ever comes!

3) 2012 Pinot Blanc $35

An unfiltered barrel-aged (11 months) wine, you can see the cloudiness in the glass. They serve it at room temperature so you can savor the taste. Wow. Interesting. This has a very full mouth feel, almost as if you could chew it. I don’t know that I’d want it with food, but it would be fun to include it in a tasting and see what people thought of it. We smell pine or forest floor and taste some vanilla.

Clouds!

Water for cleansing your palate–or your glass!

4) Red Blend $16

One of the servers cleaned up the glass that was to be used for our red tasting, so our server rinses our glass with some of the bottle of water they give each group. As the name indicates, this is a blend, of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. Though it was made using grapes from 2011 and 2012, it is not a vintage wine, and the menu describes it as “medium bodied.” I would agree: this is an ordinary wine, with lots of tannins, a bit on the thin and bitter side, with tastes of berries and sour apple.

5) 2010 Estate Merlot $26

This is a fairly typical Long Island Merlot, with a sweet berry aroma and taste. My husband says “baked sweet potatoes.” Maybe. Good.

6) 2010 Wild Boar Doe $32

Again, this is a blend of all five of their estate grown reds, with a pleasant aroma of fresh hay and berries and a delicious taste that is reminiscent of a French Bordeaux (no surprise, given the name!). This is a very appealing wine and would be good for a special occasion, with steak or lamb or pasta with a red sauce. 7) 2010 Cabernet Franc $38

A bit of a barnyard odor and tastes of berry but also some burnt toast with honey. It doesn’t bowl me over, but my husband likes it more than I do.

8) 2009 Veil “Sherry” $48 for a 375 ml bottle

Made from Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon late-harvest grapes, this is a sweet and herbal sherry-like drink with notes of honey and a bit of goldenrod scent. Pleasant, though we prefer Spanish sherries; it would make a nice before-dinner cocktail, maybe on ice or mixed with something else.

Some of the more exotic items on the tasting menu.

Reasons to visit: pleasant tasting room in the midst of scenic farm fields; the First Fruit, the Pinot Blanc, and the Wild Boar Doe; the chance to taste some other types of drinks like their sherry (we’ll have to return to try the eau de vie and the grappa!); the chance to support a vineyard that cares about the Earth as well as the earth. 9)

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

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

Party bus in the parking lot.

http://www.clovispointwines.com/

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

There was quite a crowd at the bar…

…but plenty of room on the porch.

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

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

1) 2013 Stainless Chardonnay $20

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

2) 2012 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay $25

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

The rose is a pretty color.

3) Rosé $20

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

4) 2006 Merlot $18

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

Generous pour!

5) 2012 Cabernet Franc $28.50

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

6) 2007 Merlot $25

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

Clovis Point on label…

…with explanation.

7) 2006 Vintner’s Select Merlot $30

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

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

Wine Clubbing: Pellegrini Vineyards March 29, 2014

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with "the angel's share", cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, North Fork, pellegrini, petit verdot, tasting, Vintner's Pride, Wine Club, wineries March 31, 2014

Chilly, rainy, dank, gray: We really want winter to end and spring to come! As we drive past the wineries, we note that despite the unpromising weather some have quite a few cars and limos—and even a bus or two—parked outside. Pellegrini, however, is very quiet, as we stop in to pick up our wine club shipment and taste the wines included in it.

We take our tasting of four reds to a table and sip and chat and listen to a lively group ask their server questions such as the difference between Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Asking questions of your server is a great way to increase your understanding of wines, as we’ve found.

If you want a more detailed description of the winery, check out my entry from September 7, 2013.

http://www.pellegrinivineyards.com/

1) 2007 Merlot $19.99

We start with the Merlot, which is included for no extra charge in every tasting, and is also a wine club selection. This is actually a bit of a blend; though it is 90% Merlot it also includes 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. It is aged 18 months in French oak, and, like Pellegrini reds in general, is somewhat high in alcohol: 13.9%. The aroma combines cherries and pine and what is often described as “forest floor.” It is quite tannic, and my husband says his tongue feels like it needs to be brushed. My feeling is that it would be good with food, though not for sipping, and indeed our club shipment includes a recipe for Merlot Pot Roast with Horseradish Mashed Potatoes. Pasta would also do.

2) 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon $29.99

Another blend, despite the name, this one is 76% Cabernet Sauvignon and 24% Merlot, aged 19 months in French oak, with 13.6% alcohol. The aroma is lovely, a sweet berry smell with just a trace of that Long Island earthiness. Though not tannic, it is dry, with nice fruit, and definitely sippable. As it is also in our club box, I envision sipping it by the fire next fall—or maybe even today, given the weather!

3) 2010 Petit Verdot $49.99

Lovely dark color on this one, which is 98% Petit Verdot and 2% Merlot. Actually, many wines—so I have been told—are at least a small percentage Merlot. As they age in the cask, some of the wine evaporates (“the angel’s share”) and so many wine makers use Merlot to top them off. In any event, our tasting notes suggest decanting this one for at least an hour, which has not been done today—our server just opened the bottle—so the taste might be quite different than what we sense. We smell an earthy, almost mushroomy odor, but the wine itself is delicious. Though it lacks the depth of flavor a truly great wine, this would be a fine wine to serve with a gourmet dinner, like boeuf bourguignon. We plan to cellar this for a couple of years (assuming we remember and don’t grab it before then!).

4) 2010 Vintner’s Pride $49.99

This is, notes my tasting pal, a Right Bank Bordeaux—60% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Petit Verdot—aged 20 months in French oak. The aroma is not very fruity, with a touch of pine and maybe cinnamon, less earthy than the others. The wine is also not very fruity, though it is good, with some tannins, and, we decide, would also be better with food. A friend recently described a wine-tasting course she took, and commented how differently one wine could taste depending on which foods it was paired with. We agree!

Reasons to visit: Good reds; reasonably priced Merlot, which is almost always on sale for about $15 per bottle if you buy three; pleasant tasting room; ability to take your tray of tastes to a table; oyster cracker packets included with each tasting so you can clear your palate.

Pindar Vineyards: Greek Poetry January 25, 2014

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with Autumn White, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, Long Island, Malbec, merlot, NoFo, North Fork, Peacock Chardonnay, petit verdot, Pindar Vineyards, Pythagoras, sauvignon blanc, Sunflower Chardonnay, syrah, Winter White January 27, 2014

http://www.pindar.net/

Pindar’s Field

Old Man Winter certainly has the North Fork in his grip. (Why old? Why man? I haven’t the foggiest.) All the farm stands, even Bayview and Briermere, are closed, and the fields are quiet under a coating of snow and ice. So we thought about the warmth of the Greek Isles and headed to Pindar, named for the Greek poet. While the room wasn’t overly warm—we kept our jackets on, though unzipped—the greeting certainly was. The tasting room is in a converted potato barn, featuring multiple rows of tasting bars and a beautiful stained glass window. When we entered we were surprised to see the room was empty, since there were plenty of cars in the lot, but our server informed us that there was a large group in another building for a barrel tasting, and the room was soon quite busy for a January afternoon. They have a selection of wine-related gift items and plenty of cheese and crackers for sale, which is fortunate since they don’t allow outside food.

This room is only one of the sites run by Dr. Damianos, the owner, and his family. They also own Duck Walk, which has a site on the South Fork as well, and his son Jason owns Jason’s Vineyard (which I reviewed back in June), plus they have a satellite tasting room in Port Jefferson for those who don’t care to trek to the North Fork. They also like to tout how eco-friendly they are, with a wind turbine for power, composting and recycling, and other green techniques.

Rows of tasting bars

As we sipped, we appreciated the quiet guitar and folk-ish singing of John Kroo in the background. Tastings consist of 5 tastes for $10, chosen from a menu with 15 choices, plus limited production wines available for $3 each. We opted to do five whites and five reds, sharing tastes of each. Our server, who was young and enthusiastic and clearly engaged in learning all he could about wine, carefully rinsed our glass between tastes and was able to answer most of our questions about the wines. We were happily surprised by how many of the wines we liked, since we had not been to Pindar in years because we remembered not liking many of the wines. There was still one we dumped, but more about that later.

1) Autumn Gold $10.99

Our server looked at the choices we circled on the tasting menu and then carefully coordinated our tasting so we went in the best order, starting with the lightest white. The tasting notes compare this to a Pinot Grigio, which I can see, as it is a dry white with lots of pineapple taste and a bit of funkiness. The funkiness is probably from the Seyval Blanc grape, an upstate grape, which is here blended with Chardonnay. Fine for an everyday white.

2) 2012 Sauvignon Blanc $18.99

The aroma is a combination of mineral and lemon, and the taste is also citrus-y. Also a light wine, this would be good with oysters, as in general we feel Sauvignon Blancs are. There’s plenty of acid here, and the tasting notes say lemon grass, which seems about right.

3) 2012 Sunflower Chardonnay $!8.99

Why sunflower, we ask? In the summer, the field next to the winery is filled with sunflowers, the sale of which goes to benefit the Make-a-Wish Foundation, we are told. I like the label. The wine? Okay. My husband says it reminds him or Werther’s Butterscotch Candy, so if you like a really oaky Chard, go for it. There is, however, a bit of acid which helps make this a sippable white, and I think lots of people would like it well chilled on a summer afternoon.

4) 2012 Peacock Chardonnay $12.99

Why peacock? Uh-oh, our usually well-informed server doesn’t know, but I bet he will as soon as he gets a chance to find out. Smells and tastes like a Granny Smith apple, with maybe a hint of banana. That makes it sound like fruit salad, but actually it is a pleasant white.

5) Winter White $10.99

This may be their most popular white, but our savvy server has already figured out that we won’t care for it. He says he recommends it to people who say, “I don’t really care for wine, so what should I try?” Sweet! Another Seyval Blanc/Chardonnay blend. We dump it after one sip each, and it was this taste that reminded us why we hadn’t been back in years.

6) Pythagoras $$14.99

Remember the Pythagorean theory? I do—sort of. At least, I remember being taught it. The label, which features an illustration of the theory, also calls this a “geometrical blend.” More conventionally, this is a classic Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. It has the classic black currant aroma but is softer than I expect, with some notes of oak and mineral. It would be an okay everyday wine, and is fairly dry, though surprisingly simple for a blend like this.

Note illustration on label!

7) 2010 Syrah $14.99

So 2010 is one of those great years for Long Island wines—and 2013 is forecast to be even better—so we are interested to taste these reds. Not that many places on the North Fork make a Syrah, and we quite like this one. The aroma is complicated, with some cedar notes and a mouth-puckering flavor of unripe plums that would be great with a fatty meat like lamb. Actually, we like it, and buy a couple of bottles.

8) 2010 Merlot $16.99

This is a good, typical Long Island Merlot, with tastes of tobacco and dark chocolate and plum, without the barnyard odor or flavor you sometimes get.

The ship on the label seems to be a reference to the Argonaut, Jason's ship, and a theme of Jason's tasting room.

The ship on the label seems to be a reference to the Argo, Jason’s ship, and a theme of Jason’s tasting room.

9) 2009 Pegasus Cabernet Sauvignon $$16.99

On the other hand, this wine does have some barnyard odor, plus allspice and prunes. The taste is better than the smell, and I will borrow my description of the taste from my granddaughter who guesses wine will taste wine-y (without ever having tasted it!). Why the flying horse? No idea, but the label is pretty.

10) 2010 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon $34.99

Extra! Noting our serious demeanor and knowledge of wine, our server adds a small taste of the Reserve Cab Sauv to our tasting, which turns out to be a smart move as we later buy a bottle to keep in the cellar. Excellent. Although the aroma reminds me of a red candy, the taste is complex, with lots of black cherry and plum, plus other notes. It would be great with a steak on the grill.

11) 2010 Cabernet Franc $34.99

Pine forest aroma and black berry taste make this a nice wine, though not worth the price. It has lots of fruit but is pleasantly dry.

Someone at Pindar clearly likes to collect corkscrews.

Reasons to visit: Large tasting room with plenty of space for big groups; the 2010 Syrah and the 2010 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon; the Sunflower Chardonnay if you like an oaky Chard; good prices for Long Island wines;attractive labels; they care about the environment.

NoFo Wineaux

Wine notes from Long Island's North Fork

Tag Archives: petit verdot