Tag Archives: rose

Coffee Pot Cellars: Learn Something New

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

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.

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.

Pellegrini:  Lagniappe

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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.

Ev & Em:  Summer Is a Coming In

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From the outside, it looks like Laurel Lake, but the inside is quite different.

June 2, 2023

Strawberries at the farm stands!  83 degrees and sunny!  It finally felt like summer, and we decided this warm, breezy afternoon was the perfect time to do a tasting.  We had tried Ev & Em (the strange name is the result of Dan Abrams, the owner, wanting to name the winery after his children) in March 2022, when they really weren’t fully open.  For one thing, they didn’t yet have their furniture.  So we figured by now they’d have it together; and they do.

I’m wondering if they’ll add more inside seating in the winter.

We were met at the door by a hostess, who escorted us out onto the breezy porch, which has roll-up plastic windows we’ve also seen on boats, and to a table for two.  I had asked if we could be seated at a table for four, but she demurred, saying she didn’t know if it was reserved.  Really?  At 3:30 in the afternoon in the middle of the week?  And as it happened, the only other people who entered were a family group with children, who were escorted down the stairs to a table on the lawn, which is apparently the policy.  But okay, we were fine.

As we perused the menu—which asserts that this is “where Napa meets the Hamptons” (um, this is not the Hamptons, but okay)—we were served a nice cold bottle of water and two cups.  Our waiter appeared, and asked if we had any questions.  We discussed the fact that they still have the same winemaker as the winery’s previous iteration, when it was called Laurel Lake, and that there are still a few bottles of Laurel Lake wines around.  On the other hand, he noted that this is the first vintage that is really an expression of their wine-making philosophy.  As we chatted, I thought he looked familiar, and suddenly he said, “I’ve seen you before! I used to work at One Woman.”  Ah ha.  It is a small world out here.

There were three flight options available—the Classic Flight, of four wines for $35; the Chocolate Pairing Flight, of four wines and four chocolate truffles for $50; and the Ev&Em2 flight, of four Ev&Em2 wines for $32.  We decided to share a Classic flight, with the thought that we might get a glass afterwards of any other wine we wanted to try from their list of eighteen wines.  We also ordered a $6 bag of North Fork potato chips (and used the leftover chips to make a delicious omelet the next day from a recipe I found in the New York Times).  They also have a variety of cheeses and charcuterie available.  Soft pop jazz played in the background as we sipped and chatted.

  •  2021 Rosé          $32

I expressed surprise at the appearance of the rosé, which is so pale as to look almost like a white wine, or as my tasting buddy said, “You wouldn’t know by looking that it’s a rosé.”  Our waiter had me hold the glass against the white of the menu, and then I could see the faint pink tinge.  The wine is a blend of sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, gewürztraminer, and pinot noir, so three whites and one red, which must account for how pale it is.  It also drinks like a crisp, mineral-y white.  It has some complexity, but if you are looking for a fruity rosé, this is not it.

In this close-up, you can see the faint pink tinge of the rose.
  • 2022 Sauvignon Blanc                   $40

This steel-fermented sauvignon blanc has almost no aroma, and again is a crisp, refreshing wine, though my husband says it is “not exciting.”  The menu describes the taste as “gooseberry and grass,” and if you’ve ever chewed on a blade of grass you get that.  I think it is sophisticated, and would pair well with charcuterie, but we agree that the price is somewhat out of line for the North Fork.

  • 2022 Stainless Steel Chardonnay                $40

Another white with lots of minerality, and not much fruit.  Maybe white peaches, but no citrus.  Pleasant.

  • 2021 Pinot Noir                $55

Our waiter informs us that this is aged 70% in new oak and 30% in neutral oak.  I get lots of minerality again, which seems to be part of their style, with an aroma of eucalyptus and berries.  I taste a bit of licorice in this fairly light red.  The price? Hmmm…

  • 2019 Merlot       $40

If you’re keeping count, you can tell that we’ve come to the end of our tasting, but we have plenty of potato chips and time, so we decide we might like a glass of some other wine.  I ask our server, who had been properly attentive—as in there when you want him to be, and not when you don’t—which wines he thinks are the best, and he brings us a small taste of this merlot.  It is lean, not fruity, with some minerality.  I’m not in love with it, so he offers a taste of one more wine.

On this warm afternoon, we really appreciated the nice cool water.
  • 2021 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay          $45

He’s a bit chagrined when I say I’m not fond of oaked chards, but this one is fine, not too oaky.  It fits the general style here, which is lean, not fruity, and sophisticated.

Reasons to visit:  pleasant outdoor porch setting; all the wines if you like them with more minerality than fruit, none if you don’t; nice menu of cheeses and charcuterie.  Though my tasting pal says he “wouldn’t go out of my way,” I’d come here again for the nice setting and relaxed vibe.  Note:  they say on their website that groups including children will be seated down on the lawn.

The area where they seat parties including children. Looks comfy!

Clovis Point:  A Civilized Afternoon

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May 16, 2023

#Clovispoint #Blacklabelchardonnay #northfork #winetasting #nopets

Bud break has happened!

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

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

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

  •  2021 Sauvignon Blanc   $29

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

We really liked this way of serving a shared tasting, as it is more hygienic than sipping from the same glass. Quite civilized.
  • 2021 Chardonnay             $25

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

  • 2021 Black Label Chardonnay       $28

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

  • 2021 Rosé           $22.50

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

  • 2020 Merlot       $29

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

  • 2019 Cabernet Franc       $45

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

  • 2016 Artifact      $45

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

Lees left in the glass after drinking the port.

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

Pellegrini Vineyards: Perks of Being in a Club

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March 17, 2023

Perhaps because everyone else was elsewhere drinking green beer, we had the tasting room to ourselves.

No St. Patrick Day parades for us and our friends; instead, we were off to do a wine tasting at Pellegrini, where we are members of the wine club.  Many wineries offer clubs, with varying perks and policies.  We have only opted for two:  Pellegrini and Channing Daughters.  Both of them offer special prices for their wines, quarterly releases of wines for club members, special events, and free tastings.  Our friends are members of some wine clubs, but not Pellegrini, so they were curious about what would be on offer.

Unlike more and more local wineries, Pellegrini does not offer much in the way of snacks (You can buy NOFO potato chips.), though a little bag of oyster crackers comes with each tasting.  However, the advantage is you can bring your own snacks, and I offered to supply some.  Well, I got a bit carried away, but we all enjoyed the cheese, crackers, prosciutto, and Marcona almonds from Village Cheese Shop and the charcuterie from 8 Hands Farm.  Since I brought a nice slab of 8 Hands pâté, I felt obliged to also pack Dijon mustard and cornichons.  To continue the theme of local goodies, I also opened a bag of North Fork potato chips.  Lunch accomplished!

Most of the goodies I brought, including a little jar of truffled honey. The cheeses are an aged gouda, Village Cheese Shop’s homemade truffled brie (So good!), and Humboldt Fog.

We had so much fun eating and talking that my wine notes are a bit sketchy, but I will say we all liked every taste, though to different degrees.  We got four tastings, of four wines each, with some overlap.  The tasting room felt like our own private space, since the only party that entered quickly decided to sit up in the little balcony. I also recommended that our friends try the North Fork Project Merlot, a bargain at three one liter bottles for $30, which we both bought before we left, sated and happy.

In no particular order (though our lovely server Kasey carefully informed us of the recommended order of tastes for each flight), here are the wines I took at least a note or two on, some based on the flights my husband and I got, and others on the flights our friends chose.

This flight includes the ice wine, the almost orange wine on the right.
  • 2020 Stainless Steel Chardonnay                $22.99

This was my first taste, and I quite enjoyed it.  In the car on the way to the winery we had discussed the merits of steel vs. oaked chardonnays, with one friend very much preferring oaked, and me…not.  As they say, in wine there are no wrong answers.  This is a light, fruity, minerally wine, with tastes of pear and apple.

  •  2019 Vintner’s Pride Chardonnay              $34.99

Our friend ordered this, and characterized it as smooth and buttery, but not overly oaky—the latter a term he actually refuses to use, since he denies tasting oak in any oaked chard.  This one is aged 100% in French oak puncheons for 18 months, and for contrast his wife ordered the next chard on this list.

  • 2019 Pellegrini Vineyards Chardonnay      $24.99

Not that different from the VP chard, opined our friend, though this one is aged 90% in oak barrels and 10% in stainless steel, 9 months in French oak puncheons.  Is stainless steel chardonnay a plot by wine makers to make less expensive wine they can sell for a higher price, or is it a way to accommodate differing tastes?  The world may never know… 

  • 2021 Pellegrini Vineyards Rosé                   $24.99

If you like a very light, almost tasteless rosé, this is the rosé for you.  I continue to prefer Croteaux rosés.

  • 2017 PV Cabernet Franc                $32.99

Although this is simply called cab franc, it is actually a blend: 85% cab franc, 4% cab sauvignon, 8% merlot, and 2% petit verdot.  In any event, it is a rather light red—Kasey had recommended we drink this before the other reds—with some cherry and spice flavors.  Our friend thinks one might even serve this lightly chilled, like in the summer.  It goes well with the charcuterie.

  • PV Steakhouse Red          $21.99

One feature of Pellegrini we like is that they have some reds that are not too pricy yet drink very well, and this is one of them.  A blend of 72% cabernet sauvignon and 28% merlot, this has a nice minerality with soft tannins and some dark fruit tastes, and would, indeed, go well with a steak.   

  • 2017 Merlot       $32.99

Another blend, this is 85% merlot, plus 10% cabernet sauvignon and 5% petit verdot, though it basically tastes like a merlot.  It’s fine, but I actually prefer the—much cheaper—North Fork Project Merlot.  This, however, could be characterized as more sophisticated.

  • 2020 PV Gewürztraminer              $24.99

My recollection from past tastings is that the gewürztraminer is not overly sweet, and our amiga confirms that this is so.  Easy to drink.

  • 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon             $24.99

Our friend likes this blend of 94% cabernet sauvignon, 4% merlot, and 2% cabernet franc better than the merlot.

  • 2015 Regalo                       $49.99

Pricey, but really good, is my verdict on this wine, which is the last in my tasting.  Regalo means gift, and this is a gift reserved for wine club members. A blend of 50% petit verdot, 30% cabernet sauvignon, 15% merlot, and 5% cabernet franc, this is a complex, delicious wine, with lots of blackberry, plum, and other dark fruit flavors and aromas. 

  • 2021 East End Select BBQ Red                    $26.99

Although this doesn’t have a varietal designation, this iteration of their steel-fermented red is 100% petit verdot.  I have a sip, as it is in my husband’s tasting, and note that it has more sweetness than, say, the Steakhouse Red.  I guess it would go well with ribs or pulled pork, though my wine of choice with barbeque (like from Meats Meat) is beer.

  • Finale Ice Wine                 $39.99 (375 ml)

Time for dessert!  A blend of gewürztraminer and sauvignon blanc, ice wine is made by freezing and then pressing the grapes, resulting in a sweet taste.  The vineyard web site notes it pairs well with nuts, so I am glad I provided Marcona almonds for our friend.  She likes it, and compares it to savoring one’s platonic ideal of a fruity sucking candy, with some notes of honey.

I love the comfy chairs!

Reasons to visit:  pleasant tasting room where buses and limos are verboten; you can bring your own snacks; dogs are allowed; the comfy chairs are conducive to lingering; with fourteen wines to choose from (twelve of which I’ve mentioned), there are wines for every taste; my favorites are the steel chardonnay, the Steakhouse Red, and Regalo; one friend likes the gewürztraminer and the ice wine, the other the VP chardonnay and the cabernet sauvignon, plus the North Fork Project Merlot. 

Macari Vineyards: Time to Book a Table

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www.Macariwines.com   

February 23, 2023

I’ve become quite familiar with Macari’s tasting room this year, since I now belong to a book club that meets there.  What’s better than sitting around a table with a group of bright people, discussing books and sipping wine?  Oh, and let’s not forget nibbling on truffled potato chips.  However, the book group has settled on one favorite wine—the Life Force Sauvignon Blanc—so when friends who belong to the Macari wine club offered to take us there for a tasting, we accepted with alacrity.  They made the reservation, which, by the way, is required.

Not sure what this is, but it is impressive.

To get to the entrance, you have to wend your way around the wrap-around porch.  The room you enter is dominated by a decorative structure which I think is beautiful, but which defies categorization.  We were shown to a table overlooking the vineyards on a plastic-windowed porch, cozily warm, with chairs decorated with soft furry drapes.  In front of us were place mats with three glasses, and the names of the three wines in the standard tasting.  However, as our cheery server informed us, as wine club members we could choose the special wine club trio of tastes.  It took my husband and me only a moment to decide that he would get the standard group and I would opt for the wine club tastes.  One friend also got the wine club trio, while her husband opted for a glass of his current favorite, the Dos Aguas Red, a blend of 48% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc, and 7% Petit Verdot. ($35 per bottle) The Dos Aguas refers to the North Fork’s two waters—the Long Island Sound and Great Peconic Bay—which moderate the climate. 

The tables were set like this. If you didn’t want the three wines on offer, you could substitute others from the list.

As we discussed what to get, the server brought us chilled bottles of water.  We also ordered a charcuterie board for four, which had enough meat, cheese, almonds, olives, bread, hummus, and chips for at least six. ($50)  Yum.  We all agreed that this was a very civilized way to spend a damp, chilly February afternoon.

No outside food allowed, but they have plenty of snacks to choose from.
  •  2020 Dos Aguas White  $24

This was the first of the wine club trio, and a very good way to begin.  It is a light, dry, lemony white blend, half grüner veltliner, blended with pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc, and a touch of chardonnay.  The grüner can tend to be a bit sweet, but in this case it was nicely balanced with the other grapes.  It would go well with seafood in a cream sauce.

  • 2022 Life Force Sauvignon Blanc $28

As I noted, this is the book club favorite, and for a good reason.  It is aged in a combination of a concrete “egg,” and stainless steel, which makes it both more complex and smoother than a typical sauvignon blanc.  One time, years ago, we were at Macari and happened to get into a discussion with the winemaker about the concrete egg, and he gave us a long explanation of the benefits of this way of aging wines.  I’ll just say, it seems to work really well.  This is dry but fruity, very easy to drink.

I believe these are the wine club prices.
  • 2019 Life Force Cabernet Franc  $30

My favorite of the day, this is a yummy red, with tastes of berries and plums.  Again, this is aged in concrete.  It was the second of the wine club trio.

  • 2021 Rosé                          $24

On the other hand, this was my least favorite, a very light rosé, tart, with not much fruit.

We had made some serious inroads on the charcuterie platter before I remembered to take a photo.
  • 2019 Malbec                     $50

We had made some inroads on the charcuterie platter by the time I got to the malbec, and I noted that it went very well with the cheese and other snacks in front of us.  Despite its high price, I did not like it as well as the Life Force Cab Franc, though it is a perfectly good wine.  I got some cherry taste, and nice tannins.  Perhaps it needs to age a bit more.

By the time we left, the room had emptied out quite a bit.
  • 2020 Cabernet Franc                      $38

One problem with this red was that it was served too cold, a common problem.  I think if it had had time to warm up, I might have liked it better.  I found it somewhat light for a cab franc, with notes of berries and herbs.  Very drinkable.

Reasons to visit:  pleasant tasting room overlooking the vineyard; excellent service; I liked all the wines, but especially the Life Force Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc; ample charcuterie board (no outside food).  One unfortunate note—when the room is crowded, it tends to become very noisy, as it was during this holiday week.

I really like these furry throws!

Bedell Cellars: Varied Factors

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

October 21, 2022

The experience of doing a wine tasting can be affected by many factors, not all of them related to the wines themselves.  For example, the last time we went to Palmer the lackadaisical service made the experience less pleasant than in the past.  On the other hand, the lively presence of Laura Klahre makes every visit to Coffee Pot Cellars a pleasure.  In this case, our feelings about Bedell were colored by the fact that it was a beautiful warm fall day, we had a great seat on the porch looking out at the vines, and we had one of our favorite people in the world with us.  We also had the capacious porch almost entirely to ourselves (no worries about having to vacate our seats, as the sign on the table warned).

Even the parking lot is nicely landscaped.
The walkway leads directly to the porch.
Plenty of room today. Our friend noted it would be a nice venue for a big party or wedding.

We entered the porch from the prettily landscaped parking area, and were greeted by a young man behind the bar, who provided us with menus.  Bedell offers a basic flight of three of their wines for $15, or you can assemble your own flight from their menu of 19 wines for $6-$10 per taste.  Since we wanted to compare notes, we decided to each get the basic flight (with my husband and me sharing, since I was the designated driver), with the idea of getting an additional taste of something else if we wanted it.  The server poured our three tastes, and we carried them to a corner table where the afternoon sun made a nice warm spot.  We hadn’t had lunch, so we ordered a cheese and one of the salumi and some crackers, which were brought to our table.

The snacks came wrapped, with plates and those little wooden knives—which were quite inadequate for slicing the cheese, a nice wedge of Beemster.  It would be helpful to get a real knife.  We also were given little wooden picks for picking up the slices of Napoli salami, which fortunately came pre-sliced.  The crackers were…inoffensive.

As we sipped and chatted and enjoyed the view, soft rock of the Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel variety played in the background.  The pour, by the way, was fairly generous, and we felt no need for more wine.

  •  2021 Rosé          $25

The weather was doing a pretty good imitation of late summer rather than early fall, so the rosé felt quite appropriate.  It has an interesting aroma of tropical fruit and minerals, with tastes of guava and minerals.  Nice, dry, and light; our friend notes it would be “nice on an August afternoon,” to sip on its own.

  • 2020 Pinot Gris                 $30

Like the rosé, this has a more interesting aroma than many wines of this variety.  I say mossy and a bit funky, and no one disagrees with me.  The taste is also more complex than many North Fork whites, with some tart Granny Smith apple taste.  We decide that it is best with food, and make some inroads on the cheese and salami.

I noticed the plastic curtains, which should make the porch usable even on not so nice days.
  • 2019 Malbec      $45

But the cheese goes best with this wine, an intense red with crushed berry taste which our friend compares to her favorite soda, Dr. Brown’s Black Cherry, except not sweet.  She starts fantasizing about drinking it with some matzo ball soup, a knish, and a pastrami sandwich.  Maybe!  It is good, though not $45 good, we agree, and I remember that one time when I wrote about Bedell I discussed the issues of price and value in wines.  They still have some very pricey wines, including Musée, at $125 per bottle.  Wow.

We made friends with Barney, who was focused on a crumb I had dropped.

Reasons to visit:  in warm weather, a pleasant outdoor covered porch with a view looking out over the vines; all three of the wines were good, though not good enough that we bought any; they allow dogs, at least on the porch, since as we were getting ready to leave we had a little visit with Barney; you can build your own tasting from their extensive menu of wines.

Chronicle Wines: A Family Story

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

August 25, 2022

The winery is in a storefront on Peconic Lane.

The last time we were at Chronicle Wines—back in 2019, when it was still called Peconic Cellar Door—the five-year-old daughter of one of the owners put in an appearance with her nanny, so it seemed like a good place to visit with a couple of granddaughters in tow.  And indeed it was.

The bar is a holdover from the Winemaker’s Studio.

Since our pre-Covid visit, Chronicle, helmed by Robin Epperson-McCarthy and Alie Shaper (both of whom were in the tasting room when we arrived, and gave us a warm welcome), has expanded into the next-door shop-front space previously occupied by Anthony Nappa’s Winemaker’s Studio.  Alie assured us that Anthony, who is the winemaker for Raphael, is still very much in the winemaking business, and continues to runs his wine club for the wines he makes separate from Raphael.  This new room is outfitted more like a lounge, with cushioned seats and small tables, plus the bar, while their original space has bigger tables.  Since there were six in our party (counting the two youngsters) we opted for the big table, promising Robin that we would ignore the stacked boxes of a recent delivery—which they soon began putting away.

The lounge area.

The tasting menu offers two options, a white and orange flight of five wines for $25, or a red and rosé flight of five tastes, also $25.  Since we wanted to try the full panoply of their wines, we decided to share one of each flight amongst the four of us, which turned out to work beautifully.  Alie brought to our table a chilled bottle of water plus a tray of empty glasses so we could share the wines without sharing a glass.  We also ordered a few snacks for the girls and ourselves—a box of cranberry almond crisps, a bag of North Fork potato chips, and a jar of olives—plus lemonades for the girls, and settled in.

Snacks!

While we waited for our flights to arrive, we examined the art on the walls, as Alie and Robin make a point of featuring local artists. Today’s paintings are by Cherryl K. Bradley. The granddaughters were quick to observe that “Queen of the Scrambled Brain” contained both a crown and some hearts, and wondered whether it showed the state of mind of someone who had difficulty with love.

The Queen of the Scrambled Brain
Follow the Sun

Both Robin and Alie stopped by our table from time to time to see if we had any questions and make sure we had everything we needed.  Although they work together, they each have their own brands of wines:  As If, Brooklyn Oenology (BOE), Chronicle, Haywater Cove, and Saltbird Cellars.  The tasting included some from each brand.

  •  2024 Chronicle Chardonnay Pét-Nat       $30

Sparkling wines are always a nice way to start a tasting, as they get one in a celebratory mood.  This one was no exception, having a pleasantly yeasty aroma, nice carbonation, and a taste we discussed as either lemon verbena or lemon pie.  One of our guests pronounced it “lively.”

  • 2018 BOE Pinot Gris        $15 (on sale)

Even though this one is on sale, we opted not to buy any, since we found it both thin and earthy, if that makes sense.  I sensed a bit of a metallic taste, or maybe minerality would be a better term.

  • 2019 Saltbird Cellar Sauvignon Blanc       $25

We sensed an aroma of lemon and green apple, and one guest opined that “it has some sort of fruit taste, but not sure which.”  We laughed over our shared tendency to guess gooseberry, though none of us is quite sure what a gooseberry tastes like.  This might go nicely with some gravlax.

  • 2014 As If Serendipity White Blend           $15

Our favorite of the whites, this is a blend of chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, and viognier, lightly oaked.  It has more body than the others, with a “nice roundness,” according to one guest, and a thyme honey taste, while still being tart.  We each buy a bottle.

  • 2020 BOE “Broken Land” orange wine     $30

You may be wondering about how the granddaughters—ages eleven and eight—are occupying themselves as we sit and sip.  They have their Kindles to read and snacks to munch, but they are also taking an interest in our discussions.  They sniff the wines appreciatively, and agree or disagree with our descriptions of the aromas.  Dad asks the eight-year-old, who, with her sister, has been helping him with some amateur basement winemaking, if she knows what an orange wine is.  She confidently and immediately replies, “It’s a wine made with white wine grapes, fermented on the skins.”  Overhearing this, Alie notes that if she were eighteen she’d hire her on the spot. Meanwhile, we sip this blend of gewürztraminer, sauvignon blanc, and pinot gris, and decide we like its aroma of orange blossoms or honeysuckle better than its flavor, which is a bit thin for us.

  • NV Haywater Cove Rosé               $15

Rosé makes a nice transition from whites to reds, since it is made from red wine grapes, but fermented with minimal skin contact.  This one is a blend of merlot and cabernet franc, and is very much in the Provençal tradition of light, dry rosés.  We note that it is a good wine for hot weather, and could see drinking a nice chilled glass of this on the porch.  My tasting buddy likes its strawberry aroma and flavor.

  • 2019 Saltbird Cellars “Red Skies”               $30

Though we find this blend of syrah and cabernet sauvignon pleasant, we don’t feel it is a $30 bottle.  The aroma is earthy, and the wine is light, with tastes of raisins and grapefruit peel.

  • 2020 Saltbird Cellars Merlot        $27

The aroma has a slight whiff of basement, and the wine is very dry and light, with a touch of cherry flavor.  One of us suggests it would go well with roast chicken, to which I reply, “What doesn’t?”  We have some difference of opinion over this one, which one guest pronounces sophisticated, but which I find unimpressive.

  • 2017 Saltbird Cellars “Harbinger”              $36

When a wine has a non-varietal name, that often means it is a blend, which this is: merlot, cabernet sauvignon, and petit verdot.  The night before, we bought steaks at Center Cuts and cooked them on the barbeque, so we were wondering whether any of the reds we tasted today would stand up to such steaks.  This one would not.  It has some cherry and dark fruit taste, but is again rather light, though one guest notes it has “chewy tannins.”

  • 2013 Chronicle Wines Red Blend, limited edition                              $40 (? Not sure)

Yummy aroma of dried fruits, delicious taste.  And yes, this wine could stand up to a big steak.  It has lots of dark fruit flavor, is dry, with a nice mouth feel.  This is a Bordeaux blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon, malbec, syrah, and petit verdot.  We both buy a bottle.

Reasons to visit:  Alie and Robin are eager to please, and will tell you all about their wines; pleasant small tasting room; the Pét-Nat, the As If Serendipity white blend, the Haywater Cove Rosé, and the Chronicle Red Blend; if you are interested in such things, they also sell canned wines and spritzers; dogs allowed outside.