One Woman Winery August 5, 2013

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with chardonnay, D'latte, Dessert Wine, gewurztraminer, Greenport, gruner veltliner, merlot, North Fork, One Woman Tribute, One Woman Winery, rose, sauvignon blanc August 8, 2013

http://www.onewomanwines.com/

Apparently, one woman is all it takes to make some terrific wines; at least, if that one woman is Claudia Purita, the woman behind One Woman Wines. As her daughter proudly told us on a previous visit, Ms. Purita tends the vines by hand, picks the grapes, and makes the wine. The results are a pleasure to drink. Oh, and she even picks and arranges the gorgeous bouquets of wildflowers that grace the tasting room.

Flowers in the tasting room

We came to the winery this time on a breezy sunny Monday afternoon, when, until two other parties arrived, we were the only people in the tiny tasting room and on the only slightly larger deck area, where we drank our wines. If you are in a party larger than six or in a limo, you’d better have a reservation! The pleasant young women behind the bar were cheery and helpful, and guided us as we decided on what to pick from the menu of nine wines. Tastings are $6 for two tastes, $8 for three, or $10 for four, plus there are three reserve wines one can try for $4 for one or $12 for all three. Since there were four adults, we decided to share two tastings of four choices each, plus some reserves, while the two-year-old distraction ran races on the lawn. Because we were going back and forth between two tastings, the wines might not be in the absolute perfect tasting order.

2011 One Woman Tribute $23

Created to mark Ms. Purita’s five-year anniversary as a winemaker, this is a blend of all their whites. As a result, it has an unsurprisingly complicated aroma with peach and minerality dominating followed by a delicious taste that combines apricots (my favorite fruit) with a long citrusy finish. Dry yet fruity, this is a wine one could happily sip by itself or pair with almost any food.

2. 2012 Sauvignon Blanc $25

Another goodie! This one has a spicy aroma and flavor, with lots of lemon. It would be great with oysters. Very buyable.

3. 2011 Grüner Veltliner $20

Hmmm…what’s that smell? Eucalyptus! This wine also has plenty of fruit, with a nice tartness that makes us think of gooseberries. This is good, but…

4. 2012 Grüner Veltliner $20

…the 2012 is even better. Despite a slightly musty aroma under the eucalyptus, this is delicious, with a surprisingly sweet ending and a bit of a bubbly feeling on the tongue. As this is the only Grüner on the North Fork, it is worth coming here just to taste it.

5. 2011 Gewürztraminer $23

We smell pineapple and mango, then find the taste surprisingly dry, though with lots of tropical fruit. This one is rather delicate, so you’d want to pair it with a dish that wouldn’t be overwhelmed by it. Maybe scallops?

6. 2012 Gewürztraminer $23

As the servers noted, the 2012s are more flavorful than the 2011s, and that holds true for both the Gewürztraminer and the Grüner. Aromas and tastes of pineapple, and also spice and honey make this our favorite of the day, and we buy some to take home, thinking of Peconic Bay scallops on the barbecue.

7. 2012 Chardonnay $20

This is our least favorite of the day, a half oaked, half steel fermented chard with some vanilla and pine sap aromas and some oak and tropical fruit flavors.

The deck

8. 2012 Rosé $19

We get the usual notes of strawberry, with perhaps, as they say, some pomegranate. This is a dry, merlot-based rosé, with some earthiness and funkiness, though ultimately it is refreshing.

9. 2008 Estate Reserve Merlot $48

Lots of aromas to this wine, including wet forest and cinnamon. We taste spice and dark fruit, and all agree that it is an excellent merlot with all sorts of interesting flavors. This is part of the Reserve tasting, as are the next two.

10. 2010 Estate Reserve Chardonnay $38

Again, not a favorite. It has that cat pee smell some wines seem to get, and is too oaky for our taste, with lots of butterscotch.

11. 2010 Dessert Wine $39

Smells like the Gewürztraminer. It is sweet, but not just sweet, with some nice structure.

If you are counting, you will realize we skipped one wine—the sparkling wine. Perhaps next time we’ll try that. Meanwhile we buy the Gewürztraminer and the Sauvignon Blanc, and as a result the tastings of the standard wines, but not the reserves, are free. We also almost bought some gelato on sale in the tasting room, before we remembered that we had a Briermere pie for dessert. Gelato? Not surprising when you know that her husband owns D’Latte in Greenport. Later that night we have Peconic Bay scallops, barbecued on skewers with plum tomatoes and zucchini, along with roasted new potatoes and corn and sautéed zucchini, and the Gewürztraminer goes perfectly with it all.

Reasons to visit: you would like to drink some excellent white wines; you like peace and quiet among the vines (though they do have some evening events which might be livelier); you want to try Grüner Veltliner on Long Island; you like a nice dry Gewürztraminer; the Sauvignon Blanc.

Jamesport Vineyards July 13, 2013

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with cabernet franc, chardonnay, East End Cinq Blanc, East End Merlot, Jamesport Vineyards, Jubilant, Melange de Trois, North Fork, oysters, riesling, sauvignon blanc, Sidor, SPAT, Wayside Market July 15, 2013

http://www.jamesportwines.com/

The last time we went to Jamesport Vineyards it had been to simply have a glass of wine and a plate of oysters, not a bad reason to visit as they are very well set up for that (more on the oysters later), but we felt it was time to do a complete tasting. The tasting room is in a 150-year-old barn, and is half bar and half a view through large windows into the wine-making operation. Though the room itself is small they have lots of space outside, and we see large groups immediately ushered to the outdoor space. They have a few t-shirts and other items for sale. Our server presents us with a list, but gives very little additional guidance, so we are left to decide for ourselves what to taste. A tasting is 5 wines for $13, and they have 13 wines in all, so we decide to share two tastings so we can sample 10 of their wines, which are served in attractive round-bottomed glasses. We skip the Rosé, the Pinot Noir, and the East End Cabernet Franc. We also notice that the list of bottles for sale is not exactly the same as the tasting list.

2011 Reserve Chardonnay $21.95

Our server informs us that this spends “a little bit” of time in oak and the rest in steel, so it is not too buttery, and she is right, though perhaps it could have used more time in oak, as it is very lemony and tart. The aroma is of wood and spice, and while not unpleasant we find it too citrusy.

2.East End Cinq Blanc $16.95

My high school French reminds me that cinq=five, and indeed, this wine is made from 5 grapes: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Pinot Blanc (in unknown proportions). The bottle has an attractive picture of a scallop shell, so we turn it around to read that this wine is made, as they say, “…in partnership with the SPAT (Southold Project in Aquaculture Training) program. This Cornell Cooperative/Community-based partnership encompasses an initiative to teach residents how to raise their own shellfish in the bays of the East End. The large scallop shell on the label pays homage to the bounty of the North Fork’s bays and creeks.” Fittingly, we feel this wine would go very well with local oysters! I detect an aroma of piney woods and a lovely crisp taste of gooseberries with some citrus at the finish. Very buyable!

3. 2012 Sauvignon Blanc $24.95

“This is my favorite white,” enthuses our server, and if she likes pineapple that would explain why. We like it too, but not as much as the Cinq, though it would also be good with oysters. An aroma again of pine forest precedes a taste with lots of pineapple, and maybe some pine, too.

4. 2010 Riesling $25.95

Off dry? Not really. An aroma of petrol, they say? We say cardamom, and we also say too sweet, and we also say time to dump the rest of the glass.

5. 2008 East End Merlot $16.95

Moving on to the reds, we start with their merlot, which we quite like, also. Aromas of blueberry and cinnamon, tastes of cherry and berry, and no earth means we’re happy. Some tannins, and the end is a bit sour. This is also buyable.

6. 2005 Estate Merlot Block E $??? (not on bottle list)

We smell minerals and wood, taste some cherry, but it is very dry and has no finish to speak of. Just eh.

7. 2007 Cabernet Franc $29.95

This is a relatively simple Cab, though with a nice long finish. Some cherry aromas, but not much smell at all, and nicely dry with good fruit.

8. 2007 Mèlange de Trois $29.95

Their Bordeaux blend, this is an amalgam of 49%Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 26% Cabernet Franc. Although there’s not much aroma, the taste is delicious, like ripe purple plums and what I believe are called “chewy tannins.” Whatever. It’s good!

9. 2007 Jubilant Reserve $44.95

Another blend, and this is a wow: 68%Cabernet Franc, 18% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2.5% Syrah, and 2.5% Petit Verdot. Yum. Aroma of dried figs, lots of complex ripe fruit tastes, and a lovely finish. Happy tongue. This would go great with a Porterhouse steak from Wayside Market.

10. 2007 Sidor Reserve $44.95

62% Syrah, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, 9%Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot—They do like their blends here. And justifiably so! This is not as good as the Jubilant, but still really good, with nice tannins , dry, but lots of fruit, with an aroma of cedar and ripe figs.

I note one wine on the bottle list which goes for $100, pretty unusual for the North Fork.

We pay for our tastings and then move outside to the attractive stone bar, behind which are two people, a drink server and an oyster opener. We get a glass of the Cinq to share for $8 with a plate of a dozen oysters for $22. If you get them, get the cocktail sauce and grated horseradish, not because the oysters need any embellishment, but because both sauces are very good, especially the horseradish. They also offer some beers on tap and Margarita pizzas. A singer provides entertainment to the various groups scattered around the grounds at picnic tables. We sit on a cushioned bench at a small wooden table across from the bar and enjoy our treat. The oysters a bit small, but very fresh, with lots of liquid, and the wine goes perfectly with them.

Reasons to visit: you want to have a glass of wine and a plate of oysters; the East End Cinq Blanc, the East End Merlot, the Mélange de Trois, the Jubilant, and the Sidor; you want to sit outside and listen to music; you want to support SPAT.

Kontokosta Winery June 23, 2013

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting, Uncategorized and tagged with Anemometer Red, Anemometer White, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, Greenport, Hellenic, Kontokosta Winery, merlot, North Fork, olive oil, Orient Chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, viognier, windmill June 25, 2013

http://www.kontokostawines.com/

One great aspect of choosing to write about North Fork wineries for a blog is that there is not much risk of running out of material. Not only do wineries change their offerings with each new harvest—necessitating return visits—but new wineries are constantly springing up. Case in point, as Rod Serling liked to say, Kontokosta Winery in Greenport, which opened its very attractive doors on June 12^th. As you head east towards Orient Point on Sound Avenue you pass a flashing light, where you could turn to head into Greenport. Instead, stay straight and you’ll come to a gate on your left, which leads to a long gravel drive and then to a parking lot next to a large imposing building, bracketed by vines, a view of Long Island Sound, and a tall windmill, about which more later.

Inside, the spacious tasting room is sleekly modern in style, with a serene black and white color scheme. We note several tables where a happy party is taking photos of themselves and a long tasting bar. We find a space at the bar, where a lovely young woman explains the choices to us. All the servers are clad in black shirts with the Kontokostas logo on the chest, a discreet three red bars. One of the servers is a gentleman we recognize from several other venues, including the Tasting Room and Empire Cellars, and he assures us we are about to experience some terrific wines. A tasting consists of four one ounce pours for $10, chosen from a menu of ten wines, five white and five red. There’s also a three-pour tasting and wines by the glass. We opt for two four-wine flights, one of white and then one of red, both of which we share, skipping the rosé and the Blum Merlot.

NV Anemometer White $16

Why Anemometer, we ask, noticing the representation of a spinning anemometer on the bottle? The winery is very proud of its use of wind power, our server notes, and in fact everything on the property is powered by wind. Our friend from other venues notes that on a very windy day you can see the electric meter spin backward, so that LIPA ends up owing them money. On to the wine, which is a blend, though primarily sauvignon blanc. Refreshing, we agree, with an aroma of Meyer lemon and mineral, with tastes of citrus and honeysuckle at the end. This would be good for summer sipping, and also would go well with turkey dishes. Very buyable!

2. 2009 Orient Chardonnay $17

The grapes for this wine come from a vineyard in Orient, hence the name. A lightly oaked chard, this is just okay, and a bit sour. There’s plenty of orangey-lemon tastes, and some oak at the end, but we don’t find it particularly pleasant.

3. 2012 Sauvignon Blanc $25

Not surprisingly, we find this wine reminds us of the Anemometer White, though with some different tastes. Overall it is a bit sweet for us, with aromas of honeysuckle and green plum and tastes of wildflower honey with a vegetal note at the end. My husband says green beans…not sure I agree. This is the first wine they made here.

4. 2010 Viognier $25

Bedell is the only other North Fork winery to use this grape, so we are interested to see how it compares. At Bedell we had their 2011 Viognier, which we found very pleasing, with complex spicy fruit and citrus flavors. This one has aromas of blood orange and peach, with peachy tastes and some tannins, but not so complex.

5. Anemometer Red 2006 $19

I would expect this to be a blend, but it is 100% syrah, we are told. The aroma has some of that East End barnyard smell, plus red berry, and the taste reminds us of red sucking candy. While not for sipping, this would be okay with food, such as pork chops.

6. 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon $22

We smell ripe berries and plums, and not much earth, and taste lots of fruit, with a nice dry finish. I’d love this with a nice medium-rare duck breast, and it could stand up to steak as well.

7. 2007 Merlot $29

Again we smell that earthy barnyard aroma, plus some mineral. This is just okay—dry, with decent fruit, but a bit of a chemical acetone taste at the end. You could have this with a rich pork dish and it would be fine, but it is overpriced for what it is.

8. 2007 Cabernet Franc $29

“This is one of my favorites,” enthuses our server, and we can see why, as it is definitely the best of the reds, with lots of fruit and a lovely aroma of ripe berries, not too sweet but not too dry, either. Oh, she adds, all the reds are aged in new French oak.

After we finish the wines, we are offered tastes of three olive oils they are selling—all for $28—an extra virgin, a Minneola tangelo and a jalapeῆo lime. They’re nice, but we’ll stick with Vines and Branches. We also learn that the winery is proud of its use of recycled materials in its construction, which is partly reflected in their slogan, “Sound Life, Sound Wine,” or as they say on their FaceBook page, “Registered with the USGBC under the LEED New Construction 2009 rating system, our winery has been designed to meet the gold certification level. To meet these high standards, the building is constructed of 100% recycled steel and reclaimed wood siding, and will be powered by wind energy.”

The windmill!

We enjoy the view out the large window to the Long Island Sound on this lovely June day as we wrap up our visit with the purchase of a bottle of the Anemometer White.

Reasons to visit: You’re in Greenport without a car and you’d like to go to a winery; you’ve tried all the others and are looking for a new winery; Anemometer White and 07 Cabernet Franc; the chance to appreciate a lovely view while doing a tasting; you’re on your way to the Hellenic and have some time to kill before dinner.

Coffee Pot Cellars June 2, 2013

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting, Uncategorized and tagged with bees, chardonnay, Coffee Pot Cellars, honey, Meritage, merlot, North Fork, Osprey's Dominion, sauvignon blanc June 3, 2013

http://www.coffeepotcellars.com/

“I have to put out the wine tasting flag,” said Adam Suprenant, the owner and winemaker for Coffee Pot Cellars, “because people keep coming in wanting a cup of coffee!” He grinned affably and looked around his spare but pleasant tasting room, which just opened a week ago on Main Road in a building formerly occupied by a real estate office. Mr. Suprenant is the winemaker for Osprey’s Dominion, but he also decided to express himself with his own label, named, not for a pot of coffee, but for the lighthouse in Orient which supposedly looks like a coffee pot. He makes just four wines, so, he noted, “They’d better be good!” That they are; not a clunker in the bunch.

The tasting room features a very attractive bar made from reclaimed poplar wood, a small selection of wine-related items, and honey and beeswax products made by Blossom Meadow, a venture of his fiancée, who manages about 100 bee hives around the North Fork. Over on a shelf sits a demonstration hive, with a glass front so you can watch the busy bees at work.

We each had our own tasting, $7.00 for all four wines, or $2.00 per taste, and also enjoyed Mr. Suprenant’s comments on how he made each wine.

1. 2011 Sauvignon Blanc $17.99

Because not many vineyards grow sauvignon blanc grapes, Coffee Pot Cellars buys these grapes from Osprey’s Dominion, but Mr. S. makes the wine his own way. A slightly mineral aroma precedes tastes of citrus and honeydew, with a nicely long and interesting finish. Definitely a good raw seafood wine!

2. 2011 Chardonnay $15.99

“This is my Hurricane Irene wine,” Mr. S. notes, remembering how the intense rain and wind of the hurricane was followed two days later by heavy rain, forcing the early harvesting of the grapes. “The wine was very lean,” he adds, so he allowed some malolactic fermentation, but aged the wine in older oak barrels, avoiding the over-oakiness and butteriness of some chardonnays. We like this wine quite a bit, with its honey-vanilla aroma and just a hint of butterscotch amid the citrus flavors. Buyable!

3. 2008 Merlot $17.99

This is the wine Coffee Pot started with, and merlot is of course Long Island’s most-grown red wine grape. The fruit for this and the chardonnay all came from one vineyard in Aquebogue, from a vineyard where the grower only grows grapes for others, rather than making his own wine. That allows the wine to express its terroir, but not, we are pleased to note, with the earthy or dirt barnyard smells of some local reds. “People ask me if Long Island wines will age well,” our new friend says, “and I say depends on the wine. This one is doing quite well, and many will age for 6-8 years and just get better.” We smell a pleasantly brambly aroma and taste pleasant berry and good tannins, though not a lot of depth. Pretty color, too.

4. 2008 Meritage $21.99

After making just merlot, Mr. S. decided to try a blend, so he went to some winemakers at Premium Wine Group (at Lieb Cellars) to see if they had any wine they were not interested in using. After some mixing and tasting, he came up with this very lovely wine, mostly merlot, 19% cabernet sauvignon and 6% each petit verdot and cabernet franc. Smells like a Briermere berry pie to me! The petit verdot adds a bit of black pepper to the delicious fruit flavor, so it is sweet but not too sweet. “I’ll only make this in the best years,” he explains, and also describes how he puts the wine through an oxidative process to eliminate that earth flavor, and also filters out the yeasts so they will stay the way he wants them to be. Buyable.

We buy a bottle each of the Chardonnay and the Meritage, plus some honey and a box of cat-shaped beeswax candles.

Reasons to visit: A chance to talk to the winemaker and learn all about how he makes his wines; four quite tasty wines; honey and beeswax products; a nice quiet tasting room.

Macari Vineyards May 18, 2013

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting, Uncategorized and tagged with chardonnay, Collina, Cutchogue, Dos Aguas, Early Wine, Macari, merlot, North Fork, riesling, sauvignon blanc, Sette May 20, 2013

http://w ww.macariwines.com/

This weekend we went to what we call the “Irish” winery—not because it is Irish, but because a friend, hearing the name but not seeing it, thought it was McCary! In fact, so Italian (not Irish) are they that the Macari family has given several of their wines Italian names, including Collina, for the hills on which their vineyard is located, and Sette, for Settefrati, the town in Italy from which their family emigrated.

Macari has two tasting rooms, a commodious building just off Sound Avenue and another, formerly the Gallucio Family Winery, on Main Road in Cutchogue. We’ve been to both, but this time we went to the one on Main Road. As you enter, you see the road forks both up the hill and down. Both ways lead to parking lots, so you can pick either way, but the uphill one enables you to drop off passengers at the door. Both rooms have outdoor areas far enough from the road to feel pleasantly rustic.

We had an irrational prejudice against Macari because early in our winery-visiting days we walked in right behind a group of bachelorettes who stumbled out of their limo, beer cans in hand, plastic flowers in their hair, and proceeded to be quite raucous. Not Macari’s fault!

The Main Road tasting room is a pleasant space, with a curving copper-topped bar and a nice selection of gift items, including hand painted wine glasses and tea towels with the word Wineaux on them. A white flight of four tastes is $8 and a red flight is $12. They also offer artisanal cheeses and salumi for $7-10.00, including crackers. The servers are pleasant and well-informed, though it is a bit disconcerting to hear the same spiel delivered word for word to your neighbors at the bar. By the way, if you want to go you should go soon, as they are celebrating their 15^th anniversary with a very nice sale on many of their wines.

We opted to do one tasting of whites and one of reds, sharing as we went.

2012 Sauvignon Blanc $23

This bears the subtitle “Katherine’s Field,” and our server noted it is their “signature wine.” This steel-fermented white has aromas of herbs and baked pear (they say), and we think thyme and unripe cantaloupe. We also taste unripe cantaloupe, along with a tart acidity and not much fruit. Not really for sipping, but it would be a good oyster wine.

2. 2010 Riesling $27

Though this uses grapes from upstate, it escapes the sometimes over-sweetness one finds with that fruit. A flowery aroma precedes tastes of grapefruit and dried apricot which unfolds quite pleasantly on the palate. Good finish and, we conclude, a really lovely well-made Riesling.

3. Collina Chardonnay $13

The server describes this as their “house white,” and notes that it is a combination of oak and steel-fermented wine, which should make it quite pleasant but does not. I think of the taste and smell as reminding me of a vacation house that has been closed up too long, with a sensation of damp and slightly moldy wood. We dump the remainder in the spit bucket, something we rarely do. Even on sale for $10, I can’t see buying this!

4. 2012 Early Wine $17

This is a special production of their Austrian winemaker, and is called early wine because…it is picked early. In late August, they harvest these mostly chardonnay grapes, and age the wine not at all, yielding an almost clear liquid. We think it will be tart, but instead it is rather sweet, with aromas of grass or hay and tastes of pear with a slight edge of lemon. Not bad, but not for us.

5. Collina 48 Merlot $13

New glass for the reds, always a nice touch. Mostly Merlot, with 5% each of cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon, this is a simple table-type wine that would be better with food than just sipping. We smell tobacco and bay leaf and taste some berry, but the taste leaves the tongue quickly and is quite dry and tart.

6. Sette Red Blend $19

Named for Settefrati (seven brothers), the village from which the Macaris emigrated, this is our favorite of the wines so far. A 50/50 blend of merlot and cabernet franc, this wine smells to us like a combination of cocoa mulch (try it on your garden some time, but I warn you, every time you weed you’ll crave a chocolate bar) and green olives, with nice plum flavors. Very buyable.

7. 2007 Merlot Reserve $36

After 16 months in French oak, this merlot is then aged for four years, so it was just recently released. We detect a bit of menthol in the aroma, and also berry pie (a smell you’ll recognize if you’ve ever been to Briermere while they are baking). The taste starts sweet, then becomes quite nice, with black cherry and enough tannins that our tongues tingle. Interesting, and quite good.

8. 2008 Dos Aguas $27

Two waters, we ask? For the Peconic Bay and Long Island Sound, the two bodies of water that frame the North Fork, she replies. A Bordeaux blend, Dos Aguas combines 70% merlot with 17% cabernet sauvignon, 8% malbec, 4% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. Strongly spicy aromas of nutmeg and berries, maybe some plum, make us anticipate a delicious wine, but it is not to be. Really not much to this one at all.

They also have, available by the glass but not included in the tasting, a couple of rosés and some dessert wines as well as a few additional wines. We buy two bottles of Sette and two Wineaux tea towels (how could we not?).

Reasons to visit: pleasant tasting room and outside seating area in a rustic setting; 2010 Riesling and Sette Red Blend; some nice gift items; choice of two tasting rooms so if you want to go there you can be flexible as to your route.

Osprey’s Dominion April 6, 2013

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, Flight Edelzwicker, gewurztraminer, Meritage, merlot, North Fork, Osprey's Dominion, Richmond Creek Merlot, sauvignon blanc, Unwooded April 8, 2013

http://www.ospreysdominion.com/

http://ospreysdominion.olhblogspace.com

Having a bachelorette party? Then this may just be the perfect spot for you. We saw at least five during our tasting at Osprey’s Dominion, and our server noted, “I need a drink. I just served three bachelorette parties in a row.” The first part of the long curving bar in the large, airy tasting room is reserved for limo parties, and they get a “special” menu with four tastes, with choices winnowed to two in each category. One group we noted had a rather extensive cheese and cracker platter, but we weren’t sure if they were served it or brought it. A guitar player in one corner varied his somewhat folksy play list to accommodate one group of women who danced in front of him.

On the other hand, we liked many of the wines, and our server had his spiel on each wine well memorized, with useful notes on each, and was happy to make suggestions as to choices and the order in which to drink them. However, another server who took over for him when yet another group of gigglers demanded his attention just poured, with hardly any commentary. We felt somewhat abandoned at that point.

A quick look at the gift items revealed a small assortment of not very creative choices, except for one neat idea: they will let you order a personalized label for some of their wines, though you have to order at least a case.

The menu for those not from a limo offers two options (aside, of course, from buying a whole glass): $8.00 for any five from the menu, or $5 for three choices. A blackboard outside also offered a special of $20 for two tastings and a serving of sausage, cheese and crackers. The “serving” consisted of a small sleeve of Ritz-type crackers, and a pre-packaged box with slices of mild pepperoni and fairly flavorless processed cheese. Not worth it, but we were hungry after a shopping trip to Greenport and a quick stop at our marina to look at our slip for the coming summer (where we spotted two ospreys on their nest, which may have subconsciously influenced our choice of winery). As we frequently do, we ordered different wines so we could taste ten of their offerings, and so tried many of their wines (their website says they have 23, but not all are on the tasting menu). We did not try their sparkling wine, their port, or their spiced wine (served warm).

2011 Sauvignon Blanc $15

Our server notes that this is a good place to start, as it is a fairly neutral wine. The aroma is somewhat flowery, and we note tastes of green apple and lemon. Good, and would be nice with oysters or lobster.

2. 2010 Unwooded Chardonnay $15

“This one is more like a pinot gris than a typical chardonnay,” says our server, and we can see his point. Like other steel-fermented chards it has a mineral aroma and tastes of citrus, especially lime. The first taste on your tongue is a bit sweet, but it quickly turns tart.

3. 2010 Gewürztraminer $20

“This one just jumps out of the glass at you,” said our server, who will soon be moving to North Carolina to take a teaching job. This is certainly a Gewürztraminer that does its own thing, and does not taste like a standard wine from this grape. The aroma combines fermented pear juice and some cat pee (or like the smell of water that flowers have stood in for too long), but is not unpleasant. The flavor is both sweet and somewhat nutty, with a tart finish.

4. 2010 “Flight” Edelzwicker $24

It was interesting to taste this German-style wine next to the Gewürztraminer, since it has some of that grape, as well as Pinot Gris and Riesling in it. We really liked it, and it is an unusual wine for Long Island, which is always fun. The aroma is somewhat mineral, with a slight trace of cat pee, and it tastes like ripe green plums with some sweetness and complexity. It is certainly buyable, though we don’t opt to do so.

5. 2007 Merlot $20

Now we switch to reds, and our server rinses our glasses once again. A lovely aroma of berry and ripe plum, with none of the dirt that one often finds in Long Island merlots meets our noses, followed by good fruit flavors of ripe cherry with hints of chocolate. This is a prize winner, and we agree, and are especially interested to see that it is on sale, for $39 for three bottles, so we plan to buy it. (The last time we were here, a couple of years ago, there was no charge for the tasting when we bought several bottles of wine. Not so this time.)

6. Richmond Creek Merlot $14

It’s so fascinating to find that two wines from the same grape and the same vineyard can be so different. As much as we like the 07 Merlot, that’s how much we dislike this thin, sour, very dry wine. It has no finish, which is fortunate, and I’d hate to have that taste linger on my palate.

7. 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon $20

This one’s just okay, with mineral aroma and a whiff of earth, not much fruit and few tannins.

8. 2008 Cabernet Franc $20

2008 was a very rainy year, and the cab franc suffers accordingly. Though we smell leather and plums, the wine itself is thin, with only a little fruit and not much finish.

9. 2007 Meritage $24

Somewhat of a Bordeaux blend, the Meritage has 67% Merlot, 17% Carmenere, 10% Petit Verdot, and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon. We like its aromas of dark cocoa and fruit, and it tastes good, too, with all the ripe fruit flavors lacking in the previous two wines. Our substitute server has to consult a notebook to give us the varietal breakdown.

10. 2007 Reserve Merlot $35

Really good! Lots of ripe berry aroma and plenty of fruit with no dirt make this a better than average Merlot—and they’ve priced it accordingly.

Reasons to visit: Good for a large group, and very accommodating to bachelorette parties; they encourage picnickers in the summer to buy a bottle of wine and use the outside terrace while listening to music; the Flight Edelzwicker (called flight because the owner is also a pilot) and the 07 Merlot; good prices for most of their wines. But this is not the place if you like individual attention and a quiet atmosphere!

Castello di Borghese March 16, 2013

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting, Uncategorized and tagged with cabaret songs, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, Castello di Borghese, chardonnay, estate, Meritage, merlot, North Fork, pinot noir, reserve, sauvignon blanc March 18, 2013

http://www.castellodiborghese.com/

“March winds do blow/And we shall have snow…” Yes, indeed we shall. As flurries swirled around us, we drove along Route 48, trying to decide on a winery to visit. First we went past Vineyard 48, but the presence of no less than eight buses in the parking lot dissuaded us (but if you want a party, that might be the place for you) and so we headed on down the road to Castello di Borghese, Long Island’s oldest vineyard. It was originally started by the Hargraves, who then sold it to Prince Marco and Princess Ann Marie Borghese (hence the name castello=castle) in 1999.

The pleasant tasting room has two main areas, a nicely set up bar and gift shop area and a larger room with tables and chairs, where Marguerite Volonts was singing beautifully and playing guitar. When she segued from songs like “Autumn in New York” to some French cabaret songs we could imagine we were in Paris. The tasting menu offers two basic options, as well as separate tastings of their more pricey offerings, such as Meritage. You can taste four of their Estate wines for $9.00 or five of their Reserve wines for $12.00, so we opt for one of each. However, as Nancy our server notes our careful swirling and sipping and note-taking, she begins to suspect something, and when Ann Marie Borghese comes out from the back room she asks point blank if I am a blogger. They’re onto me! So we get some additional tastes, but I note that two other groups who also evince seriousness about wine are also given some extras. Borghese also offers an $18 cheese plate.

The following notes are in the order in which we tasted the wines, with the Estate wines marked with a *. Oh, and they were sold out of the Riesling which we wanted to taste.

*2011 Estate Chardonnay $18

This is a fairly typical steel-fermented chardonnay, with aromas of vegetable, mineral, and pine sap. Though not for sipping, it is nicely tart, with notes of green apple and lemon, and would be a good summer wine, maybe with a rich seafood dish.

2. 2011 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay $26

Typical aromas of vanilla and oak greet our noses, but the wine itself is much less buttery than most oaked chards, is a bit too lemony for our taste, and the finish is weak.

3. *2011 Sauvignon Blanc $24

They are quite proud of their Sauvignon Blanc, which has won some competitions, and (having already ascertained that I am a blogger) they give us both tastes of this. I have to admit that it does not knock my socks off (and, as my husband notes, it is hard to knock my socks off), which seems to disappoint them, though it is a pleasant wine. There’s not much aroma, primarily of some minerality, but it tastes better than it smells, though it is very light. I could see having this with oysters (which would probably improve how much I like it), which would highlight the flavors of lemon and herb (thyme?).

The Borgheses are justifiable proud of their reds, and they give two reasons for why they are so good. One is that the vines are older than most others on the North Fork, and the other is that Cutchogue has a very favorable micro-climate, with more sunny days than anywhere else in New York State, giving the grapes more time and warmth in which to ripen. They are expecting great things of the 2012 vintage, since it was the warmest year yet, with a very warm spring followed by a hot summer and a harvest that came just before Hurricane Sandy.

4. *2008 Pinot Noir Estate $30

As we hold the glass up to the light, we comment on the pretty light ruby color of the wine. The aroma has some earthiness as well as sticky berry scents. Though there is not much tannin, the taste is very good, with a balance of sweet and dry and not-quite-ripe Bing cherry tastes. Nice long finish, too.

5. 2008 Pinot Noir Barrel Fermented $48

“The oldest Pinot Noir grapes on Long Island,” we are informed. Aroma? Cedar? Terroir? Pencil shavings! Fortunately, it tastes of berries, not pencil shavings, with nicely balanced tannins and a tart finish. Very good indeed.

6. *2007 Merlot Estate $25

The color of this is slightly darker than the Pinot, but also very attractive. A strong aroma of berries precedes tastes of sweet berry, cedar, and just a touch of tobacco, with a long fruity finish. Excellent, and very buyable, which we do.

7. 2007 Merlot Reserve $30

We love doing side by side tastings of two wines made from the same grape in the same year, but given different treatments. Interestingly, we like the Estate better than the more expensive Reserve, though this is also a very good wine. We again scent cedar and taste lots of fruit, and less sweetness than the Estate Merlot, so perhaps more balanced. The difference in treatment is that the Estate is aged for 13 months and the Reserve for 18, both in oak barrels.

8. *2010 Cabernet Franc Estate $27

Nice legs! No, we’re not being sexist, we’re just commenting on the way the wine forms “legs”—drips, essentially, along the sides of the glass when we swirl it. Aromas of plums and spice herald tastes of dark ripe cherry and spice, and the tannins promise room to grow. Nancy also points out that this has won awards, and would be a good wine to cellar. We agree, and buy two bottles of this as well.

9. 2007 Cabernet Franc Reserve $44

Again, it’s interesting to taste two similar wines side by side. This Cab Franc has more fruit aroma than the other, with some notes of toast and earth but lots of delicious fruit. We taste blackberry, and they say mulberry (which we might agree with if we remembered what mulberry tasted like), and nicely balanced tannins. I’d love to have this with venison or some other lean game, maybe bison from North Quarter Buffalo Farm!

10. *2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate $29

Okay, so if you’re counting you realize that our tasting should be done, but we never turn down extras (and we almost never spit, either). We smell pine tar and fruit, and then taste a dry red with a surprising hint of citrus at the end. We’re not liking this until Nancy offers us drinks of water to refresh our palates, at which point we find it tastes much better. This would be great with pizza or Italian pasta dishes.

11. 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve $44

Lovely aromas with lots of fruit, maybe currants, and not much earthy terroir, this is a good wine, but we’re not sure it is worth the price, since we’re not sure how well it would age. Again, we seem to prefer the Estate version.

12. Meritage $60

I have wandered off to peruse the few gift items, assuming our tasting is over, when I am called back for one last bonus tasting, the Bordeaux-style Meritage. This is a blend, 50% Cabernet Franc, 25% Merlot, and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and it would certainly give a French Bordeaux a run for its money (especially given its great legs). Beautiful color and nice legs, an aroma of mineral and spice, and a really delicious taste of berry and spice make this a wine I’d happily drink any time, though the price would limit when! If you go, definitely taste it, as it is worth the extra fee.

Reasons to go: pleasant room with well-informed and generous servers and the chance to chat with an owner; the red wines, many of which are better than the average Long Island reds (not so much the whites, though maybe the Riesling would have been an exception); avoidance of busloads; a pleasant room in which to sit and listen to music if they are offering that (check their web site).

Comtesse Thérèse February 17, 2013

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with Aquebogue, blanc de noir, cabernet sauvignon, Canadian Oak, chardonnay, Comtesse Therese, Hungarian oak, merlot, NoFo, rose, Russian oak, sauvignon blanc February 22, 2013

http://www.comtessetherese.com/index.html

It was what Winnie-the –Pooh calls a “blustery day” (This is what happens when you hang out with a 21-month-old.), and we thought we’d check out the Jazz on the Vine program at Jamesport Vineyard. When we couldn’t find a place to park, we left and headed a little way down the road to Comtesse Thérèse, a combination bistro and winery. We had only been there in the summer, when the tasting room is a charmingly disheveled back patio, with cast iron furniture and a view of the herb garden (and of the chef as he steps out of the kitchen to pick some herbs), so we weren’t sure what to expect. The wind blew us around the front and through the door of the restored old house, where we quickly found ourselves in a cozy bar with a friendly and accommodating bartender. Fortunately, since we had promised our granddaughter music, there was quiet jazz playing in the background. The four of us settled into a corner of the bar and looked over the menu. The option of 4 tastes for $8 sounded good, and the bartender intelligently figured out how to give us tastes of 8 wines—four and four—so we could sample a wider selection. Although we didn’t stay for a meal, we have eaten there in the past and been very pleased with its French bistro-style food and emphasis on local produce.

2011 Chardonnay $13

The bartender starts us all off with their steel-fermented chardonnay, which is on sale. An aroma of fresh-cut grass heralds a taste of steel and green apple, with some honey notes. It is surprisingly mellow for an all-steel chard, and a bit unctuous, according to our son-in-law. Very buyable, which we both accomplish.

Russian Oak Chardonnay 2009 $22

Ooh, nice legs, we say. This chard spends 4 months in oak, and we do detect an oaky aroma. The flavor is light, with some notes of Meyer lemon—or maybe lemon dots!

2011 Sauvignon Blanc $28

I think I smell a trace of something metallic as well as the more typical honeysuckle. Nicely dry and a bit grassy, all we need now is a dozen local oysters!

2011 Rosé $22

Well, Croteaux remains the standard of excellence for NoFo rosés. This one has a nice raspberry aroma, but has not much character and is somewhat monochromatic. Well chilled on a hot day it might be fine, and the finish is nice.

2011 Blanc de Noir $24

We like this rosé better, with its apricot aroma and edge of citrus flavor, though it is a bit sweet for our taste.

2008 Hungarian Oak Merlot $24

My notes for this wine are somewhat obscured by a 21-month-old’s “decoration,” but then I gave her a page from my notebook and another pen so she could take notes just like grandma. Although this wine doesn’t have much aroma, it has a pleasant cherry flavor with some earthiness at first and tannins at the end.

2007 Aquebogue Estate Merlot $25 (for the 08)

Noticing our serious approach to the tasting, the bartender gives us the 07 Merlot rather than the 08 because, he says, it is better. We do like it. It has nice fruit with some acidity to add interest.

2006 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon $30

This one is a favorite with our daughter and son-in-law, who buy a bottle. It has aromas and tastes of black fruits, like plums. It would be good with lamb, because it has enough acidity to cut the fat.

2007 Canadian Oak Cabernet Sauvignon $32

And we prefer this one, and buy a bottle! This is somewhat heavier than the Estate Cab Sauv, with more complexity and cherry flavors as well. It would pair well with steak. The bartender informs us that they are the only winery in the area to use Canadian oak.

Before she opened her own tasting room, we met “Comtesse Thérèse”—actually Tree Dilworth, an attractive young woman—at The Tasting Room, now The Winemaker’s Studio. We had a delightful conversation with her, and were impressed with her passion for wine, but no, she is not actually a “Comtesse”!

Reasons to visit: Cozy attractive bar area in the winter, charming garden in the summer; 2011 Chardonnay,2011 Sauvignon Blanc, 06 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, 07 Canadian Oak Cabernet Sauvignon; you can go on after the tasting to have a meal in the pretty, intimate bistro. Oh, and if you want to take notes, they have lots of feather pens.

Laurel Lake Vineyards December 2, 2012

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, gewurztraminer, Laurel Lake. Syrah, North Fork, pinot noir, riesling, sauvignon blanc, winter December 6, 2012

http://www.llwines.com/

In the winter, the North Fork is even more laid back than in the summer. (In fact, the only intense season is October, when the pumpkin-pickers and maze-wanderers coincide with the harvest-season wine-tasters to actually cause traffic on Main Road and Sound Avenue.) However, the wineries are still open, though for some only on the weekends; most of the restaurants are still open, though some close for the season; and a few farm stands are still open, featuring Brussels sprouts and winter squash. On an unseasonably warm December afternoon, with fog shrouding the vineyards, we decided to head to Laurel Lake Vineyards, on Main Road near Laurel Lake Park.

The tasting room is housed in a pretty building that looks like an old-fashioned Colonial farm house, with a wide veranda and stained glass windows. On one side of the veranda there is a large seating area, screened at this time of year by plastic sheeting from the elements. Inside, the tasting bar is attractively designed to look like a saloon bar, with a large mirror behind it. They have a small selection of wine-related gifts—t-shirts, stoppers, etc.—and some local art for sale.

The tasting menu is divided into whites and reds, and a standard tasting is any three for $7, with a fairly generous pour (plus the usual wines by the glass or bottle). Since there are eight reds and nine whites to choose from, we will have to return! Unfortunately, I was suffering from a sore throat (but not yet the stuffy nose that arrived the next morning, thank goodness) so we opted not to share, and I took three reds and my husband took three whites. The server was candid in his recommendations on which to choose, and I liked his choices for the reds.

Whites

2012 Sauvignon Blanc $19.99

A pleasant grassy aroma forecasts a clean grapefruit-y taste, with some sweet notes, almost as if it had been in oak, though it is a steel-fermented wine. This would be good with seafood or for sipping.

2012 Gewurztraminer $21.99

He finds this one too sweet, so much so that it is not a good capture of the varietal. Rather than fruit, it tastes more like honey, so I suppose this could function as a dessert wine. We also note that the whites are being held in a wine refrigerator set at 44 degrees, which seems a bit too cold to us. We mention this to the server, who laughs and notes that some people actually ask them for ice to put in the wine, which they do not have. “Room temperature” in the past meant chillier than room temperature now, but we find we prefer our wines warmer than they are often served.

2010 Riesling $19.99

This one is also sweet, but “not unbearably so,” and would be good with spicy food. Though it starts sweet with some buttery notes it ends with a bit of a tang.

Reds

2009 Pinot Noir Reserve $29.99

So there is a school of thought that sees the “reserve” moniker as a bit of a scam, but I’m willing to allow it! Though there’s not much aroma to this wine, it has a nice dry berry taste. It’s good, though a bit thin on the finish.

2008 Cabernet Franc $21.99

I really like this one! There’s some eucalyptus aroma, and red berry tastes, with what their tasting notes call a “smooth velvety finish.” They also say it’s good with steak, and I agree. Buyable!

2009 Syrah $19,99

This, as my grandma said with each new grandchild and then great-grandchild, “beats the bunch.” There’s lots of fruit on the nose, with yummy blackberry and some green pepper tastes. Since it is not as heavy as some Australian syrahs, I could see this as cutting the fattiness of a lamb dinner. They also suggest having it with pastas and smoked ham. This is a slightly unusual grape for Long Island, but I happen to like syrahs (and shirazes) in general. Very buyable, and we do, buying one of this and one of the cab franc.

We have heard that some of the owners and winemakers are Chilean, and wonder if this explains the sweetness of the whites. The tasting menu also includes a list of restaurants where you can find their wines, and I can see why a number of places would feature these pleasant, well-priced wines.

Reasons to visit: pretty tasting room, generous pour, lots of different wines to taste, very reasonable prices, 08 Syrah and 08 Cab Franc, sweet whites if you like them!

Palmer’s Winery March 24, 2012

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, North Fork, Palmer, Pinot Blanc, reserve chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, Select Reserve October 26, 2012

If you like the atmosphere of a British pub, you’ll like the look of Palmer’s tasting room. We went there on an early spring afternoon, after stopping at Bayview for fresh local spinach and horseradish root, before I started this blog, so this is a catch-up entry. The cozy room has comfortable booths and signs on the walls advertising British products, stand-up tables, and more outside room for the summer. The tasting room is towards the back of the property, as the front building houses their cellar and production facility, of which you can take a self-guided tour.

The tasting menu offers six different flights of three wines each, for $8-$10. They also sell a cheese and cracker tray and bags of North Fork potato chips for $3. We opt for the Winemaker’s Reserve white and red tastings, planning as usual to share, and the server brings our glasses to a booth. Generous pour!

1) Pinot Blanc 2010 $19.99

This is a very nice white, aged on the lees. It has a spicy aroma, with some hints of cinnamon or allspice. We sense some peach taste, some minerality, and some acidity, with a back of the mouth sweetness. Overall, this is a dry crisp wine and would pair well with oysters.

2) Sauvignon Blanc 2010 $19.99

Calling Dr. Brown! The aroma reminds us of celery soda or seeds. Less acid than the Pinot, we taste a fruit salad of apple and grapefruit. This somewhat interesting wine has a front taste that is a bit acid, and end that is flat and apple-y, and is, we decide, a food wine, not a sipping wine.

3) Reserve Chardonnay $18.99

Aged in French oak, this is a fairly typical Long Island Chard, with aromas of vanilla and toast. We taste ripe peach as it opens up, with a citrus after taste. I’d like this with lobster or a chicken dish.

4) 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon $24.99

This simple red has a blackberry bramble aroma and berry taste, a bit on the sweet side, though the aftertaste is dry. Nice.

5) 2008 Cabernet Franc $28.99

Nice sipping wine, we judge, with aromas of blueberry and other berries and a pleasant but unassertive taste. A bit sweet for us, with not much in the way of finish.

6) Select Reserve $28.99

Bordeaux, here we come. This is a classic Bordeaux blend of Cab Franc, Cab Sauv, and Merlot, though the taste is not quite as good as a “real” Bordeaux. The aroma is of berries, with some minerality, and the flavor reminds us of stewed prunes (which I happen to like). Maybe given time?

None of the wines are bad, though we don’t choose to buy any. If I did, I’d probably get the Pinot Blanc.

Reasons to visit: Comfortable tasting room, if you get a booth. Pleasant pub-like decor. Generous pour, and we liked all the wines, though we loved none of them.

NoFo Wineaux

Wine notes from Long Island's North Fork

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