Posts Written OnJune 08, 2006

Too often, the term "food friendly" is meant as a negative in wine journalism — applied to wines deemed unable to bring pleasure on their own. This, of course, is absolutely ludicrous. It’s impossible to separate the two. Food and wine are forever intertwined — like Abott and Costello, peanut butter and jelly, or the Pittsburgh Steelers and Super Bowl rings. Labeling a bottling as a "food wine" should be an accolade, not a comment on its overall quality. Given their pedigree as restaurateurs, it’s no surprise that David Page and Barbara Shinn, owners of Shinn Estate Vineyards in Mattituck,…

My "corks of the forks" column this week over at Hamptons.com features Raphael, one Long Island winery getting a lot of attention these days. From appearing on The Apprentice to scoring well in the Wine Spectator to making the house red at The Modern, Raphael is making news and bringing attention to the North Fork. Good for Raphael and good for overall Long Island wine industry. Read more.

This Saturday, Paumanok Vinyeards is hosting "Oysters and Vin Blanc" at its tasting room from 2 -5 p.m. I’m not much for oysters, but I’ve long been a fan of Paumanok’s whites — including their oyster-friendly chenin blanc, steel fermented chardonnay and sauvignon blanc (which is in its second vintage I believe). Stop by, enjoy some local oysters with local wine.