Posts Written OnDecember 2006

Talking Sustainable with David Page, co-owner Shinn Estate Vineyards

I’ve long been a fan of Shinn Estate Vineyards, not only because of their wines but also because of their dedication to sustainable farming and push towards near-complete organic viticulture. Today on Appellation America, you can find an interview that I conducted recently with co-owner David Page. We touch on a wide range of topics, including their new estate winery, new winemaker, organic and biodynamic farming techniques, the Long Island Merlot Alliance and their push for highly aromatic wines. Read the interview and let me know what you think. And, please let me know if there are any members of…

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Winter Wine Class Series at Stony Brook

Stony Brook University’s Center for Food Wine, and Culture has just announced a cool new winter wine education session that you might be interested in. They are calling it Inside Wine: From Vineyard to Glass and it is on Thursday evenings from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. on January 25 and February 1, 8 and 15. The cost is $185 per person for all four sessions. The four-part series will feature instructors who are experienced vintners, winemakers, and chefs. The sessions will examine viticultural practices, terroir, Old World vs. New World winemaking, blending and food pairing through a series of guided…

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A Nice NYC Food Blog List

My buddy over at WhiteTrashBBQ blog has put together a nice little list of NYC food bloggers. Some are my favorites and others I’d never heard of before now. Even though I’m out on Long Island (there aren’t many, if any other LI food/wine bloggers) I consider myself a part of the NYC culinary blog scene — whether I’ve met any of them yet or not. Maybe in 2007 we’ll start to do some of the cool things that our Bay Area blogging counterparts do. You know, foodie functions and the like. Maybe I can help facilitate a meet up…

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The Best Long Island Wines of 2006

As 2006 comes to an unseasonably warm close here on Long Island, I thought it a good time to list and highlight some of my favorite Long Island wines of 2006. I’m a lucky guy. I’m tasting and writing about Long Island wines as much as — and probably more than — anyone else. I consider myself even luckier because I’m doing so as the region really starts to reach maturity. Remember, this industry only started in 1973. Its still a baby by wine region standards Over the past few years, local winemakers have really started hitting their stride, crafting…

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Two Long Island Wines in Appellation America’s Top Ten Wines of 2006

Appellation America’s Regional Correspondents (myself included), embarked on a year-long search through North America’s widely diverse wine growing regions and discovered some most interesting palette pleasers, representing a style of winemaking focused primarily on "taste of place." There are many unique winemaking styles from when and how to press grapes, to the selection of fermentation yeasts, and temperatures. Appellation America’s Regional Correspondents, all widely respected wine journalists based throughout the nation, focused their Wine Recommendations on a style of wine making unique to the wine-growing region itself–its history, micro-climate, or terrior. The purpose of this list is not to dictate…

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Wine Blogging Wednesday #29 Announced!

Jack and Joanne (of Fork & Bottle) are playing host and hostess for the first edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday in 2007. The theme? Biodynamic wines. That means that the wine you choose should be made biodynamically or with fruit from a biodynamic vineyard. Jack also asks the questions:  What  sets these wines apart are their purity of fruit, and perhaps, freshness. Do you agree? What are your thoughts and experiences? Is there a profile for these wines? Because of the holidays, we’ve pushed WBW to the third Wednesday in January this time around. So, join us on January 17…

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Merry Xmas from LENNDEVOURS

Nena, Ben, and I wish you and yours the merriest of Xmas seasons and the happiest of all holidays. We’re in upstate New York visiting Nena’s side of the family. We had a delicious Xmas Eve meal last night — with plenty of delicious vino. Of course the bottle that I wanted to share with everyone last night was corked, but we I’ll talk more about that tomorrow. For now, I’m going to enjoy my mother in-law’s homemade apple sausage and a vegetable fritatta. Merry Xmas everyone. Regular blogging will resume tomorrow.

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Come on People, Give till it Hurts (and Win!)

Today is the last day that you can donate to A Menu For Hope, an amazing collaboration of the world’s culinary bloggers. This morning when I checked the donation site, we had raise nearly $39,000 — which means that you have already shattered my expectations. Thank you for your generosity thus far. But, this thing isn’t over people! Donations are being accepted the rest of the day today and there are new prizes being added every day. Many of the Long Island wine-themed prizes I put together only have a handful of people in the running, so your chances of…

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