On the North Fork, there is an un-official red wine grape pecking order. Okay, maybe it isn’t even un-official. At the top is the almighty merlot grape, lauded by many observers as the king of Long Island grapes. And, it has earned such a reputation with good reason. It seems ideally suited to the regions climate and soil conditions–and consistently leads to many of the region’s best wines. Next in line is cabernet franc, genetic parent to cabernet sauvignon and known mostly for its popularity in the Loire region of France and as a blending grape in Bordeaux. It ripens…