Posts Written OnJune 2007

LENNDEVOURS Q&A: Alexandra Macari, co-owner, Macari Vineyards

For this episode of LENNDEVOURS Q&A, we talk to Alexandra Macari, co-owner of Macari Vineyards in Mattituck. What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking?At home with my parents at around age 8. My parents drank wine every night with dinner — "Trapiche" chardonnay from Argentina of course! They would let us have some but it had to be mixed with club soda and in those days it was in the siphons. What event/bottle/etc made you decide that you wanted to be in the wine industry?I was put into this job I really didn’t have anytime…

WTN: Waters Crest Winery 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon (North Fork of Long Island)

Waters Crest Winery isn’t new to me or to you guys. I’ve written about Jim Waters and his wines many times in the three-plus years I’ve had this blog. But, for those of you that are new to LENNDEVOURS, Waters Crest Winery is one of Long Island’s smallest producers and one that I’ve long loved mainly for its white wines. The riesling in particular is a favorite of mine. Being a small winery is one thing, but with his Waters Crest Winery 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon ($55) winemaker and co-owner Jim Waters has taken "small batch" wine to a new level.…

Wine Blogging Wednesday #35 Announced: Passionate Spain

So a few people have complained about the last few themes for Wine Blogging Wednesday. First you moaned about having to drink box wines. Then you said that wines from the Midi were too hard to find. And finally, you complained about the prices on Washington State cabernet sauvignon. Well guys, the July theme is for you. The wines for WBW #35: Passionate Spain are easy to find, you can pick a white or red wine, and Michelle, our host, wants us to spend $10 or less. Easy right? So, join us on July 11 for WBW #35.

What Wine Rating System Do You Want Me to Use?

Wine ratings. They have long been a source of tension, discussion and angst in the wine world. And with Blake Gray’s recent piece in the San Francisco Chronicle last week about the 100-point scale, it’s hot on the blogs once again. It’s also something that I’ve wrestled with here on LENNDEVOURS for quite a while. Long-time readers will remember that I used to offer grades…A through F. Then, I decided that I didn’t like that system and wasn’t sure what to move to. So, I moved away form rating/grades altogether. After all, I try to write reviews–you know, actual words–that…

WTN: Shinn Estate Vineyards 2006 First Fruit (North Fork)

Chardonnay, shmarddonay. Yes, chardonnay is the white wine that dominates the Long Island wine scene. It’s the most planted and, obviously, most made. That’s because despite trends away from it, it’s still the most sold white wine in the market. Yes, I like–and sometimes love–local chardonnay. The acid balance can be stellar in these parts. But, so far this spring, the wines I’ve been digging most have been local sauvignon blancs. There have already been several 2006 sauvignons that I’ve enjoyed and Shinn Estate Vineyards’ 2006 First Fruit ($23) which is primarily sauvignon blanc, with just a squirt (4%) Semillon,…

Visiting the Finger Lakes: Part 2

By Finger Lakes Correspondent Jason Feulner In the first part of this series, I wrote about when to go to the Finger Lakes, where to stay for maximum wine-tasting opportunity, and how to go about selecting wineries to visit.  This time around, I’d like to talk about the general qualities of the wine and other attractions. If any readers have any questions–any questions at all–feel free to leave a comment. I am happy to help no matter the query! What to Expect in the WineThe Finger Lakes region has a reputation for white wine, which is well-deserved. Riesling is good…

Long Island Merlot Alliance Sponsoring an Intern

The Long Island Merlot Alliance has sponsored a summer intern to do local Merlot research during the 2007 vintage. The intern, Christopher Grassotti, is a student in the Masters degree program in viticulture and enology at Ecole Nationale Supérieur Agronomique in Montpellier, France. In his work for LIMA, he will be working closely with LIMA members, Viticultural Research Program Leader Alice Wise, and others at Cornell University. He will focus on defining the dominant and strongly identifiable aroma/ profile of Long Island merlot and identifying the differences found in other quality wine regions. This will allow specific analysis, in the…

WTN: Peconic Bay Winery 2006 (North Fork of Long Island)

In the past, I’ve had some less-than-nice things to say about Peconic Bay Winery. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy some of their wines–I absolutely do and have for quite a while. Their Stainless Steel Chardonnay and Riesling are both great every day wines at fair prices. But man, they made some sweet, koolaid-esque rose in the past. And, in their tasting room, flights started off with those wines, which I thought probably turned off the serious wine drinkers before they got down to the better wines. I knew that it did me. I’m sure that it’s purely a coincidence…

“All Seasons Every Day” by Christopher Watkins

All Seasons Every Day -or- When You Have Mother Nature As A Business Partner -or-The Vineyard Manager’s Long Island BluesBy Christopher Watkins In this hand I hold water, in this hand I hold heat. Call them rain and sun, but never seasons. I may call upon the wind with dawn still percolating softly, or raise it with the onset of the dusk – But with a snap of practiced fingers SHOT! Lightning, then the thump-tom-thump of thunder; count the seconds in between counting one-one-thousand…then again, the thunder. In my heart it is the solstice, But my mind’s a melt of…