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Before opening Spencer Roloson’s 2002 Tempranillo last night, Nena and I had tasted both their Palaterra blend and their Viognier…with mixed results. We really liked the blend a lot, especially for $16…but  the Viognier a bit unbalanced and "hot" at the end. Tempranillo is another varietal (like Viognier) that I’d like to learn a lot more about. Sure, I’ve had some Riojas (which are mad with this grape) and I even had a couple Tempranillos while at dinner with Pam and Randy in Pittsburgh (at SiBA Cucina), but I really didn’t (and still don’t) know a ton about them. The…

And yet another reason to like Wolffer Estate. This Saturday, January 8, 2005, from 4-6 p.m., Wolffer Estate will be hosting a fundraiser to help the tsunami victims of Sri Lanka. General manager and winemaker, Roman Roth, will be pouring select library wines while you listen to live music and bid on paintings from local artists and photographers. The American Red Cross will be there to accept monetary donations as well. The suggested minimum donation is $35. Roman’s wife, Dushy, hails from Sri Lanka (her family is safe and accounted for) and the couple adopted a baby from Sri Lanka…

In my rarely-humble opinion, Roman Roth of Wolffer Estates is one of the top one or two winemakers in New York State. I hesitate to annoint anyone "the best" because there are many talented winemakers, but he’s right there with anyone else. His wines, from his crisp, refreshing Rose to his everyday Le Ferme Martin wines to the uber-pricey Premier Cru Merlot, always offer supreme richness, grace and quality. The German-born Roth has worked in Carneros, California, in Australia (for Rosemount Estate) and, in 1992…he joined Wolffer Estates in its infancy. He is also the winemaker at some of the…

For as long as I’ve been drinking Long Island wines, I’ve always enjoyed at least some of the wines from Corey Creek Vineyards (and it’s sister winery, Bedell Cellars). Kip Bedell, founder of Bedell Cellars and winemaker at both, is known in these parts as "Mr. Merlot" because of his success with the grape. (You can more about his Merlots.) Both wineries are now owned by Michael Lynne, Co-CEO of New Line Cinema. This could be a trend out here…big money media types investing in the wineries. Is Puff Daddy next? Lindsay Lohan? Lenn Thompson? (I wish!) Corey Creek has…

Gray Ghost Vineyards, a small family owned and operated winery, is located in Amissville, Virginia, and was named "Best of the East" by Vineyard and Winery Management magazine. They grow and make wines from noble varieties like this Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, but also craft wines from Seyval Blanc and Vidal Blanc (including a late harvest Vidal Blanc that I’m interested in) This is the first time I’ve tried any of their wines but with the interstate shipment ban potentially being lifted this year, I’m always looking for new finds. Gray Ghost Vineyards’ 2000 Cabernet Sauvingnon was fermented in stainless…

The more I taste Peconic Bay Winery’s wines, the more I like them. While they aren’t as complex or ‘interesting’ as those made by some other producers, they are consistently tasty and usually much more affordable as every day wines than many L.I. wines. I think they do a particularly good job with whites, with a couple different Chardonnays, two styles of Riesling and a blend of both grapes, their Local Flavor White. This Chardonnay is billed by the winery as having: "…fresh, forward fruitiness and appetite-whetting finish lend an enticing, elegant simplicity to this steel fermented Chardonnay. The malo-lactic…

After missing out on a couple IMBB events, I’m can’t wait to cook up some beans for IMBB #11, hosted by Cathy at My Little Kitchen. Can you believe we’re at #11 already? Simply awesome. Beans are the perfect theme too…so many ideas come to mind. Plus they are healthy (usually), perfect for those still sticking to their New Years resolutions. IMBB is January 23rd…but why not go out and get your Wacky Wine for Wine Blogging Wednesday #5, which is on January 26th!?!?