Several of you have been asking for my thoughts on the results from the 2007 New York Food & Wine Classic in Napa a couple weeks ago. And I’ve taken quite a bit of time to ponder them and try to come up with some commentary. Some will probably surprise you. Some won’t. First, as commenter Jeff Houck pointed out in my previous post about the results, the full results have been posted online, just not where they were supposed to be. My frustration with newyorkwines.org is almost constant, but it is what it is. On to the results themselves:…
Posts Tagged“long island”
WTN: Channing Daughters Winery 2006 Vino Bianco (Long Island)
As you’ve probably heard, Christopher Tracy, winemaker at Channing Daughters Winery, is a trained chef. I think that many of his wines clearly reflect that background. They are usually terrific with food and display his affinity for mixing and combining elements to create flavors that are more than the sum of their parts. His white blends–inspired by those from Northern Italy–are among my favorites. Take his 2006 Vino Bianco ($30) a unique-to-Long Island blend of 27% Tocai Friulano, 26% sauvignon blanc, 22% pinot grigio, 19% Dijon clone of chardonnay and 6% Musque clone of chardonnay. It is a wine inspired…
Tasting Rooms Gone Wild? I’m Not So Sure.
You may have seen these stories in the New York Times and Syracuse Post-Standard, about tasting room behavior in Long Island and other New York tasting rooms. I don’t have any first-hand experience in Finger Lakes tasting rooms, so I can’t comment much on the latter article, but the one in the Times I definitely can. In fact, I was interviewed for it, even if none of my quotes made it in. As I read the story for a second time, I’m disappointed on several fronts. First, I’m disappointed that people act like that in tasting rooms. But, in some…
New York Cork Club: July Selections
It’s the first day of July and as we head into the holiday week (if only we had the whole week off of work, right?) it’s time once again to let you know what coming next for members of the New York Cork Club. This month, I’ve chosen two unique wines that you’ve probably never heard about, let alone tasted. First is the Macari Vineayrds 2005 Malbec ($22). Merlot gets most of the attention in these parts, but over the past couple of years a couple varietally bottled malbecs have really impressed me — both for their quality and their…
WTN: Osprey’s Dominion Vineyards 2002 Merlot (North Fork)
Sometimes I get completely and utterly sick of tasting merlot. It’s the most-planted grape on Long Island and every winery makes at least one varietal bottling–and often more than that. Hell, Wolffer Estate makes four ‘levels’ of merlot. And, despite growing conditions that are excellently suited to the grape, there is a lot of bad merlot being produced. It’s sad really, because when grown in the right way and treated the right way in the winery, merlot leads to this regions most consistently delicious wines…even if the best ones will cost you at least $30 and up to $125. Osprey’s…
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.…
Father’s Day Happenings at Long Island Wineries
Sunday is Father’s Day–and thanks to the four-month old who currently runs our household, this is my first Father’s Day as a father. Father’s Day gifts aren’t as easy to choose as those for Mother’s Day. The lack of a go-to gift like jewelry (like I bought for Nena) makes it even more of a challenge. So what do I want for Father’s Day? I already told Dr. Vino. But, I already have three grills–gas, charcoal, and a smoker�–so that’s out. And while I can hold my own around the house, power tools don’t hold any special place in my…
Where is the best BBQ on Long Island?
If my blog buddy WhiteTrashBBQ is to be believed, it certainly isn’t at Bobbique in Patchogue. I haven’t eaten there yet, so I can’t say whether or not I agree. I’ve only ever eaten at two other Long Island BBQ joints, Smokin’ Al’s in Bayshore and Farmer Bar out in wine country. Of the two, I think I enjoyed Smokin’ Al’s much more, but Farmer Bar is serviceable for lunch after visiting a winery or two. But there have got to be other BBQ places on Long Island. So where have you had great ‘cue around here?
Long Island Sauvignon Blanc in the New York Times
In yesterday’s New York Times, Howard Goldberg offers a nice roundup of Long Island sauvignon blanc. This is, I think, one of Goldberg’s best pieces in a while. He tasted, I assume blindly, a wide array of local sauvignon and ranks them. I don’t think that I’ve had all of the wine mentioned, but for the ones that I have had my rankings would be very similar. I’d probably move the Macari up a notch but otherwise, I think I agree almost completely. Sauvignon blanc plays second fiddle to chardonnay way too often around here. I really think we’re going…
May’s Local with Local Pairing
The goal of my new "Local with Local" series is to not only show how well Long Island food goes with Long Island wine, but also to make it easier for people to try putting the two together at home. For our inaugural pairing, I’ve worked with Doug Gulija of Plaza Cafe to put together a delectable spring offering. I told him that I wanted to focus on sauvignon blanc–specifically the latest vintage from Channing Daughters Winery and this is what he came up with. He’s known for his masterful work with seafood, and this looks delicious (even to someone…