The fine folks at Edible Brooklyn have gotten around to posting the current issue, Spring 2007, on their website, so now I can point you to my first "Empire Oenophile" column there(It’s a pdf). I think you’ll find it an interesting read–especially if you’re sick of always reading about Long Island wines. In this particularly column, I focus heavily on the Finger Lakes but then include Long Island as well. Read it now.
Most Long Island wineries focus on the red wine grapes of Bordeaux—particularly merlot—and the white wine grape of Burgundy—chardonnay. They are, by far, the two most planted varieties on the East End. Jamesport Vineyards is a little different. They make merlot and chardonnay of course—the market demands them. But, they also have a well established pinot noir program and consider the white wine of Bordeaux, sauvignon blanc, a speciality as well. Most local sauvignon is reared entirely in stainless steel tanks, which highlights the fruit character and results in fresh, lip-smacking wines that tend to be straight forward no matter…
By Contributing Columnist Richard Olsen-Harbich Most people understand the general concept of “organic,” especially as it applies to the food we eat. But lately in the Long Island wine community, the “buzz” is all about sustainability. The question on a lot of people’s minds is—what exactly does this mean? The concept of sustainable agriculture grew out of the early organic movement and became fine tuned during the late 1980s. In 1989, the American Agronomy Society adopted the following definition for sustainable agriculture: "A sustainable agriculture is one that, over the long term, enhances environmental quality and the resource base on…
For a while now, it’s been rumored that the SportsPlus is going out of business and that Whole Foods will take over the building. Well, an unnamed source that I have in the local commercial real estate business confirmed it yesterday. This is awesome news. I drive about an hour each way to their Jericho store now and this new one would only be 10-15 minutes…with traffic! I have calls and emails in to both Whole Foods and SportsPlus to further confirm the rumor. Hopefully I’ll get a timeframe as well.
The Italian and Italian-American influence on Long Island wine country is strong. Among the thirty-plus East End producers there are ones named Pellegrini, Pugliese, Castello di Borghese and Diliberto – and others that are owned by people of Italian heritage, many of whom grew up making wine with their families. Medolla Vineyards, owned by John and Denise Medolla, has recently joined the fray with its first release, this 2002 Merlot. Medolla Vineyards operates under a tenant winery license at Lenz Winery. Basically, Lenz Winery serves as a host winery and Medolla uses the facilities when Lenz isn’t using them. Lenz…
Throughout the month of April, Lieb Family Cellars will be toasting the arrival of spring with its third annual OysterFest. Every Sunday in April, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., tasting room visitors will be able to sample a variety of wines and oyster dishes prepared by local chefs. The winery will offer a special vertical tasting of three vintages of their signature wine pinot blanc (including their Blanc de Blanc sparkling wine, a LENNDEVOURS favorite). They will also be releasing their 2004 Cabernet Franc. April 15: Canal Cafe Presents Po’ Boy Oysters Chef’s Parker and Paul Hodges create their…
I’ve written a few times about Brotherhood Winery in Washingtonville, NY up in the Hudson River Valley. It is one of the region’s larger producers and makes a wide array of wines–from honey wine to spiced holiday wine to riesling to a ruby ‘port’. They don’t have any vineyard holdings of their own, so they source grapes from throughout New York State–primarily the Finger Lakes and Long Island. The grapes that went into this 2004 chardonnay were grown on Long Island’s East End, but no further details are available. There’s a lot of chardonnay grown here, so it certainly isn’t…
For all of its purported similarities to Bordeaux, Long Island produces surprising little Sauvignon Blanc. It’s the white wine grape of Bordeaux after all. Yet, those that are made always seem to capture the region’s uniqueness. The best taste like Long Island in a bottle. Channing Daughters Winery, one of only three producers within the Hamptons Long Island AVA, sources the grapes for its Sauvignon Blanc from the Mudd Vineyard on the North Fork – where some of the Island’s oldest Sauvignon Blanc grapes grow. Winemaker Christopher Tracy is a white wine wizard – mixing and matching both expected and…
By Contributing Columnist Robin Mererdith I’d like to welcome Robin Meredith as LENNDEVOURS’ newest contributor. He is the former owner of Broadfields Wine Cellars and The Tasting Room on the North Fork of Long Island. He is now preparing to begin his Master of Wine education. If you’ve ever had a glass of wine that smelled of moldy cardboard, wet dog, or dingy basement, you’ve experienced a "corked wine." Saldy, corked wines are ruined and there’s no resuscitating them. Most of the time, corked wine is caused by 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA), a hard-to-pronounce compound that taints the aromas and flavors of…
On Sunday March 11, two of the North Fork’s best–Paumanok Vineyards and the North Fork Table & Inn–will present a special wine dinner featuring three vintages of Paumanok’s cabernet sauvignon. $85 plus tax and gratuity per person gets you the delicious menu below. For more information and to make a reservation, please call the North Fork Table at (631) 765-0177 Local Fluke Sashimi with Ruby Red Grapefruit and Ginger CracklingsPaumanok 2005 Sauvignon Blanc Porcini-Crusted Salmon with Savoy Cabbage and Red Wine ReductionPaumanok 2004 Cabernet Franc Grand Vintage Roasted Sirloin of Beef with Beef Cheek-Bone Marrow Ragout, Organic White Turnip Puree…