Ladies and gentlemen…I give you Ben Roethlisbeagle working on his tan. When he’s not curled up right against either me or Nena (or laying diagonally so he’s touching both of us) he can always be found in a strip or patch of sunlight on the floor. He’s knows he’s a good looking dog I guess, so he’s working on his summer tan.

By Contributing Columnist Richard Olsen-Harbich Contrary to popular belief, rain is not always a four-letter word to the winegrower. Grapevines — like all other plants — need water to survive and grow. Early season rains help the vines start their growing season and lead them into a hopefully, long, hot summer. Improved vineyard management and disease control techniques have recently shown that late season rains have less effect on wine quality than once thought. And, there’s another fact about rain that goes without saying — we can’t do a thing about when and where it occurs. A lot has written…

I’ll admit it — I drink a lot of rose in the summer. It’s good with grilled foods, refreshing but flavorful, and just plain fun to drink. Of course, I don’t like the ‘adult koolaid’ style of sweet pink drinks…and there are a lot of those out there. Yes, even here on Long Island. In fact, we’ve got just about every style of rose you can think of and then some. Castello di Borghese’s Fleurette ($9) has some of the sweetness that mars many cheap "blush" wines, but it’s a definite step up from the ubiquitous white zinfandels from the…

Over the past few days, several of you have emailed me asking about Long Island rose. What are my favorites? How are the 2005 bottlings? Because I aim to please, keep your eyes on LENNDEVOURS over the next week or so as I talk about Long Island rose — a surprisingly interesting topic. Some winemakers use the saignee method to bleed of juice to concentrate their reds, resulting in a rose. Others make rose for rose sake. Other’s use blends of red and white grapes. Thankfully, there are lots of bone dry versions to drink, and many of the ones…

Nena, I can hardly believe that it’s been a year since our wedding on that little covered bridge in Schoharie, NY. That day is largely a blur in my mind, but it remains one of the most special days in my life. In twelve very short months, we’ve added a third member of our family, bought our first house and done more home improvement than I ever thought I was capable of. We’ve grown both as individuals and as a couple, learned from our mistakes and disagreements and always come out on top. We’ve enjoyed many a great time with…

There is no better way to spend a summer afternoon than sipping your way through wine country. With over thirty wineries making nearly every style of wine imaginable on Long Island, everybody can find at least one wine that they’ll love. Even if this weekend is your first visiting the wineries, it’s easy to taste like a pro and get the most out of your experience. These are just a few tips I always offer to people heading out East — and they apply to any winery in any region. Bring Friends and Have Fun. Wine is absolutely best enjoyed…

This week on Wine Sediments, my 50 in 50 tour of America’s wine regions continues with a trip to Utah. Yes Utah…land of the Utah Jazz, Big Love and Basic Juice. I tasted three wines from Spanish Valley Vineyards & Winery, one of only three producers in the state. Check it out.