(This story appeared originally in the 5/20 issue of the Long Island Press) Roman Roth, general manager and winemaker at Wolffer Estate Vineyards in Sagaponack, started his winemaking career at an age when most of us are focused on getting our drivers licenses and, if we’re lucky, our first cars. But, it was a natural thing for the German native. "I was 16," he says. "My father was a cooper and a winemaker before starting a wine and beer merchant business. As a result, both of my parents were wine lovers and collectors. Wine always played a special part in…

Mr. and Mrs. Vinography have returned from their three-week trip to Egypt. It is no surprise to me that Alder sampled several Egyptian wines…and apparently didn’t think much of most of them. Interestingly, lots of pinot blanc over there… Anyway, if you’re a Vinography fan…Alder is back and will likely return to his normal posting duties once his jet lag subsides.

(This story appeared originally in the 5/20 issue of the Long Island Press) Long Island is home to 30-plus wineries, from tiny places making artisan fine wines to large producers (by LI standards) pumping out gallon after gallon of sweet-ish, almost jug-style wines. It can be tough for anyone heading east for the first time (or even the first five times) to know which tasting rooms to visit. Here are 10 LI tasting rooms you shouldn’t miss.

(This column appeared originally in the 5/20 issue of Dan’s Papers) Peconic Bay Winery has always been a bit of an enigma to me. On one hand, they make sweetish blends that appeal to the masses and some hit-or-miss varietal reds. On the other, I love their Steel Fermented Chardonnay and their Riesling. I guess it’s smart to appeal to the widest audience possible, but I think it’s possible that serious wine drinkers get turned off by the plonk at the top of the tasting list. Last weekend, I tasted four recent and new releases, with positive results overall. Maybe…

(This article originally appeared in the 5/20 issue of the Long Island Press) In many ways, the Hamptons are all about the "new"—new restaurants, new superstars and new money. But not everything in the Hamptons is defined this way. Two of the top wineries on the East Coast can be found there, making wines that are much more Old World than New. Old World wines, typically those made in France, Italy and Spain, tend to be low-alcohol wines that are higher in acidity and feature more non-fruit flavors, like minerals, leather, wet stones or even tar. They also tend to…

I first tasted this wine on a cold, rainy Friday night, after a five-hour drive to Philadelphia that should have taken just a shade over three. Long Island traffic, the driving rains and, of course, the insanely packed New Jersey Turnpike tried to set the tone for a weekend in the City of Brotherly Love with friends…but when we arrived, Paul and Sara had this riesling waiting for us. And all was right in the world again. It was the perfect post-traumatic-driving trip elixer and we bought some the next day at Moore Brothers Wine. The Thielen family has been…

W. Blake Gray, a staff writer for the San Francisco Chronicle did a write-up today on wines from back east (non-Cali)…including several from New York (and Long Island). It’s nice to see NY wines mentioned…but I think California wine arrogance reared its ugly head a bit in places. Richard Olsen-Harbich, winemaker and managing director at Raphael was interviewed for the piece. Take it from me, he is always great for a quote. I found his assessment of Long Island merlot particularly interesting…and I’ve inquired as to which ones were tasted. Not because I don’t agree (I’ve said before that I…