Alder of Vinography  recently visited Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry in Yountville, CA for dinner. I think his review says it all. Yet another reason that Nena and I need to get to California for vacation. The list of reasons is seemingly endless.

Details are still a bit scant, but I’ve been invited to attend a private vertical tasting of Estate Selection Chardonnay (their "reserve" stuff) at Wolffer Estate Vineyards on March 15th at 7:30 p.m. It’s being hosted and run by their winemaker, Roman Roth. And, as far as I know I’m one of only ten or so invitees. I wonder how many years back we’ll go… Should be a great evening. I can’t wait…especially since it might be a last hurrah of sorts before I have my tonsils removed and can’t drink for a couple weeks.

Well folks, LENNDEVOURS’ first wine tasting event went off pretty much without a hitch. We ended up with 14 wines from 12 Long Island wineries and one Finger Lakes winery, and 12 tasters. It was interesting to see how different people reacted to different wines. For the most part, Nena and I tended to like similar wines (not a surprise) but there were only a few that everyone liked. Similarly, there was only one (maybe two) that everyone disliked. Easily the most entertaining part of the evening (and the next morning) was reading everyone’s comments. One friend in particular, we’ll…

I’ll write a run-down of the Rosé tasting we hosted Saturday night soon…hopefully tonight or tomorrow morning. But, I like this picture…and it’s a great example of the wide range of colors possible.

I’ll admit it. I’m a wine nerd and an Internet nerd. So, it should come as no surprise that I surf winery websites just about every day. I focus largely on New York State most of the time, but I do branch out into California, Virgina and even South America. I should also mention that I’m a word nerd. I have a graduate degree in writing, so I may notice things like this moreso than someone else would… but: Does the phrase "award-winning wines" mean a damn thing to anyone anymore? I’m willing to bet that at least 99% of…

Tomorrow is the first specifically wine-related event that Nena and I have ever hosted — Long Island Pink Wines for Valentine’s Day. A week early you say? That’s because my Dan’s Papers column for Valentine’s Day weekend is due Monday. Yes, the day after the Super Bowl, which is why I’ll be writing it Sunday morning. We’ll be tasting 14 wines from 12 Long Island wineries and one winery from the Finger Lakes wine region (with ties to Long Island). Wineries represented include: Atwater Vineyards (Finger Lakes) Bedell Cellars Castello di Borghese Galluccio Family Wines Laurel Lake Vineyards Macari Vineyards…

(This column originally appeared in the 2/4 edition of Dan’s Papers) When Juice Goes Un-Fermented Do you know what verjus is? Probably not, but don’t be embarrassed, not many people do. Verjus, literally translated as “green juice” and pronounced “vair-ZHOO,” is the fresh, unfermented juice of half-ripe fruit, most often grapes. Quite common in Old World wine regions, particularly France, this versatile juice has as many culinary uses as there are grapes in a vineyard. Want a bright, fresh wine alternative without the alcohol? Drink verjus. It’s crisp, fruity and refreshing on its own or mixed with sparkling water and…

Chardonnay is the most-planted grape on Long Island…despite the fact that it’s not as popular as it once was (thanks California!). As you would probably expect, there’s a wide range of wines made from all those grapes. A good portion of them go into white table blends (often with Riesling or other varietals) that have their place, but aren’t my favorite. There are some California-style Chards too…with lots of butter and oak. Again, those usually aren’t my favorite, but a couple do make their way into my glass on occasion. If you read LENNDEVOURS, you’ve probably heard me refer to…