(This column appeared in the 1/14 issue of Dan’s Papers) Happy New Year, Long Island wine lovers! As you can probably imagine, I sampled a lot of wines between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. Dinner parties, office parties, nights out on the town, quiet nights at home… they’re all great opportunities to try new and exciting wines. Sure, some were flat, lifeless and noteworthy only in their mediocrity. But there were a half dozen that stood out – wines that I’d gladly drink again and again and again. Peconic Bay Winery’s whites are some of the first that I tried when…

As some of you may or may not know, I was born, raised and educated in Western Pennsylvania, spending my first 18 years just outside of Pittsburgh in Cranberry Township before attending college 70 miles north and then grad school in the city limits. If you know anyone from the Pittsburgh area, you probably know that the Pittsburgh Steelers are like a religion that just about ALL of us practice on Sundays. Not unlike the rest of the ‘burgh, my family is insane when it comes to our beloved Steelers…and the Steelers love doesn’t fade…regardless of where you move. Need…

On Saturday, February 5th from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. , Shinn Estate Vineyards will host their second Shinn Dig event at the winery in Mattituck, NY. They will welcome Hannah Gray, director of the icehouse gallery in Greenport, NY. She will screen several short food and wine inspired films by local artists, Eva Saks and Vicky Jensen. For $45 ($10 goes to support the icehouse gallery’s  "filmmakers without borders" project) you can enjoy a casual evening of candlelight, their delicious wine, wild boar stew, artisan cheese and breads…and, of course, the short films. Shinn’s owners, David Page and Barbara…

I tried to find some background information on this German Riesling, but I wasn’t able to find much beyond what FineWine.com had to say: "Dr. Pauly’s Riesling displays his typical intense-lime fruit with a vibrant, aromatic character and a clean, pure and crisp finish." I’m not sure where they got their notes, but I think maybe we were drinking different wines. Maybe this is a case of mistaken identity…or a perfect example of how some wine notes are complete and utter garbage.

Before opening Spencer Roloson’s 2002 Tempranillo last night, Nena and I had tasted both their Palaterra blend and their Viognier…with mixed results. We really liked the blend a lot, especially for $16…but  the Viognier a bit unbalanced and "hot" at the end. Tempranillo is another varietal (like Viognier) that I’d like to learn a lot more about. Sure, I’ve had some Riojas (which are mad with this grape) and I even had a couple Tempranillos while at dinner with Pam and Randy in Pittsburgh (at SiBA Cucina), but I really didn’t (and still don’t) know a ton about them. The…

And yet another reason to like Wolffer Estate. This Saturday, January 8, 2005, from 4-6 p.m., Wolffer Estate will be hosting a fundraiser to help the tsunami victims of Sri Lanka. General manager and winemaker, Roman Roth, will be pouring select library wines while you listen to live music and bid on paintings from local artists and photographers. The American Red Cross will be there to accept monetary donations as well. The suggested minimum donation is $35. Roman’s wife, Dushy, hails from Sri Lanka (her family is safe and accounted for) and the couple adopted a baby from Sri Lanka…

In my rarely-humble opinion, Roman Roth of Wolffer Estates is one of the top one or two winemakers in New York State. I hesitate to annoint anyone "the best" because there are many talented winemakers, but he’s right there with anyone else. His wines, from his crisp, refreshing Rose to his everyday Le Ferme Martin wines to the uber-pricey Premier Cru Merlot, always offer supreme richness, grace and quality. The German-born Roth has worked in Carneros, California, in Australia (for Rosemount Estate) and, in 1992…he joined Wolffer Estates in its infancy. He is also the winemaker at some of the…

For as long as I’ve been drinking Long Island wines, I’ve always enjoyed at least some of the wines from Corey Creek Vineyards (and it’s sister winery, Bedell Cellars). Kip Bedell, founder of Bedell Cellars and winemaker at both, is known in these parts as "Mr. Merlot" because of his success with the grape. (You can more about his Merlots.) Both wineries are now owned by Michael Lynne, Co-CEO of New Line Cinema. This could be a trend out here…big money media types investing in the wineries. Is Puff Daddy next? Lindsay Lohan? Lenn Thompson? (I wish!) Corey Creek has…

Gray Ghost Vineyards, a small family owned and operated winery, is located in Amissville, Virginia, and was named "Best of the East" by Vineyard and Winery Management magazine. They grow and make wines from noble varieties like this Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, but also craft wines from Seyval Blanc and Vidal Blanc (including a late harvest Vidal Blanc that I’m interested in) This is the first time I’ve tried any of their wines but with the interstate shipment ban potentially being lifted this year, I’m always looking for new finds. Gray Ghost Vineyards’ 2000 Cabernet Sauvingnon was fermented in stainless…