Posts Written OnMay 20, 2005

(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…