Posts Written OnFebruary 27, 2006

To kick off "LENNDEVOURS Chardonnay Week 2006" we’ve got Jamesport Vineyards 2004 Cox Lane Chardonnay ($19). 2004 was only an average growing year on the North Fork of Long Island, but Ron Goerler, Jamesport Vineyards’ owner and vineyard manager, spoke highly last spring of his chardonnay (and cabernet sauvignon) grapes. He’s well-regarded as a grape grower and his reputation is actually part of what attracted winemaker Les Howard to Jamesport Vineyards. When I first met Les last year, he stated a desire to make well-balanced wines first and foremost because "Spikes of oak or acidity numb your taste buds, shortening…

The Tasting Room, a two-location co-op tasting room that was the exclusive location for Comtesse Thérèse, Schneider Vineyards and Broadfields Wine Cellars wines will close its doors for the final time this Thursday, March 2. As I reported back in November, Leucadia National (owner’s of Pine Ridge Winery in Napa) purchased the two tasting rooms along with two local vineyards. I’m a little surprised that they are closing them down already, but one winery that used to pour there, Sherwood House Vineyards, has opened its own tasting room, and I suspect that others were heading that direction. As soon as…

Despite ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) groups and the woody/buttery/sweet renditions many CA producers punish our palates with, chardonnay remains the king of white wine in terms of sales and acreage here on Long Island. I think name recognition at least partially drives this. The average wine drinker just doesn’t know what gewurtztraminer tastes like and probably thinks of riesling as super-sweet and "not classy." The charddonnay shift is on, however, so even chardonnay haters can find bottles with nice acid, crisp fruit and none (or little) if the 2×4 flavors of old. All I know is that I have a…

Those of us near the North Fork of Long Island are lucky to have access to some great farmer’s markets and farm stands. But, not everyone is so lucky. It’s possible that that is all going to change…obviously for the better. Adam Mahler’s of Untangled Vine reports on a move among some Representatives in Washington D.C. to help the farmer’s market movement. He has set up an interview with the Representative that introduced the bill, so keep an eye out on his blog for more information. When I first read about the proposal, part of me was worried about the…