Posts Written OnMarch 2006

Lieb Family Cellars is toasting spring’s arrival with OysterFest throughout April. Every Saturday in April, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., you’ll be able to sample Lieb’s  wines and delicious oyster dishes prepared by local chefs. They are offering a liberal tasting of three vintages of Lieb’s popular Pinot Blanc, including its Blanc de Blanc sparkling wine, and will also serve its newly-released Cabernet Franc, a seafood-friendly red wine. The wines will be paired with tasty oysters and seafood dishes from local establishments, including Della Femina Restaurant in East Hampton, Waterside Caterers of Northport, Brewster’s Seafood Market in Hampton Bays…

Every week, I get emails asking for advice on which wineries to visit or wondering which local wines I’m really enjoying that week. Truthfully, I always find these emails hard to answer because wine tastes are so individual and personal. My tastes may, and probably are, different from yours. Yes, I love the floral, spicy-citrus zing of Corey Creek’s 2004 Gewürztraminer ($25) but that doesn’t mean you will. (For instance, Nena isn’t a big fan.) So, every time my wife and I visit wine country, we try to take a different path so that we taste different wines and meet…

Here on LENNDEVOURS, I bring you, my devoted (I hope) readers, the best of what New York’s wine regions have to offer, but as a weekly contributor to Wine Sediments, I’ve expanded that scope inThe Vines Less Tasted, a weekly column that focuses on lesser-known regions and lesser-known grapes. With wine being produced in every state of the union, there are so many wines out there beyond those made in California, Oregon, Washington and, yes, New York. I don’t even need to leave our shores for material. So, it is with great pleasure and excitement that I annouce that I…

Saturday night, Nena and I enjoyed what I would term, without reservation, the best meal we’ve ever eaten at a restaurant. A bold statement to be sure, but Mirabelle in St. James is deserving of this and any other praise it receives. Wanting to spoil ourselves a bit, Nena and I decided to enjoy their eight-course tasting menu, which is a steal at $80. The captain and chef were both very accomodating when I explained my shellfish allergy and seafood aversion and they happily substituted two fo the eight dishes for me. For her first course, Nena had a trio…

Fatemeh, everyone’s favorite, often-travelling food writer (and owner of Gastronomie) finally found a few spare minutes in her busy schedule to post about the fun she and C had when they explored Long Island wine country a bit with me a while back. F&C were a lot of fun to taste with and I definitely hope this was just the first of many culinary jaunts together, starting with my still-on trip to the Bay Area at the end of June. You all know that I think Long Island wines have a lot to offer, but don’t just take my word…

There wasn’t any wine involved, but Nena and I had a fun night anyway (I know, hard to believe that a wineless night can be fun!) I bought Nena tickets to Coldplay at Nassau Coliseum for Xmas and while there was wine available, who wants to drink Beringer from small plastic screwcap bottles? Not me. Nena even drank beer instead, which never happens. Richard Ashcroft (front man for the Verve) opened the show and was pretty good. I would have liked it better had he not finished his set with the Verve’s Bittersweet Symphony. I’m not a big fan of…

Ever had a wine from Napa Valley? Yes, you have. Ever tasted a Gamay Noir (as in a Beaujolais)? Yeah you probably have…but have you tasted a Gamay Noir from the Napa Valley? I have…check out my post this week on Wine Sediments.

Late last summer, I got my first taste of Vineyard 48’s first new wines(as opposed to the old Bidwell stock they sold under their label), all not-yet-released whites from the 2004 vintage. The best of the lot was a nicely balanced semi-dry Riesling, but the others seemed either taut and un-yielding, or a disjointed. A little over six months later, I decided to re-taste a few of the whites along with three newly released 2004 reds — and there is reason to keep an eye on Vineyard 48. The first of the re-tasted whites, Vineyard 48 2004 Sauvignon Blanc ($14)…

Vineyard 48’s 2004 Vignetta ($25) — a blend of 50% cabernet franc, 38% cabernet sauvignon and 20% merlot is the stand out among their 2004 reds. Much more approachable and elegant than either their 2004 reserve merlot or 2004 cabernet franc, it’s drinking very well despite its relative youth. The nose is complex, mingling tart cherry, cranberry and leather aromas with cinnamon stick and earthy dried leaves. Plummy fruit flavors greet the palate with soft, fine oak and tannins along with excellent earthy character.  

As I mentioned last week, I put together a wine dinner at Red Barn B&B with several wine-loving friends, including one of the Wine Chicks, a Wine Goddess and a local winemaker. Our hosts, Jim and Linda Slezak, were beyond gracious and warm. From the moment we arrived the when we stepped out the door we all had a great time. I’d highly recommend their B&B to anyone and intend to do so. We enjoyed a four-course meal with each of us bringing a bottle or two to pair with a specific course. The wines came from all over the…