Posts Written OnApril 2006

This week on Wine Sediments, I’m talkin’ Austrian wine — more specifically gruner veltliner. Austrian wine has been getting a lot of blog coverage lately, especially with the Live Austrian Wine Adventure ramping up soon, so I just had to throw my two cents in on an awesome gruner I tasted last week. Head on over to Wine Sediments this morning and learn a little about this under-appreciated white. Wine Sediments brings together some of the worlds best wine blogging talent. Even if I weren’t writing there, I’d check it out every day. You should too.

  On Monday, April 3, the Long Island Merlot Alliance hosted a press and trade preview tasting at Craft restaurant in Manhattan of its first co-produced wine – 2004 Merliance. Formed last fall by Raphael, Pellegrini Vineyards, Sherwood House Vineyards, Shinn Estate Vineyards and Wolffer Estate Vineyards, the LIMA believes that merlot is Long Island’s signature varietal, and as such has dedicated itself to its advancement and continued quality in our region. In addition to the collaborative production of Merliance every year, the group plans to hold educational programs and sponsor research into exactly why Long Island is so well suited…

No. Not for Long Island wine (the first commercial vines were only two years old at that point). 1975 was a very good year for people…particularly those born in Pittsburgh, PA and who eventually move to Long Island, fall in love with a girl and fall in love with a wine region. Yes. I turn 31 today. Not nearly as filled with fanfare as the big three-oh from last year, but a birthday nonetheless. As I mentioned a while ago, Nena and my parents bought me a smoker for my birthday. And last night Ben (yes, our beagle) gave me…

For quite a while now, I’ve toyed with the idea of becoming a home winemaker. Time isn’t exactly something I have a surplus of these days, but making and bottling my own vino is something I think would be such an amazing process. But, instead of going out and buying so-so home winemaking equipment and blindly working my way through the fermentation process with purchased juice or concentrate I’m taking it one step further. LENNDEVOURS contributor Richard Olsen-Harbich, who also happens to be the managing director and winemaker for Raphael, one of Long Island’s premier merlot makers, has offered to…

Wine Blogging Wednesday #21 will be announced tomorrow morning. But, in the mean time, enjoy this picture of our own personal David Haselhoffbeagle.

By Contributing Columnist Richard Olsen-Harbich Voluptuous, muscular, fat, brooding, sultry…for hundreds of years, descriptors of the human condition have been used to define the flavors and experience of wine. With the advent of political correctness, some of these descriptors (like “feminine” and “masculine”) have lost favor, giving way to more literal references. What has not changed however is the way that wine can be compared to people. When I speak about wine I often use sociological analogies. That’s nothing new — vineyards and wine have been used to tell stories about people since biblical times. It’s often a good way…

Today on The Gilded Fork, Chef Mark Tafoya presents a delicious and delectable dinner menu for Mother’s Day and I’ve contributed wine pairings for each course. Yes, I focused on Long Island wines, but I gave enough direction to help even those unaware of the tasty local wines I love so much. Of course, if you’re reading this post…you’re well aware. Check it out and spoil mom this year.

In the midst of our more-work-than-I-ever-expected bathroom renovation project, my parents and lovely wife presented me with my birthday present (a bit early, but I’m not complaining) — a Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker. I can barely contain my excitement as I think about all of the delicious pork I’ll be cooking on it this summer…ribs…shoulder….belly for bacon. I look forward to experimenting with this bad boy…and you’d better believe that I’ll chronicle my experiments here on LENNDEVOURS.