Lest you forget, tomorrow is Wine Blogging Wednesday #25, hosted by none other than Sam of Becks & Posh. The theme — Champagne (with a capital C) Do I, the monthly event’s host, have my wine picked out yet? Um…no. Not yet. But I’m hoping to have it by this time tomorrow. I know so very little about Champagne…so this should be fun.
Corey Creek Vineyards, owned by New Line Cinema chairman Michael Lynne, produces mostly white wines (the reds are bottled under sister winery Bedell Cellars’ label), including one of Long Island’s best gewurztraminers, a flavorful late harvest riesling and two different styles of chardonnay. Too often, Long Island chardonnay is severely over oaked in an attempt to make the rich, buttery style that (unfortunately) remains so popular with consumers. These wines usually fail because, unlike warmer California regions, local fruit just doesn’t get as ripe and can’t stand up to heavy oak. Disappointingly few local producers balance fruit and oak well…
Fall is one of the most exciting — and hectic — times on the East End of Long Island. The grapes have undergone veraison — the green grapes have changed color and started to ripen — and harvest season has begun (for sparkling wine) and will continue well into November. The ever-popular pumpkins and mums are also coming in, so the crowds will be flooding their favorite farm stands and nurseries. They bring a lot of energy to the region — but they make it harder for me to get to the wineries because of the traffic. As with any…