Posts Written OnSeptember 22, 2006

WTN: Raphael 2004 Malbec (North Fork of Long Island)

Don’t cry for me Argentina Long Island? Yes, there is malbec growing on Long Island — and probably more than you realize. Once a major component in the wines of Bordeaux, this large, fairly easy-to-ripen black grape is now best known in Argentina, where it is most often bottled alone, and as a bit player (along with cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot and petit verdot) in in Meritage and other blended red wines in U.S., Australia and South Africa. So it only makes sense many of Long Island’s meritage-style reds feature small amounts of malbec — typicaly from 1 –…

No More Blind Tasting of One Long Island Winery

I got an interesting email yesterday from my contact for one prominent Long Island winery. The winery’s owner has decided that it will no longer be sending samples to me, or any member of the press, for review. From now on, he’d wants all wine tastings/reviews to be conducted at the winery, with him present. This winery isn’t the only one that doesn’t do samples…but the others are small, low-production wineries that sell out of their wines to their wine clubs regardless of any press coverage. This new member of the "no samples" club isn’t one of these artisanal producers…