Sometimes I really (seriously) get sick of all the local chardonnay I drink in covering the region so closely. It’s the second most planted variety on Long Island and, by far, the most planted white variety, so it only makes sense that there’s a lot of it made, but man, with a lot of these wines, any Long Island terroir is beaten out of these wines by new oak.

That is why I’m still so excited about the local sauvignon blanc that some wineries have put out in recent year, including Shinn Estate Vineyard’s First Fruit, which is 96% sauvignon blanc and 4% semillon, their nod to the white wines of Bordeaux.

The nose is expressive with fresh pear, lemon, grapefruit and herbal-grassy notes mingling.

The palate brings similar flavors-with the addition of a squirt of lime and a sprinkling of salty minerality. Medium bodied and impeccably balanced with snappy acidity, this is a wine born beside the sea and one that goes with anything from the sea.

Grape(s): 96% sauvignon blanc, 4% semillon
Producer: Shinn Estate Vineyards
AVA: North Fork of Long Island
Price: $22
Rating: 
(4 out of 5 | Delicious, Distinctive
)