Posts Written OnJune 2012

Distillling in Wine Country: Four Questions with David Page

David Page had his Newton-apple-falling-on-the-head moment in the basement bowels of a New York City restaurant. A chef by trade, he and his wife, Barbara Shinn, traveled east from California and washed into New York City in 1990.  By 1993, they had scrounged enough money together to open Home restaurant, a rustic, cozy place that celebrates traditional American cuisine.  Soon, their 60-seat restaurant (30 inside, 30 outside) was jammed to the gills with adoring fans feasting on Skillet Fried Chicken, Whole Grilled Trout and the like. Another restaurant would follow (Drovers Tap Room), a cookbook, prospects of more businesses in the neighborhood…it…

Palmer Vineyards 2011 Aromatico

Miguel Martin, Spanish-born winemaker at Palmer Vineyards, flies under the radar. Instead of grabbing headlines or a lot of attention,  he simply works hard in the vineyard and cellar to not only produce impressives wines from the grapes you’d expect on the North Fork — grapes like cabernet franc, sauvignon blanc and pinot blanc — but also from those you might not expect, like New York’s first Albarino, which he introduced last spring. With Palmer Vineyards 2011 Aromatico ($25 per 500-ml bottle), Miguel adds to the unexpected end of roster. A blend of 72% muscat canelli and 28% malvasia, you…

Fork Finds: Blueberry Cream Pie from Briermere Farms, Riverhead, NY

My husband is a pretty low energy guy. Mets baseball (even when they stink), air conditioning, and sleeping later than 7 a.m. are pretty much all he needs in a weekend. He’s not loud or hyper or excitable about most things. So when you spy the pair of us in late June do-si-doing around a gravel covered parking lot, high fiving and screeching like six year olds on a roller coaster, you have to know the inspiration for our behavior must be pretty damn special. We didn’t hit the Mega Millions. It’s something better. I present to you: The Blueberry Cream Pie from Briermere Farms…

EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT: Second Annual Lamb Roast at Paumanok Vineyards with ilili, July 3

Charles and Ursula, owners of Paumanok Vineyards are excited to partner with Philippe Massoud, Executive Chef and Proprietor of ilili (and Charles’ nephew), to host the Second Annual Lamb Roast event at Paumanok on July 3 at 7 .m. Philippe and Chef de Cuisine Erik Osol and their team will prepare a family-style (shared platters), sit-down dinner. The tentative menu is listed below. Of course, it will all be accompanied by Paumanok wines. Assorted Lebanese Mezza Home Made Yogurt Cheese Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes and Seasonal Onions Foster Farm, Purslane and Lebanese Thyme Salad, Lebanese Green Olives Grilled Okra Salad Roasted Whole Lamb Lamb Stuffed…

Southold Farm + Cellar: One Family’s Unique Field of Dreams

When I first met Regan Meador, assistant winemaker at Osprey’s Dominion Vineyards, many months ago via Twitter he didn’t want to know who was making my favorite local merlot or chardonnay. Instead, he wanted to know who is making my favorite syrah, who is making interesting non-chardonnay whites and who is planting different grapes. Not that he doesn’t like merlot and chardonnay, mind you.  He just isn’t a fan of ubiquity. “The stuff is over-planted, not just here but globally,” he says, adding “Nothing against the wine itself — well maybe against chardonnay — but I would rather have some other…

Scenes from the NYCR-Anthony Road Wine Company “Drink Local Dinner” at Amarelle

Friday night’s “Drink Local Dinner” at Amarelle, featuring the wines of Anthony Road Wine Company was successful for all involved — and more importantly a whole lot of fun.  It was great to see so many Long Island wine fans, both in and out of the local wine industry, attend to learn more about what is going on in another key region in the state. I’d like to thank everyone who attended, winemaker Johannes Reinhardt and chef Lia Fallon for an incredible evening. Stay tuned for an announcement about the next dinner in this series — it’s a pretty unique…

Flaherty to Edit New Cider and Spirits Sections for NYCR

David Flaherty joined the New York Cork Report team nearly two years ago, serving as our primary “man on the ground” in Manhattan. Today, that changes as he takes the helm of two upcoming sections — Spirits and Cider. Adding spirits and cider coverage here is something I’ve wanted to do for some time and — lucky for me — they are both things that David is knowledgeable and passionate about. Keep an eye out for David’s first piece soon.

Martha Clara Vineyards 2009 Cabernet Franc

With a nose that shows black cherry, dried cranberry, savory herbs and a subtle hint of grilled mushrooms, the Martha Clara Vineyards 2009 Cabernet Franc ($23) shows both nice varietal character and Long Island-ness. On the palate, there is a slightly underripe note, but nice cherry and plum fruit flavors with a woodsy, earthy-herbal edge. Medium-intensity tannins are pretty well integrated, providing a bit of drying grip, while understated acidity brings freshness. A solid effort from one of the region’s weirder vintages. If you’re a true lover of cabernet franc, you’ll appreciate this wine. Producer: Martha Clara Vineyards AVA: North Fork of…

Finger Lakes Hail Damage: “In Ten Minutes, Everything Was Lost”

The May 29 storms that hit the Finger Lakes brought a variety of rough weather elements, including hail. A few bursts of hail were large and destructive, and while most Finger Lakes wineries were not affected, Cayuga Ridge Winery is now confirming a loss of nearly 100%.   [pullquote_right] It’s been an emotional time here. We work all season to ensure a healthy harvest, and in a short time it was all destroyed.” [/pullquote_right] “The hail hit us for about ten minutes on that Tuesday afternoon,” said Mary Jane Kircher, whose family owns and operates Cayuga Ridge. “There were pockets…

Fork Finds: Aldo’s (Greenport, NY)

I have a very severe caffeine addiction. While I’m sure illegal substances have their allure, I’ll always stick with my favorite: a steaming hot cup of speed. In the city, I have a rotation of coffeehouses I can hit when I start to droop. I also have a well-documented love affair with that green and white java chain threatening to take over America’s souls. But when on the North Fork, it feels dirty and unsupportive of our small business owners to throw money at a corporation. But I need to feed my habit. And God forbid, I should make my own coffee EVERY morning! So through…