Posts Written ByTracy.Weiss

NY Drinks NY Means that Winter is Over. I Promise!

At this point, winter has been such a relentless bitch many of us will drink anything to keep warm and shut out the dark, grey days. But with Spring fast approaching, I’m here to remind you to be mindful of what’s in your glass. Don’t just slug whatever bottle you have on hand in order to stay indoors. For me - NY Drinks NY heralds Open Season on Spring wine. New, shiny things I have yet to taste. This yearly event brings together three dozen or more wineries from across New York State for a Grand Tasting and … marks…

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North Fork Wines Take A Field Trip To Racines NY BYO Mondays

If you’ve suffered through my cooking, you know there’s certainly no meal coming from my kitchen that’s worthy of a special bottle of wine. In fact, drinking something quickly is your best method of defense. I tend to hoard long-held vintages or the Brunello procured on a magical vacation for an event where corkage is appropriate or find that rare BYOB restaurant of a certain caliber. Occasionally, I miss a drinkability window and I curse my principals and wish I’d just opened that bottle with a takeout turkey burger. Having the luxury of endless access to Long Island wine, they…

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Kontokosta Winery — The Winery at the End of the World (Or at Least the North Fork)

If you’re driving out from mid-Island, Greenport’s only winery seems like it’s located at the end of the earth. As you pass more familiar faces on the North Road (Hi Sparkling Pointe! What’s up, One Woman?), you wonder if you could possibly die from holding your bladder. Why couldn’t you just stop closer to the LIE? Then you see it. From the distance, Kontokosta Winery is a weathered grey structure: imposing and lonely on a windswept chunk of land that brings to mind the moors of the Scottish Highlands. After a quick jaunt down the dirt road, you start to…

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There’s a Lot Happening At Macari Vineyards: But Don’t Let That Scare You

Barrel Tastings are cool. There’s something unique about the experience that makes you feel like you’ve got membership to a secret club, even for those of us who are in and out of working wineries. A welcome chill in the air, necessary for stabilization but still goosebump-promoting regardless of the season, commands your attention. Take notice! Something interesting is happening here! Steel tanks stand next to endless rows of neutral oak barrels, each with unique with chalk scribbles that mean almost nothing to bystanders. It makes you wonder wonder what’s happening to the liquid inside. This is wine in its…

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Spring Fever Hits Hard at NY Drinks NY

The fact I was bundled in down from head to toe while I cruised the block sto Astor Center reminded me (as if I could forget) that it’s still winter. For the third year in a row, NY DRINKS NY presented its Grand Tasting featuring nearly 32 wineries from across New York State. Manhattan in mid-March sits on the precipice of spring meaning new wine releases and desperate hopes for balmy weather, even though the mercury says, “Bitches, we’re still in winter.” Well, I don’t care. My taste buds are firmly planted in backyard grilling, delicate sunshine, snap peas and…

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Just Food’s ‘Let Us Eat Local’: Familiar, But Fantastic

Last year, I compared Just Food’s Let Us Eat Local event to Willy Wonka’s Fancy Food Factory. I’m clearly a creature of habit (or entirely uncreative and in need of a thesaurus) as I found that exact note scribbled in the margins of my notebook as I considered my arrival to the 2013 fête that took place on October 2nd. As I took in the now common place hand carved pumpkin sporting their logo (this year in white!) and the 39 food stuff stations each appointed with plates each more beautifully autumn than the last and marveled at gorgeous use…

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Fork Finds: Orient Country Store, Orient, NY

Sorry. It was my Summer of Selfishness; I haven’t been sharing my Fork Finds as promised. Maybe I didn’t want to fight crowds of loyal NYCR-ers who’d run to my recommendations causing longer lines and a survival of the fittest reality TV-style contest to see who’d get the last blueberry cream pie. (Ooops, that already happened.) Since Lenn reminded me our readers are courteous and less likely to throw a punch over pastry than your usual winery visitor, I am back. And since I’m spilling all of my secrets, I might as well blow up one of my favorite spots…

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HARVEST EAST END 10-Mile Dinner: Cutchogue Edition

While out East, I like to do my drinking at home to keep my evenings automobile free. But when Harvest East End announced their line up of exclusive 10-Mile Dinners and it just so happened they included an event pairing McCall Wines with a personalized menu by Chef Noah Schwartz (of Noah’s in Greenport)? I made an exception, splurged on a ticket and secured one of the 14 seats available at the beachside Cutchogue locale. Organized by the Long Island Wine Council, these salons are spread out between the two forks and Shelter Island to showcase the magic that happens…

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Manhattan’s 21 Club to Host Long Island Wine Mondays

  21 Club, a legendary Manhattan establishment, is famous for two things: a succulent burger and the three martini lunch. A classic place to drink your meal, three Long Island wineries will be in good company as they showcase some of their best on this hollowed ground of Prohibition-style imbibing. On select Mondays this summer, the restaurant will host wine and hors d’oeuvre pairings for Bedell Cellars, Onabay Vineyards and Pellegrini Vineyards. Sample new bites from Chef Greeley selected to compliment each vintage and varietal, while sipping local wine and picking the brains of experts from each winery. Canapés, good…

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NY Drinks NY: Sparkling Wines of New York

Like panel moderator Linda Lawry, I also believe that Champagne or any of its descendants are labors of love best in enjoyed simply because it’s Tuesday. For that reason (and also because I’m a bit of a lush), I was thrilled to attend a Sparkling Wines of New York seminar at the NY Drinks NY event at Astor Center on Monday. As the Director of the International Wine Center, an organization dedicated to wine education for neophytes and oenophiles both, Lawry was a good fit lead the discussion. She introduced representatives from wineries to present their creations with the panache and…

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