Posts Tagged“macari vineyards”

Macari Vineyards 2012 “No. 1” Sauvignon Blanc

Macari Vineyards winemaker Kelly Urbanik Koch made one of my favorite wines of last summer, from sauvignon blanc. This wine, Macari Vineyards 2012 “No. 1” Sauvignon Blanc ($27) is a completely different animal, however. Half the fruit for this wine was skin fermented in a 500L barrel and the other half was left on the skins for one night in a stainless steel tank. Notes of canary melon, fresh hay, white flowers, Meyer lemon and tangerine mingle on a nose that is muted right out of the fridge but opens up a bit more as it warms to room temperature. Broad and…

Macari Vineyards 2013 “Early Wine” Chardonnay

With all of the chardonnay grown on Long Island, it is unthinkable to me that no one else is making wines like this one. Macari Vineyards 2013 “Early Wine” Chardonnay ($17) isn’t complex. It isn’t the best wine on the North Fork. It isn’t a world changer. What it is, is delicious. And fun. And too many wines forget to be both of those things. The grapes were picked in September 7, and not long after a short fermentation, the finished was bottled right after Halloween. The wine was released on winemaker Kelly Urbanik’s birthday, November 8. Notes of citrus —…

Empire State Cellars Wine Club: September 2013 Selections

The September shipment of the Empire State Cellars Wine Club will go out to members in a few weeks — but here’s a sneak peak of what is coming.. If you aren’t familiar with the club, you can learn more here. “Hello New York” Wines Charles Fournier 2012 “Gold Seal Vineyards” Riesling: Named for a Finger Lakes pioneer and his seminal vineyard, this negociant-made riesling is focused and fresh, showing pear and apricot flavors, nervy acidity and along, slate-y finish. A terrific value.  Wolffer Estate Vineyard 2010 “Red Letter”: The great 2010 growing season resulted some of Long Island’s best-ever <$20 reds, this…

Macari Vineyards 2012 “Katherine’s Field” Sauvignon Blanc

Always among the top sauvignon blancs coming from the North Fork, Macari Vineyards 2012  “Katherine’s Field” Sauvignon Blanc ($23) is an early favorite from the 2012 batch just hitting shelves now — and I dare say the best since Kelly Urbanik took over as winemaker. Aromas of grapefruit, sweet lime, green apple and honeydew show ripeness and nary a scent of grass or other ‘greenness.’ Medium-to-fuller bodied but well balanced with citrusy, juicy acidity, the palate offer more lime and grapefruit flavors backed by green apple and a gently glycerin mouthfeel. Finishing lively and focused with a squeeze of grapefruit, it’s…

Macari Vineyards 2008 Estate Merlot

You’ve probably read that 2008 wasn’t a superlative vintage on Long Island. Compared to 2005, 2007 or 2010 that’s probably true, but over time I’ve found that with an extra year or two of bottle age, many 2008s come together nicely — offering far less intensity than those lauded years, but also a bit more complexity and a lot more food-friendliness. And as if that weren’t endearing enough — very few 2008s fall victim to the “let’s see how much we can charge for this” pandemic. Macari Vineyard Estate Merlot ($19) is a well-priced red that will improve an array…

Gibson Campbell Joins NYCR as Long Island Beer Correspondent

Gibson Campbell, known in Long Island wine country as the man behind the tasting bar at Macari Vineyards, joins the NYCR team today as our new Long Island Beer Correspondent. He’ll be a familiar face to many who read this site. After graduating from Binghamton University in 2007with a bachelor degree in English, Literature, and Rhetoric, Gibson returned home to Mattituck, NY to work in a winery’s tasting room. Since then, he has worked full-time in the Long Island Wine Industry, but had already developed a passion for craft beer and basically all things local. His affinity for (good) beer started with a…

Macari Vineyards 2012 “Early Wine” Chardonnay

I’m over Beaujolais nouveau — it’s mostly about the spectacle (and the marketing) and the wines often disappoint. I’d rather wait until Cru stuff is released.  But when it comes to local nouveau wines (there are a few) I always look forward to Macari Vineyards’ “Early Wine” chardonnay, even if it varies (sometimes wildly) from year to year. Inspired by the jungwein (young wine) of consulting winemaker Helmut Gangl’s homeland — they are often served in heuriger shortly after harvest — the grapes for this win were harvested on August 29 and the wine was bottled less than two months later…

5 Questions with… Gabriella Macari, Macari Vineyards

Every wine not only has a story behind it, but a surprisingly large group of people as well. And, by bringing back “5 Questions with…” our once-popular feature, we will introduce you to the people that make up the New York wine community. Sometimes we’ll talk to winemakers, sure, but there are people in a variety of roles that you may not even be aware of. For this week’s installment, we talk to Gabriella Macari of Macari Vineyards. Her parents, Joe and Alex Macari, own the winery, but Gabriella and her brother Joey represent the next generation — and are…

Empire State Cellars Wine Club: November 2012 Selections

The November shipment of the Empire State Cellars Wine Club will ship in a couple weeks, but — as always — I’m excited to share the selections with you. If you’re not familiar with the club, you can learn more here. “Hello New York” Wines Lamoreaux Landing 2011 Gruner Veltliner: It’s exciting to include this relatively new grape to New York, and Lamoreaux Landing’s first commercial release of it. Dry and refreshing, it shows aloe, white pepper, lemon-lime citrus, and green herbs — with just a hint of salinity. Roanoke Vineyards 2010 BOND: Some complain about the lack of quality “table wines”…

Macari Vineyards 2011 ‘Katherine’s Field” Sauvignon Blanc

Macari Vineyards is always one of my go-to producers for Long Island sauvignon blanc, particularly the Katherine’s Field bottling, which is made without oak. It always tells the tale of the growing season and doesn’t try to mimic sauvignon from the Loire or New Zealand or California. Macari makes Long Island sauvignon blanc. 2011 was a cooler year and one marked with heavy hurricane-related rain late in the season. Macari Vineyards  “Katherine’s Field” Sauvignon Blanc ($23) shows the coolness of the vintage, with melon, grapefruit, lemon zest and thyme notes and a lighter-bodied style, with fresh, clean acidity and surprising length. A…