Posts Tagged“rich pisacano”

Roanoke Vineyards 2012 Gabby’s Cabernet Franc

Roanoke Vineyards 2012 Gabby’s Cabernet Franc ($43) shows the ripeness of the vintage, but is a standout for its elegant intensity and early complexity. A blend of cab franc grown in a part of Roanoke’s estate vineyard known as “Gabby’s rows” because Pisacano family patriarch Gabby Pisacano manages them along with 17% merlot and 1% petit verdot, it offers a spicy and slightly herbal – in a good way – nose with layers of sweet black cherry and blackberry with subtle but distinct minty-licorice notes and high-toned floral aromas. Pretty and fresh on the medium-bodied palate, mixed berries lead the way…

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2009 Harvest Update: Letting it All Hang Out at Roanoke Vineyards

Roanoke Vineyards' Rich Pisacano looking out over the vineyard he manages at Wolffer Estate By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief Frost hit Long Island wine country again late last week, this time impacting just about every grower. I've heard numbers as low as 24 degrees in some vineyards, and it almost goes without saying that temperatures that low fry canopies and bring photosynthesis to a halt. Sugar levels can rise a bit due to dehydration, but without photosynthesis, ripening can't continue. As such, most local wineries picked all weekend and are finishing up by the end of the week — including Wolffer…

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Roanoke Vineyards: The North Fork’s Boutique Winery

Of late, it seems as if "boutique" has overtaken "award-winning" as the most overused way to describe a winery. There are other annoying, overused wine words too, but let’s focus on "boutique" today. Dictionary.com defines "boutique" as an adjective meaning "of, designating, or characteristic of a small, exclusive producer or business." Of course, even in the wine world, this definition means little without proper context. There are some California wineries that consider themselves boutique that dwarf even Long Island’s biggest producers. While exclusivity is a crux of the official definition, it doesn’t really mean much either. If a winery only…

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Interview with Rich Pisacano at Appellation America

This week on Appellation America, I interview Richie Pisacano, vineyard manager for Wollfer Estate Vineyards in the Hamptons and co-owner (with his wife Soraya) of one of my favorite North Fork producers, Roanoke Vineyards. Richie has been growing grapes on Long Island for quite a while now and has seen a lot in his time doing so. He’s also always a good interview because of his unwavering honesty. During the interview, we talked about the differences between growing grapes on the South and North Forks, how local wine growers have honed their craft and also Richie’s assertion that terroir may…

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Roanoke Vineyards Celebrates its 2nd Birthday

On November 19, Roanoke Vineyards celebrated its second birthday with a tasting of Big Reds…all made by Roman Roth. The wines poured included three different Roanoke bottlings, a Grapes of Roth merlot and Long Island’s most expensive wine, Wolffer Estate Vineyards’ Premier Cru. Unfortunately, I was unable to partake in the festivities. But, LENNDEVOURS reader Sean Reilly covered the event for us. Below is his report. It is certain that 2006 has been a watershed year for the Long Island wine industry. Never before have Long Island wines received such attention and praise from the major wine press. The Wine…

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