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Posts Tagged“sherwood house vineyards”

5 Questions with… Ami Opisso, Lieb Cellars

Ami Opisso, General Manager, Lieb Cellars

The New York Cork Report is back on the North Fork of Long Island for this edition of our “5 Questions With…” series. We recently had a virtual sit down with Ami Opisso, North Fork native and General Manager of Lieb Cellars. Opisso, a former city dweller living a fast paced life in New York City and Chicago working in advertising and marketing, made the brave jump into wine leaving her six figure salary behind for a small hourly tasting room job, something many of our readers (myself included) likely daydream about but are unwilling to risk themselves. Ami spent the…

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Sherwood House Vineyards 2009 Chardonnay

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Sherwood House Vineyards has built its reputation largely on the back of its Old World-styled barrel fermented chardonnay. Personally I don’t like to compare any local wines to those from any other individual region, but many mention Burgundy when it comes to Sherwood’s chardonnay. The Sherwood House Vineyards 2009 Chardonnay ($30) isn’t quite as delicious as the stellar 2008, but it’s still a fine example. The nose shows scents of vanilla-roasted pears, buttery pastry crust and just a bit of raw oak. Medium bodied with balanced acidity, the palate tastes of caramelized pears and butterscotch with notes of fresh-cut pear and flowers on the finish. Producer: Sherwood…

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Sherwood House Vineyards 2009 Chardonnay

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Sherwood House Vineyards has built its reputation largely on the back of its Old World-styled, barrel-fermented chardonnay. Some call it Burgundian, but I don’t think there is any chardonnay in the world that truly tastes like good Burgundy — and besides, why not carve out and try to describe your own region’s style? That’s another post for another time, though. The Sherwood House Vineyards 2009 Chardonnay ($30) isn’t quite as delicious as the stellar 2008, but it’s still a fine example of what oak-influenced chardonnay can be here on the North Fork. The nose shows scents of vanilla-roasted pears, buttery…

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Sherwood House Vineyards 2011 White Merlot

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100% merlot rose rarely excites me. Often it’s a bit one-dimensional and uninteresting — especially if made via saignee — but Sherwood House Vineyards 2011 White Merlot ($18) is quite refreshing and delicious. Pears, apples, strawberries and a distinct hint of peach greet the nose while the palate focuses more on peaches and wild strawberries — with a light sweet herb quality — and plenty of acidity to go around. 2011 was a tough year for red grapes, but so far, the 2011 roses have been vivacious and satisfying. I plan to taste and review more soon. Producer: Sherwood House Vineyards…

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WTN: Sherwood House Vineyards 2004 Cabernet Franc (North Fork of Long Island)

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Sherwood House Vineyards, they of the tiny little tasting room, is known primarily for their chardonnay and — to a lesser extent — merlot. Those are the varietals they’ve focused on in the past and they remain the focus today. But, as a card-carrying member of the "I Dig Cabernet Franc" club, I’m glad to see that they are bottling that variety as well. This Sherwood House Vineyards 2004 Cabernet Franc is their second such release and is has the sorts of aromas and flavors I’m looking for in cab franc. The nose is earthy and mushroomy with a little…

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LENNDEVOURS Q&A: Barb Smithen, Co-Owner of Sherwood House Vineyards

What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking? My first glass or bottle of wine was Chateau Latour 1949. My mother received a case for Christmas and I remember her saying it was a real treat. This was in 1973. The next week I had a friend who was barbecuing. We had the best hamburgers with this wine. I didn’t realize how expensive this bottle was, but everybody else did!What event/bottle/etc made you decide that you wanted to be in the wine industry? My husband and I were in France visiting the vineyards and we went…

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2003 Releases from Sherwood House Vineyards

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2003 wasn’t a great vintage for Long Island wines — and many of the wines I’ve tasted from the vintage support that statement. Many, particularly the reds, tend to be under ripe and lacking flavor. The whole growing season wasn’t sub-par, but one of the most important parts was. After a perfectly fine spring and summer, untimely rain and then two October frosts did the vintage in. Basically, frost kills the vines’ canopy, stopping photosynthesis and keeping the grapes from getting fully ripe. You can talk about “hang time” (on the vine) all you want, but without the sugar factory,…

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