Winemaker Kareem Massoud is going to send along some harvest data today (or perhaps he can just drop it into the comments below) but Paumanok Vineyards harvested 2012 merlot for rose yesterday.

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....

Few expect a “jammy” component in Long Island wines, but the hot, dry 2007 vintage has led to a handful of wines with a decidedly jammy mid-palate. This wine, Macari Vineyards 2007 Reserve Merlot ($36) actually lean...

Clovis Point is a North Fork producer that is quickly pushing itself onto the region’s short list of premium producers. The white wine portfolio is limited, but if you’re talking merlot and other red wines, Clovis P...

With so many communication channels at our finger tips these days (Facebook, Twitter, email, etc.) it feels like I’m discussing local wines with people almost constantly. It’s fun, but I’ve noticed something r...

What was mere speculation and conjecture just a few weeks ago is now a reality on the North Fork. Shinn Estate Vineyards’ David Page sent me this photo this morning of bud break in their estate merlot vineyard, marking ...

Living on Long Island, I drink a fair amount of merlot. It’s every where you look in wine country — literally and figuratively. I don’t need to look north to the Finger Lakes for merlot. And honestly, I don...

If you’re looking for innovative, modern winemaking or flashy branding, The Lenz Winery probably isn’t for you. Lenz isn’t in the Long Island Wine Council and isn’t particularly active on channels like F...

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor Paumanok Vineyards' "regular" merlot bottling, informally known as the "white label merlot" is one of Long Island's most values — particularly from warmer, dr...

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor 2006 was anything but a banner year on the North Fork. What was a mediocre growing season to begin with was worsened by two early frost events in early fall. The reds from the vintage generall...