Posts Tagged“north fork”

Distillling in Wine Country: Four Questions with David Page

David Page had his Newton-apple-falling-on-the-head moment in the basement bowels of a New York City restaurant. A chef by trade, he and his wife, Barbara Shinn, traveled east from California and washed into New York City in 1990.  By 1993, they had scrounged enough money together to open Home restaurant, a rustic, cozy place that celebrates traditional American cuisine.  Soon, their 60-seat restaurant (30 inside, 30 outside) was jammed to the gills with adoring fans feasting on Skillet Fried Chicken, Whole Grilled Trout and the like. Another restaurant would follow (Drovers Tap Room), a cookbook, prospects of more businesses in the neighborhood…it…

Roanoke Vineyards 2009 Marco Tulio

I’ve said it before, but it is worthy of a reminder — in your excitement to taste Long Island’s 2010 reds, don’t skip over or dismiss the 2009s.  A dry, warm autumn rewarded those growers patient enough to let their fruit hang and soak up those last bits of sun. Roanoke Vineyards 2009 Marco Tulio ($24) is a blend of 66% cabernet franc and 34% cabernet sauvignon. Anyone who knows Long Island wine knows that Roanoke Vineyards makes some of the best cabernet franc in these parts, and that this wine is two-thirds franc is obvious from the first sniff.…

Onabay Vineyards 2007 Wild Ferment Chardonnay

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief Even with the release of its 2007 wines, its second vintage, Onabay Vineyards, remains firmly under the radar of most local wine lovers. But they are a winery worth keeping an eye on for a number of reasons. Their vineyard is mature — 18 years old — and is managed by industry veteran Steve Mudd. The wines are made by another local vet, Bruce Schneider, a fellow cabernet franc fanatic and owner of Schneider Vineyards. Beyond Mudd and Schneider, Onabay is a family affair. The Anderson family owns the 180-acre farm that houses the vineyard and…

Sherwood House Vineyards 2004 Blanc de Blanc

By Lenn Thompson, Long Island Editor and Editor-in-Chief At Sherwood House Vineyards in Mattituck, NY, the focus is set squarely on Old World-style chardonnay and merlot. My distaste for regional comparisons aside, their chardonnay is extremely Burgundian and the merlots show restraint and elegance rather than jammy one dimension.  Owners Charles and Barbara Smithen purchased their 1860 farmhouse on Oregon Road in 1996 and planted their vines soon after, starting with 5 acres of chardonnay before planing just over 15 acres more with merlot and chardonnay in 1997. Nearly 7 acres of cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot were added…

Clovis Point Winery 2005 Cabernet Franc

Every time I drink a cabernet franc like this, I wonder how I had never heard of this beautiful, wonderful grape until I moved to Long Island almost a decade ago. To think, I could have been drinking cab franc back in grad school, wen was drinking super-fruity chardonnay and shiraz from Australia. Oh wait, maybe that's the problem, I was drinking those mass-produced, one-dimensional wines. I probably wouldn't have appreciated cab franc for all of it's non-fruity characteristics. This Clovis Point Winery 2005 Cabernet Franc ($25) is probably a wine I wouldn't have enjoyed back in my Black Opal…

Bouke 2007 Red

If you read about wine online much, you've no doubt heard of one of Long Island's newest wine producers, Bouke Wines. Pronounced like "bouquet," Bouke is the brainchild of Lisa Donneson and the wines are made by industry veteran Gilles Martin. Lisa has done a great job, better than most winery owners in New York, of engaging with the blogosphere to get her wines and brand out in front of bloggers and those who read blogs. Her wines are well priced (this red is the most expensive at $21) and I really appreciate her dedication to creating affordable, but still…

Croteaux Vineyards 2007 Merlot “3 Clone” Rose

I definitely enjoyed this wine's 10% barrel-fermented sibling, but Croteaux Vineyards' 2007 Merlot "3 Clone" Rose ($18) was fermented entirely in oak and aged for 5 months in older oak barrels… and I just don't 'get' this wine. I like that Croteaux makes "rose on purpose," even if it seems a bit insane in such a tremendous vintage to use all of that beautiful merlot fruit for rose. And, it's kind of interesting that they do three different ones (I'll post my review of the third tomorrow), but this wine is just weird. Sometimes weird is good. Here, I'm not…

WTN: Shinn Estate Vineyards 2005 Estate Merlot (North Fork of Long Island)

Many of the 2005 merlots that I’ve tasted have been big, plush and — frankly — not very true to Long Island’s unique terroir. These reds lean more towards California in style, at least in their youth, and aren’t very good values. Lovers of true Long Island wines should thank Shinn Estate Vineyards for staying true to the region with their Shinn Estate Vineyards 2005 Estate Merlot ($27). It’s a ripe, but surprisingly understated and agile red with blackberry, raspberry and plum on an expressive nose that is filled out with herbs, mocha, earth and vanilla. Similar flavors come through…

Wine Country Lunch: Love Lane Kitchen

By Lenn Thompson, Founder and Publisher The North Fork restaurant scene has improved greatly over the last several years. Restaurants like North Fork Table, Jedediah’s and Jamesport Manor have really upped the proverbial ante…but mainly for dinner. There is still a dire lack of quality, affordable lunch options for people visiting wine country. Even before Jadckson came along, Nena and I usually ended up at the Village Cheese Shop, located on Love Lane in the cute little village of Mattituck. We’d pick out a few cheeses, get a baguette and maybe some cured meat and olives, and take it to…

WTN: Osprey’s Dominion Vineyards 2006 Sauvignon Blanc (North Fork)

Today’s review is going to be a quick one. Are you sick of over-the-top grassy sauvignon blancs from New Zealand? If so, let me suggest that you try Osprey’s Dominion Vineyards’ 2006 Sauvignon Blanc, a steal at $13. I’ve enjoyed many local sauvignons over the past couple years, but many are at or around $20, making them a little beyond the "summer sipper" price. Right out of the fridge, this one was a little tight and a bit neutral, but once it warmed just a bit, nice lemon, melon and grapefruit aromas appeared with just the most subtle hints of…